Pictures from the weekend ~

We had a little bit of company this weekend. Leslie and her boys were here on their way to college visits for Spring Break.  Gus loved the boys and didn't seem to mind Kevin playing with his ears. There was lots of basketball watching, eating, piano playing. (Yes he was playing a real song laying on his back at the piano.) These boys are amazing pianists. It was a real treat to listen to them. I think Gus misses them. I should have gotten a picture of the kids standing up, but then Gus would have been too short to get in the picture.

I got to spend Saturday morning at a Dog Breeding Seminar.  It was so interesting and kind of fun to be learning something. I think sometime down the road we will start the Bridge Creek Basset Hound Kennel. It won't be a big thing, but something fun do enjoy as a family. Bassets Hounds are such fun family pets.

Cute Stuff ~

I've found that the best place to get feedback about cute stuff is on my blog.  So here is my latest cute project.  Michelle and I did 7 of these on Saturday for the Relief Society Birthday Social this week. I'm working on another cute thing this afternoon. They are awards for the dinner on Thursday, but I can't share them, because there is a slim chance, well probably none at all, that someone that will be there actually reads my blog. Have a fun and crafty day, hope it is actually sunny and springy where you are!

Totally Random Post ~

Well maybe this post isn't totally random, the pictures all have a common theme.  They are all about our grand daughters. We love it when they come to town.  Our regular routine gets thrown out the window and we just take time to enjoy them.  Saturday it was warm enough, (ok it got up to 39', but that is warm here) for Rod to get some trim painted and Kymber got to "help" a little bit.  Sydni wanted to help too and was headed outside barefoot to play in the gutter. Her Mom quickly got her redirected inside to help us. Isn't she a cutie with her little blond pigtails.

Michelle and I worked on centerpieces for a Relief Society Dinner Thursday night.  I'll get a picture of them to share.  They are pretty cute.

This picture of little Sydni is from a week or so ago. She is such a BUSY little girl and this grandma was so glad she slowed down enough to fall asleep. When they come over their favorite thing to do is play with Gus. And he loves it.  As long as they stand up and are taller than he is they get along just great. He puts up with everything they dish out and comes back for more. Kymber is basicly the boss, she puts him in his kennel when she is done playing with him and she will randomly decide when he needs to go to the backyard and bosses him around until he gets there.  If talking doesn't work, she gets ahold of his collar and pulls him to the door and pushes his little fanny outside. Of course she makes sure he gets plenty of dog treats so all is good.

It's a ~

 ~ Baby Quilt!

Yup, I'm making a baby quilt again.  And this time it is for a new little grandson.  Jennifer and Trever are expecting a little baby boy to join their family. We are thrilled, and I am excited to work on a little boy quilt this time.

An AMAZING Quilt ~

Look at this quilt.  I'm enough of a quilter to appreciate really exquisite quilts even though I don't make them. Mine tend to quite a bit simpler, but I love this one.  The best thing about it is that I (and you too) have a chance to win it. Isn't that neat.  You can read the details here.

With a little help from a friend ~

This beautiful photo of Jennifer was our favorite of her bridal portraits, except we really wanted one of her by herself.  The little niece is a cutie, but was in the wrong place during the photo shoot. After trying for a whole afternnoon to fix the picture, I gave up and emailed the file to a friend and she was able to work her magic and sent me back a beautiful version with no extra little girls, or wall outlets. Isn't it amazing?

Before

After

New Puppy Portrait ~

I got Gus to sit still the other day for a picture.  Actually I had his bowl of dinner sitting there and he had to get his picture taken before he could eat. Maybe that is why he has such a concerned look, or maybe it is that he still has too much extra skin. He is growing so fast, but his skin is growing faster.  No kidding, when he lays down by the fire, which is 90 % of his day, his skin lays in folds on the carpet. Actually Bassets are bred to have baggy skin and long ears, so you can tell he is a quality dog. I think it just makes him cuter. I put together his pedigree chart the other day. It was fun to see how many champions he has in his family. We are still trying to decide if we should breed him or just go ahead and get him fixed.  Isn't this face worth passing on to more cute puppies.

Actually, I have a Great Grandpa Gus. We would go visit them on the numbered streets here in Idaho Falls when I was little.  So it would be kind of fun to have him be a "Grandpa Gus" too.  And no, he wasn't named after my grandpa. Kristine named him and thought He looked like a Gus.  I guess he does.

Homemade Pizza ~

It is Homemade Pizza day on my Cooking From the Heart Blog.

Getting Crafty ~

Wanted to show you a little project I made this morning.  They will either be pins, or hairbows for the little girls.  I wish I had Kymber here to model them.  They would look much cuter in her blond hair that they do sitting on the table. OK, I'm back to work now.  It sounds like Gus is getting into trouble.  Love this puppy stage.

She did it ~

Michelle has started a blog. Yes, I am proud of her, but I am also glad she has a place to share pictures of my sweet little grand daughters. So here is the link to Michelle's Blog. Stop by and say "Hi". Let's give her a great welcome to the blog world.

Scrapbooks ~

Yes, I have a few. Last night I pulled them out of the top of the closet and put them out where we can enjoy them. OK so I only brought out half of them.  There are 27 years worth of memories that are stored in over20 albums. I started scrapbooking in 1989, way before it was the thing to do, so I have pages that range from the very simple to ones that use the latest and greatest products for design team projects. What was interesting was that I didn't look at the older pages with a critical eye. Instead, I just enjoyed the memories that they brought to mind. I especially enjoyed watching the kids grow up.  I still have work to do though. I made notes about what still needs to be added to get them up to date, and I am so glad there are new little grandbabies coming so I can keep scrapbooking.

Back in the Scrapbook Groove ~

The Big Reveal ~

You've been waiting and now, after one whole year, the big kitchen remodel is complete.  Well, I do have a few nail holes to fill, but we are done.  And here is the proof.

Some more favorites ~

My new Favorite ~

Anyone who knows me knows I love cookbooks. I collect them, I buy them as souvenirs on trips, I read them over and over, and yes I even cook from them. Today I found a new favorite.

It is The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I've loved her blog which is full of fun stories, pictures and recipes. This cookbook has it all. The recipes look wonderful and I can tell it will be on my night table for quite a while, when it isn't in the kitchen. It is full of real food recipes, beautiful photos and of course her stories. And to top it all off she loves Basset Hounds too. Yes, this is a short blog post today, I've got some reading to do.

Hot Bacon Cheese Spread ~

If you love melted cheese and bacon, you will love today's recipe on my Cooking blog. It is a family favorite that we usually make for holiday parties. I know you'll love it too.

Cooking From the Heart Blog

Spread the word ~

My sister's friend Laura is having a giveaway.  They are giant 42" initials. They would make a great decorating accent.  I'd love a "W" for my craft room.  Stop and see here.

Bowtie Pasta Recipe ~

I just added this delicious recipe to my Cooking Blog.  The link is in the right column.

Introducing . . .

. . my new Cooking Blog.  COOKING FROM THE HEART!

I can't wait to share some fun recipes and cooking adventures with you. There is a link in the left column so it will be easy to find. Leave me a comment on the cooking blog to let me know what recipes you'd like to see. Hope you'll join me on this new adventure.

It's a Work Day ~

And Gus is helping.  Well, not really, he is trying, but he gets in the way and hauls off the tools. But he sure is cute doing it.