Another Trip to Tennessee...

Quote for the Day:

"Never go on trips with anyone you do not love."

~Ernest Hemingway

In June we took ANOTHER trip back to Tennessee to our daughter's to celebrate our grandson, Clark's, 2nd birthday.  (Whew...4 trips in 5 months makes one exhausted!)  
 

Clark and Sera...

The party was held at a pavilion at the local park and it was HOTTER THAN HADES that day!  The kids were able cool off at the park's "Splash Pad"...

The next day we all took a jaunt up to the bridge where Erin and Dale got married in September.  There was a boat race that day so we got to watch it from the bridge for a few minutes.

Andy HATES having his picture taken, so he will do anything to keep from looking at the camera or smiling...

Loretta

Alex's New Quilt...

When the grandkids turn three years old I make them a twin-sized quilt for their "big" bed.  Since Alex is turning three this July, his mom asked that I make another "jar" quilt for his bed since he and Andrew now share a room and have bunk beds.  (I made this "bug jar" quilt for Andrew's third birthday.)

Instead of a strictly "bug" jars, I decided to do more of an "eye spy" type of quilt but put them in "jars".  Unfortunately, I don't have any up close pictures of the "jars", but there were things like tires, animals, umbrellas, candy, monkeys, fish, etc., ....and yes, bugs, too!  

The pieced back...(looks like there is an "orb" on the right side of the quilt because there was nothing on the quilt itself)...

The label...

I hate to mail quilts because I'm always afraid that they will get lost, so as much as possible, I hand-deliver them.  Since we won't be there for his birthday this year, we took it down with us when we went on vacation.

He immediately wanted to go down and put it on his bed!!!   I think he likes it!!!  

Here is a comparison of the two quilts side-by-side.  The brown "shelf" fabric, the black background, and the blue border were different but very similar since the fabric was purchased 5 years apart!

On the Home Front...

I love to garden, but have to used raised beds or do container gardening because of my back and knee.  Last years container garden was a bust and I only have one raised bed that I use to grow green beans in.  Toward the end of the summer last year I saw an ad for the Garden Tower2 and was extremely interested but decided to revisit the idea this year since the gardening season was over by that time last year.  I ordered one this Spring and it came a couple of days before we left on vacation.  This is what it looked like when I planted it before we left on vacation..some plants, some seeds...

And this is what it looked like 2.5 weeks later!!!  Everything is so green and lush and growing so well!!

Loretta

Georgia Vacation...

We just got back from a vacation to our son's family in Georgia!  We were there for Andrew's 8th birthday!  My...how time has FLOWN!  

On Saturday mornings he has riding therapy...

For the most part now, he guides the horse without the therapist using the lead!

And this is the little guy, Alex.  He will be 3 this July!  He is all boy...so active...and loves to be outdoors!

This video should make your day!!!  It is Alex, Grandpa, and Ginger playing in the back yard.  I just LOVE Alex's giggle!!!




While in Georgia, my daughter-in-law and I went to Goodwill...after all, what is a family visit without a trip to the local Goodwill, anyway???  ;)    I found this 100% cotton fabric...5 - 3 yard pieces of the light blue with pink flowers (total 15 yards!!!) and 1 yard of the veggie fabric...All for less than $9.00!!!!  SCORE!!!

Loretta

Wedding Photos...

At the beginning of September Andy & I traveled to Tennessee for our Erin (our daughter) and Dale's wedding.  

The wedding was held on Sept. 13 on the Pedestrian Bridge that overlooks downtown Nashville.  During the week leading up to the wedding, the weather had been miserably hot in the 88-95 range, but the day of the wedding it was a very comfortable...almost "chilly"...70-73 degrees.  On top of the bridge it was windy, but the sky was a spectacular shade of blue and everything was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! 

We hadn't "reserved" the bridge, so it was still open to the public.  As people saw the wedding party arrive they offered "congratulations" and some people (probably tourists) took pictures.  It was a very casual and happy atmosphere with about 25-30 people in attendance.  The ceremony, short and sweet, was performed by the groom's uncle, an ordained minister who flew in from Texas to officiate.  There were a couple of benches nearby, but for the most part, everyone just stood around the alcove where the ceremony was held.  (I guess you could say that the wedding was "standing room only"...har har har!!)

So now...on with the pictures!!!

The bouquets were handmade by the maid-of-honor, Michelle...the "flowers" were folded out of paper!!!  The key hanging from Erin's bouquet went to the padlock, which I'll explained in a minute...

She painted her shoes peacock blue...

Instead of having a unity candle, they had a blue padlock engraved with their names and wedding date.  During the ceremony they attached it to the bridge and then threw the key into the river below!

Lucy, Dale's mom, and me...our "rosette" corsages made from wrapped fabric were also made by Michelle...

Clark was the ring bearer, but decided he wasn't interested as he was being walking down the aisle with Grandpa and Mom...I don't have a picture of that because I had to go out and "rescue" him...he would much rather hang out in his stroller with a toy...or cellphone, it looks like here...

Father of the bride...

Andrew and Alex sure love their Grandpa!!!

Dale and Erin love movies, so the cake toppers were Superman and Little Mermaid...childhood favorites of theirs.

And a couple extra pictures from the visit before the wedding...

Loretta