step 1. build a block
step 2. assemble all the blocks
step 3. sew all the blocks together
step 4. make a quilt sandwich & pin
step 5. quilt it, then bind it
step 6. hang it on a clothes line for cute pictures
step 7. make another quilt with the scraps!
This is a baby sized quilt and I love, love, love it!
It went much quicker this time around with only 1 block to applique!
Emalyn approves and loves the quilt :)
We went out with the Price's to watch the firework show a couple miles from our house! I was so excited that we didn't have to travel far away to see them this year, mostly because it was past Emalyn's bedtime and she was a bear :) The show was great, but we missed setting off our own fireworks like we did in NC. [That was an awesome show 2 years ago Matt!] Gabriela loved it, and Emalyn was trying to figure it all out. She kept saying "boom!".
One day when we were making our bed, we found a little handprint left behind. I have no idea what it was that Emalyn used for her artwork, but luckily it washed out just fine. I love little handprints :)
Emalyn LOVES baths and showers, so when she heard one being started, she dashed in before anyone else could and came out all wet!
Emalyn has become a little more brave lately trying new things, so while I stepped out to get more water for the plants, she decided to take it on.
Yesterday was Ema's 18 month checkup and she only got 1 shot. I didn't worry about motrin or anything because I figured it was just one. I was wrong. She has been the most sensitive with teeth and shots by far out of my kids, so really I should have known. Poor Ema woke up 4-5 times last night crying. She would just lay there and call for me, so I knew she just wasn't feeling well. We cuddled each time til she fell asleep and at one point she laid next to Danny in bed. The bandaid was off after only an hour after the shot, but she keeps telling everyone that will listen, "owwww-weeeee" and point to her leg :)
Yesterday we went to a local toy store that has a summer reading program and the prize Gabriela picked out was tatoos (sadly their selection was too old or too young for her so this is all she liked). We got home and she couldn't wait to share with Emalyn.
Ema was pretty excited, although the personal boudaries came in to play once again. When we asked where the butterflies were, she calmed down :)
My sister, Lissa, turned 15 in June. We celebrated by waking up nice and early and taking everyone to "A Mountain" (and/or Sentinal Peak). The U of A students paint it every year and it's quite a fixture in Tucson. The kids did great and had no problem scaling the rocks. We even got Emalyn up there.
Going down was a little more difficult...
A nice shot of the "A" and our family.
We went out to eat at Macayo's and Lissa got a little box of goldfish in a tiny box (which Ema gladly helped open & eat), and then proceeded to open a giant present within a box, within a box...about 7 times over, and finally got to the ipod in the center for her birthday.
Lissa is so awesome and we're glad she spends so much time with us!! We all love her, especially the kids, because she's so patient and actually plays and reads with the kids. She takes an interest in everything they do and we love her for it.
By themselves sitting pretty...
Trying to take a picture of my canvas/fabric project. Again you can see Ema's not excited about a kiss from Gabs. {you have to enlarge it to see her face and body language - classic}
Emalyn is a girly-girl. Isa & Gabs not so much. Sure they love to dress up just like any other little girl, but never did they start so young! Ema has been scooting around in my heels for months, while wearing a purse, necklaces, sunglasses, and holding a cell phone. Oh man! It's quite a sight to see her scooting around with her lead foot in a shoe, all dressed up. That first picture shows her scoot. She goes around like she doesn't have a left leg, she uses her right foot and her left hand. Funny girl. She finally started walking full-time about 2 weeks ago, just in time for her 18 month appointment!
She definitely loves to imitate and has caught on to the beginnings of imaginary play with the girls. It's too cute. Can you tell I spend a lot of time on the sewing machine?? She knows exactly what to do! 
Isa tried out tap/ballet this year and LOVED it! At the end of the school year, it was time for a recital and she was so excited to wear a costume and perform on stage. {I think at that age I would have cried because I was super shy; not this girl! she ate it up!} She did wonderful, and a couple times during the dances, she'd motion to the other girls to either get in sync or show them the next dance step! It was pretty funny. I've got a short video clip that I hope to upload over the weekend. 
Gabriela started dance in January. She was begging to do dance like Isa! The YMCA has a program called "Little Dancers" and she loved it! Right at the end of the school year, we walked into class and found her cousin, Aliyah, in the class!! Gabs was so excited and made it easier for her to perform in her recital.
Here's the dress rehersal, to "My little Sunshine". All the parents were able to come in and watch and I think Gabriela was too busy people-watching to focus on her dance. I was nervous this was indicative of the night to come...
I managed to get a couple of pictures of the few moves that she actually did. The majority of the dance she just stood there and people-watched. It was pretty funny, and I have a little video clip of that too coming soon. The audience just laughed, because at one point, she found me and just grinned and waved. She was so excited to be on stage!
My sister Cristina graduated high school (yay!!!) the day before my kids' last day of school. We all attended her graduation ceremony and barely made it through with Emalyn. Her bedime was when the ceremony started :) Luckily we had 7 extended family members to pass her around to the whole time. I think she made close to 5 rounds with everyone. Afterward we took pictures with the grad. You'd think it'd be easier to take 1 group shot, but really, no. It's not easy anymore with as many people as we have in our family.
Brendan finished elementary school and had a short little ceremony for the 5th grade classes. Mr. Moss was an EXCELLENT teacher and Brendan has been blessed with the best teachers each year of school. We are so grateful each year for the teachers he gets. I just can't believe I now have a child old enough to be in middle school! I'm so old. Oh, and there are two little photos of Isa and her teacher Ms. Palmour, and a play they put on for all the parents. They performed Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" [You'll have to click on the photo to enlarge it, as with any of them] She did fantastic this year and continues to enjoy school, but still misses her friends {and old teachers} in NC. [So do I] We are already down to the last 3 weeks of summer, so we are starting to gear up for another good year. Time does not seem to be slowing down...
In the main photo, I'm standing with Chelsea, and her MIL & aunts that came to help them out. Melanie & I are in front of the boat in the corner picture.
After we got back to my aunt & uncle's house that night, I realized I didn't have my camera flash anywhere! I searched the car again and nothing. The only thing I could think of, is at dinner on the boat, my purse fell over under the table and when I set it up, I didn't see anything next to it, so I figured nothing fell out. Wrong. So the next morning when we got to the convention center, we found out the name of the company, made a call, and found out they had it!! I was so relieved! But, we had to walk 2.5 miles one way to get it (which normally isn't a big deal), but I had dressy shoes on :( Needless to say, I got blisters, BUT I got my flash back! We walked from the very left of the photo to the very right, over the river, and through the woods (well, not really woods, but fences).
It was a great way to see downtown Pittsburgh in all its glory! :) 
Here Melanie & I try our hand at free motion quilting! So much fun, but I don't think I'll be employing that technique anytime soon.
Here are some really cute quilts we saw. {There were probably hundreds of cute quilts, we just couldn't take pictures of all of them) I love making quilts that are "fun", with cute fabrics and these inspired me! 
Other cute items made with the designer cotton fabrics. A hopscotch mat, another gorgeous quilt (don't mind me in that picture, I didn't know I'd be in it, and I really do love that quilt even though it looks like I don't), a skirt, and my FAVORITE non quilt item, the coat in the middle! I love it!! Someday I'll acquire enough skill to make it... 
Booths! Here are some of my favorite designers' booths. This was Amy Butler's...
This is Patty Young's... 
This is a combination of Paula Prass, Laura Gunn, & Pink Fig. 
Lila won the best new both award this year!! We were so excited for her!! 
Here I am with my fabric celebrities!! It was so cool to meet them in person! [Top to bottom, left to right] Amy Butler, Lila Tueller, Chelsea Anderson, Patty Young, Sandi Henderson, Paula Prass, Heather Bailey, Chelsea-Lila-& fam, & last but NOT least, Laura Gunn!! It was unbelievable to me to see such incredible talent among this group of women. It was an amazing weekend and I'm so grateful to my family who helped watch my children so I could go. Thanks again!!
So, I got a new camera lens for mother's day. I'm not really sure if Danny knows that's what he got me or not :) He did so well with breakfast and coupons and pampering me all day, it probably didn't register because it came in the mail a day or two later and it went straight onto my camera. It's a 50mm lens, and I had a blast playing with it...
Who can get mad at the girls playing with their food when they look so cute doing it?!
Ema's hair is just long enough to put little clips in. {This series of photos amazes me because Ema is being so patient with Gabs-so NOT the norm as you will see later on in another post} Must be a novel thing.
So, here with my new lens, Gabriela is in focus, the rest has a soft blurring effect.
Again, she's in focus...
...and now the sewing machine feet are in focus and she's a soft blur.
Love the new lens! Thanks Danny!!