2 {of Jim's} concerts in 2 days = one HAPPY Scotty

Scotty has been so excited for a few days now since Jim told him that Tuesday & Wednesday night he could go to his choir & world drumming concert!!! My mom invited Scotty to something at her church Wednesday night however he said he could not go to that because he was going to Jim's concert at the college!!!

Concert #1 ~ College Choir/Men's Chorus Concert

My mom went with us to the concert however Scotty made sure we knew he was riding home with Jim in his TRUCK!!!
That's one of his favorite things to do! :)

Concert #2 ~ World Drumming

This was AMAZING!!!
FYI...
Jim is a phenomenal drummer ~ I'm not just saying that cuz he's my husband
REALLY ~ it blew me away!!!

Nat went with us to the drumming concert

Can you tell Scotty loves Natalie?!?!? So sweet!!!

After the world drumming concert, various jazz ensembles put on a fantastic concert.
Let me tell you ~Scotty was in 7th heaven!!!


Jim is taking him today to college so the chamber choir can sight read an African mass choir song Jim wrote for his theory class!!!
REALLY JIM???? :)
 It just is beyond me how he can write music like that!!!
{I'm just a tad bit proud of my husband}
So blessed!!!

Birthday celebration ~ #1!!!

This year my birthday went on for a few days with much celebration & fun!!! 

It began on my actual birthday 10/23 with a PARTY ON THE GO...

My friend, Jennifer planned a day full of surprise & sheer fabulousness!!! Lauren, Nat & I met Jenn at 12:30 and the fun began right then...I entered the "PARTY WAGON"...it was decorated with pretty pink cotton puffs on my side of the van to represent some of my favorite things which are ~ polka dots, pink & all things vintage!!! 

This brought such joy to my day!!!

Next stop was for lunch...

TACO TIME ~ it's at the tippy top of my most favorites so we went through the drive thru and went up to Manito Park and ate it there.

2 Crisp Taco's & STUFFED Mexi fries with ranch dressing!!! That's what I ALWAYS have & this day wasn't any different!!!

Whenever sitting in the birthday seat I was to wear the pretty pink boa! :)

The next stop & surprise was just that  ~ A COMPLETE SURPRISE!!!

We pulled up to St. John's Cathedral and I could not figure out what Jenn had in mind for this stop! She went in ahead of us girls and spoke to the secretary and before I knew it I was being ushered into the sanctuary to PLAY THE PIPE ORGAN!!! Jennifer knew I played the piano & the organ and wanted to hear me play the pipe organ...IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!

Glad it came back to me since I had not played the organ in about 12 years!!!

BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!

MY FRIEND JENNIFER~WHAT A TREASURE!!!

NEXT STOP & SURPRISE...
Drove out to Rockford and went to Hurd Mercantile ~ a store I wanted to visit but hadn't yet ~ Jenn remembered!!! What a girl!!!

Words cannot express how thankful I am for this dear friend!!!

So much fun ~ shopping, spending time with my girls & just being together!
Hurd Mercantile is definitely worth the drive out to Rockford!!!

YET ANOTHER STOP & SURPRISE...
Jenn dropped Lauren & I off at the drugstore in Fairfield and said she & Nat would be back for us! I sure did wonder what was going now!!! She came back about 15 minutes later and took us down to the city park where she had a party set up in the pavilion!!!
THE REASON FOR THAT:
 She wanted to celebrate where & how our friendship began which was at Farm Chicks but knew she couldn't have a party at the fairgrounds so next best place...the spot where the original Farm Chicks show took place. The pavilion at the park {in Fairfield, WA} is directly in front of where Jenn's spot used to be! Now you can bet that made me teary eyed!

Jennifer's {vintage} tablecloth ~ birthday on one side ~ Christmas on the other!

Alittle chilly ~ glad for a {vintage} quilt!

Even the graffiti is sweeter in Fairfield!!!

 

 

SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

Last stop ~ at my mom's ... I wanted her to see the party wagon. We called her and said we would be to her home in about 30 minutes and when we arrived she had set alittle party up for the 3 of us! It was so sweet!

So very grateful for this lovely lady who gave birth to me on
10/23
at 10/23 a.m.

This day was such a blessing to me and one that I will always remember fondly!!! So many great surprises and all with people I love so dearly!!! 

THANK YOU JENNIFER ~ you are truly amazing!!! 

SUPER SWEET SURPRISE!!!

I just LOVE when something happens that makes my heart so happy & content...this is absolutely one of those times...

Lauren & I had been over in Tacoma for a few days and we brought our friend Scotty home with us and to top it all off we surprised my sweet mom!!!

Enjoy this video & you will see for yourself why this is one of those perfect ~ once in a lifetime moments ~

Scotty's mom ~ Terry ~ and my mom ~ JonElla have been best friends for nearly 40 years!!! I was raised with Scotty and spent so much time with him throughout the years. Since moving to Spokane 13 years ago, we haven't seen him very often. Lauren & I went out to dinner with Terry & Scotty last Monday evening and decided to bring him home with us the next day! We were ALL so very EXCITED ~ to say the least!!!

I keep re-watching this video as it just makes me smile and brings tears of joy to my eyes...my girls hear me watching this and they both have said..."Mom, are you watching the SCOTTY/GRAMMY video AGAIN???"... 

Yes, I will be watching it over & over I'm quite sure! To know you are SO LOVED by another is the best feeling in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD and I do believe Scotty knows he is LOVED by...

Mrs. Miller and the whole Craft family!!!

3 Craft Chicks has a new blog!!!

Just letting you know that 3 Craft Chicks has a separate blog you can follow to stay in the know for upcoming shows & events!!!

YOU CAN FIND IT HERE...

http://3CraftChicks.blogspot.com 

SWEET MEMORIES

My Poppy {my mom's dad} & I shared the same birthday!

 I was born on his 50th birthday in 1967!

It made celebrating our birthdays all the more special! It's hard to believe this year as I turned 45 he would have been 95...especially as I look at this picture from our birthday party in 1975!!!

Poppy lived to be 89 ~ and was a wonderful grandfather to me and I cherish all the sweet memories through the years. Highest on my list is every Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. ~ SHARP ~ he came and picked up my sister Laura & I at our home in DuPont and took us to breakfast at VIP'S in Nisqually! We lived at 705 Louviers Ave. and he and Granny lived at 206 Brandywine Ave., just 4 blocks away from us! The joys of small town living!!!

This picture is one of my favorites of us and as I look at it I remember how much I LOVED that orange flowered shirt! :)

3 wonderful weeks down south ~ WEEK #1

ALABAMA, GEORGIA and FLORIDA

It was a really a fun filled -  jam packed vacation! Let me just start by saying...

I LOVE THE SOUTH!!! 

So after being there for 3 weeks!!! 21 days!!! I may have come home with just a slight southern accent ~

YA ALL DON'T MIND NOW DO YA???

I flew out on September 11th. It was a very somber day to be flying. In the morning at the exact time that the Twin Towers were bombed there was a moment of silence at the airport. It was a vivid reminder to pray throughout the day for all the thousands who lost loved ones on that dreadful day. Their grief is most likely still very real and many are still trying to cope and heal. 

My first stop on my vacation was a few days in Alabama. I went to see my dearest friend Shara and her sweet family. We met 12 years ago when our husbands were stationed together here at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. I love how the military brings such special people into our lives! Our friendship has stood the test of time & distance. I'm so very thankful for that!

Just after Shara picked me up at the airport!!! LET OUR FUN BEGIN!!!

Could hardly wait to see these 3 little darlings...

I made them each a banner for their bedroom.

We managed to fit alot in the few short days we had together. We ate way too much yummy food...I love.love.love. many eating places they have down south that we.don't.have.here! We shopped at my favorite stores and found a new one ~ again that they only have down south and we.don't.have.here! Not that I'm bitter or anything right??? I loved being with the kiddos and seeing them do all the things they are involved in. They just are growing up too fast! I loved being with Shara and visiting and laughing and visiting and laughing and...well you get the picture that I absolutely treasured every minute with Shara!  We're convinced her husband Greg may have thought we lost our minds a few times!

Good times in Alabama...

Going to pick up Jordan & Jannah in the golf cart...how fun!!!

Could someone please tell me how they've grown up so fast?!?!?

To say Jamison likes to do puzzles is an understatement!

Jordan said my chicken taco's were "heaven...pure heaven"

Jannah is quite a fashionista...we 3 girls had fun shopping together!

Me & my sweet Jannie...love this girl with all my heart!

J-mo at his brother Jordan's football game ~ isn't he the cutest???

Jordan ~ #49 ~ so glad I got to see him in action!

Cheering on our Jordi!!!

After the big game we hit the road for Valdosta, Georgia. Shara's mama & daddy live there and we were going to spend the night there. Her sister, Lori and her family were meeting us there also! I was so excited! Through the years of visiting Shara, I've been able to see her family several times and absolutely adore each one of them. It took us 4.5 hours to make the drive to GA. I sat in the van next to Jamison and I'm quite sure he may have asked every 10 minutes of the 4.5 hrs. how much longer! :)  After we arrived there I could see why he was so antsy to get to his Gamma & Gampa's...you'll see from the next several  pictures!!!

At Jimmy & Barbara Jordan's home ~

I really think  the back yard at the Jordan's should be call GRANDKIDLAND!!!

Apparently age is not an issue in GRANDKIDLAND...

Jannah and her Aunt Lori

A traditional favorite of mine that Shara's daddy makes ~ BOILED PEANUTS!

NOW...LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO...
KAEDE JO ~

I'll be honest I've only seen "house pigs" on tv shows ~ Suzanne Sugarbaker owned a pig on Designing Women - an all time favorite {old} tv show of mine and Honey Boo Boo owned a pig named Glitzy {yes I watch that silly show! just can't help myself} on her reality tv show. I never thought I would meet someone in REAL LIFE who owned a house pig...but I did. Kaede Jo belongs to Lori & Bill and I have to admit she wasn't too bad. Now I'm not saying I'd ever want one, I'm just saying it was better than I expected.

Just as shocking as Lori's pig is the fact that MY Shara owns a dog! Cute little Junie ~ I will readily admit I never thought the Bailey's would own a dog! Wonders never cease...

Kisses for Kaede Jo...

SOMETHING I'VE WANTED MY WHOLE LIFE...
well my whole life since I've known this family...
LOW COUNTRY BOIL

 

 YUM! YUM! YUM!

Barbara was so surprised by the "Granny" cookie jar I brought her. It was just like one that had been in her family when she was younger! 

Lunch on Sunday was at The Smokin' Pig ~ it's my FAVORITE barbeque place to eat while in Valdosta! It did not disappoint this time!
Oh...please don't tell Kaede Jo we ate at The Smokin' Pig ~ I think it may offend her!

Me & my Jordi-roo! This boy holds the most treasured spot in my heart!

Shara, me & Lori ~ I so enjoyed my time with both of them!

There are such pretty ~ pretty flowers in the south!

That evening Jimmy & Barbara drove me about an hour & a half to meet Jim who was at a conference in Orlando, FL.

Jim's conference was here at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL.
Stay tuned for my next post ~ week #2...

AS THE FUN CONTINUES...