REI garage sale part deux

Clyde caught wind of another REI garage sale about 2 weeks ago. I got up early this morning to go sit in line. (I got there around 7:15ish.) It was freezing!! I brought some knitting to finish, but my hands were too cold, even with gloves on, to keep knitting. I was wearing a shirt, sweater, hoodie, hat, scarf, long wool coat, 2 pairs of socks, with long johns and I swear my toes were numb! They hurt, they were so cold.
Clyde got there around 9:15 and waited the remaining time with me. He even brought me a chick-fil-a biscuit and hot chocolate. How sweet!

Was it worth the wait in the freezing weather?

I must say yes! Look @ the loot! We got all of these shoes for less than the full price of the boots, which are for me! The Keen sandals were brand new!! We got the pair Erin is wearing for less than $2 and the teal ones were less than $5. The other sandals were $8. Clyde also bought a pair of pants and a computer case, which is is that price of less than the pair of boots full price.I love these garage sales!!

When I got to the store, there was a familiar face. She nestled down and got warm and comfy on the sidewalk. Any guesses to whom this warm gal is? (1 hint...she is my visiting teacher...)

maylee will be so proud!

Friday morning was the Terrific Kids breakfast ceremony @ school. Libby and a friend won from her class. There were lots of children rewarded for being terrific in grades and spirit. The PTA served donuts and oj after all the certificates were handed out.

After the ceremony, we were on our way out when we spotted Libby in the gym, during her P.E. time. I waved at her and the teacher thought I was waving @ her & came to the door and invited us in to watch. She also invited Jacob and Penny to play for a minute. That was way sweet. We didn't stay long but it was fun for all of us. Jacob tried his best @ the hula hoop. Maylee would be so proud. (She is an award winning hula hoop-er!) Penny had fun trying to jump rope. She would just flick the rope at her toes.

terrific kid hula morning

r.i.p han solo

We are very sad today. Clyde noticed this morning that our dear pal Han Solo wasn't doing too well. He picked him up to love on him and Han's paws were cold. Clyde gave him to me and I wrapped him in one of my knitted dishcloths to warm him up. About 15 minutes after the Wardlings got on the bus, Han died in my hands. Poor thing. He was such the sweetest, poofiest hamster. He was such a good sport allowing all the Wardlings to pick up up @ will. He was the father of 27. Beloved by all.

When Clyde and Erin came home from school today, I dug a hole and we gently laid our good friend to rest, wrapped in my knitted dishcloth.

Han Solo, you were the best. We loved you and will cherish you always!

We used this opportunity to talk about death and Our Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation. I think that this allowed our Wardlings to truly see Heavenly Father's plan. It also gave us an opportunity to explain that our bodies stay here on earth when we die and that our spirits then return to Heavenly Father. We are all sad @ our loss, but I am grateful for the understanding that we have of the Plan of Salvation and for the knowledge that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven.

bobcat

Last night was Josh's 1st pack meeting for scouts. He earned his Bobcat. The fun part was when his scout leader picked up up and flipped him upside down for the award to be pinned on him. This is done, because until he does something nice for someone, he can't flip the badge over. I think Josh liked this. The meeting started off with a penny drop and ended with some arm wrestling and some find the penny games. Josh is really enjoying cub scouts!

1st pack mtg

my baby is a young woman now!

Time seems to just fly bye. I don't seem to notice it until one of my Wardlings has a birthday. Twelve years ago, an amazing blessing came with the birth of Erin. I remember thinking right as she was born and we were told that we had a girl, that "that's what I really wanted." She was beautiful! Still is for that matter. Clyde had suggested the name of Erin and it just seemed right. He also suggested her middle name...Bean. That one took some convincing, as I wanted Lindsay. (I think it was because Nirvana's Kurt Cobain's new daughter's name was Frances Bean and Clyde is a HUGE Nirvana fan.) So, after 31 hours of labor, out came our Erin, wide eyed. Her big brown eyes looked up at us, the instant her head was delivered. This should've been a clue as to her curiosity. We are blessed to have Erin in our lives. We love you Erin Bean. Happy 12th birthday!

Erin got this really pretty dress from my folks this year. She needed a pair of nice Sunday shoes, and I found 2! (Who doesn't love shoes?) She also told us hintingly that she wanted the sweet pea collection from Bath & Body Works. Jacob, Penny, and I grabbed her some this week. Josh drew her a picture and origami'd up a house for Erin to color. How sweet. Clyde had Erin choose our meal tonight...Chinese. Lovely! The best gift of all though came from Libby. At their elementary school, they are given these green tickets for good behavior. Libby saved up all of her tickets to buy Erin the puppy dog. It took 75 tickets to buy it. Clyde asked Libby how many tickets she could earn in one day and she said maybe 2-3. How sweet are my Wardlings?! Libby could've chosen anything for herself and yet showed her love for her sister. Oh- do I love my family!

Tonight was Erin's first night @ Young Women's. It was a murder mystery that was related to the BOM. She had so much fun!
Happy Birthday sweet Erin!

12 years old

goats milk soap

I have been itching to make more soap. I made several batches of Goats milk soap this year for Christmas gifts, with none to spare. (If you got soap from me and you weren't sure what kind it was now you know. It was Goat's milk soap in one of 3 scents...Honey/ Oat, Lavender Oatmeal, or Peppermint. And- I am curious to know if you liked it...feedback s'il vous plait.) I made another batch of it yesterday. Goats milk soap helps with eczema and dry skin. Our speech gal said that it was clearing up her acne. Added perk! It is way gentle on delicate skin too. This time I made Lavender Oatmeal, but with different combinations. Lavender/ Vanilla Oatmeal, Lavender/ Peppermint Oatmeal, and plain Lavender Oatmeal. (The oatmeal is an exfoliant, BTW) Our house smelled so good yesterday afternoon. Josh couldn't decide if he liked the fragrance or not...so he got a closer whiff.
He came to the conclusion that he wasn't a huge fan of Lavender.

Aren't they beautiful?!

Then after dinner, I gave Jacob and Penny hair cuts. Jacob has wanted his hair to 'stand-up' so in order to do that, it had to be shorter. I got our our trusty clippers and buzzed his hair. (Thankfully the glue from his ER visit @ the beach, fell out after his nap yesterday.) After his shower, we gelled it and spiked it up. He was way thrilled. Whenever scissors come out both Erin and Penny want hair cuts. I opted out of giving Erin a trim, because of the time, but Penny's was a quick trim. Her hair is so fuzzy and is still breaking, so it needed some shaping. I think it turned out adorable. She has such the cutest bob hair cut face, I must say.

haircuts

painting bug

I have the painting bug. Ever catch it? I am trying to decide what color to paint the Wardlings bathroom. Right now it is this grayish color and it doesn't scream, Wardlings. However, the bathroom isn't very big, and the cost of paint is high for such a small space. It is cheaper to buy the gallon than in is to just buy 2 quarts of the the color that it will take. Most likely the color will also go on the boys' walls. My whole upstairs needs to be painted. We needed to go to Lowes this morning to buy 2 $10 light bulbs, so we stopped @ the color wall.
Penny wants red, while Jacob wants blue. However, I was too slow in taking the picture and Jacob's time was running out on his game boy. Here he is telling me to take the color choice cards, that his time is out.

Yesterday was a teacher workday. The Wardlings played and played outside. I LOVED IT!! It gave me a chance to read.

girly show

I know that I have mentioned in the past, how much I really love Netflix. I just love their program. One flat rate, get as many DVD's to watch as you want, free shipping both ways, and no late fees. Perfect service. Perfect I say.

I do not get into many TV series. It is too hard for me to remember the right time and the right day. I mean really, if you miss one episode of Lost, then you are lost. We do not have a TiVo or DVR, so once I've missed an episode, then it is hard for me to get caught back up. Another reason for my love of netflix, get them all and watch them all back to back...commercial free. We have netflixed Smallville and gotten almost completely caught up. We used to have 'Smallville family Sundays' before Clyde's work schedule changed and he had to work alot of Sundays, before he graduated college. I am so happy to have Sundays back again!

This past week it has been fun to start the series, 'Gilmore Girls.' It is such a girly show, that my girls can watch with me. I have enjoyed watching the series, thus far. We are about 8 episodes into the first season, so no spoilers please! I also noticed that Murphy Brown is now on DVD. How awesome is that? (I'm looking forward to Netflixing that!) I remember as a teenager having rotating days where I could watch Murphy Brown episodes after school and my brothers and sister could watch their She-Ra/ He-man, Power Ranger, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons. Thank you Mom for having that.
Thus endeth my ramblings for now...

news article

Clyde and Jessup were in the paper again! Here is the article. [I borrowed these pictures from Jessup...:) ]

Inauguration Day: Sea of people, flood tide of emotionBy Andrea Cavallier -- Staff WriterPosted: 01/20/09 - 11:13:14 pm CST
(Editor’s Note: The Couier-Tribune staff writer Andrea Cavallier attended Inaguration Day activities in Washington. What follows are her observations, plus accounts of conversations with some Randolph County residents who attended.)

The exhilaration of one of the most historical inaugurations ever began for some in the comfort of their warm homes and for others on the icy cold grounds in front of the Capitol.As the 44th and first-ever African-American President, Barack Obama, was sworn into office on Tuesday, an incredible hush fell over the crowd, followed by a deafening roar of cheers. As far down the National Mall as one could see, tiny little American flags were being waved feverishly in the air.The event began for some at Sunday’s star-studded concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Not planning to attend, I was spending time with family when I got a last minute chance to brave the cold and crowds to see and hear big names like Bono, Samuel L. Jackson, Beyonce, and of course .. the president-elect.The grounds around the concert were packed, but as I found myself close to the front, I began to notice the excitement in the people around me. They were all dancing and singing along with the music. It was like one big party and everybody was there for one reason, to welcome Barack Obama to Washington, D.C.
The actual day of the inauguration didn’t quite start out the same way. While some knew to jump on the first train at 4 a.m., others slept in and had to make their way by later trains, packed together like sardines. Right away, we knew it was going to be a long day. As a million of us gathered together on the National Mall, the struggle of getting there seemed to disappear. We knew that we were there for the same reason.While most of the crowd seemed to be from out of town, a few D.C. locals managed to stick around for the event. A young couple who were renting their first apartment just 19 blocks away, trekked down the mall and even handed out extra hand warmers to those around them, myself included. Another area couple, colleagues and avid Redskins fans, had danced their way through James Taylor and Bono songs at the earlier concert.

Several Randolph County residents managed to make their way to the District for Inauguration Day as well. Clyde Ward and Jonathan Jessup, both history teachers at Southwestern Randolph Middle School, came to view history in the making and ended up witnessing something almost spiritual.“I had never been in a crowd of that magnitude,” Ward said. “I really didn’t expect for that many people to be there.” The two left their hotel by 3:30 a.m. and though they arrived at their eventual spot around 7 a.m., they were still about halfway between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
“I just think the whole tone and attitude of the inauguration was very jubilant and celebratory .. like a big party,” Ward said. “Everybody was very friendly towards each other. And, once the actual ceremony started, the tone changed and was more serious. It was like people were acknowledging that they were witnessing an important event. It felt so spiritual to me.”By the time the sun had cast a bright glow over the mall, most grassy areas, along with the roofs of port-o-johns, were now covered with a mass amount of people, all laughing, drinking coffee and sharing their stories with each other.Ward commented that there were people of all ages and all races there and how great it was because they were all there for the same reason .. Obama.“When he took the oath on that Bible, I had never seen such emotion in people’s reactions like I did then.”Jonathan Jessup had a similar reaction.“There were so many different types of people there, all friendly, and all wanted to know where you were from and your personal story. We talked to so many people and were instantly like a family.”Jessup, who was there only for historical reasons, said, “even though my candidate was not elected, I still wanted to go and once I saw the outpouring of the crowd, I knew that America had chosen the right candidate for our country and his plan to unite Americans was the right message.” As the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Obama family were introduced, cheers rang out throughout the crowd.“America has already adopted that entire family,” Jessup said.Many didn’t seem to mind the cold. Bundled up in several layers, many commented on the cold wind chill chapping their face and lips, but most were thankful for the lack of rain. Some were lucky enough to obtain hand and feet warmers which, when placed in a glove or shoe, will keep hands and feet warm for several hours.“We were on our feet for hours in ridiculously cold weather, but it was worth it,” Ward said. “And what was so great is that no one was complaining! It was just fitting that it was such a bitter cold day, that the crowds were harsh, that it was a struggle to get there ... because it just meant so much more to be there.”Kim Schauble, also from Asheboro, said she had a very positive experience at the inauguration.From Sunday at the concert to Tuesday at the ceremony, Schauble, along with others, experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “The concert was organized and amazing and even though the swearing-in ceremony was crowded and cold, the people were friendly and President Obama’s speech really made an impact.”Leaving the event was an adventure in itself. When approximately a million people try to leave at the same time, crowd control is bound to be a hectic. While security tried to herd everyone in one direction, fences were still knocked down by the crowds and people poured through the District from every direction.Though people found it frustrating to leave the city we were once so eager to be in, a smile was still very noticeable on each face. And, the proud chanting of the new President’s name continued on all the way to the edge of the District.

historical event

Clyde and his pal, Jessup, were able to get permission from their principal to go to the inauguration of our new President this week. The county that they teach in is having several days of Teacher Workdays, so there weren't any students for them to teach. They wrote a proposal to their principal, submitted interviews and articles for the local newspaper as well. I learned last night that they were on the front page in the Courier Tribune. Thankfully Jessup's wife bought a few extra copies. {hint :)}
The fellas got a 3am wake-up call and headed to the train station. Luckily they waited the 2 hours in line to buy train tickets, the day before.

They made it safe and coldly to their spot. They were located by the CSNBC station spot. The Wardlings and I watched the entire coverage in hopes of getting a glimpse of our Clyde. We never did see his face, but with the sea of people, we could have. Clyde wore the brown hat that I knitted him for Christmas and thus blended in with all the other knitted hats people wore. I felt so bad for them standing in the cold for all that time. I had hoped that they would've found some thermal underwear to wear, but no such luck. Clyde said that his knees felt like pumkins, they were so swollen from the cold.

Clyde said that with all those people there, it was so calm and peaceful. Crowded yes, but full of Brotherly love. He also said that it was quite the spiritual experience. I am so glad that Clyde and Jessup were able to go. I am very proud to say that we were represented in this historical event.

joining in the masses

The lines for everything were very long. Trains, port-o-potties, just a sea of people travelling to witness and participate in yesterdays events. With all the waiting time, they were able to talk to the other people standing around them. They all asked where each other came from, Louisana, Arkansas, Virginia, etc., which lead to the main reason for their travels. Clyde said that he was amazed at how many people said the same thing...how 'they just had to be there.' I think that being history teachers, Clyde and his pal Jessup 'had to be there' for this history making event.

The line of people waiting for the train after the events.

inaug

inauguration day

What an absolutely freezing day yesterday. To think that my sweetheart stood outside in it for 9 hours made the day even colder for me. I am overwhelmed by the amount of people that were in our Nations capitol. I watched CSNBC all day hoping for a glimpse of my Clyde and some how the crowds weren't as overwhelming on tv. Then to look @ Clyde's pictures of the day made it in the words of Chaz Michaels Michaelson, "mind bottle-ing." (what movie...any takers?)

There are the fellas waiting for the inauguration. This is my favorite picture of their trip.

first and last

Last night marked a change in our Wardlings. It was the first Primary Activity for our Penny but the last for our Erin. Seriously, where does the time go?
The activity was bunches of fun. It was a pancake dinner where the emphasis was on having and Eternal Family. We did have a great time, even if Clyde wasn't feeling too well. It seems that a cold bug has found its way into the house again. Let's hope it doesn't catch us all.

all caught up

This morning was physical day for 2 of our wee Wardlings. Jacob needed to have a kindergarten physical and I usually have them done well before they start school. Once I told them that we were going today, Penny pointed to her leg and said 'no, no, no!' (shots) I knew exactly what she was saying.
Jacob was nervous to, because of the possibility of shots. Thankfully, he was all caught up, so no immunizations were needed. He was thrilled!

I like the nurse that did the pre-check-up stuff today. She is always so soft spoken and tender with my Wardlings.

Good news- all healthy and well.

deadline met!

I met my first sewing deadline today. I finished the remaining 3 tunics last night and today. This was my sewing set up this afternoon. I was working on sewing the trim to the tunic. These tunics were heavy, so thankfully the ironing board helped bear the weight.
The 3 tunics that I finished are below. These are finished in brown, for the 3 guards in the play. (3 Musketeers)

The orange ones are for the Lieutenants in the play.

I was so excited to deliver these into the costume shop this afternoon. I brought 4 of the 5 Wardlings with me and the 2 that haven't been hanging out there this week were in awe of the shop and it's many, many treasures. What a fun place to spend some time!

what i'm working on...

Yesterday I was given the assignment to make these for a play:

one tunic down, 4 more to go. How wicked awesome is this?! :)

(Thanks to my husband Clyde for being my model. I love you!)

costume safari

Last week a gal from our ward, who co-owns a local costume shop here in the Emerald City, asked me to come in and help her out this week. I had so much fun today! The perk is that Jacob and Penny got to come along with me. Jacob loved playing in the costume shop and finding random costume items...cowboy hats, dinosaur helmets, pirate axes, gangster guns, clown wigs, fireman hats, and anything else that he could. It was if he was on a safari to find the coolest thing to play with. Penny was right behind him finding fun things to keep herself occupied. What a fun place to play in today! Meanwhile I helped alter costumes for plays. There is a play to be in February and the actors were to come in to be measured. I had 2 come in while I was there. I am thinking that tomorrow when I return to help out, there will be many (close to 40-50) more actors to be measured. All the fun and excitement was too much for Penny. She was signing sleep for over an hour, before our friend found her a comfy chair to catch some z's. (I was working on the dress on the mannequin to the right. I had to hem the skirt and let out the bodice.)

finished headwrap

I finished up my newest headwrap tonight. This was a picture of the original pattern from the Knitty knitting blog.
This was mine all done. Mine is a bit wider, but it may simply be that Libby, in her youth and smaller head, is modeling it for me. I did downsize my needle size, so I may need to go down another size or two, to get the right width for my gauge.

I like that the wrap covers her ears. I have this thing where I like to have my ears and the ears of the people I knit for covered up. If it is too short, then I must add more rows. Plus, I found some rockin' buttons to add to the wrap which complete it nicely.

I knitted another one this week with double strands of yarn, blue and white. While it made it thicker and thus warmer, it was still a bit too wide. This is my learning process with the pattern. In the mean time, I will have fun knitting up a few more of these beauties.

penny's new bonnet

While watching the Tennessee vs. Baltimore football game tonight, I knitted Penny a new bonnet. (Baltimore won...Clyde wasn't thrilled, but my Father-in-Law was...) Back to the knitting...I love this type of hat. So fast to knit up.
I think Penny likes it because it is purple. Penny looks so cute in it too. :)

jedi saber fight

Last night Clyde had to chaperone a dance @ school. Erin not being old enough to attend school dances, went to the house of some good friends of ours, for the evening. (Thanks again guys!) Meanwhile it was a low key evening for us. Well, that is until the end fight of Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones, where Yoda and Count Dukuu fight. Then the light sabers @ the House of the Wardlings emerge and the light saber fighting begins. It was funny to watch. Even Wardling Penny wanted to get into the action. Josh was very tender with his youngling brother and sister. Jacob on the other hand was out for a leg.

The extra noise didn't phase Libby as she was blocking it out with her new Christmas present, her favorite present: her MP3 player. She was engrossed in her new library book as well.

The fighting continued and was all in good fun, until...

Yow-za!