A year or two ago I posted on my favorite kind of day. Today is my favorite kind of day, cold, blue skies with wisps of white clouds and wind. I love to be out in the city on a day like today!
Today is also a sad day because I have to take my tree down. I love having my Christmas tree up and I am sad on the day it comes down. I do like how clean and orderly the room feels without it.
Just before Christmas on a day when I was rushing to get Christmas pillowcases sewn and sent to Maddie and Izzie in Australia, my sewing machine started sewing with huge loops on the bobbin side. I “googled” the problem and tried everything. The final step said if none of this works you will have to take the machine to a shop for repair. A US machine to a shop in Tokyo? I’m not even going to try.
My friend Jo called and asked me what I was doing and instantly offered her machine. I made the pillowcases and got them in the mail that day. After sewing on her machine I realized that I might want to upgrade. The machine I have been using was won in a contest that I should have never entered. I won it from the Cotton Shop in Provo and had picked it up and was on my way home to Tokyo when Rick reminded me about the poor BYU mom who could have used instead of me. I have money to buy new sewing machines, by winning one I was possibly taking it away from someone who may not be able to afford to buy one. I rarely enter contests anymore and when I do it’s for something I plan to give away. Like the two contests I entered recently to win a Madsen bike. I planned to give that to one of my girls. In fact, that is the only contest I have entered this year.
So… that was a long story to get to my new sewing machine. I researched and read many reviews before deciding on a Brother. Yes, I know my my grandmother would cringe, being the Singer owner that she was (but if I had her Singer, I probably wouldn’t have needed a new machine). The machine that broke was a Singer, a little, very basic machine.
The machine I chose was the Brother Project Runway (yes, I could do without the Project runway emblazoned on the front). It is a great machine and with free two shipping from Amazon Prime and no tax, it was a good deal. I got it out in Texas and tried it to make sure it worked and then sweet Rick brought it home for me in a wheeled carry on.
I was anxious to try it out today and it is great! So different! I just needed to read the directions on how to wind a bobbin (seriously ?) It’s a bit different than on my Singer. I plan to do a lot of sewing this year. Today I am piecing a baby girl quilt.
When I travel back to Tokyo I lose a day when I cross the International dateline. So it takes two days to return, but not really. It just feels like one really long day. I ususally get to LAX on a very early flight and wait for my Singapore Air flight which is either at 1:15 or 2:45pm depending on daylight savings time. I end up spending a lot of time in the Star Alliance lounge at LAX. In the back corner of the lounge there is a smaller, quieter room that I like to hang out in. It has actual windows and I can soak up some sun and relax. Today I plugged in my laptop and worked on the Relief Society stuff I was behind on, uploaded and edited photos and worked hard to update my blog. Recently, they have been doing construction at LAX and so this was my view today.
I have until the end of the month to continue posting everyday. I have gotten behind at times, it’s not because I don’t take pictures. It’s just because I get busy and don’t make the time to create the post.
Lupe, Lulee, Lujean, Luella, Lubeaner…all names for this beautiful girl. Also known as Kristina! (Lupe was her name in high school Spanish and since Andrew was in her class he started calling her Lupe at home. It stuck and so did all the variations). Thanks for driving me to the airport this morning!
James and Ruth’s children attend the same elementary school that my three youngest attended. This afternoon James and I took the kids to the playground at the school. It’s interesting that the same playground equipment is still there. I guess I expected it to be different because the PTA was always raising money for additions to the playground. I guess I thought that they would have replaced everything by now. They have just added  a few new pieces. We had fun playing tag and running around.
Mark was blessed by his dad today. All of our family members that were in town came and so did Ruth’s family. I think I counted 37 people to see Mark blessed.
After a New Years Eve party at Ruth and James where everyone stayed up until it was New year’s in Times Sqaure, so 11:00pm in Kingwood we slept in. Then we went to East End park for a hike. It was a beautiful day!
Today has been a fun day. We started off with donuts and a bike ride back to the lake to visit Maggie a huge and ancient magnolia tree on the shore of Lake Houston. Â All of the kids loved stopping and playing in the leaves and throwing sticks into the water.
After to lunch we traveled in Tiny (the maroon 12 passenger van) to the Main Event. The Main Event is a wonderful smoke free, family friendly bowling alley near The Woodlands.
Then we came home and prepared for our New Years Eve feast, a buffet of appetizers and wonderful treats. Everyone made something. The kids decorated the house with balloons and streamers. After welcoming the New Year we all settled down for a long sleep. A busy, but very fun day.
Rorey and Mark. Rorey is seven months and Mark is seven weeks and they are just about the same size.
Right now, we have four babies in the family. The picture is of Ruth with 3 of the 4. Jan was down for her nap.
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