It's My Birthday...Post.

So...in general, this week has been pretty darn fantastic. Jason and I made some pretty important decisions about our future, which I can't wait to share and there were several super-incredible packages that arrived...thank you! I will share some of that love later. For now, please allow me to share with you my fantastic day! We first drove to see Grandma and Grandpa K.When we arrived at Grandma's house we noticed that she had still not filled these lovely, ginormous pots. So, we filled them for her.
After that my mom and I headed out for a shopping celebration, which left a minor dent in my checking account. I had to call in the troops on decision making. Here's a sample of the snap-shots Roni received throughout the day. My closet has gone steadily down hill since my last baby, so this shopping trip was absolutely necessary. Happy Bday to me!

After that, we headed on over to Grandma and Grandpa Wall's for a smashing party. There was dinner and DQ ice cream cake (my fave) and a pinata! The boys loved it! And by boys, you know I mean Jason?
And to top it all off, I settled in with a little blogging, only to find this. How perfect can a birthday get? I'm super lucky to have all of these crazy, wonderful people in my life!

What's a mom to do?

My little baby just seems to be growing up. I mean, it was just yesterday (literally) that he wouldn't eat anything but pb&j and now he's eating a turkey bagel just like daddy.

My not so secret, super-secret project!

I love secrets and I absolutely hate keeping them...but sometimes if I have to, I'll keep quiet, but in this case I don't have to do anything I don't want to. I have been searching high and low for all of the right materials to make this little project for market and it has all finally come together. It's almost finished, but I wanted to show you a little glimpse of it. You'll probably piece it all together in no time, but just in case you don't...stay tuned I'll be showing it soon...I have just one more piece I'm waiting for! ;)

It's definetly a "Tiffany" project!

I have NO idea what I'm doing!

Join me won't you? As I embarrass myself terribly and bare my quilting soul. I have this project that's waiting for me in my sewing pile and it's a super-fantistic one for market, but it involves just a tinsy-bit of quilting. And since I've never actually quilted in my whole entire life, I thought maybe I'd practice. And amongst my practicing, I decided that I would make a quilt for my boys to take to Shriners and donate to a little girl (because it's black and pink of course). I was quite frightened to discover that I had enough black and white scraps to make an entire quilt...I mean really? I think that's like border-line obsession. I should really cut back.

Anyway, this is what some poor little girl is going to receive as a visitor gift and I hope she doesn't notice my quilting (which quite frankly looks like scribble). Because here's the truth, I still have an entire box of quilts that people gave to me while I was at Shriners. Some of the quilts were from family and some were given to me off of the quilt shelf in the hospital. There's one in particular that has handprints on it and I remember the nurse noticing my obsession with it and telling me that I could take it home...I was so excited! I don't know why I loved it so much, but I did and then there's another one that Betsy made for me and in the corner where they all signed their names, there are scribble marks from my once toddler niece...so I'm hoping my boys can pass a little of this love along.

So little time...

Tuesday March 2nd will be the very last day to place a custom order until June. I will let you know when orders can be placed again. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Life has simply taken over! :)

Happy Sewing!

Achondroplasia FAQ

Lately I have had an unusual amount of emails from mothers with new babies that have been diagnosed with Achondroplasia. So I thought maybe I'd address a few questions here, so I could have a reference link for parents. I will do my best to answer questions, but keep in mind, I've been on both sides of the spectrum and truthfully, it's a lot easier to be little, than to raise a little baby. So most of my answers come from what I consider the absolute best source...my mom! :)

1. How old was Sawyer when he was diagnosed? How old was I?

Sawyer was two days old and I was 18 months old. From what I understand they should be able to diagnose the child during their ultrasound, but that doesn't always happen.

2. How should I prepare to raise a child with Achondroplasia?

I'm not entirely sure. I seem to be flying by the seat of my pants. I would recommend buying step stools and the shortest potty chair you can find. My mom gave me some GREAT advice. She said when I was growing up, she would get down at my level and walk around the house, seeing what I could and could not reach and then she'd find a way to adapt that for me. My closet rods were lower, step stools everywhere, and then they still have a drawer in their kitchen with dishes for me. Being that now their cupboards are built custom for them (which is high).

3. Are you the only little person in your family?

Yes. Why? I don't know. A friend of mine once said, "You're the happy meal in a super-sized family." I'll go with that answer. I have five brothers all above 6'5" and one sister who's 5'8" and my parents are the same. There is no history in the Keller family of Achondroplasia. But now that I have it, it can be passed on and has been passed on to my son Sawyer.

4. Do you worry about the health risks of Achondroplasia?

I did for a few months. I made myself sick and completely depressed. But then I decided that I could beat myself up for passing this on or I could buck up and deal with it. I mean really, things could be worse and quite frankly there's no other option. If there are going to be difficulties along the way, we can't prevent them, we can just handle them. And honestly, Ruger has been the expensive child...Sawyer is healthy and strong and has outgrown any physical trial that has come his way.

5. What are your thoughts on the limb lengthening procedure?

I talked about this a lot on my other blog, but I haven't so much on this one. I support anyone who decides to go through with it. I had my legs lengthened at 14 (not the typical age) and it was the best decision I could have ever made. I am stronger, I can drive a car, reach a faucet, my metabolism has even increased because of it, I'm much more active than I ever would have been. I have had a few follow up knee operations, but there are cons to every decision we make. And I do not believe that it is a cosmetic procedure. Six inches gained has in no way made me a supermodel.

6. Will you have Sawyer's legs lengethened?

Jason and I have decided that when Sawyer turns eight we will begin discussing the procedure with him and we will help him weigh his options and let him decide. The same goes for Ruger and his hearing. If there were ever a procedure that would help him hear completely, then we would weigh out all of the options with him.

7. And this question came up last weekend, I thought it was cute. Do you have to do a lot of hemming?

I hem some of my clothes, but most of the time my pants look like this:

Hopefully, I'll be better with Sawyer!
My personal advice to any new mother dealing with this. I believe that these little babies are born with Spirits much stronger than ours. They are given all of the personality traits that they will need to get through the trials that lie ahead for them. And when dealing with others remember that more often than not people are simply curious and they mean no harm. For those who do mean harm...their day will come.

Sew adorable (& I'm not talking about a bag)!

Sawyer has gained a great interest in my sewing machine and pin cushion. He loves to sit on the table and watch me sew. He knows how to lift the presser foot, push the foot pedal, and recently discovered how I thread my needle. The whole process fascinates him.

This picture would have been perfect yesterday! OH well, this is a heart Ruger made for me out of his train tracks, I couldn't resist snapping a shot. He's made leaps since he got his hearing aids. He's memorized about 15 songs, he speaks so much clearer, and he's even surpassed certain developmental skills that I wasn't even expecting. He's writing letters and drawing pictures....it's crazy to me that one issue can change their whole little life. He's loving this big new world! And he's itching to get back into preschool. Can't wait!

The Tiny Clutch

We're gearing up for market over here in my home! Writing lots of patterns, making lots of mistakes, pulling my hair out, wasting mounds of fabric, you know the usual! I can't seem to get enough sleep, my boys have ransacked the whole house, someone is ignoring my frequently asked texts, and my to do list isn't getting done. So many doctors to call and meetings to schedule and checks to write, who has the time really? I suppose that's why I find myself blogging all the time. It's a good excuse to ignore what you need to do!

But I did get this done..."The Tiny Clutch" is scheduled to released this spring, along with a few more. But I just couldn't resist showing it any longer. This little bag is about the size of a little lunch sack, with a flap closure and little handle. Perfect for toting around town. Watch for the pattern, it will be released sometime before market!

Oh, and just one more thing...all patterns are BUY TWO GET ONE FREE through Wednesday evening. Just visit my Etsy shop, buy two patterns and leave a comment at checkout for your third preference! Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday and I really wish I could be there to celebrate with her, but since I'm not we made a cake for her and ate it too! And now we're having a little celebration on my blog! Happy Birthday Mom! There's no one better than you!

Upside Down Night!

Sawyer has officially named this game, "Upside Down." The object of the game is for Jason to throw the boys over his shoulder so they are upside down and then spin them around or whatever he feels like doing. Then he puts them on the floor, they walk around like drunkin' sailors and the next one steps up for his turn. I love this photo. There are times when Ruger laughs really hard or has a big grin and he looks just like his older cousin Kate did when she was his age...Too cute!

Today...

• I did not say a single bad word (like I ever do that anyway).
• I made chicken noodle soup in the crock pot!
• I mopped half of my living room floor (then the kids came in).
• Ruger had his first play date in a long time...that was fun!
• Sawyer did not take a nap and has yet to be grumpy.
• Jason stayed home and was grumpy.
• I went to start my dishes three times and got distracted each time.
• I found 5 bouncy balls under the couch (hmmm...)
• I managed to break both our new tv and dvd player...oops!
• We ditched our satellite and went for netflix (totally worth it).
• Jason finalized his submissions to get his Master's degree...yipee!

And now I'm off to get my hair done. I will post pics of the kiddos again...once I capture a photo of them clothed!

It's Official!

So, two weeks ago I bought my airline tickets for a steal on Priceline.com and then the very next day I turned in my application to International Quilt Market in May! Lucky for me I just got my acceptance letter...I'm soooooo excited! And on this wonderful day these are the thoughts that have run through my mind:

1. My brother Brett said, "It's hard, but don't stop, keep sewing, something great will come."
2. I can't believe it took me nearly 15 visits to Amy's shop before I purchased some fabric.
3. I'm sooooooo EXCITED to go!
4. I'm so grateful that I decided to do patterns, even though I didn't want to because I was
afraid. The support in this town and in all of my stores here in Idaho and Utah has been
amazing!
5. I can't believe I'm really going!

OK, that's all! I just wanted to share the good news and I'm sure there will be more between now and then, as I have many fun things planned! This little blog has been my greatest support system of all, I may not have a million readers, but I certainly have the BEST readers! Thank YOU!

Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

OK, so when Roni was visiting I hounded her for recipes. I made her plan out a two week menu with recipes that I had not tried before, BECAUSE I was in such a slump with recipes and my poor husband was getting hungry. My favorite thus far has been Roni's Chicken Fried Steak...I have had this before at her house, but have never made it myself (one of the great downfalls of your best friend moving far away...you have to learn all of her recipes and make them for yourself). So I asked her for permission and she hasn't agreed yet, but I'm sure she won't care. So here it goes:

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK:
-4 steaks
-Ritz Crackers (Saltines work too)
-2 tsp. garlic salt
-1/4 cup flour
-2 eggs

In one bowl crush crackers and mix in garlic salt (I used a roll of crackers).
Put your flour in a second bowl.
And in a third bowl beat your eggs.
In a skillet, heat some oil, about 1/2" deep.
Dip your steaks in the flour first, then coat them in eggs, and then coat them in the crushed crackers.
Place them in the hot oil until they are cooked all the way through.

There are two ways to eat this. The Poston's eat it with potatoes. We dip ours in applesauce.....soooooo good....even your kiddos will eat it. I have the pickiest eater ever and he devoured it! :)

Giving It ALL AwaY!

One of my favorite things about working in the pattern design industry, are the friends that I've made. Amy has become one of my very nearest and dearest friends over the past two years and she has been one of the great supporters that has brought me this far. For those of you who live in my area, you'll remember the massive power outage we had a month ago. That was the very same day that Amy's new fabric line, Marabella, arrived at her home. She came over to my home that night to share the goodness with Roni and I. It was so exciting to lay all the fabrics out and actually touch and smell them (yes, that sounds absurd, but it was amazing...and delicious)! She was so kind to share a little bit of yardage with me and together her Marabella fabrics and my Simply Legendary pattern made this...
Isn't it pretty? If you think so, then you will just be thrilled to hear this! AMY is giving away some of this amazing fabric over at her blog and she has another give away listed there as well! So head on over and enter to win...and tell her I sent you just so she can feel my love! Not that she doesn't already!
And just for fun...I'm going to offer my Simply Legendary Pattern for only $6. You can pick one up in my Etsy shop...offer ends soon!

Did you know? I didn't!

A couple of months ago I was called to be Primary President in our ward. While I was unsure of the calling, I was psyched to be in with Ruger and watch him participate. You can imagine my disappointment after the first three weeks of watching him cover his ears during singing time, climb over chairs and run back and forth between myself and his teacher...like he was bored. That's really funny saying that now, because he WAS bored....he was going crazy sitting there.
I have known something was going on for a couple of years, but we couldn't pin point it. Hence, the removal of his tonsils last year. Primary was the answer for both of us though, as well as my breaking point. I was talking with my friend Michelle and she mentioned his hearing. I said that we had thought about that, but because he covered his ears we didn't think he was struggling...and also the fact that he speaks OK...not perfect, but his doctor said some kids just don't pick up as quickly as others.
So without his pediatrician's consent (insurance and doctors have done us NO good this year...I quit!) we went to a Hearing Specialist and within 5 minutes she was able to tell us that he has a significant hearing loss in both ears and the fact that he speaks as well as he does was simply MIRACULOUS! (Yes, she said it just like that with italics and caps!)
It's been a few weeks with these little contraptions and his speech has come along way...and the best part is, We say we're having ham for dinner and he doesn't think we're eating our dog, Sam for dinner. Isn't he just adorable? He got to pick out his colors, so of course, we got blue and black swirls!


Disclaimer: We love our Pediatrician and would never consider going elsewhere. It's not unsual for people to think I'm completely paranoid and out of my mind, so we'll give him credit for atleast listening! :)

Life's a changin'.

There's a lot that I am certain of and even more that I am uncertain of, but one thing's for sure, I do love my boys!

Happy New Year!

Leapster Carry Case Tutorial.

I've been asked about this little bag by a few people and as promised I'm posting the sewww simple instructions. I am a frugal little gal, as most of you know and I hate paying for things. We were able to purchase the boys gifts at around half of their normal price, but the accessories for the Leapster 2 were another story. So instead of purchasing the adorable little case, I made my own. It's sturdy, protective and my little guy loves it!
I used all scraps to make this...that's how little you need.

To Start you need:

-5 pieces of fabric 7" by 10" for body, lining, and pocket.

-4 strips of fabric 3" by 15" for handles.

-2 pieces of fabric 4" by 2.5" for tab.

-1 swatch of velcro.

-Fusible fleece.

1. Make a cute little curve around each side edge of your body, lining, and pocket pieces. You can use the Leapster shape as your guide if needed.

2. Apply fusible fleece wrong side of your body pieces, lining pieces, 2 handle pieces, one tab piece, and half of your pocket piece.

3. Fold pocket piece in half as shown and sew it to one of the lining pieces (down sides and across bottom) as shown.

4. With lining pieces right sides together, sew down both sides and across the bottom, leaving a 3" opening in the bottom to turn later.

5. With right sides together, take one lining handle piece and one body handle piece and sew around all four edges leaving a 2" opening to turn. Turn right sides out, press and top stitch around all four edges. Repeat with other handle pieces. They should look like this when finished:

6. Apply velcro to the tab's lining piece. With right sides together, sew down both edges and across bottom of tab. Turn right sides out and top stitch. Center tab on the back side of body piece, with tab facing down and stitch in place. 7. On the right sides of each body piece, sew handles in place, as shown. Center other half of velcro in between the handle on the opposite side of tab. With body pieces right sides together, sew down both sides and across the bottom.

8. Pin handles and tab facing down. Place body inside of lining with right sides together and pin around top edge, as shown:

9. Sew all the way around the top edge.

10. Pull the entire bag through the opening you left in the bottom of the bag.

11. Top stitch opening closed and then top stitch all the way around the top edge of the bag.

This little case fits the leapster 2, several games, and the computer cord. It's snug too, so things don't fall out.

Our Christmas Day!

So, about 7:00 pm Christmas Eve, Ruger came running into the living room completely paranoid that Santa was going to burn up when he came down our chimney. At first his concern was just with the presents and then the longer he thought about it, the more frightened he became. So we sat him down and explained that daddy would make sure the fireplace was a comfortable temperature for Santa. And that we did. We made our cookies, Santa ate a few and the dog ate the rest.

About 5:30 am we all woke up to make sure our presents were safe...this was the first picture Jason captured...Isn't it lovely?Sawyer was a little more awake...

To my dismay, there was not a single lump of coal. Instead there was a leapster 2, a tool bench, transformers, the list goes on...these little guys must have behaved pretty well this year! Though they certainly are a little goofy!

I think this was the most exciting year for us so far with our children. They both understood really well what was going on and who Santa was. Their happiness and expressions were priceless throughout the whole day.

I stepped outside for only a brief moment, you can see why I came back in.

And then this photo was snapped last weekend at Jason's little brother's Homecoming from South Korea. I know, another family photo!

I hope your Christmas was fantastic as well!

Hey There Blue Eyes!

This little guy...

is sick and tired of the camera. Can you tell?

She's Back!

This is a terrible picture because we took it with my phone, but who cares! Roni's back! It's been four long lonely months without my sidekick. We're talking solo trips to the grocery store, Grey's Anatomy by myself, boring sewing nights, too much soda, and 3,400 texts a month. Pathetic, I know. But for the next few weeks there will be lots of shopping, play dates with the kids, Christmas, and still too much soda! We went to Roni's little sister-in-law's reception tonight (as shown above) and guess who I met? Bonnie! Can you believe that? I know I'm so lame, but I was so nervous. It was good to get it out of my system before market though...now I can be calm and collected (yeah right)!

New Patterns!

Wahoo! I'm so excited to release these next two patterns. One of them you've seen before, but now you can have the pattern yourself and the other one is brand new and I am sooo excited to call it mine! If you're not a black and white fan, I'm very sorry, because I simply cannot resist these fabrics when I shop. This first bag is called Simply Legendary:

It's complete, with a cell pocket, keys pocket, double pocket (for sippy cups and such), and a larger pocket for planners or diapers, etc. Pattern also includes instructions for 43" handles or 53" handles, photos, and pattern pieces.

And THEN there's the Fabulous Bags Pattern, complete with instructions for two different bags. Options are endless: wide straps, skinny straps, two flaps, one flaps, bow tie, buttons, large bag, small bag, the choices are up to you and the patterns come with everything to guide you.Patterns can be found in My Etsy, located on my sidebar or in your local quilt shop!

Grateful

For the first time, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house with Jason's family. We had lots of fun, lots of food, and little black Friday shopping! What more could you ask for? We were even able to sneak in a quick family shot before the boys lost their patience. I'm so grateful for this little family of mine. They keep my super busy and a little crazy.

I'm a fan!

When Ruger was a baby he didn't really like car rides or going to sleep in his crib. I had purchased Carrie Underwood's first album and was listening to it in the car when I noticed that he had stopped screaming and shortly after that he'd fallen asleep. At first I was certain it was all about my timing, but then time after time he would just stop crying and listen to her. One time he was playing in the family room and she came on TV, he climbed into the laundry basket on the floor and just sat and watched until she was done singing. People never believed us when we said her music could calm him down--they'd be shocked to see that she was indeed our saving grace his first two years of life...now he doesn't really care who's on the radio he's going to do what he wants, but occassionally he'll sing along.
For this reason I will always be a Carrie fan. I was going to purchase her new album, but was given strict instruction via text to just be patient. On Saturday Play On arrived in the mail with some seriously good treats. We spent the rest of the day in the kitchen cooking and dancing to "Undo It!"

Thanks Roni!

Benson and Claire

I remember when I was 10 years old and my parents and I were still debating my future with ELL surgeries. I was sitting by my mom in the bathroom while she was fixing her hair and I asked, "How will you pay for it?"
She responded by saying, "We'll sell the house if we have to."
For some families, selling their home just won't cut it. When I read this story I couldn't stop myself from tearing up and I've watched this auction go for the past few days and have been blown away by people's generosity. Just as I was when we raised money for Shriners...those little $5 donations added up quickly! These children need help and the strength of a community to get them through, so stop by and donate if you can or bid if you're looking for a super cute quilt--its the same one I'm working on right now...I love it! I don't know this family personally and I don't know Camille either (I just stalk her ;), but I think they could really use our help.

Team Work!

Around here the only way to get stuff done, is by doing it together. We finished the living room, the boys bedroom, and now we're on to our bedroom! The boys are helping with the texturing here. They love helping daddy!

And then a couple of Halloween shots for the Grandmas!