Bear Hugs

The U.S. Surgeon General recently published a 5,234 page report in which researchers concluded the following: "Hugging is non-fattening, naturally sweet, and contains no artificial ingredients. It is wholesome and pure and, most important, fully returnable."

Golf Ball Hunting

Don has started a new tradition in our family. Every Sunday after dinner, Don has taken the kids golf ball hunting at the course down the street. It's nice for the kids to be out of my hair for a while. And the kids, of course, love being with daddy. Miley takes her Dora the Explorer backpack that carries:

-drinks
-snacks
-magnifying glass
-sunglasses

Miley makes sure to wear her polo shirt (referred to as "golf shirt"), and sandals. Her and daddy like to putt barefoot, so sandals are the best option.

Today I joined in the hunt! With Ava and camera in tow, I watched and relished every moment.






{The water looks yucky in this picture, but that's because they kicked up all the sand.}
{The water is surprisingly clear at this golf course! :) }

"Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! Delicioso!" --Backpack

At the end of our walk, we took our balls to the 16th green to practice putting. With our sandals all in a pile, we took turns holding the flag and tapping the balls back and forth. On Miley's first attempt, she sunk a 35 ft putt! Don has high hopes for her. :)

Magic Sewing Machine

Not too long ago, my sewing machine went ka-put! Really dead! All of my sewing projects had to go on hold. My precious scraps of fabric that had been poised and waiting for my creativity to kick in had to go back in the hall closet. Granted, my living room was cleaner, but I was sad thinking about my broken sewing machine. I thought about all the half-done projects that I would never be able to brag about.

(sigh)

Then one day (last Wednesday), a miracle happened! at Enrichment Night, a sweet lady from my ward announced that she was getting rid of a sewing machine. I sat in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity (probably 3-5 seconds). A free sewing machine?! Could I be so lucky? I don't even think I prayed about that one yet. Could I be so blessed? I looked around the room. No one had made an effort to stake their claim. So, with shrugged shoulders, I slowly raised my hand. The sweet sister was quick to explain that it hadn't been used much, but it was an older machine. That secretly made me even happier. I was picturing an old, ivory-colored Kenmore with 2 or 3 simple knobs--one like my mother's.

The next Day:

I stood looking out of my window, excitedly waiting for my (new) sewing machine to arrive. And to my crazy-jump up and down-surprise, this is what I got!



I love, love, love, love, LOVE it!

Miley was watching quietly as sweet sister's husband set it down. She tapped me on my leg. It was the shy kind of tap that told me she had a secret. When I bent down, she whispered, "Mom! We have a magic sewing machine!" My sweet girl...

One of our favorite bedtime stories is called The Magic Sewing Machine. It's about two orphaned children who make magic happen through their mother's sewing machine. And it happens to look just like my (new) Singer! So now I tell everyone that I have a magic sewing machine.


And YES, it is magic! The first thing that I saw as I opened up the sewing cabinet was the exact color of thread that I needed for my latest project! Rust-orange. I haven't been able to find it anywhere, but somehow, my magic sewing machine knew what I needed! :)