Rebecca's Retreat

2011-11-22T09:55:00.000-09:00

Emily Anne Sophia Troxel has arrived

2011-06-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

5/25/2011
Emily was born via emergency c section at 12:49 pm on May 25. She weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The amniotic fluid was full of meconium and she had heart beat deceleration issues with the contractions. She has been life flighted to the NICU at Providence Hosp in Anchorage and I am staying in the Fairbanks hosp for at least three days. Bill and the kids are on their way to Anchorage. This was not what we anticipated so please keep us in your prayers.

5/27/2011
I flew to Anchorage last night and got to be with and hold Emily for hours. She was sleeping most of the time but woke up before I had to get some sleep. She ate colostrum that I pumped yesterday, the first food in her tummy. Before this she only had IV nutrition. I am hoping to start nursing very soon, as soon as she is interested. She is no longer intubated, although she still has an IV through her belly button. She is receiving some oxygen, but not a whole lot. She will remain in the NICU for at least a week, as they want to do a full week of antibiotics. Prognosis is VERY GOOD for a FULL RECOVERY. She looks healthy and brightly aware, but has a lot of dry skin on her hands and feet. Thank you for all the prayers, and continue to pray that her lungs stay clean and clear, that she wants to nurse soon, and that no infections set in.

I was released from the hospital in Fairbanks under strict orders to come to Anchorage and do nothing but spend time with Emily and rest. I am sore this morning from the c section, getting up out of bed was difficult. I have a lot of pain medication so I am sure the uncomfortableness will be manageable, but still. Please pray for a full recovery from surgery for me.

Aerin and Ethan are spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. They like that but really want to see Emily and Mom. They went to the zoo yesterday and will go off to Whittier this afternoon for about a day I think. I didn't get to see them last night, so I really want to see them today. They are not allowed to see Emily as long as she is in the NICU. Pray for patience for them, as they feel cheated out of the whole experience.

5/28/2011
Emily was allowed to start nursing yesterday, however, she was not really interested as she is still sleeping most of the time. She is getting my expressed milk through a feeding tube, however, so she is getting all the nutrition with none of the work. She now only has one IV line through her belly button. She is receiving antibiotics to ward off any infection and to help her heal from the little bit of pneumonia they can see on the xrays. The nurse tried to remove the oxygen supplement but her saturation levels dropped too low so the nurse replaced it. Emily just can't breathe quite well enough on her own, so she is receiving a low amount of oxygen just to help her along. She has great color and looks so much like the other kiddos when they were babies. She has a very round head and chubby cheeks and the cutest little bowed mouth.

Bill went shopping yesterday and bought us all some clothes at Value Village, we were only prepared to be away a couple of days. He had to buy a few things for Emily too as she is too small for the newborn size clothes we already had. She is not ready quite yet for clothes but maybe in a few days. Bill is pushing me everywhere in a wheelchair and it is about half a mile from the NICU to the place we are staying. It is all connected through skyways so it is pretty cool but a long ways.

The kids are spending time with my parents. I am so thankful my parents live here in Anchorage, they have come to our rescue many times. We authorized my mom to see Emily in the NICU before we were able to arrive in Anchorage, so she had someone who loves her intently here with her, singing her songs, and praying over her. I know my mom really cherished those few hours. Aerin and Ethan got to see a video of Emily crying and they both just melted with "Awwwwwwwww, she's so cute!" They are desperate to see her and love on her.

I am still very sore. I am not moving much, but more so probably than I should. I am still up and down out of bed for pumping milk, so not a whole lot of rest at one time. But I am taking it easy, and Emily and I nap together when I hold her.

Thank you for all your prayers. Emily is recovering above and beyond expectations. God is Good. All the Time!

5/29/2011
Aerin and Ethan were able to stand in the room doorway and see Emily today. They were about 8 feet away from her but it is the closest they have gotten to be. Thank you so much to the kind NICU charge nurse and supervisor for their compassion. They got to look at her for about 15 minutes, and watch Dad change a diaper. Aerin says she is the cutest thing ever and Ethan says she is the cutest baby he has ever seen. Emily was sleeping though so they haven't seen her with her eyes open.

Emily was taken off the oxygen today and she did great all day without it. That means that her lungs are working well and are not too damaged. She is also having the umbilical IV removed this evening, but now has one in her hand. This is an improvement because it allows the umbilical to completely heal. The course of antibiotics will continue through the hand IV. She nursed for a few minutes today and got her little engine running, all the suction, breathing and swallowing action going in sync. I gave her some breast milk in a bottle and she didn't really want to suck on that so I just squeezed it into her mouth and let her swallow it. They will remove her feeding tube when she is nursing more efficiently. A day or two is all it should take, the nurse said babies that have been intubated don't really like to have things in their mouths right away. All her internal systems seem to be working well, she pooped three times while Bill was trying to change the diaper! He was very pleased to be able to take care of some basic needs for Emily.

5/31/2011
Last night Emily's feeding tube was removed so she currently has no tubes on her face! I will take a picture today and post it as soon as I can. Her IV nutrition has been discontinued as she is eating enough breast milk to sustain her blood sugar levels. Her platelet count went up as the doctor was hoping it would when the IV was removed from her belly button, but he is testing her for a virus that causes low platelet counts just to make sure she doesn't have it. Her last IV antibiotics are due this evening and then the IV will be removed from her hand. She might be removed from all monitors at that time. The doctors are talking discharge tomorrow after her hearing test, which can not be completed until the antibiotics are finished. I may be able to have her in a room with me here in the hospital tonight, off all monitors. Please pray that the room is cool enough (it has to be less than 80 degrees and there have been problems with the rooms being too hot) and that we can be together; and that all is a go for discharge tomorrow. When she is discharged we plan on staying in Anchorage a day or two so my parents and grandma get to spend time with Emily too.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for Ethan's birthday yesterday and he was thrilled. We met up with some friends who had a baby in NICU a few years ago, it was so nice to see them.

My recovering is going well, I am up and walking all the time (no more wheelchair for me). I feel great and am no longer taking pain medication, although I am taking ibuprofen for inflammation.

God is Good. All the Time!

6/1/2011
Emily got to spend the night with me in a room by ourselves, with no cords, wires or monitors. Aerin and Ethan got to see, hold and play with her. However, the doctor yesterday said that Emily is not eating enough and he was not going to discharge her today. So we have been tracking her eating and her weight. We are so close to discharge but it seems so far away. Personally, I think babies will eat when they are hungry and how much they need, not a certain number of ml that a doctor says they should. So I am struggling with my attitude about this. Please pray that Emily will eat enough so the doctors are happy. She is nursing better and taking breast milk from a bottle. She has a hearing test today that she should pass with flying colors.

6/2/2011
We were released from the NICU at noon! Yea! Praise the Lord. We will be traveling home on Saturday.

6/5/2011
It is so good to be home. Everyone is so comfortable here and relaxed, Emily included. She is nursing so well and sleeping soundly. She is never sitting alone, there are four willing sets of arms to hold her. Since she was born she has been in the NICU, the rooming-in room I was in, Hickle House (where we stayed Thursday night), my parents house, and home. I am hoping that after a few days of being home, we will all settle into a routine.

2011-03-24T16:40:00.001-08:00

3D Ultrasound

2011-03-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here is my beautiful baby! It was laying with it's face toward my back so it was a little hard to catch the face full on. Then it moved! But it curled up into a ball with it's legs crossed over its face and head. In one photo you can see a foot right next to the forehead. I think it is going to look like Bill judged on the lips! I just can't wait to kiss that little nose.

2011-03-15T11:25:00.001-08:00

Although I will never hold Cheryl in my arms again, I will always hold her in my heart. I last saw her three years ago but we talked often on the phone. This last year I sent her flowers a couple of times, a digital photo frame filled with family pictures, bread for Christmas, and the last thing I sent was a moving plan, with a schedule of the adventure she was soon to depart on with Bill. But that arrived one day too late.

My grandmother told me something this week. She said that as people get older, they need to be wanted and needed. I had wanted Cheryl to move to Alaska with us when we first moved in 2003. After all this time, I was so excited that she was finally coming. I always enjoyed every moment I spent with her and I was looking forward to spending time with her every day. I knew we would get along well and she would cherish every minute she would spend with Aerin, Ethan and the new baby.

I loved her. From the moment I first met her, I thought she was wonderful. She welcomed me into her life and treated me as her own daughter. She introduced me to pancakes the size of plates, rummaging on Saturdays, bacon forks, mid-western phrases, and the awesomeness of hairspray. When she took me under her wing, I became part of her family. Family was everything to her. She always told me she loved me, sent me little things she thought I would like, and told me how proud she was of my family. She loved Aerin and Ethan from the first second she knew they were coming and she was so excited that we are having another baby.

I will miss her every day. I will miss living with her. I will miss introducing her around Nenana. I will miss her when I hold my new baby. I will miss seeing her hug Aerin and Ethan. I will miss our phone calls and her voice on the answering machine. I will miss sending her cards and flowers. I will miss the things she will never send me.

I am sure she is in heaven with her glue gun, finding places that need more diamonds and rubies.

Missing Joy

2011-03-01T09:53:00.002-09:00

A year ago today I was in Hawaii, sitting in the ER in Honolulu, and the doctor told me "the product of conception is no longer viable." What he meant was that my baby had died. The baby I had longed for for eight years, the baby we were so excited about, the baby we already loved. Even though I was only twelve weeks along, the baby was part of our family.

When Bill and I had to tell the kids and my mom, we were in shock and heartbroken. They had known we were going to the hospital, but when we said the baby had died, the first thing that the kids said was "Are you serious? You're kidding, right?" I told them I would never joke about something like this, and we cried together. Then we took a walk along the street and the beach and cried some more and talked about serious things. We discussed how the baby would forever be a part of our family, even though we would never hold it in our arms. We chose to name the baby Joy. We did not know the gender yet, but this child had brought us such joy already, it seemed fitting for either a boy or girl. We then bought ice cream treats to celebrate the life of Joy, however short it may have been.

I am going through this sadness alone today as my husband is in Iowa, taking care of his mom's estate. She died last Friday. I am just overwhelmed with grief. I know I should reach out to someone today, but the only person I want is not able to be here with me. I think I will just hole up and take a bath and a nap.

2011-02-26T07:42:00.001-09:00

My MIL, Cheryl Troxel, passed away yesterday. She was found dead, having fallen asleep in her chair, and gone on to be with Jesus.

We are heartbroken as we were finally getting her to move in with us, the move was going to happen the beginning of May. She would have been with us for the birth of our new baby, her third grandchild. We had been asking her for years to come to Alaska with us, and she just kept saying she wasn't ready. One time I told her that by the time she WAS ready, it would be too late. :(

My dh Bill left last night to go to Iowa to make arrangements and conduct the services; he is a pastor. He is Cheryl's only child, and was raised by her and her parents. He said he feels orphaned now as all three of those important influences are now deceased. He did not want me to travel with him as I am now in the third trimester and do have some heart issues.

We have had a year filled with loss. Our baby was miscarried in March, Bill's grandmother passed in April, and now his mom. Without faith that God is good all the time, even when we don't understand, we would have had such a difficult time with all this. As it is, we are deeply saddened by all these events but know that God is in control and everything is ok, even as we cry with broken hearts.

Cheryl was mom than a MIL to me. She was my friend. She introduced me to rummaging on Saturdays, pancakes as big as plates and mid-western speech patterns. She loved me as if I were her own, and often made people confused by saying her son and daughter did something and then also saying we were married. She loved our children with all her heart and was so proud of them. She was looking forward to our new baby with such anticipation and excitement. I will miss her. I will cry over her loss. I look forward to seeing her again, when we all get to heaven.

2011-02-09T14:17:00.000-09:00

I've been making more cards. Pam Wilcox is having classes over at the YERC and some of these are from her class and some I made on my own.

I took the kids sledding after school yesterday. We had fun in the snow. They made snow angels and threw snow on the car too.

Maggie has taken up a new habit. She sits on the back of the couch and watches out the window, especially when it is time for the kids to come home from school.

The chickens are doing fine, laying about five eggs a day. But as the weather warms up, I'm sure they will be laying more. I am impressed that they have so little frostbite on their combs, feet and waddles. They must be getting a little bored though, waiting for some grass and clover to eat.

I am now 25 weeks along in the pregnancy. The baby must be taking Tae Kwon Do lessons, it kicks so much. I have almost forsaken tie shoes, as it is so hard to bend over and tie them! I went down the sledding hill once yesterday but that was all. My next appointment is March 3rd and I will be taking the one hour glucose test to check for gestational diabetes.

Guess what?!

2010-11-16T08:54:00.000-09:00

I am expecting again! I am currently 13 weeks along, just entering the second trimester. We are soooo excited, there are not enough words. And in comparing this photo to other gender confirmed ultrasound photos, I am pretty sure we are having a girl! But that won't be confirmed for us for another two months or so. The names we have picked out are Emily Anne and William Earnest. We are still sad over the loss of our baby Joy in March, and this pregnancy is finally past when we miscarried then.

I have been working on a new hobby. Card making! And yes, I have sent all these cards off already.

I really have fun with this. It is a lot like quilting, just with paper. Does anyone know of a website that sells kits? There is a magazine I have found a few times I really like, "You Can Craft" that comes with everything to make what is in the magazine. I am looking for something like that.

And just for fun, some photos of our travels in October. We started out in Anaheim, Disneyland of course.

I’m Back

2010-11-10T09:16:00.001-09:00

Let's see the last post was in August.

I worked a lot in September, we traveled in October, and the kids got chicken pox in November!

My chickens are doing well, laying about 15 eggs a day. I enjoy them so much!

This is a test post.

2010-08-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Look at all those ribbons! Way to go Nenana Patchers! See the windmill? That was my idea! Karen and Nancy, you did a great job with the most of it! Ribbons are for Theme Award, Class Champion, First Place and Grand Champion!

2010-07-25T21:31:00.003-08:00

I have been raspberry picking these last few days! They are so large and juicy, I can’t help but eat them by the handful as I am picking.

I made some raspberry jam and also some rhubarb pie filling. And canned them! It was a first for me!

I have helped with Project Overhaul, a local effort to clean up our town. As you can see from the photo, all ages help out with it.

One night there was a fabulous rainbow and I went chasing after it with my son. When we found a good place for photos, we realized there were two rainbows. The sun was shining thru the rainbow and it was so bright. There was one more than one set of colors on the big rainbow.

I am convinced that it is hard to take a bad photo of scenery in Alaska. Everything is so beautiful, even a bad photo looks good. Not that this is a bad photo! :)

Sometimes I just like to take photos of things that are interesting. This was a stair railing.

Want to go on a walk with me?

This is my new chicken playground. I take about half the chickens out of the pen and put them under the truck topper. They are protected from everything, and have a large space to dig in the dirt (and take a bath) and peck at the ground. Then I can move the topper and do it again the next day. What fun I am having with my chickens!

I'm feeling HOT HOT HOT

2010-07-09T16:03:00.002-08:00

2010-06-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to come to Alaska in the summer and travel? See the sights? Enjoy the scenery?

We went to Anchorage this last week and this is what we saw the most!

And how fast were we going?

Gaaah! If only there were more passing lanes....

Chickens

2010-06-22T22:07:00.001-08:00

Here is a short video of my chickens. They have gotten so big! They are about eight weeks old now and some are starting to cluck instead of peep. Watching them is better than watching TV. Tonight Aerin wanted to take a chicken on a walk, so she tied a length of yarn around a chicken’s leg and let it walk around the yard on it’s leash. Quite a sight!

A Baby Robin!

2010-06-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Today my son came and got me to tell me the baby robin was out! We have been waiting for a couple weeks to see it. What a fun time, seeing the nest with no eggs, then two eggs, two new baby birds and now a fluffy little robin! I’m sure the other baby is in there too.

I was messing around with the camera on my cell phone and took this photo… and this one…

and this one…

2010-06-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

I gave away two more quilts yesterday. These went to a little boy and a little girl in my town.

2010-06-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

I'm quilting! I'm quilting! Yea! This quilt was half finished and I picked it up again and finished it! My friend just got two little foster girls and they need some things. I figured they would like their very own quilt. So I am giving these two quilts away today.

2010-06-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

This is my lovely daughter. She wanted to play dress up in this old prom dress. She said she felt like a princess. She certainly looked like one!

2010-06-04T21:04:00.005-08:00

My family and I were invited to go with some friends up the river on their boat and hike in to a lake where they have gone moose hunting. Of course, we said yes! We rode a couple miles up the river and then hiked inland to the meadow and lake. It was really gorgeous! Here is a great photo of my dear husband.

This is the lake we went to see. We saw a moose on the way there but it was too far away to get a good photo.

The boat goes pretty fast and I enjoyed watching my daughter's hair blow all around. Even though it was warm out, about 70 degrees, we were all wearing two jackets/sweatshirts in the boat.

The wild roses are blooming now, well maybe not now after the hail/rainstorm we had, but they were then. Last year we were traveling when the roses were out and I missed them all. I just love the way they smell, like cheap little girl perfume.

Both kids caught frogs, this little tiny one was so cute!

And what IS this? What a weird thing to happen in a photo!?!

There was an enormous beaver house in the lake we were at but we saw this beaver along the river. He was really big and was walking slow. They chewed down some huge trees!

This photo was taken from the river a few nights before, just after a rain storm. Wow, Alaska is just beautiful, all you have to do is open your eyes!

And today I did some sewing for the first time in a long while! I quickly put the binding on this quilt. I even have someone in mind to give it to.

And I mentioned I was working on a hand piecing project. Well, I believe if you are going to take the time to hand piece something, it should be hard to take advantage of what you can do hand piecing that you can't do easily by machine. I think this pattern is called Coat of Many Colors. It is for my daughter when she gets married. Being that she turns 12 this summer, I think I have enough time to finish it. *grin*

I really enjoy hand piecing. Here are some photos of some other hand pieced projects.

The star below is done by hand, the borders and quilting are done by machine.

This whole quilt is done by hand, piecing and quilting.

Some of these blocks are hand pieced. I was spending a lot of time in the car and pieced then. If you look closely at the blocks, the ones that are hand pieced are the hard ones. There are about 8 hand pieced ones in this quilt.

I think the top star and bottom stars here are hand pieced.

New Blog Name and Focus

2010-06-02T22:41:00.002-08:00

As you can see I have changed my blog look and am going to change the focus too. Since I have not been quilting much lately, I don't think I should advertise this as a quilty blog. This small piece of internet will be about me and what I am currently doing, and if that involves quilting, so be it.

I am in the middle of losing weight, trying to conceive a baby, raising my kids, being healthy, participating in my community, growing chickens for eggs, and just general life. And that is what I will be writing about.

I am very happy and just not in the quilty place right now. I am sure I will get back to it. I AM working on a hand piecing project.

I really like to write on this blog but I have been feeling like I couldn't post about anything that wasn't about quilts. Since it is my blog, I decided to change it. :)

2010-05-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

If you look right in the v of the tree you will see a robin's nest! I will watch and eagerly wait for babies! This tree is right off our porch, and the nest is about six feet from the railing. What a great place!

My favorite recent photo of my daughter Aerin and me.

The chicks are in an upside down rabbit hutch that is big enough for the kids to get in and play with them. They are so fun to watch! Some chicks really like to get petted and some stay away. But they all like to get fed!

They are getting so big! The feathers are so pretty.

I got a NEW bike! I just love it. My dh calls it a granny bike but I don't care. It is super cool in my opinion! It is so comfortable to ride, I feel like I could ride it all day. And it handles trails thru the woods just fine.

2010-05-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

I signed up to go to the Valdez Quilt Festival! I went once before and had a great time. This year I was going to have to miss it because the baby was due the exact weekend of the festival. However, losing the baby has freed up the weekend and instead of sitting home sad, I will go and have a good time with my quilty friends.

I signed up to take four classes, one each day, and a mystery class one evening.

My Whimsical Quilt Garden by Becky Goldsmith.

Machine Quilting by Sheilah Crum

Fat Quarter Cut-ups by Brenda Henning

A Stone's Throw by Brenda Clyde

Also, Ami Simms will be there. Have you ever read her book How Not to Make A Prize Winning Quilt ? It is really hilarious and worth the read. I read it as a new quilter and I wanted to be just like her! I am not taking any of her classes but I will definently meet her, she sounds like she has a great sense of humor.

2010-05-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

I went to the kindergarten class and taught a lesson about quilts. This is now a yearly thing. I am thinking of getting my hand piecing out for the summer, I can do that while sitting in the sun on the porch!

2010-04-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

The loss of our baby really threw a kink into our lives. It is very difficult to get back to normal after that. I am doing fine physically and trying to conceive again. Yesterday I cried when telling my husband how cute the ladies look around here with the pregnant bellies, they are due the same time I would have been. I am jealous and sad. But getting on with life.

A friend of my mom's asked for a purse for her friend's birthday, so I made this one. She asked for maroon and lime green to be in it. Of course, the picture does not do it justice, the purse was beautiful and the ladies were very pleased with it.

In honor of spring, I got a new hairdo and a new color. It said on the box it was mahogany but it turned out a little red almost a dark purple. I LOVE IT! I feel so light and springy!

And we have started a new project this summer. Chickens! We tried to hatch some eggs but that was not successful. So we went out and bought 20 chicks. They are all quietly napping right now but they can put up a racket! We got a chicken coop from some friends who wanted to get rid of it (yea for us!) and are just waiting for the chicks to get big enough to be able to enjoy the outdoors!

2010-03-03T19:55:00.000-09:00

We returned from Hawaii today, and I will post about the trip later this week.

I have some awful news and it breaks my heart to write it.

The baby we were expecting miscarried on March 1st.

2010-01-13T13:27:00.000-09:00

We had a great busy Christmas. We started opening presents at 8 a.m. At 11 we went to some friend's house and visited with them until 3:30 p.m. At 4 we showed up at another friends' house, and then left town to go on vacation at 9 p.m. Needless to say, our Christmas Tree was still up when we came home on Jan. 7!

We stayed one night in Fairbanks and then drove to Glennallen the next day to visit with friends. The hoar frost was amazing!

Alaska is beautiful any time of year!

We were in Anchorage for New Year's and enjoyed the fireworks!

2010-01-10T10:43:00.000-09:00

Wow! I have some great news to share!

I'm pregnant!

I have always wanted more kids, my current two are 11 and 8. They are very excited and I am sharing with them what is going on with the baby's development every week.

My husband got very sick when the youngest was two and his health problems were such that more kids at that time would be too stressful. My dh is still sick with a rare auto-immune bile duct disease that still causes problems but we are more able to deal with it now.

The baby is due Sept. 10, 2010.

I haven't been doing any quilting. We have been so busy since about a week before Thanksgiving that the only thing I've done is a couple blocks for a community quilt. Maybe I should take up cross stitch with a passion, I can do that in little blocks of time.

2009-12-23T20:53:00.000-09:00

I gave away another quilt this year. This went to a little boy whom we met in AWANA. He and his mom started coming to church with us. He is such a nice little boy and his mom is really sweet.

2009-11-16T10:25:00.000-09:00

No Crust Pumpkin Pie (2 points for 1/8 pie)

2 t grated orange peel
15 oz. cooked pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 can evaporated milk
3 egg whites
¼ cup Splenda
¼ cup sugar
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ t cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
½ t ground ginger
¾ t baking powder
⅛ t salt

Brown Sugar Topping
⅛ c packed brown sugar
⅛ c oats
2T wheat bran

Heat oven to 350º F.
Spray pie plate with cooking spray.
Blend all ingredients in blender.
Pour into pie plate.
Mix topping and add to top of pie during baking.
Bake until solid (about an hour).
Serve cold.

2009-11-01T20:04:00.000-09:00

So how did Halloween go? Did you eat enough candy to make you sick? Did you stick with your plan? Did you even have a plan?

There are about eight weeks to Christmas and this is the season for Holiday Parties and usually weight gain. Now that one holiday is over, make a new plan for the next one. Let's see, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. One down, three to go.

So for November, are you going to say, "what the heck, the holidays are upon us!" And eat, eat, eat? Or are you going to say "Thanksgiving is just one day, and I will eat whatever I like on that day"? Or are you going to have one piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream after a sensible portion of turkey and stuffing and give thanks for all your blessings. You decide. Don't forget to plan something to do with all the leftovers. Maybe go so far as to not have any!

So, October stats for me. I did great with my goal to eat no Halloween candy. Not one piece. I went to a party and had a sandwich and one oatmeal raisin cookie. I really wanted some candy today though, but I passed. I took the left over candy and donated it to the senior center, better them eat it than me. So, there is no candy in my house now.

Weight 9/27 220.4
Weight 11/1 220

Loss for October .4

However, my weight was not steady for October. I had three weeks of gain, 1 lb, 1 lb, and 3.6 pounds. And two weeks of loss 2.8 pounds and 3.2 pounds. So in October I gained 5.6 pounds and lost 6 pounds.

I just really don't understand. I eat well, exercise, drink water, and gain. I eat well, exercise and drink water and I lose.

I can't control the number on the scale. But I can control what and how much I eat, when and how much I exercise, and how much water I drink.

2009-10-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Look at my beautiful lunch! It was just so pretty I had to take a photo. It is kale, spinach, purple cabbage, ham and onion, sauteed in a little olive oil, sprinkled with salt. It was fabulous! My body is loving me, it was so healthy.

2009-10-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

How is your "diet" coming along? Are you stuffing yourself on free Halloween candy? Are you just eating too much? Are you getting the exercise your body needs?

I did an official WI yesterday and was down 2.8! Finally less than 220! Yippeee! I added an extra workout to my schedule, a small 15 minutes in the morning right after the kids go to school. I was really diligent about not eating sweets this week and I have still not eaten any Halloween candy!

What are you going to do on Halloween night? A plan will help you stay on top of your eating. No plan will get you eating everything in sight.

2009-10-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have been quilting, really I have. Just not much. I am making these flower blocks (design by Mary Ellen Hopkins) slowly as I sew with friends. I have about 30 flowers done, and it takes four flowers to make a block. I think I need about 30 blocks, so it is slow going. I am going to put the blocks together on point with green sashing and red cornerstones. All the flowers are different material, with the flower center being red and the leaves green. The greens are used many times but the flowers will all be unique. These are such cute little blocks.

This is our quilting club that met last Tuesday night. There were about eight people there. We all love to quilt! The group was working on a project, but I was helping someone with a previous project, so I didn't get to sew.

2009-10-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

We have been eating homemade bread for about two years, and I make it about once a week. I always use some whole wheat flour, and then add some oatmeal, rolled oats, wheat germ, flax seed, maltomeal, or some other whole grain product.

I have been experimenting in the kitchen. This week I made some bagels!

Then I made some more bagel dough and filled it with leftover steak, peppers and shredded cheese and made portable sandwiches.

And the outcome of the taste tests? Outstanding! The kids loved it! Begged for more! And that is a sure sign of success!

2009-10-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

I had a great weekend, in spite of eating out five times in two days! Friday night we went to a friend's house for a lasagna dinner. I brought and ate a lot of salad. Declined Halloween candy for dessert. On Saturday, we attended a memorial service and potluck and skipped out on the potluck. Then we went to a harvest party and I was sure there would be veggies so I would be ok. No such luck. There were two pound steaks, baked potatoes, lots of pasta salads and desserts galore. I had a piece of a steak, some bean salad, and a few bites of dessert. Then we had an Oktoberfest party. I was sitting at a table with a nut bowl, but I switched with the veggie platter at another table! I ate a part of a bratwurst, some sauerkraut, some potatoes and no dessert. Sunday, we ate one of the steaks from the harvest party we took home for lunch along with quinoa and salad. Then a friend invited us over for dinner. It was moose soup, tea, and crackers. Whew!

Diet Challenge 2009

2009-10-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Do you realize that it is only a couple of months until Christmas? 13 weeks more or less.

Do you have a plan for this Holiday Season? Is it going to be like last year? Or are you going to make healthier decisions? Are you going to throw in the towel or go out with a bang?

We are already starting our round of holiday parties. This weekend we are going to a friend's house for dinner, a potluck memorial service, a Harvest party and an Octoberfest. Is this a recipe for disaster? Or is this a chance to make good choices and enjoy my friends?

Here is my plan. Bring a salad to dinner tonight (the hostess is serving lasagna) and eat lots of it. Eat lunch prior to the memorial service and not stay for the potluck. Go to the Harvest party and enjoy lots of garden vegetables and fresh beef. Eat one plate of food at the Octoberfest, and enjoy every bite. Stay away from desserts and nuts, and stick to drinking water.

I will have to let you know how it goes. At least with a plan, I have a map of what to do. Without a plan, I would just eat a bunch of stuff and say, oh well, so much for the healthy eating today. And I really don't want to do that. I want to be in control of the food, not let the food control me.

I have found a blog I really like. Lyn is very open and honest and is a great writer. Click here to read about a real person struggling just like the rest of us.

2009-09-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have taken over Diet Challenge 2009 and will be the host until the end of the year and maybe start a new challenge in 2010!

How is everyone doing? Are you still in it for the long haul? Are you meeting your goals?

I have a spread sheet with charts and stuff to let me know how I am doing. I did a sheet makeover today and really looked at my numbers.

In 2008, I tracked for 41 weeks and I lost 39 % of the weeks and gained 58% of the weeks. There was one week with no change in weight. I lost a total of 22.8 pounds, an average of .57 pounds per week.

In 2009, I have tracked 38 weeks and I lost 59 % of the weeks, and gained 23% of the weeks. There were six weeks with no change in weight (no weigh in due to vacation and such). I have lost a total of 15.6 pounds, an average of .4 pounds per week. I have 14 weeks left in this year!

I have been feeling very discouraged and unmotivated (although that has not changed my actions!) and looking for something to get me going again mentally. I think this has done it. I am doing a great job! It doesn't get much better than losing 59% of the time!

So, if you are feeling discouraged, look back at your progress and celebrate your victories!

I would like to share two websites with you that have helped me. Check these sites out and let me know if they have motivated you too. PeerTrainer and Flylady.

2009-09-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

Autumn is definitely here and not only that, almost over! Many of the trees are already bare and leafless. Yesterday morning when I went out to walk the doggie early in the morning it was 32.7 degrees! There was frost on the grass and on the car windshield. It should snow in about a month I guess. Brrr!

My kids and I got to go on the Alaska Railroad to Denali Park last weekend and this is the best picture! Doesn't my dd look happy?!

2009-09-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of me from July.

2009-09-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

These are the beautiful yellow leaves on my red porch. They are falling more each day.

Marilyn quilted these quilts for me to give away. Thank you so much! I have finished the binding and washed three of the four she did for me.

Quilt For Sale!

2009-08-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

This beautiful handquilted and handappliqued quilt is for sale. It was given to a fellow missionary to sell in order to raise support. The maker did not have money to support them but made this quilt hoping to raise some money for the missionaries.

I looked closely at this quilt and the handapplique is really almost invisible! The quilt is quilted at about 22 stitches per inch, no lie. It is the smallest quilting I have ever seen. Many of the applique blocks are designed by the maker of the quilt.

Please let me know if you would like more info and I will put you in touch with the seller.

Diet Challenge 2009 Update

2009-08-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have lost a total of 35.4 pounds since March of 2008. I lost 20 of those in 2008, so that means I've lost 15.4 pounds in 2009.

I have had an up and down summer, not losing much but at least the numbers are mostly going down. Two weeks ago I reached one of those "memorable" numbers, 222. In 2003, I had lost down to 200 pounds and then my husband got sick and was in the hospital. I started gaining the weight back, and in October was up to 222. I laid on the bed and just bawled. I was so unhappy. You would think I would have used that misery to inspire me to lose the weight then. But no, over the next five years I gained another 40 pounds. So 222 represents a time when I was totally miserable, and I happy to report, I am miserable once again.

Last week, I gained 1.2 pounds. However, it was an unusual week. Tuesday, I ate lunch at a meeting, then dinner was at a potlatch (like a potluck). Wednesday was dh's birthday celebrated with a cookout and cake. Thursday was a dinner meeting. Friday was lunch out with a friend and dinner at someone else's house. Saturday night was another potluck. Sunday was dd's birthday, celebrated with cake. How could I possible lose weight with a schedule like that?

This week, I will eat healthier than I could last week. I will continue to drink water, and I will get some good exercise in.

2009-08-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

My friend Harriett brought me back a present from her vacation. She made me a bag and it touched me so, I had tears in my eyes. Thank you so much, Harriett.I know this is a quilt blog, and I haven't posted because I haven't been quilting. This is summer in Alaska, and I spend time riding the bike, walking the dog, playing with the kids, that I don't have time for quilting. However, the leaves are turning yellow and the days are getting colder so I know fall is coming and soon it will be cold outside and inside activities will be calling my name.

2009-07-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Harriett and her quilt. I put the feathers in the border for her. She had quilted all the rest of the quilt.

Diet Challenge on Vacation

2009-07-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

I got to go on a ten day Alaska roadtrip! We left from Nenana, went to Glennallen, Valdez, Tok and Anchorage. Although I did eat out five times, twice at Fast Eddy's in Tok, Fu Kung in Valdez, Bombay Deluxe in Anchorage and Golden Corral, I also got some great exercise!

I climbed up a moutain beside a glacier!

I went out in a paddle boat for about 40 minutes!

I hiked another hill!

WOW! I even worked out at a gym five times!

Weight update: Lost .5 pounds.

Total loss 2009: 18.6 pounds.

2009-07-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Since summer has rolled around, I haven't been doing much sewing or quilting. But my daughter and I made this bear for her. She might call it Polar.

I also quilted some feathery borders on a quilt for a friend. I might get a photo of that and post it later.

Diet Challenge Update

2009-07-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

This is the mid year update.

My goal was to lose 40 pounds this year, 20 pounds every six months.

I have lost 18.2 pounds for the first six months of 2009!

Yippeeeeeee for me!

2009-06-30T11:09:00.001-08:00

An excerpt from
The Power of Discipline
By Brian Tracy

Why are some people more successful than others? Why do some people make more money, live happier lives and accomplish much more in the same number of years than the great majority?

I started out in life with few advantages. I did not graduate from high school. I worked at menial jobs. I had limited education, limited skills and a limited future.

And then I began asking, "Why are some people more successful than others?" This question changed my life.

Over the years, I have read thousands of books and articles on the subjects of success and achievement. It seems that the reasons for these accomplishments have been discussed and written about for more than two thousand years, in every conceivable way. One quality that most philosophers, teachers and experts agree on is the importance of self-discipline. As Al Tomsik summarized it years ago, "Success is tons of discipline."

Some years ago, I attended a conference in Washington. It was the lunch break and I was eating at a nearby food fair. The area was crowded and I sat down at the last open table by myself, even though it was a table for four.

A few minutes later, an older gentleman and a younger woman who was his assistant came along carrying trays of food, obviously looking for a place to sit.

With plenty of room at my table, I immediately arose and invited the older gentleman to join me. He was hesitant, but I insisted. Finally, thanking me as he sat down, we began to chat over lunch.

It turned out that his name was Kop Kopmeyer. As it happened, I immediately knew who he was. He was a legend in the field of success and achievement. Kop Kopmeyer had written four large books, each of which contained 250 success principles that he had derived from more than fifty years of research and study. I had read all four books from cover to cover, more than once.

After we had chatted for awhile, I asked him the question that many people in this situation would ask, "Of all the one thousand success principles that you have discovered, which do you think is the most important?"

He smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye, as if he had been asked this question many times, and replied, without hesitating, "The most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley many years ago. He said, 'Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'"

He went on to say, "There are 999 other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, but without self-discipline, none of them work."

Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity.

In the pages ahead I will describe seven areas of your life where the practice of self-discipline will be key to your success. These areas include goals, character, time management, personal health, money, courage and responsibility. It is my hope that you'll find a few "nuggets" that will help make your dreams come true.

Diet Challenge Update

2009-06-21T20:23:00.000-08:00

I have lost 15 pounds so far this year. Whoooo-hooooo! Last year I lost 20 pounds from March until December and I wanted to double that this year and lose 40. So I am doing really well! I don't think I can lose another 5 pounds in just a week and a half but I am really trying!

I started out last year not being able to wear a pair of 26/28 jeans. I could get them on, but not wear them. This skort is a 16W. My shirt has gone from a 26 to a XL(16).

A Non Scale Victory

2009-06-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

At 9 p.m. I asked Aerin if she would like to go on a bike ride with me. Of course, she said yes. We went by a round about way to the city park, which has new swings. I went to the city council meeting and asked for them! Anyway, we were swinging and playing, twirling to get dizzy and I decided to go down the slide. First of all, I fit up the ladder and in the top part of the slide! I was kind of worried about that! Then I remembered that last summer I was with the kids in the same park and sat on the bottom of the slide. I couldn't fit! The end of the slide was too narrow! This year guess what!!!!!????? I could sit on the end of the slide with room to spare!!!!!!! YEEEEE-HAWWWW!!!!!

2009-06-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

Look what I did today! I am so proud of myself!

I did not sleep well last night, there was a mosquito in our room and by 4 a.m. I couldn't take it anymore and got up. I read for awhile, and then napped on the couch. Therefore, I was tired this afternoon when my son wanted to go to the playground and play tennis. I didn't want to go, I wanted to take a nap. But I decided to ride bikes to the playground and play with the balls and raquets. We went to the store on the way home for ice cream (I got a diet soda) and while I was there I saw they had rope by the foot for sale. My kids have been wanting me to put up a rope swing in this tree. There have been other swings there before we moved in, but the ropes were broken. I bought some rope and went across the street and borrowed a ladder. I CLIMBED the ladder and cut off the old ropes, and put up the new one. I cut a length of tree for the seat and tied that on. I learned how to tie the knot from the man I bought the rope from.

2009-06-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

***Marilyn***

I don't have an email address for you. Please contact me again!!

I am looking for someone to quilt some tops for me. I am looking for someone to do this as charity work, or for very little cost. I give quilts away to kids in my small town, and if you would like more info on what we do, click here. I need 10 couch size tops quilted, nothing fancy. Please comment or email if you could do this for me, or know someone who could.

These are some of the tops I need quilted.

2009-05-31T19:27:00.001-08:00

I finished this wallhanging and it is up on the wall. It is so beautiful! I need to add bead eyes to the hummingbirds.

I have so few finishes this year, I have been reading instead of quilting.

Diet Challenge Update

2009-05-30T20:34:00.000-08:00

I had to do some rethinking and get back on the wagon. All that ice cream caught up with me! I was up six pounds from the lowest this year and was very distressed. But I have now lost those six pounds and am ready to continue losing this summer.

I made a list of favorite healthy dishes and went shopping for ingredients. I made oatmeal bread today, a good bread with lots of fiber.

I discovered I now weigh 10 pounds less than what is listed on my drivers license!

Total loss: 32 pounds!

2009-05-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here are my quilt designs from my red white and blue sampler. Which do you like? These blocks have been made with the Friday Block Party group.

And a new photo of our family.

2009-05-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

The brownish material came with the kit and I put it on, hoping it would look better than I imagined it would. It didn't. I put on an almost solid black and I think it is ok now. It will look smashing when I have it quilted.

Friday Block Party

2009-05-11T15:22:00.001-08:00

Weeks 16, 17, 18 and 19! I did these today, I took the day off from what I need to do, what I should do, what I have to do, and only did what I WANTED to do!

Diet Update

2009-05-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

I am up a little.

BUT, I have been walking alot and riding my bike and working in the yard and playing with the kids and walking and riding and playing and working in the yard and walking and biking. Yea! Spring is here!

Nenana Ice Classic 2009

2009-05-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is a video of the ice breaking up on the Tanana River here in Nenana. I was there! The person leaning out over the water is me and I am talking the most in the background (I was on the phone to my mom). It was so exciting!

Time was 8:41 p.m. May 1st, there were two winners, one from Galena, one from Juneau. The jackpot was $283,000+.

2009-04-24T20:53:00.001-08:00

I bought this kit awhile back but never got around to doing it. The cutie holding the quilt is my son. This is all done in batiks and is very bright. Do you know what happens when your iron is too hot and you use fusibles? They disappear! Poof! Not a trace of any fusible anywhere. I turned the iron way down and then the fusible worked. I still have to add two hummingbirds and trim down the edges and add borders. I think I will use the pattern to add some hollyhocks to a sweatshirt I have with some spots on the front.

2009-04-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

Two more blocks from Friday Block Party. I am almost caught up!

2009-04-20T09:12:00.001-08:00

Breakup is here! And what a difference a few days make! The snow is melting and the water is still standing around. The puddles are so fun to drive thru! It reminds me of one time in Hawaii, my parents drove thru a storm valley in the road and it was so much fun we turned around and did it twice more!

Diet Challenge Update

2009-04-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well I gained a little bit this last week. Only .4 of a pound but it was Easter and I love chocolate! Excuses, excuses!

2009-04-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

I weighed in Sunday but I weighed 3 more pounds than Saturday morning so I decided I would not accept that number. When I weighed in this morning I was four pounds less than Sunday!

I weighed 230.4! Whoo hoo! Down 11.6 this year total!

2009-04-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

I just love Post Secret!

A few days ago I stopped by a garbage transfer site and I found a secret! Way cool!

2009-04-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have fallen behind on the Friday Block Party blocks but here are some I made up yesterday.

2009-04-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

I made these three little tops for donation. Project Linus maybe. The quilt on the bottom was quilted by my friend Harriett.

2009-04-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

My dh is such a good sport! For AWANA we challenged the kids to say 200 sections in 10 weeks, and they did it in 6! Their reward?

Shave the pastor's head!!!

2009-04-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Down 2.8 pounds for a total loss in 2009 of 10.8 pounds!!! This is right on target, as my goal up to now was 10.5 pounds!!! Yippee!

2009-03-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

Loser, loser, loser!

Down .8! Whoo-hoo!

Total loss 2008: 20 pounds

Total loss 2009: 9.2

2009-03-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

This is Chimney and Cornerstones, Friday Block Party week 11 block. It was a very easy block. It is 10 inches finished and goes with these other blocks.

They are set on a dark blue solid, and this is the fabric with which I will sash the blocks. I will wait until I have 20 or 30 10 inch blocks to make a quilt. I am loving this block a week idea!

I made three of these cute little blocks this morning. The blue one on the left I made years ago and had hanging on my wall. I just loved the block and always wanted to make more. My son saw it and asked to pick out fabric to make more of them. I think this block is in a book by Mary Ellen Hopkins.

My son saw the green and white fabric here and decided to make a quilted race car. He is 7. Notice the yellow lines in the road! He is very creative and did all the cutting and sewing himself.
Not to be outdone, my 10 year old daughter then had to make a picture too.

2009-03-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

I lost some poundage this week! Down 1.2! Yippee!

Total loss 2008: 20 pounds

Total loss 2009: 8.4 pounds

2009-03-15T13:20:00.001-08:00

I gave away these two quilts today. A family in our town had their house burn to the ground last night, and they lost everything.

2009-03-11T21:03:00.001-08:00

This is Bear Tracks as part of Friday Block Party. I just love this cute block!

2009-03-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Oh my poor little quilt! Pooooor thing, taken to a thrift store. Who would do that to you, poor little quilt? But I found you! And I love you! You are soooo cute! I rescued you, and I will make sure you find a good home.

Update: This little quilt has a new home! A little girl in my church fell in love with it when she saw it and asked if she could have it. Of course, I said yes. She told me the next Sunday she had slept with it every night.

2009-03-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

Diet Challenger Wins Donut Eating

Contest and Quilt Competition

NENANA-- Rebecca Troxel of Nenana was the winner this weekend of the Donut Eating Contest, hosted by the Nenana Ice Classic as part of the Tripod Days celebration. Rebecca downed a donut and a half in the one-minute time limit, easily out-munching the competition. The donuts were dry, hard to swallow cake donuts, but Rebecca beat the odds without even a cup of water to aid in the difficult task. In her victory, she claimed the $3 prize. And she wanted to mention, "Even though I ate the donuts, I lost .4 pounds this week."

Rebecca was a double champion this weekend, also winning the Quilt Contest. She took first place this year, a better finish than her second place win last year. On seeing the quilt she entered for judging, her arch rival (last year's quilt contest winner) said, "If you are going to enter that one, I'm not even going to bother to enter." Rebecca was estatic at this year's win; she said before the judging, "I'm in it to win it!" The winning quilt was a hand pieced, hand quilted 1000 Pyramids. It is not a true charm quilt in that some of the fabrics are repeated, but it does have over 900 different fabrics in the 1100 piece quilt. The prize was a $25 gift card to Jo-Ann's.

Rebecca also participated in other weekend events including the Hula Hoop Contest, the Tug of War, the Egg Toss, the Gunny Sack Race and the Pop Scramble.

2009-03-02T13:16:00.001-09:00

This is Fancy Stripes, part of Friday Block Party. It was supposed to be two color and the corner triangles were colored with the dark parts out. But I can't follow directions for anything, I always believe the way I do things is better! :)

2009-03-02T12:21:00.000-09:00

I am so very sad to report I gained a pound!

But I walked six and a half miles this week, and did a half hour exercise video 3 times. I didn't pig out on anything.

So I'm guessing water retention or something.

Pounds lost 2008: 20

Pounds lost 2009: 7

2009-02-23T07:05:00.000-09:00

I lost 1.6 pounds this last week! Whoo-hoo! I walked five miles, and am waiting for the sun to warm the air so I can go outside! I can't wait to ride my bike.

Pounds lost 2008: 20

Pounds lost 2009: 8

2009-02-20T21:04:00.000-09:00

Morning Star 2 over at Friday Block Party. I love this block! There is a way to make the corner units (the blue and white part) by using strips. You sew a thinner strip to a wider strip and then cut units. Then you sew the units together with the blue pieces on opposite ends and then cut diagonally thru the center. Anyone know where I can find a link to this way of making the units?

I made this block one night. The spikey units are paper pieced and then the arcs are added. I think I will continue to make more arcs paper piecing them, but then add the curved pieces by hand. Putting them in with the machine was really hard.

I gave away this quilt yesterday. I was so happy to find who it belonged to. You see, I made this quilt for someone three years ago, but I didn't know her then. Here's the story.

The fabric on the back of this quilt has the name Chelsea written on it. All over the design, in fact. I don't know where I got the fabric or why it said Chelsea. I knew when I put the back on that one day I would meet Chelsea and this would be her quilt.

This quilt has been used a few times, but mostly it has been in the closet on the shelf. I was cold a few nights ago and pulled this quilt out. The next morning I was laying in bed enjoying looking at the quilt when I realized that I had met who the quilt belongs to. I washed the quilt and got it ready to give away.

I wait for God to tell me who gets the next quilt. There has been a family of kids on my mind but I don't know them, I have just met them in passing. It would be weird for me to give them quilts as they don't live near me. But the oldest girl just moved back to my town and we have talked a few times. She is 14, and her name is Chelsea!

When I gave her the quilt, I told her it had her name written all over it! I am so thrilled to have given the quilt away! I knew when I made it I would give it away some day and that day arrived. This is why I make quilts!

I'm a LOSER!

2009-02-16T07:31:00.000-09:00

Falling, falling, falling,

The numbers just keeping falling...

Whoo hoo! Today was my weigh in and I am down 1.4 pounds! I walked 10 miles this week! I can't wait until it is warmer and I will get out my bike for some outdoor exercise!

Weight lost in 2008: 20 pounds

Weight lost in 2009: 6.4 pounds

2009-02-15T18:48:00.000-09:00

My Lucky Star! This is the block (with some modifications) from the Fridays Block Party Challenge. This was supposed to be an 8" block! I made it 12" and the pieces were still really small. It is beautiful, but it is alot of work.

Diet Challenge 2009

2009-02-09T07:49:00.000-09:00

This week I lost 1.8 pounds! I was soooo good! Well, I did have a piece of peanut butter cheesecake at an office party. BUT it was a small piece, and I only ate a salad for lunch that day when everyone else had steak sandwiches and french fries!

Yea Me!

Total loss: 24 pounds

Total loss 2009: 5 pounds

2009-02-07T17:17:00.001-09:00

Catch as Catch Can, Week 6. I paper pieced this block and if you would like to see the tutorial, head on over to Friday's Block Party blog.

2009-02-07T17:00:00.000-09:00

I wanted to share some Alaskan artwork with you.

This parka is velvet and is worn when the temps are below zero. You would need to pay about $1000 to have it made, you cannot buy many of these in the stores. Of course, the fur is real.
These are slipper tops beaded by a middle aged man, given away during the potlatch celebrating the life of his grandpa.

I don't know who made the gloves, but they are used everyday.
The slippers were made by "Aunt Cecila" and given as a gift to the wearer.

What I wouldn't give for a pair of slippers like that!

2009-02-04T21:39:00.000-09:00

These little hour glass blocks are fun to make! I start with two sets of four inch squares, mark the middle line, sew on each side and cut. Iron. Then put two pieces together, light and dark opposite, mark the middle line, sew on each side, cut, iron and trim. Then sew the four little hour glass blocks together. I don't have a plan yet for these. Any ideas?

And some little Valentine Gifties...

Remember this quilt I made for my mom from her memories of Grandma's Quilt?

Drumroll please... Here is Grandma's Quilt!

My mom said she was very pleased with her quilt after seeing Grandma's Quilt for the first time in 40 years.

2009-02-03T15:44:00.000-09:00

This is the project I am working on today. The pattern was actually larger and had some trees but I wanted a smaller wallhanging. It is for a friend to cover her fuse box.

Diet Challenge 2009

2009-02-02T07:08:00.000-09:00

Today I weighed in at 238.8, down .2 from two weeks ago. But I was on vacation and ate some cake, so I guess that is not all that bad. I will be right on target this week and will surely see a loss next week.

Total loss 22.2 pounds

Total loss 2009 3.2 pounds

2009-02-01T19:14:00.000-09:00

We were travelling this last week around Alaska and I wanted to share some photos with you.

And here are this weeks Friday's Block Party blocks. The first is Wyoming Valley and the second is Dewey Dream. And then all the blocks so far.

If you look at the block in the upper left you will see that the red triangles are wrong in the upper left. Yes, I fixed them!

Diet Challenge 2009

2009-01-26T07:00:00.000-09:00

I am on vacation, so my diet update is "No Update". I will return home on Jan. 28 and will weigh then. Vacation is oh so hard to stay on a diet, and oh so hard to get some exercise. But I took my kids to an indoor water park for three hours and did some water walking and water aerobics. That should at least cover the McFlurry I ate before we went swimming!

Rotunda

2009-01-19T13:01:00.000-09:00

I just didn't like the color placement of the original block so I played with it and changed the color placement. I think this would make a great whole quilt. I just LOVE the Electric Quilt computer program. I find it very easy to use and can spend hours designing layouts and quilts. Here are some examples of different colorings of the blocks but all the same layout.

See all the quilts I made today! What a productive day! And here is a wallhanging!

I love this program!

Diet Update

2009-01-19T07:00:00.000-09:00

I walked eight miles this week. That is 64 times around the school!

I started out the week very disappointed and discouraged at the lack of weight loss. However, after being right on target this week, not overeating or eating too much of the unhealthy foods, I saw a 3 pound loss!

Start weight 2008: 261

Lost in 2008: 20 pounds

Start weight 2009: 242

Lost in 2009: 3 pounds

Current weight: 239

2009-01-18T22:30:00.001-09:00

I went quilting with my friend Harriet today and finished three more blocks and set them together. The quilt will be 4 blocks across and five blocks

down with a floral print border. I will put the sashing strips on all four sides when the blocks are all together. If you make the blocks with built in sashing, you don't have so many long seams.

2009-01-16T08:22:00.001-09:00

You are seeing correctly, that reading is 41 degrees ABOVE zero. Our snow is melting, the roofs are all dripping. You remember that a few days ago it was -50? That is 90 degrees difference! What's up with this wacky weather anyway??!!

Do you see the grunge on my plate? It is from the high iron content in the water, my bathtub looks just like it. I have been trying to get it off for about as long as we've lived here, but nothing was working. I found this Miracle Eraser under the sink the other day and decided to try it. Wow, it worked great! Can you see the difference when I clean one half? And see the goo on the eraser? Ewwww! Now to do the rest of set!

2009-01-13T15:55:00.000-09:00

Heat Wave! If it gets much warmer, I will have to plug the freezer back in!

Here is my Friday Block Party block, Foot Stool

2009-01-13T08:10:00.000-09:00

This week was my birthday! My dh baked me a cake that was healthy and delicious!

(http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/1_bowl_choco_cake.html )

But he also took me out to eat at my choice of a restaurant. We went to an all day breakfast place and I pigged out! So that was my bad weekend stunt.

But I lost almost a pound! Down .8

I have started walking again. I walk at the school in the evenings with some friends, eight times around the school is a mile. It is too cold and icy to walk outside now, but I do walk outside as soon as it is nice enough. Walking two miles is a lot easier with friends to talk to.

I really like the free diet/exercise website www.sparkpeople.com. You should check it out!

2009-01-12T07:00:00.000-09:00

My husband, Bill, and I have been losing weight this last year. Here are beginning 2008 and beginning 2009 photos of each of us. Bill has lost about 80 pounds and I have lost 20. I hope to lose 41 pounds in 2009, then I would weigh about what I weighed at 20 years old.

2009-01-06T19:10:00.000-09:00

Quiltpixie has started a new blog/project called Friday's Block Party. This is Broken Dishes Varitation from Quilterscache. This was made all from my scrap bin and I hope more of the blocks contain 2 1/2 inch squares!

I don't know if I will do them all in red white and blue. Maybe.

2009-01-03T12:49:00.000-09:00

Wow! -50F. It is sooo cold. I put a blanket up over the door, the cold was coming in making clouds of cold air.

Rebecca's Retreat

Emily Anne Sophia Troxel has arrived

3D Ultrasound

Missing Joy

Guess what?!

I’m Back

I'm feeling HOT HOT HOT

Chickens

A Baby Robin!

New Blog Name and Focus

Diet Challenge 2009

Quilt For Sale!

Diet Challenge 2009 Update

Diet Challenge on Vacation

Diet Challenge Update

An excerpt from The Power of Discipline By Brian Tracy

Diet Challenge Update

A Non Scale Victory

Diet Challenge Update

Friday Block Party

Diet Update

Nenana Ice Classic 2009

Diet Challenge Update

I'm a LOSER!

Diet Challenge 2009

Diet Challenge 2009

Diet Challenge 2009

Rotunda

Diet Update

An excerpt from
The Power of Discipline
By Brian Tracy