right on time . . .

You would not think that I'd have much to share, seeing as I just posted four days ago ... but, surprise! I have another photo-laden post, with a variety of content! 

Thursday evening was our guild's last meeting of the guild year ... our birthday party, so to speak. It was decorated beautifully!

There's always a shot of the outgoing board.  You'll notice me at the very top, right. I won't be on the 2023-24 board; my plate is rather full right now.

The quilt behind us is our 2024 Fanfare Quilt Show opportunity (raffle) quilt.  Isn't it beautiful??!  Created by one of our members (with help from other members). It's so beautiful it deserves a solo photo . . .

Chance tickets are $1 a piece.  I've already sold twenty.  Ha! I haven't even bought my own, yet!

Friday, Todd and I got up super early and were on the water again at sunrise.

It was a beautiful day! < insert beautiful lake photo here >

The temps couldn't have been more agreeable, with a lovely breeze out of the west.  We didn't stay out terribly long, but we enjoyed the time we had.

Saturday I picked up Ellie and we headed to L'Etoile Patisserie!  

It's a sweet little French bakery in town, owned by a dear couple (the wife is in my book club).

After much deliberation, Ellie chose a pain au chocolat with a mug of tea.  She looks very sophisticated, non?! From the bakery, we visited an LQS - Patches & Stitches - because I needed a skein of floss.  Ellie informed me she needed a new beading needle, so we picked up a pack of those, too.  That's what Neesey's are for, right?! Then we headed to the grocery store, then back to the camp. I helped Ellie make a cheesecake . . .

She did a great job with it! And then we tooled around the camp for a bit. 

This is inside the new outdoor chapel.  It's nearly finished ... they just have to run the electricity to the building. I can't wait to see it clear of scaffolding!

Here's a shot from the outside.  It's so beautiful.  Our Campers on Mission volunteers got the building up in May.  A small group of volunteers have continued to work on it and the landscaping. It's almost there!

Ellie and I watched movies and worked on our respective hand work projects. 

She's almost finished with hers, and I'm just getting started! After dark, we headed over to the Firefly Cabin to spend the night. 

We push the bunks together and pull the mattress down from the top for a little extra padding! It was a true Camp MACOBA adventure!  Ellie even spotted this beautiful cicada:

Not that she'd get anywhere close to it.  LOL!!  Sunday morning while we waited for it to be time to go to church, Ellie finished her pumpkin stitchery . . . 

This is another stitchery that she came up with the concept, and I drew it out for her approval and traced it on fabric for her.

Isn't it wonderful?!  She does such lovely work.  I promised her that when she finished it, I'd stitch it up into a pillow sham for her, so I guess the ball is now in my court!

We ended our sleepover weekend by dropping her home, and celebrating her dad's birthday (which is why we made cheesecake)!

His birthday was earlier in August, but schedules have been crazy, so here we are!  And anyway, month-long birthday celebrations are a thing, right?  Well, they are for me, anyway.  ;)

Sunday evening a made some progress on *my* stitchery:

Another sweet cross stitched piece from Pinker 'n Punkin Quilting.  I love her little freebie designs and I was just itching to do something with pumpkins!

So this is me, on a Monday, all caught up; have a fabulous week!

Cioa! 

:)

evey explorer . . .

Backposted (because how ever many years from now I'd regret not having posted these pictures along with their stories)!

Even though having all the girls is fun, Todd and I have decided that it's more special (for us and for them) if we have the girls do sleepovers one at a time.  They're all just so different and they all want focused attention! So we started with Ellie in December, and we had a movie-watching, pillow-making, popcorn eating great time.  All indoors.  LOL!

Evey's turn was next.  She had all the things planned.  We would ride on the gator, play in the little creek, watch a movie, eat ice cream and popcorn, and watch my iPad in bed.  Whew ... that's quite a checklist!

We really had a lovely time . . . we explored all OVER the camp!  (We both wore our boots for this expedition.)

We had such a delightful day!  She's got an adventuror's heart.  I made note of several things she said during our long walk, and wrote a poem for her:

Leaves that rustle under foot,

A happy, joyful sound.

Undaunted by the lack of path,

Her own way she has found.

Water, stones, pine cones, thorns;

All of them she conquers.

To her the wilderness belongs,

A canvas hers to wander.

We also found a "quilt" for Piglet, and made a ton of pom poms!  

We got everything checked off Evey's list and then some; it was a real good sleepover time.  And *very* different from dear Ellie's sleepover!

Joc sent me this about midway through Evey's stay . . .

I guess this means I'd better go ahead and schedule Edith's sleepover.  <grin>

:)

bringing home baby . . .

You know the old saying, when the cat's away, the mice will play, right?? That's exactly what happens when Neesey's left in charge for a couple of days!  Picnic dinners in front of the big screen . . .

Jumping-on-the-bed parties . . . 

And makeovers!

Ahem.  Extreme makeovers, as the case may be.  <grin>

Let's just say it took us a little while to remove evidence of that particular makeover.

And while we were killing it in the fun department, look what mom was doing!

May I introduce Ezra Paul?!?  Isn't he the sweetest? At 5 lbs, 10 oz, and 18 in, he's tiny!  And by the way, doesn't his mama look good??

He's so tiny, even his little newborn cap is a tad big!

But gosh, so very precious!

Each sister got a turn to hold him . . .

It was love at first sight for every one of his big sisters!

And then Neesey got a turn . . .

Isn't that just the best? ♥

:)

how now . . .

It's not a brown cow, but close enough.  :)

Edith enjoyed her first solo sleepover with us over the long weekend! The cow greeted us as we came down the hill to the camp's entrance.  At least that's what Edith said. "Look, Neesey, the cow is greeting me!"  I love that she's got such a bright, broad imagination!  

She was pretty chatty the entire ride, telling me what we were going to do.  I guess her big sisters had already given her an earful about sleepovers at Neesey and Pawpaw's!

We got there in time to have dinner, watch a movie and color.  Not necessarily in that order.

Everyone knows you have tea in fancy cups at Neesey's.

She was tired, so before dinner she spread out and took a little cat nap.  Of course, her [MY] doll needed a nap as well, and she made a mini palette out of a small quilt and a mug rug.  Whatever works, right?

She also knew that part of the deal with sleepovers was sleeping in the big bed with Neesey and watching cartoons on the iPad. Those big sisters didn't leave anything out!

We watched a few cartoons—Bluey, I think—but it wasn't long before . . .

Sweet dreams, baby girl!

The next day we played outside for a while.  Edith visited with the baby turtles!

She also was determined to help me peel potatoes.  Y'all, this is true love.  It took me three times the time it would normally take me to peel potatoes, because she wanted to wield the potato peeler.  All I can say is ... well ... Jocelyn can thank me later!!  ;)

On the way back to her mama's house, it got quiet in the back seat.  

I guess I wore Edith Rose out!  I know Edith Rose wore *me* out!!  ♥

:)