One Week

Howdy everybody! Yeah, I know it's been a while but I do have a good excuse, at least I think it's a good excuse, I mean if leaving the country for who knows how long isn't a good excuse then I don't know what is. Yep, it's almost time, this time next week we will be in VA with Daniel and Whitney touring Washington D.C. and a week from tomorrow we will be in the air on our way across the ocean. We have been very busy the last few weeks doing everything that needs to be done before leaving and in between times trying to see and spend as much time as we can with family and friends before leaving. The next few days will be taken up with packing and trying to fit what we need into four suitcases (that don't weigh more than 50 pounds each) and getting the house ready to leave. So it might be a while again before you hear from me. (You will have to get after Elise to keep writing:) I am going to try to be more faithful posting while I am over there so that you all can keep up to date with what is happening with me, and you all will have to leave comments and write emails so that I can keep up with you :)

I know that there have been a lot of things that have happened over the last few weeks that I could've shared but right now the above is all that I can think about so you will have to excuse me if this isn't longer or more informative ;)

Curtiss and I would greatly appreciate it if you keep us in your prayers over the next few days, weeks, months and or years might be better :) Thanks

"Well if were going to go to a barn raising then lets go!" - Adam from "Seven Brides for Seven Brother's"

Sunny day, blue skies, a nice breeze, a good work crew.... ahhhh, it is a perfect day to be on the roof. Last Saturday felt a lot like the barn raising scene from the movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." All of the guys were on the roof and all of us women were in the house making "viddles." There were only two things missing, first was the line dance, second was the fistfight that breaks out. ;)

Joanna and Curtiss' barn was in need of a new roof so a couple of the families from our church joined us out in S---- on Saturday to get the roof put on before Curtiss and Joanna cross "the big pond" as they call it.

The new roof was a lovely color green that gave the barn a whole new look.

Joel looks like he is about to use the roof as a big slide.

Enjoying the "Viddles" i.e. Cinnamon rolls and Lemonade

Mr. G... working very hard, or at least he looks like he is... ;)

Hanging out as the work day comes to a close

The younger boys spent there day on the back of this little wagon being pulled around by Zack. They did an awesome job getting all the sticks and pine cones picked up out of the yard.

After we were done cooking the snacks, Joanna and I sat on the porch working on starting our tans and painting our toe nails. lol

Curtiss our host, he kept himself so busy I never was able to get a good picture of him on my camera.

And our beautiful and charming hostess, who kept all of the guys hydrated and fed.

Six Months

Can you believe it?!?!
I can't,
Curtiss and I are today celebrating our six month anniversary!

I thought you all might enjoy looking at another wedding photo,
I mean I never get tired of looking at them so of course you wouldn't either would you?
:)

My Cowboy

A few years ago my in-laws gave Curtiss a leather vest from Romania for his birthday.
There was just one problem with it, the vest was several inches wider than he was and they were never able to find anyone who was willing to work with the leather, so he has never been able to wear it.
After our engagement his mom asked me if I had ever worked with leather and told me about the vest, and shortly after our wedding Curtiss asked me the same thing.
I told them that I had never made anything out of leather before but I could take a look at it and see if it was something that I thought that I could do. My biggest concern was that my sewing machine wouldn't be able to go through the leather.

The leather was thin and very flexible, so after getting a leather needle and heavy duty thread from Joann's, and being told multiple times that I couldn't make it any worse than it was since he couldn't wear it as is anyway, I gave it a try.

I picked apart the seams several weeks ago but due to our schedule and needing Curtiss around so that I could fit it to him I wasn't able to actually sew it until today

Some parts were easier and some harder than I had at first expected but it is now done and if you don't look too closely at the side seams where my poor machine groaned over the thick material, it doesn't look too bad.

And if you put a very handsome man in it who is tipping his hat at you then you really don't notice the mistakes in the vest. :)