NEAL FAMILY WEEKEND O8 IS IN THE BOOKS AND (separate and apart) A NEW QUILTING GUILD IS BORN

A very fun weekend has come and gone. It was very hot -- inside and out-- and still is so in case anyone is interested, I'm having my cooling system checked tomorrow. I've been in three houses today -- none of them new construction and they were all reasonably cool. My thermostat is set on 79 and the temp is regstering 86. But, that's all another story.

All fams with kids got bedrooms and Brian chose to sleep here so he got the couch and I went across my neighbors yard and slept at the Ballards. It's nice to have friends two doors down:) Thanks Buddy and Carolyn. Our guests arrived between eleven and eleven thirty on Friday night. we all went to bed around 12:15. I woke up about 6:30 am and went back to sleep -- was sleeping the sleep of the dead when all of a sudden these sweet little voices were saying wake up grams wake up! And I did! Then there was jumping on the bed and on me until I got up because everyone wanted to go to the pancake place for breakfast. After breakfast it was swimming at the Stiles. At 12:30 we got home and had lunch and then it was naptime for the little ones. Suzannah, Molly Beth and Aunt Stacey went to visit Kristen and Aunt Donna. The rest of us kind of laid around and were lazy.

We cooked grilled chicken and burgers to go with potato salad and baked beans for supper. Then Michael, Stace, and I kept the Jack, Molly B and Katy while the others went to the Student Center to eat homemade icecream and and visit at the church's game night. We bathed the little ones and had them all ready for bed when the parents got home and then the older ones got baths and all went to bed. We played Scattergories for a little while and then visited and we all went to bed a little after 11.

Sunday meant church and lunch at Grandmother's. She was fixing a "small" meal -- just ham, chicken, squash casserole, field peas, cheesy carrots, pink fluffy salad(?), macaroni and cheese, sliced tomatoes, rolls and tea. Makes you wonder what a normal meal would consist of doesn't it :) It was, of course, delicious. We had an early birthday party for Vail with carmel cake that had 3 1" diameter candles on top and some ice cream. It was great. After that it was time to play outside for a little while while we put the food away and dishes in the dishwasher. Then a few fam pictures and it was time to head north and south. Toby slept from three yesterday until this morning without waking up!! Just kidding but he did sleep a lot:)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.
















I almost forgot about the quilt guild. A friend called me at lunch time and said a group who was interested in forming a quilt guild was meeting tonight so I went with her. There were about 10 of us there. Some of them brought quilts to share. It was fun. We are going to meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Next meeting we are bringing our favorite "tools" and "gadgets" that we use when making our creations and any projects we might want to share. I think it will be fun. Well, that's all for now folks except to tell my kids(that includes you too Stacey and Matty) how much I enjoyed having you and how proud I am of each and every one of you as you raise your familys. You are doing such good jobs and teaching Brian all the good tricks for when he has a family too. I love all of you and your kiddos very much.