Over a year since I’ve written a post. I’ve been busy, and this blog has not been a priority since I write it mostly for myself. It’s so much easier to just add photos on Instagram if I want to show off my work. I’ve actually seen a couple of other bloggers (that are obviously more visible in the quilting world than I am) struggling with the same problem. Especially since I don’t use this blog as a way to make any money.

Anyway. What else has taken priority, you ask? Well, family mostly. This past year was my youngest’s senior year. That meant there were a lot of Senior type activities besides just the shows she was in. Plus she’s had some health problems we’ve been trying to deal with.

The other family members also were a big part of the year. Last July, we were all together again for the first time in years.

We had so much fun and it was so hard for me to let them leave again. And then, shortly after Elaine and her family returned to Idaho, they called and said they were going to move back here to Texas! Yay!! But do you know how much work goes into a cross-country move? Especially with two little kids? This spring it finally happened! In March I flew out to help them pack up their apartment and to help Elaine with the kids and the cat on the plane ride back to Texas. My son flew out to help drive the two cars, and they paid to have someone else drive the moving van.

Once in Texas, most of their things went into a storage unit and they lived with us until they found a house. Which meant that not only was my sewing room pretty much inaccessible, I didn’t have time to sew or be on the computer because I was having too much fun with my sweet grandbabies.

They moved into their very own home not far from here just last week, and so now I have a little more time to myself, but I am now driving Rachel to her new school about an hour away four times a week.

Also, last summer we lost Devon, our 18 year old dog.

She had been with us since she was 18 months old. That was very hard. All the kids except Elaine were able to be with her as we said goodbye. We thought the best way to honor Devon’s memory was to rescue another dog. So, within a month, we found ourselves searching rescue sites for the perfect addition to our family.

By September, we found her. She’s a Great Pyrenees, Husky, Pit Bull mix with a bunch of other breeds mixed in there, too! We named her Cinder, and she and Ember get along great.

She is the sweetest dog. She has the softest mouth and never accidentally nips. She’d rather sniff than lick. Here’s a recent picture; full grown now. She’s all angles! We love her so much!

Well, this post is way longer than I planned, and if you’ve read this far you must really be a good friend! I’ll have to add the few quilty photos in a later post. Or, you can just check them out on Instagram!