Trip to NC Part One

I took the girls to NC August 8-16th to be with Mom Joyner while she had major surgery. James had to work, so I flew with the girls. It was Anna's first flight and Lily's first time to be aware of flying.

We had an adventure trying to leave Pensacola though! Mrs. Woody was kind enough to take us to the airport while James was at work that Thursday afternoon. She dropped us off at my insistence and we went through security, arrived at our gate just as they were boarding, and settled into our seats.

Anna was a lap baby and Lily had her own seat.

Not that the poor girl had much lap. :-) Unborn baby David was sharing the space.

We were seated in the last row with our backs to the restroom wall.

Mom Bryan was worried about the girl's ears hurting so she gave us some skittles to help during takeoff. Lily sorted the colors and totally rejected the brown ones.

This is as far as we made it. The entrance to the runway.

The pilot revved his engines to prepare to takeoff, and came on the speaker to say there was a problem with the hydraulics controlling the nose of the plane (or something like that) and we would be going back to the gate to re-board another aircraft. He told us to go the check-in counter.

So we de-planed, got our gate-checked carry-on luggage, and towed the girls back to the check-in counter. It took over an hour to get to the front of the line to be reassigned a flight. The girls were really very good with the wait. Lily played on my old iPhone with toddler game apps, and Anna ate some raisins. I give these details to help John and Vanessa as they take a toddler and a baby to Maine next month. :-) 

As we waited in line, I was hearing others say there were no other flights out that night. Mom's surgery was the next day at 2pm, so that was my deadline for arriving in Charlotte. As it got later and later, I called James and figured out that he would be off of work by the time I finished getting to the front of the line and he could come pick us up.

After finally arriving at the front of the line, I learned that my best option was a flight out the next morning at 6am. We were told to be at the airport by 5am. So much for having rested children as I'd planned. :-) 

James arrived right after I finished, and we got to see him again after only a few hours instead of a week! That was kind of nice. We ate supper at Dairy Queen on the way home since I'd obviously not planned to eat at home that night.

It was weird to come home but only be there one night. We expected the bunkbed to be delivered that afternoon, and it came at 6 or 7pm via UPS.

"This is huge! It is this long! Oh my word!" -Lily

Fruit Basket Upset

We found out for certain (210% sure) that we are having a boy! So James wanted to move the girls to a new room and keep the nursery for baby David.

We had to combine the sewing room and office so I got to do lots of FlyLady decluttering to make room! This past weekend was extremely busy moving three bookshelves of books to our room, moving the sewing machine and all it's paraphernalia to the office, ordering a bunkbed for the girls, and deciding what furniture should stay in which room.

We already have a twin mattress and a double mattress, so we bought this bunkbed. Lily is too small to handle a ladder, so we went with stairs. I like the drawers in the steps! James was going to build his own, but we couldn't find good plans anywhere and this was cheaper than the parts would have been.

James helped John pour a cement slab for his new shed Saturday morning then went to the store and bought pink paint. We painted the girl's new room pink Saturday afternoon while they napped. It is very pink!

We cut it close on having enough paint. We made it around the room, but James had to push really hard on the roller to squeeze every drop of paint onto the wall.

All tired out, but done!

Now their room only awaits the bunkbed.

The sewing machine is pictured here in it's new home. I have used it since it's move for mending, but I have yet to try out dressmaking in the new space.

In the last post I mentioned the latest tile scene. James embroidered the blocks and I sewed it together and quilted it.

Since Lily isn't old enough to read, it is safe to show you the dress I made for her new doll that she will be getting for Christmas. I hope I can get ready for Christmas early because of baby David's early December due date.

Sewing Projects

I  got inspired to sew and made three dresses, finished up the latest tile scene, sewed a blouse for me, made a doll dress for Lily and made a casserole carrier in the last few weeks.

Mom Joyner gave me a cute and very useful casserole carrier, but I ruined it. I used it for a pattern and made another one.

Lily's new dress. The sash was from our wedding.

Lily got to wear her new dress that Sunday. Anna graduated to size three clothes and is wearing a dress I made for Lily last year.

I made a size three dress for Anna, but it fit Lily instead! I guess store-bought clothes and dress patterns are different sizes. So then I sewed a size two dress for Anna. That fits her better! They wore their new dresses last week to church.

Midweek the other week I got to watch Carlie while Vanessa went to a Doctor's appointment. Carlie loved the camp chair!

Baby John grew a pound in the week since his birth!

We had chocolate pudding the other Sunday for dessert. The girls really got into it!

Joanna played with Anna after church last week.

Bro. O'Malley and the life of sisters

Bro. John O'Malley preached revival services at TBC and since James had his two days off at a good time, we had Bro. O'Malley over for lunch. 

He read Winnie the Pooh to Lily and did a great job. After lunch, while the girls napped, we talked about WWNTBM changes, FFW, Apple computers (I found that my laptop is five operating systems behind), photo books, and recent family news. 

Just a random picture of Anna. 

Sister love (or smothering)

Anna's first pigtails

Lily's first french twist hairdo

One day at lunch Lily said, "Take a picture of me!" So I did. 

The girls enjoyed a blueberry snack sitting on the counter. 

Lily gave Daddy the big ones. 

So Anna did too. 

New Baby Cousin John

One random morning I took pictures of the girls while James worked on creating more blocks for his next huge embroidered tile scene. 

Baby John Bryan was born to John and Vanessa on July 9th at 7:23pm weighing 8lbs 15.6 oz. Vanessa did a great job with a successful VBAC. It was an answer to prayer that she didn't need another C-section and can now have normal births with almost no risk. We got to go see them in the hospital after church services that night. 

Carlie got to meet her baby brother, but she was more interested in playing with the camera. :-)

July 4th

James had to work the evening of July 4th, so we had steaks and corn on the cob for lunch before he had to leave. It was yummy!

That afternoon I took the girls to Bear Lake where Dad and Mom Bryan were camping. Almost all of the Bryan family ate supper together and went to the Jay fireworks afterwards. 

Right after this was taken, Anna burned Jason's leg by bringing the sparkler too close. Thankfully it wasn't bad, but no more sparklers for her!

I expected to be holding both girls during the noisy fireworks, but instead Anna stayed with Gramdma Bryan and watched quite peacefully from her lap. Lily sat on the blanket with the cousins, but she hid underneath a blanket the entire time!

A good time was had by all. Happy Birthday, America!