World's Greatest Band Teacher

Pictured here with DoJo is Janet Isham, the World's Greatest Band Teacher. Janet retired this year after 36 years of teaching. DoJo is actually one of her oldest students, since she was doing her student teaching at Kirtland Central High School when he was a senior in 1975. (Yeah, he's THAT OLD, but he doesn't act his age!) Apparently, listening to DoJo on the trumpet was not enough to deter Mrs. Isham from having a great career as a band teacher.
Janet Isham helped me (and countless others in our community) raise my children. Each of my five children started off with Janet in Beginning Band at Grace B. Wilson Elementary School in 5th grade. Apparently, even THAT didn't make her give up. I must admit that I haven't always blessed Janet's name. She insisted on having her students practice every night AT HOME. Let's just say that I felt her pain every night for years!

We LOVE Janet Isham and she will be sorely missed in our schools. Here she is with the Whipple girls. Megan played the tuba, Amanda played the French horn, and Kaitlin played the trumpet. Not pictured are Jared, who played the trombone, and Wesley, another trumpet player. When I told Janet how much I appreciated her helping me raise my kids and thanked her for putting up with Jared (She nagged him about his grades, taking some of the burden from me!), she chimed in that she was happy to put up with each of them, but that it was a blessing that I had spaced my family so that she never had to have two Whipples in the same band at the same time. Then she revealed the secret to her success...Jared actually PREPARED her to deal with Wesley! Thank you again Janet. I couldn't have done it without you! Happy retirement.

I've been busy, okay?!

How embarrassing! I just looked at my blog and saw that my last post was in April. Sorry to all my readers (all three of you!), but I've been sorta busy. When I start sewing, it is hard for me to do anything else. Yes, I sorta get obsessed. I know, it IS hard to imagine me being obsessed. Most people just think I'm possessed. Really, they are almost the same thing, just a few letters difference. But honestly, I have been busy.

First, I finished Amanda's mini-quilt for her April 14th birthday.

Then, I finished Desi's mini-quilt for her April 25th birthday. I asked Desi to pick out her own colors and block patterns. I wanted to surprise her, but when I asked Jared about her favorite colors, I realized that he didn't know what he was talking about. Some things never change!

And last but not least, Megan's mini-quilt received its finishing touches. Her birthday isn't until July 17th, but she has already seen the quilt. Once Megan got wind of the mini-quilt project, she put in her special order. She wanted a long rectangle to go over the headboard of her bed.

Besides these little treasures, I've finished a full-size quilt and a baby quilt. In addition to sewing a lot, I also have this incredible family I enjoy spending time with. Here you see my three oldest children. This picture was taken in early April, just a week or so before Megan (far left) delivered our precious little Clara Jane Stewart on Desi's birthday, April 25th. Amanda is due in early July. She is having another girl, bringing the granddaughter count to 5 and the grandson count stays at 4, for now. As for Jared, well, we are not sure what he is "due-ing" in this pic! Just being Jared, I guess. Gotta love him!

Here's big sister, Olivia, holding her new baby sister Clara.

And a little more recent pic of the little darling. She was full-term and weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. She is just a Little Bit! I could hold her and rock her and gaze into that sweet angle face all day.

Grandchildren are the Lord's way of rewarding you for not killing your children. I've been especially blessed.

Saturday Sampler

It's the 1st Saturday of the month and that means Saturday Sampler at the local quilt shop. Saturday Sampler is the day the I pick up my new block of the month. It is fun! Megan has gone with me the last two months. The quilt shop is like Fabric Wonderland, which Megan deemed as heavenly, so she invited herself to come along with me today.

This is my March block. I've never done Flying Geese (the middle-side blocks with little triangles) before, so this was a learning experience for me. Let's just say, I have a seam ripper and I'm not afraid to use it!

I love Saturday Sampler days because of the feeling there. I see all kinds of people there, acquaintences and people I haven't yet met, and EVERYONE is smiling. Today I was befriended by a lady who promptly took me by the hand and introduced me to her "quilting lady" (a.k.a. lucky gal with a long-arm quilting machine.) Saturday Sampler begins with a little pep talk about the new block and a show-n-tell of new fabrics, books, and sewing toys. They also announce any upcoming classes or events happening in the store. Last month, when the store's 7th anniversary celebration was announced with a special price on fabrics, everyone clapped! Megan laughed. Today, when the upcoming scissor sharpening day was announced, there was a collective "ooooh!" from the quilters and Megan laughed some more. After announcements, the quilters show-n-tell their projects. The ooohs and aaahs continue. It is great fun to see all the neat things people do with fabric and to chit chat with like-minded folks. This is a fun hobby. Even if you don't sew, you've got to experience Saturday Sampler just once.

A Perfect Saturday

Alexis and Kourtney had a "sleepover" at my house Friday night. Grandpa DoJo promised them breakfast at a restaurant. This is one of DoJo's favorite things, breakfast at a restaurant. As for me, well, not so much, but I went along anyway.

Everyone is excited!

DoJo, Kourt, and Lex await their food.

Even Kourtney's nappy-haired baby, RaJessica, made the trip. Her appearance sometimes freaks other people out, so she did some time in DoJo's pocket.

THIS is a kid's meal? Whew! Glad I ordered off the adult menu!

Lexi is always ready to pose for the camera. After breakfast, we went to the local Alco store and bought sunvisors and sticky things. I had to do a drive by in the fabric department while we were there. While looking for straight pins, Lexi asked me if I would teach her to sew "when summer comes." Oh be still, my heart!

The goal with the visor is to pack a lot of sticky things on there, including your middle name. Kourtney is four and needed absolutely no help at all picking out all the letters for her first and middle name. Just look at that sweet face! And to think I get to live next door to this!

AND this!

Later in the afternoon, Jared, Desi, and the boys came out. Since the weather was cooperating, we decided to fly my giant dragon kite.

This is what we looked at for a good portion of the afternoon. It took awhile to get it aloft, but once up, everyone enjoyed a turn at holding the string. Since DoJo and I are way past the running stage of our lives, the job for getting the kite up in the air fell to Jared. If I were better with my camera, we would have video of Jared's antics, but second best, just imagine my big boy running around with a six foot dragon kite behind him only feet from the ground. It was funny.

Mason wants to go where Daddy goes. He sees Daddy running forward while looking backward and decides that must be what you're supposed to do.

Uncle Jared astounds and amazes his nieces with his kite-flying skills.

Lexi takes a turn at the helm, but seriously, the winds up high were so strong that the kiddos had a hard time holding on to the handle. Maybe the size of the kite had something to do with that too.

In spite of the fearful look on his face, Mason really is having a good time.

Grandpa DoJo babysits Brennen while the rest of us stare at the kite. Really, it was amazing. And the sky was sooooo blue!

Olivia is cut from the same cloth as DoJo. If she could've flown her Barbie kite from a recliner, she would have! Hanging out the window of the car is the next best thing.

When kite-flying and running around after Dad gets a little tedious, Mason retires to the sandbox while Jace, Kourtney, and Olivia have some fun on the trampoline.

Nolan takes his turn at the dragon.

After everyone had a turn with the kite, we all retired to the patio. Here you see Jared and Amanda discussing how many hundreds of dollars they should spend on my birthday present.

Megan listens intently, all the while thinking that Jared and Amanda are not planning on a sufficient amount of money. I hope they listen to Meg.

Jeremy ponders how he can sabbotage the whole discussion. Then again, I AM his favorite mother-in-law. In his opinion, NOTHING is too good for me!

Any Saturday spent with my kids and grandchildren is a perfect Saturday. Life is good!

No Lie Mr. Groundhog!

Yep, the groundhog saw his shadow and look what happens! We live in a desert and are thankful for the moisture, but this is crazy! March 10th? Not unheard of, but definitely not ordinary.

My rosebush.

My snowball bush...ha ha...get it? SNOWBALL?!

Beautiful!

Backyard playground.

The pond in my driveway (foreground) and my neighbor's winter wonderland. So much for spring!

Empty Mailbox

Typically, this image wouldn't unsettle me, but it has been a whole month since I've heard from my missionary! Two weeks ago, while donating blood, one of Wesley's friends stopped by my gurney to say that she had just received a letter from Wes that very day. This was two weeks into the letter drought and I commented that I was glad she had heard from him and if she intended to write him back, she should tell him to write his mother. A reasonable request, or so I thought! The girl's mother, who had just given a pint of blood (so, perhaps she was a little light-headed) commented that although it was important for a missionary to write his mother, it was just as important to "stay connected" with his friends. Let's just say that had I not been laying there with a needle in my arm, that woman would've given more than just a pint that day! Whenever I whine about my empty mailbox, most people try to console me by saying that not hearing from him means he's busy doing the Lord's work. Well, I hope so, but I still have a hard time believing that he doesn't have a few minutes each week in which to drop his mother a line or two.
So, I've quit complaining. This week I sent Wesley the same photo you see posted here on my blog. It's my version of tough love.

Hanging Planter in Washington

My kids are funny. Not funny weird (except for one of them), but funny, as in ha-ha. My missionary sent this picture in his last letter. Wes has gained about 20 pounds since arriving in Washington, giving his older sisters and I an opportunity to make a few fat jokes at his expense. I haven't felt bad about it, since he is the Ultimate Fat Joke King. In retaliation, he sent this pic with the comment that it reminded him of me and the girls. Actually, I never knew he'd seen me in my swimsuit, but the likeness is UNCANNY!