A Royal Wake Up Call

How could one snooze through the highly anticipated wedding between Prince William and the new-Princess Catherine? DH and the boys thought I was crazy last night when I said that I needed to get to bed so that I could wake up at 1:30am in order to watch the wedding.

Boys: "That's crazy mom...to wake up and watch a wedding."

Me: "But it is a Royal wedding...it is like a fairy tale, something that girls love. Can't I just be a girl for one day? Can't I wake up in the early hours of the morning to do something besides exercise?"

Boys: "I suppose it is ok. But you can only be a girl tomorrow."

So, I was girly this morning; waking up at 1:30am...laying under the sporting blanket on the couch (while the others in my house hold were snoring away). With the TV on mute, so as I wouldn't wake everyone else up, I read the comments by the anchors on the BBC America who did a wonderful job of bringing us the wedding w/o any silly comments that the American stations were offering.

Catherine was absolutely beautiful and held herself with a lot of confidence as she walked down the red carpet to her awaiting prince. I believe that I caught all the ceremony, but unfortunately fell asleep before the first kiss (but I have already seen it several times as all the stations are showing repeats of the event).

May Prince William and Princess Catherine have a long, healthy and happy live together...May they live happily ever after...as all the fairy tales end with!

Take care and enjoy your Royal Friday...and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often

Lisa

Another holiday in the books

It is Tuesday already, hard to believe that it has been almost a week since my last post. But things got a little busy here as we got closer to the weekend, which I spent in *The Store* assisting with all the chocolate dipping that needed to be done for all the arrangements that were ordered for the Easter weekend. Over 300 pineapple bunnies were dipped in chocolate, along with strawberries, apples and bananas over the weekend.

This was one of the more popular arrangements that we created over the weekend, but most were ordered with 1/2 of the strawberries dipped in chocolate too. I am sure that there were a lot of beautiful Easter brunch buffets :) Now it is time to gear up for Mother's Day!!!

Yesterday the boys had the day off of school - which was nice because I used it as a "catch up" day...got caught up on the laundry, got caught up on my exercise, got caught up on my napping and the boys got caught up on their homework they had during the long weekend. In addition, Matthew (younger son) got phase 1 of his braces on - just on the top teeth right now. They are planning to put braces on the bottom in about 6 months for they are waiting for the rest of his baby teeth to come out. By the evening, he was getting a little soreness and I am sure today when he wakes up his mouth will be a little uncomfortable. I remember those days, but at least he only has the top ones to deal with right now. But I am sure that there will be a lot of macaroni-n-cheese and chocolate milk shakes made over the next few days as his teeth begin to move.

Today it is back to the routine of school-work-afterschool track practices-evening hockey practices. Which sounds good to me right now.

On the stitching front...I got some more done on Family Sampler while sitting in the ortho office yesterday. It was enough time to get the strawberry row completed and move down to the Alphabet. I will get a little more done and then post a progress photo later in the week. I need to start looking for an ornament idea to stitch for Angela in the Ornament Swap group. She is the May recipient. I started looking through the Christmas issues of all the stitching magazines, but nothing jumped out at me yet. I will look a little more in hopes to start this weekend.

Three more days until the royal wedding...I am planning to get up and watch it, are you?

Well...take care my friends, time to go and get ready to really start the day! Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often

Lisa

Wacky Wednesday

Well, I really don't know how wacky things are today - actually they are kind of "hum-drum" and I feel a little laid back, which I guess is kind of strange for me. With the decision of what we will be doing regarding our committments for hockey spring/summer clinics made, I feel much more relaxed...at least with this part of our life. Now I can pull together a routine comprised of the boys' school schedule, track schedule and hockey...leaving room to worry coordinating stuff my job combined with things going on at *Our Store*. Easter and Mother's day are coming up which should translate into good business for *Our Store* - - - lots of chocolate dipped pineapple bunnies for Easter and strawberries for Mother's Day!

Anyway, enough of all that...I would like to show you all some of the things I have been working on lately. First up, I want to show you the progress I made on Family Sampler over the weekend I was in Chicago:

 While in Chicago, I finished up the strawberry vine and the wavy line underneath. There are still a few flowers and details I need to add in this row, but it was hard to do the little detail work while on the road (in the plane, sitting at the rink, etc).

A close up of the strawberry vine row

I needed to be stitching the larger areas that make it easy to gossip while stitching :) Ooops, hockeymoms never gossip, do they...lol.

I have also been working on another project. Last week I took out the knitting needles and started to knit this simple purple scarf:

My niece turns 9 next month and is going through a hard time (my younger sister has been struggling with her marriage and just made THE big decision; many of my prayers and thoughts have been directed to her & her children during the last 10 months) - I thought that she could use a little purple scarf "hug" to remind her that she is loved and cared for. I don't know if she likes the color purple...but I hope so.

Well, that is about all here on this wacky Wednesday, which really isn't too wacky. Hope that all is well with you and yours. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Back home and caught up

Back home from the hockey tournament in Chicago. Flying into the Chicago Midway airport on Thursday afternoon...the day of all those tornados and bad weather in the southern mid-west...wasn't very fun! Lots of turbulence and several quick drops, making it feel like we were on a roller coaster ride as we were into our final decent into the airport. I was very happy to be on the ground, but it took awhile for my stomach to leave my throat.

The tournament started on Friday with two games to be played, followed by two games on Saturday and Sunday and the semi-finals on Sunday morning. Yes, that is right I said: SEMI-FINALS! Matthew's (my youngest) team made it into the semi-finals by beating another team from California (strange to come all the way to Chicago to play a team from home)...this is the first time that Matthew's team made it to a semi-final game by winning a quarter-finals game. It definitely was an accomplishment. In the Semi-Finals, they met up with a very good team and lost 6-3.

With two games a day, there wasn't time for much except:

EAT

SLEEP

AND PLAY HOCKEY!



The NorCal Sharks - giving their cheer...Matthew is number 22...you can kind of make him out on the lower right hand of the pile.



 ...and that is basically all we did the whole weekend. Even Sunday, when we had 5 hours between the end of the Semi-Finals and the time we had to be at the airport - we didn't do any more than eat lunch at the nearest Olive Garden and then hang out in the hotel lobby so that the boys could get caught up on their homework before getting on the airplane. During the weekend, Matthew and I shared a car with another hockeymom and son. It is fun to travel with another mom/son combo on these weekends.

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Oh yea...during the last game, the semi-finals, Matthew not only scored the first goal of the game but also blocked a shot with his hand...which resulted in a minor injury. Either the ring-finger on his left hand has a little fracture or just a major broken blood vessel...but it is slightly swollen and turned a beautiful shade of purple. With a nurse on the team, she helped put our mind to ease with her recommendation of pain killer and lots of ice for there really isn't anything to do for a broken finger. While initially, there was lots of tears when he came out of the locker room, after an hour with ice he was able to move it without any pain; so we just kept ice on it throughout the day and on the plane ride home.

His coach was very proud of his "Purple Finger" for he was the only one who was blocking shots during the semi-finals and seemed to be one of the few awake and mentally present to play.

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I was able to find moments to get some X's made on my Family Sampler - time hanging out at the rink before game time and at the airport waiting for the plane. I will get my camera and get a snapper to show you the next time I post.

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Now back home, I spent yesterday basically catching up at work, home, laundry. We finally got the boys' spring/summer hockey clinic schedule figured out, which was one of my big stressors. We have a little breather for a month with only their school, track schedule and Robert (older son) spring hockey team practices to deal with leaving the big hockey clinic committment for later in May when all track is over.

With that decision made, I just have to keep focused on the trade show I am organizing for my job; as well as helping out at *The Store* during the two big holidays coming up: Easter and Mother's Day! Don't forget to order your fruit centerpiece for your Easter brunch and a special healthy surprise for your Mother :)

Well...I have kept you long enough. I hope all is well with you! Until next time,

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Wahoo...it's Wednesday!

I have made it to Wednesday of this crazy week. Actually, after dealing with Monday which consisted of coming home after work and taking a nap, all the round pegs of life have slipped back in their round holes. Sometimes I need to remember to stop!

take a  deep breath!

and relax!

and be in the NOW!

be present today!

Robert's conflict of track meet vs hockey tryout today - hockey coaches said that he could tryout at one of the later times with the older groups tonight, allowing him to run in the track meet this afternoon. Once this situation got worked out, all the other things on my list sort of fell into place too. But it doesn't help that I have had a bad case of PMS as I deal with everything...but that too will pass.

Tomorrow Matthew and I leave for Chicago for a hockey tournament. We are traveling with another mother & hockey son - same plane rides & sharing a car for the weekend. That always makes the travel fun! My backpack is packed with Family Sampler and MW...so I am ready to leave :)

Hope all is well with you! Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

From spring vacation right into a pail of STRESS

Our sense of inner peace is usually going to be quite weak, maybe even temporarily absent, during those times when we are feeling most resentful and unforgiving of others. But the very good news is that it will grow stronger, or perhaps return to us in spades, as we make some effort, even a modest, conflicted, and hesitant one, to accept and forgive someone a little more fully. ` Gary Egeberg

My inner peace is a little weak as spring break comes to an end and my stomach is doing flip-flops as I look at the week ahead...the month ahead...

• the kids go back to school and the routine starts up again...
• preparations for another weekend of travel for a hockey tournament, this time in Chicago this weekend...
• registration for the spring and summer hockey clinics begin. Starting next week 4 nights of evening hockey practices to organize into the schedule.
• Easter and Mother's Day holidays approach causing the stress of getting organized for business at *The Store*
• Organizing for a trade show the end of May for my job

And then, of course, it didn't help to open up my emails this morning to find one from Robert's high school track coach. He wanted to let DH & I know that he received Robert's email about being late to practice this afternoon because of an ortho appointment and then having to miss a Wednesday's meet due to spring hockey team tryouts. The coach let DH & I know that he has a policy of cutting kids who cut meets especially when it comes to trying out for other sporting teams.

I guess this type of message was due for us, as we have been treating school sports as a secondary sport that gets pushed to the wayside when a hockey event comes up. We do preach team committment - making sure that the boys are present mentally and physically for all hockey practices on & off the ice and any games. The same should apply to school sports...I know, I know. It would be so easy right now to reply to the coach: "fine, we understand" and then just make the decision that Robert's track season is over for the year...but then there is always next year. If we bail now during his Freshman year, he will have the stigma of not finishing out a season for any high school sport (he tried wrestling this year...there were just too many conflicts with hockey - learned that it wasn't good to do another sport during the season...only after) and that wouldn't be good. So, I will see what I can do in order for Robert to participate in the track meet and also make tryouts.

I know that something will work out, I just need to muddle my way thru the mud to get to the other side...anyone have a pair of rubber boots I can borrow?

Spring break, while we didn't do anything out of the ordinary....the boys had track practice, DH went to *The Store* and I went to work Monday-Wednesday...we acknowledged our 20th wedding anniversary with a family meal out on Thursday evening and even enjoyed a family meal of grilled burgers and steaks on Friday evening...it was still restful and relaxing. I got to sleep in a little, add some stitches to Family Sampler and spend quality time with the boys. All good things!

Well, thank you for visiting on this Monday morning/afternoon/evening. As always, I appreciate the time you make to visit and read. Hope all is well with you and your family! Until next time, remember to...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa 

It's Friday..."spring" vacation is winding down, but was it really here?

Thank you all for the well wishes on our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Not much in the way of celebration happened around here - at one time we did have some ideas of how we wanted to spend the day, but between the boys' spring break track practice schedule, employee problems at the store...we basically gave up a grand plan and just had a typical day in the household.

While DH did make a comment about how sad that was - that he was at *The Store* and I was running the boys around town...you know what, this is our life, this is what we have made of it and DH & I look at it and smile. We have two wonderful, healthy boys who keep our life "jumping". DH & I have a great relationship, partnership, friendship...soul mates. Nevertheless, we did make time to enjoy a good Sushi meal at one of our favorite restaurants called Sozo Sushi and then we all were home in the evening sitting together on the couch (boy this couch has either gotten smaller or some of us have grown) watching a new episode of Swamp People (a show on the History channel about families who live on the Louisanna Bayous who make a living hunting alligators...don't ask, for some reason this has become our favorite show of late).

We are getting to the tail end of the boys' spring vacation. Today, the boys are going to their doctor to have their annual physical & to receive their whooping cough vaccination (something that just has become required for enrollment next year at least in our school district due to the numbers of cases in the Northern California area). It will be nice to get this off the "to do" list. The appointment is in the morning, which leaves the rest of the afternoon free. We will see what gets planned for the rest of the day.

In the meantime, my friends...thanks again for all the wishes and comments. Until next time,

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

In Celebration - a walk back through memory lane.

 Once upon a time, back when it was acceptable to have big hair, boom boxes were hoisted upon your shoulders as you walked; email was still new, there was no facebook, no tweeting and you still had a choice of a type writter or a computer to write your college papers...a freshman girl met a freshman boy at a fraternity party and started dating. Freshman year...Sophomore year...Junior year...Senior year...these two young lovers dated all the way through. Sure there were bumps in their relationship...there were some months that they weren't "with eachother", but for most of their 4 years they were an "item".

Graduation came and with it came the uncertainty of what was going to happen. Graduateboy left for a job in New Orleans...Graduategirl left to go back "home" to Minnesota to work in the family business. Daily and nightly phone calls and letters back a forth - any way to stay in communication, to express one's love to the other is what kept these two college grads going while appart. In June of the graduating year, grad-girl went down to New Orleans to visit her love. Little did she know that this visit was more than a visit...

While touring the antebellum plantations of New Orleans, the couple stopped off at Nottoway, the White Castle of Lousiana. Here grad-boy tried to impress his love by asking about the posibility of viewing the different suites in addition to taking a tour. Not wanting to deal with any embarrassing moments, grad-girl stepped up to apologize and was ready to just pay for a ticket for the tour ONLY...but that is when the key to the Bridal Suite was handed over. Shocked and speechless, grad-girl just followed her love and the porter to the room. The room was huge and had a little private pool attached. Once everything was settled, grad-girl took a seat in the parlor of the suite...that is when grad-boy came over, got on one knee, looked grad-girl in the eye, took out the black box and proposed.

Now...skipping ahead 10 months to April 7, 1991....

We were married in Minnesota at 11am with all our family and friends surrounding us. A nice simple ceremony followed by a beautiful brunch before leaving for the airport for our honeymoon.

Over the last 20 years...we have spent in New Orleans - working Exxon/Macy's, exploring the area and enjoying the food and whatever New Orleans had to offer. Later it was onto Minnesota...working Paper Warehouse, enjoying a townhouse in Mpls and later a older house in Edina. In 1996, we entered into Parenthood with the birth of Robert and again in 1999 with Matthew...

Robert was 3.5 years old when Matthew was born

We took advantage of the life we had in Minnesota, which gave us plenty of opportunities for vacations and exploring the US travelling by car.

In the early 2000s, life brought us out west, where we have settled. Together, we find ways to enjoy life - exploring what California has to offer: beaches, snow and wonderful weather in between; we have worked together to deal with job changes; and we continue to watch our two boys grow, change and thrive...

2010-Robert's graduation from middle school/Matthew's graduation from elementary school

Our way of life (school, work, hockey, misc sports) - our priorities, might not match how other families life...but our crazy life seems to work. As long as we work together, talk things out...I know in my heart we can face whatever we are handed.

Here's to the past 20+ years and here's to the next...I love you with all my heart!

Monday's Madness

Boy, my bed just had a hold on me this morning and wasn't letting go. My 4:30am alarm went off, only to receive a slap on the "off" button. I saw 5:30am come and go...as well as 6:30am. Figured that the boy got to sleep in due to spring vacation, so it was ok for me too; however I did have to go into work today. Up and out the door by 8:10am, I left the boys to deal with their own breakfast leaving a little list of "to do's".

While at work I did get a text message from Robert...

"Matthew's annoying me"

was what it said. But a phone home didn't receive any answer - figured either they worked it out or wrestled long enough to wear themselves out. I did finally receive confirmation that they were both alive and unharmed, but this time found out that Robert wasn't helping Matthew make a pizza. He needed to have a mid-morning meal before walking to school for an optional Spring Vacation track practice. Home from work at 1:15, I picked up Robert to do some grocery shopping before I had to pick up Matthew from track. Now home...all are sane, well as sane as possible when it comes to spring vacation at home. At least we have hockey practice this evening...

Just was reading the Ornament Swap blog and found out that Sharon received the ornament I made for her. With that confirmation, I can now share with you what I stitched:

I found this pattern in the Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornament 2006 edition. It is called Winter's Eve by designer Nikki Leeman from Country Cottage Needleworks. I stitched it on 28ct evenweave (from my fabric stash). For the thread, I substituted GAST colors for all but the sheep, which I stitched in fuzzy thread (sheep need to be fuzzy, don't they?). I finished it off like a little pillow with a beaded tassel on the bottom.

I really enjoyed stitching this and finishing it. Anytime I want to keep what I have created, I feel that it turned out good. And Sharon, you almost didn't get this one :)

Next up in the Ornament Swap is Angela...it is due to be mailed out on or before May 31. I have a little time to research something for her, stitch it up and finish it...so I will probably focus on Family Sampler for a while!

On to another topic really quick...got all the results back from my tests I took during my physical...all the basic female tests, mammograph, blood pressure, cholestrol, glucose tests, etc came back normal and healthy! Yahoo, that is always a relieve to get the results back especially those kind. So now it is just a matter of keeping up the good work...exercise, eating healthy, laughing, loving, friends and family!

Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!
Lisa

Sharing on a Saturday

Up and going on this Saturday morning. Getting in my workout as well as a planned morning run with Robert (there is no "official" track practice at the school this weekend, but each child is suppose to run a total of 12 miles today and tomorrow - so after a discussion about where he can & can't go by himself due to worries of traffic and such, he said that he would run with me) before I go into *The Store* to work - this has become a routine lately, going in on Saturdays so that DH can take some time off from the store. His plan was to use today to get taxes done, something that he needed to put serious/uninterrupted time on...but was told before bed that he is planning to come in. Oh, well, I have learned not to argue.

Anyway...as promised, I wanted to share where I am with Family Sampler...the last time I posted a progress photo, this is where I was:

Progress on Family Sampler - Mid March

And here is where I am now...

Progress on Family Sampler - April 1

While I have found...and made...some time to sit & stitch, it doesn't look like I will be able finish stitching it before April 7 - my 20th wedding anniversary. But I will get it done! I love this design!

Spring Vacation has started for the boys. It will be nice to have sometime off from school and homework. We don't have much planned - but hope to find sometime for some quality family time.

Well, that is about all from here. Hope that you all have a wonderful weekend. Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa