Molly Ringwald's Butterflies

My friend Julie had a baby last August named Athena. Julie loves butterflies and Athena's room is all pink and green. Being me, I wanted to make her a quilt. I bought all the stuff and then while I was at her house, found out that her family had already made her a quilt in all the same colors. Darn! So I decided to make the quilt anyway and then donate it to Quilts for a Cause. They auction off the quilts and donate the money to cancer research in Southern Arizona. But when Julie saw the quilt top, she wanted the quilt. How could I refuse? I recently got it back from the quilter and now that I gave her the quilt today, I can post pictures and not ruin the surprise. To the left is the whole thing.
Here is a close-up so you can see some of the fabrics a little better. I found lots of fabric with butterflies, but also some flowers, polka dots and fruit.





The next picture shows the quilting. I don't do this, I pay someone else to do it as I don't have the skill or the several thousand dollar machine to do it.



Last is a picture that shows a little of the back--pink with green polka dots. I actually made her a French memory board out of the same fabric. I couldn't help but name it Molly Ringwald's Butterflies because the color combination reminds me of all of the great 80's movies with Molly Ringwald that I grew up on.

Solo Kayaking

Watching his cousins go on their first solo kayaking tours this summer Isaac told me "Daddy is never going to let me go by myself ." But what do you know, when it was Isaac's turn, he, too, got to go in his own kayak with Paul nearby on his kayak. He was so proud of himself. I got lots of pictures, but this one shows him paddling in through some rocks as he gets back from his trip. As always, looking forward to next summer!

The Lake

Um, so do I need to explain why we drive 13 hours, plus stops, every summer to and from this place? I kind doubt it. Shaver Lake.

Rock On!

Isaac and I rocking on in the Lake. Need I say anything else?

Karate Kid

Every year the water level at the Lake is a little different. That means every year there is some new "it" spot to hang out and play. This year the water was pretty high, but just low enough to reveal the top of a long granite rock. My brother, in all his genius, did a karate kick off the rock into the water. I saw Isaac's face go from hanging out to complete and utter awe. I knew Isaac would just have to try it! In fact, it became the "it" activity for the whole week. We got a few pictures, and here are a couple of them. The first one is one of those pictures that I see Isaac and think "he's not a teenager yet, why does he look like one?"
This one gives an idea of what it looks like after the kick is executed. It looks like he is jumping right on my brother and niece, but actually he's not. Can't wait for next year's trip!

Max Snorkeling

You may or may not know, but Max isn't the biggest fan of swimming. He doesn't mind getting wet up to his chest, but feet leaving the ground, actual swimming, is something he has basically avoided all three summers we've taken him to the Lake. This year, his 3rd year, he was a little more brave. He did a little intentional swimming and as you can see here, decided he needed to see just what was under there. I saw him doing this and Paul was quick enough with the camera to capture it. Too funny!

Isaac's Eye

While out on the patio at Pineridge I managed to snap this picture of Isaac's eye. He thought it was so funny that I took it. Paul noted that you can see me holding the camera reflected in his eye. Just a cool picture I wanted to share.

The Wiggle

I am still behind on blogging...but I'm working on it! Maybe I'll be caught up by the end of the day. While we were at the Lake, Isaac's other top front tooth got really loose. Here he is in Paul's hat from childhood--now it's Isaac's--wiggling his tooth with his tongue. The tooth actually fell out about a week later while we were in the car. Uncle Brian took a picture on his phone, but I don't have that one. Regardless, I really like this picture, it shows the Isaac that I see every day: a happy smile, enthusiasm, and to be a mom...I see sweetness. That's my boy.