Look who is hanging around my garden....

2 cute frogs!!! Oh, my goodness...look at Ty's smile!!! He will be 1 year old in 2 weeks, and is wearing his froggy outfit, and sitting next to "Mr. Froggy" who is 57 years old!!! Had to post this!!! ~Sue~

Reflections of "Autumn" days!

Ok....I know it is summer!!! My dear friend's daughter, Autumn, is visiting with us this week from Ohio! Here is a little bit of what has been going on since Sunday......

Sara and Autumn
An apron that I made for a birthday party on Saturday...I love this fabric! The once a year fundraiser, Salvation Army Fabric Sale is such a bargain! So much fabric, so little time!

(I loved the fabric so much I kept using it!) This is another birthday present (the party was for triplets)...a crochet pouch to hold Julia's hooks.

The pouch all rolled up....my first time making this...it worked up quickly and easily...I'm very happy with the results!

Sara and Autumn swinging...these two crack me up...they get along so well and are having so much fun!

My "crazy Filipino" friend, Judy, stopped over with her new baby! This is the ripple afghan that Meghan made for him.

Look at him looking up at Meghan! He was so alert!

This is Judy's 4th baby, Jeremiah Thomas Logan...he looks like his sister, Isabella! This is the double flannel blanket that I made for him.

I love babies!!!
Autumn loved holding him, too!

Ty playing hockey....or eating the hockey ball! We are getting him this set for his 1st birthday in 2 weeks!

Ronnie trying to teach Ty hockey...we're trying to teach him to say "Hocka" like Ronnie did at that age!
Anna is big into dalmations and the movie "101 Dalmations" right now....she loves this one!

The joke around here is that Autumn has been doing LOTS of work and chores here! She has been pitching in with Meghan and Sara a lot, and completely uncomplaining. Here she is grating the cheese for our taco/burrito night last night.
Sara chopped the lettuce and tomato....then the two girls made "power balls" before we watched "Nim's Island" last night. Autumn has been spending a lot of time in the kitchen here!

Tonight, the girls are babysitting for Ron and I while we go to our small group. Tomorrow, Autumn goes home...but not before we all get to spend a fun day together in Amish country! We are meeting Autumn's parents in Sugar Creek, Ohio, to spend the day, tour the cheese factory and Amish shops , then have dinner at an Amish resteraunt before coming home....a nice, family day trip....and getting to spend the day with Autumn's parents is a treat, too! Looking forward to tomorrow....and a fun filled weekend, with a graduation party, and Father's Day to cap it all off! Ah....summertime! ~Sue~

A Horse is A Horse...

Today Autumn and I went on a trail ride! Yay! It was so much fun and we had good horses! Here are some pictures:

Autumn and I with a horse field in the background :)

Autumn and I waiting to ride

Autumn and I ready to start!

Me (Sara) On Lumpy

~Autumn On Bugly~

City of Champions...AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

City of Champions...again!!!! 2009 Stanley Cup Champions...Pittsburgh Penguins! What a season!!! Way to go, Penguins!!!! This celebration photo was taken just minutes after the buzzer sounded....oh, my goodness...my guys were (are!) so excited! Ron is especially thrilled to have shared his love of hockey with his son...and the fact that Ronnie is as into it as his dad is! They play hockey together, watch hockey together, and talk and read about hockey together...they really do share a special bond thru hockey!
Poor Ronnie had a high fever all day today...so did Anna. He dozed off on the couch right before the game was over....woke up with less than 2 minutes left to go in the game! Here is his "Blue Bear" holding up his own "stanley cup" in celebration!

Tears of joy!

Look at these faces!!! A friend, brought this down for us last week....right now, it is hanging out the sunroof of Ron's car, as he, Sara and Ronnie are driving around a little bit, in celebration! My guys are SO excited!!!

~Congratulations to all of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the great fans in Pittsburgh for an awesome season and another Stanley Cup win!!!!! Way to go, Pens!!!!!!!~ Sue

Tis the Season...for Church Carnivals!

And, so it starts! Church carnivals....bring back so many memories from childhood! My sisters and I would always stay overnight (sometimes for days) at my grandparents house...my Gram would work St. Wendelin's carnival, we would get lots of free food and always meet our friends up there.

Ron, Meghan, Sara, Ronnie and Anna.....Ride tickets courtesy of Ron's Aunt Peppy!


Ronnie found a little canadian maple leaf "hockey guy" at the flea market....

Anna found ANOTHER stuffed dog....of course, her Daddy is a push-over for her big brown eyes!

Meghan found lots of things for her party and her hopechest. (right now,all of her things are in mine until she gets her own.) Sara didn't find anything exciting enough to make her part with her money! (smart girl!)

Then it was on to the rides....Ronnie and Anna were spinning on the cups...

flying on the helicopters....

Then it was on to the ferris wheel! We ran into Ron's cousin, Elizabeth , her husband Krister, and their daughters, Molly and Julia....I think Elizabeth had the most fun!

Even Meghan rode the ferris wheel! (Ronnie protected her!)

Sara and Anna on top! Ron and I were in the car behind them, and got a great shot!


One last ride for the little ones...then it was time for.....

DONUTS!!!!!!! Yes, these were fresh...hot off the machine! We bought a dozen to take home!

Anna's was covered with pink and purple sprinkles....of course!


Ronnie chose orange and black sprinkles...Bethel Park colors! We took them home to watch the hockey game!
THIS has been in my livingroom! A friend brought it home for Ronnie....hope it brings the Penguins luck! Tonight, it is do or die!

Ronnie is confident, though....he dressed his beloved "Blue Bear" in HIS Pittsburgh Penguins hockey uniform...complete with skates and his own Stanley Cup! Let's Go Pens!!!!!! ~Sue~

Sewing Sunday....

...and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

What a wonderful Sunday we all had! First, we went to a Catholic mass with my mother-in-law to honor both sets of great-grandparents. Alls the Great-aunts and uncles were there, along with some cousins....we all ended up back at Ro's house for lunch and chat. It was so nice seeing everyone!

Then, we headed home for a little rest....put some chicken and potatoes in the oven and worked on some sewing! The machine above, was given to me by a friend who had it sitting in her garage...the certificate is dated Dec. 1936....I love this machine! Nothing fancy, but it certainly does a great job!

Our favorite model, Anna, wearing her new white eyelet sundress.

Sara LOVES to model and get her picture taken! This is a pink/camo peasant skirt....and Anna has one just like it!

This skirt is cute, black with a blue and white design.

This pink peasant skirt is so pretty!

I had enough of this thin, denim material to make each of the girls a skirt, and myself one as well! All of this material came from the Salvation Army Fabric sale this year. These were already sewn, with elastic waists...all I had to do was measure, cut and sew a seam! For Anna's little dress, I made little sleeves. All of this came to around $5 ...how is that for creatively frugal?! (I am very excited!)

This is a quilt that I laid out to organize for our very special friend, Courtney, who graduates this year. (as she doesn't have internet, I'm not worried about giving away the surprise...anyone know Courtney....don't tell!) It is shades of blue, and white. In keeping with our goals of saving money, being creative, making things from scratch....and giving gifts that are homemade, I wanted to make Courtney something special. Long ago, it was considered 'proper' for a young lady to have 12 quilt tops pieced before she married...then a quilting bee would be held to quilt them together. I'm hoping to start Courtney with her own 'scrap' quilt.

Here is a closer view...you can see some of the patterns in the different fabrics.

And these are 2 double flannel large baby blankets. The one on the left is for Jeremiah Thomas Logan...born to our friends Chuck and Judy. And the one on the right is for Joel Thomas Nelson...for our friends in the state of Washington, Brett and Mandy Nelson. (Joel will be their 9th child!) I love making these blankets! They are fairly large, but very easy to make...and great to lay the baby on or for the cold days.
And, last but not least.....one bridal afghan done....one to go! This one is for Ron's cousin, Julie and her fiance, Jim. It is a rustic, loopy chenille done in cream with chocolate trim.

Here is another view. Julie and Jim are getting married on July 31st and our whole family is invited....all the kids are so very excited! We are too!

Just a few more photos of the rest of our day....Anna HAD to pose with "Mr. Froggy". Ron painted the poor thing, and he turned out so great! He was purchased by my grandparents in 1952 from somewhere in New Jersey....he looks pretty good for his age!
The girls took turns on the riding mower.


With Meghan getting her drivers permit this summer, we are letting her 'drive' around the yard, just to get the feel of controlling the machine.

Of course, NO ONE drives this car but Ron! Ron's baby is a 1968 Plymouth Fury III hardtop. I drove it once, about 21 years ago....he and now Ronnie LOVE this car....tonight, the two guys headed out to a large car cruise near here to show it off and see hundreds of classic and antique cars.

~Off to bed now! The girls start their summer babysitting job tomorrow, I HOPE to finish the laundry and get it all put away...and a special friend is coming for 'burrito/taco' night...then we'll take her home later on. Hope you all had a blessed weekend! ~Sue~