Caprock Canyon on a windy, chilly day...

There was a Boy Scout camp planned for last night that Robert had volunteered to help with. Braden had a Science & Math competition today at Tech, so he couldn't stay overnight... and was bummed! So we decided to go up earlier on Friday since Shea and Braden did not have school to hike and have a campfire. It was a bit chilly and VERY windy (November in West Texas) but we had a great time.

Shea & Sasha in the car. It was an hour and a half drive... not too long!

Braden & Shea exploring. Lots of stickers and cactus.

Robert had Shea & Sasha go in the tent to weigh it down while he set it up. It was pretty windy! Sasha had a great time on her first adventure. All except the thorn in her paw. She was crying like a baby. Tears and everything. We carried her quite a bit after that :) Spoiled baby.

This is Caprock Canyon.... looking down from the trail. My camera doesn't do the colors justice. It was very beautiful!

Hello. My name is Bliss and I'm a Fabriholic....

I keep telling my quilting friends that a fabric problem is better than drugs. Maybe not cheaper, but definitely better. I have loved fabric since I was about 10 years old and my mom taught me how to sew... my first project was a beanbag in the shape of a frog and then I started making clothes. I always knew I wanted to quilt, I just thought I would be old when I started. That was before I met my friend Grey, who is a wonderful quilter and teacher! So... for the past four years, I've been a quilting maniac!

And my fabulous mother recently found an estate sale of another fabriholic (may she rest in peace) and horded boxes of fabric for me. That's really the only reason I wanted her to meet us in UT when Kayla went into the MTC. FOR THE FABRIC! Ok... it was also nice to be with my mother for a few days. And since we are on a spending freeze in our house - I can be happy for some time now :) with my stash.



What's wrong with getting rid of a few kids? I just take over their space! These are the cubbys that used to separate Braden & Shea's rooms. Now I keep my lovely fabric there. The denim quilt on the night stand was one of my first ventures into quilting.



I am an entrepreneur by nature and earlier this year (when the mortgage industry started going in the toilet) I thought I wanted to be a quilt designer. That was until I found out how little they made and how time-intensive it would be. But this is one of the quilts I designed.... "God Bless America" It has all the words to the song appliqued or embroidered in the quilt.


This was a fun quilt I recently did... "Lost Socks" You can't see it, but I've embroidered all of our names next to different socks.

This quilt hangs in the back guest/fabric room. It is one of my favorites... and probably took the longest. It has such fun prints and patterns in it. These are just a sample of the quilts I've done. I estimate that I've made over 2oo quilts. It's definitely an obsession!

So there you have it... now I need to go sew.

Go Red Raiders!

I am definitely a fair-weather football fan. Hey, what's the use of being loyal if they are just a bunch of losers? Robert, of course is always loyal. So this year we have actually been watching together as the Texas Tech football team is 10-0. The ENTIRE town of Lubbock is red and black rooting for their team.

Robert is in charge of flags for our boy scout fundraising, which means every federal holiday he puts up (and then takes down in the evening) the US flag to businesses around town and every Tech home game he puts up Tech flags. Holidays and Saturdays - No sleeping in for him!

This past Saturday we went up to Tech for a tailgate party with Robert's department. We didn't have tickets to the game (I told Robert I would have scalped them if we did - hey, they are selling for hundreds!!)

But we did have fun at the BBQ. One good thing about W. Texas - you can have a gorgeous 70 degree day in November!

This card was sent to me from a guy I work with in Boise. I had sent him a TT shirt to say thanks for all his help with my recent work... and after he wore it for the game, we won! I'm sure that's what did it.

November 22 is Tech vs. Oklahoma. Go Tech!!

West Texas Biking

I love to bike.... so here are my ramblings about biking in good ol' West Texas.



The Good

1. Not many hills. Hills are my nemesis.
2. You can bike year-round.
3. Drivers are friendly - for the most part
4. This is my time to think. Not many distractions on these roads.
5. Endorphins. I'm just plain happier when I get to bike.

The Bad

1. Wind. Evil, evil wind. Especially when you have a head wind both ways. It's happened more than once.
2. Rabid dogs. Farmers don't see much need to chain them up.
3. Road kill. Dead skunks smell no matter which way the wind is blowing.
4. There isn't much to look at... it gets a bit boring. On the other hand, biking in the mountains is prettier, but I'm usually too busy throwing up a lung to enjoy the scenery.
5. My knee. I hurt it quite a while ago and it still gives me problems if I push too much.

I took my camera today....

Andrew once told me that I love my bike more than him. So not true. Well maybe a little when he was 15.

I love to bike past this fencing company... the smell of cedar is wonderful! Go Red Raiders!

West Texas is famous for it's cotton. It is just getting ready for harvest right now.... and yes, it does feel just like a cotton ball.

Can't be Texas without a cow. No Longhorns allowed.

Roadkill. Sorry it isn't more exciting, that's all there was today. A slow day for roadkill.

You can basically see to eternity from Lubbock. Except I hope eternity is a bit prettier. Stand on a tuna can and you can see Mexico.

A cool way to send Kayla a letter

This is soooo awesome! You can go to http://www.dearelder.com/ and write Kayla a letter (for free) and they will deliver it the same day. This will work while she is in the MTC - November 18. I know she would love to hear from everyone!

You need the following info:

MTC Box #113
Mission - WA-SEA
Est date to leave MTC - 11/18/08

My Beautiful Family!

I finally got the disk with our professional photos... (remember the misquitos?) Shan Renee did a fabulous job! Here are a few of my favorite:

The girls... Oh how I love my beautiful girls. Shea and Kayla have such a wonderful relationship. I don't think a mom could ask for anything more!

The boys... What handsome men they are! The Professor, the college man and the musician. I am so proud of them!

The Family... Sometimes I can't believe that my kids are so grown up and wonderful! I'm just grateful I've been there for the journey.

The Mom & Dad... Do we really look old enough to have these kids? If you love us, you'll say no! Except for the wrinkles - which have all been proudly earned.

Kayla.... What a beautiful person. Inside and out. We miss her. It's weird having her pink car here and not her. I am blessed to be her mother.

Andrew... I'm so proud to see how well Andrew has become a man. He is going to be a wonderful husband and father. Many, many years from now.

Braden... A great leader and wonderful friend. I'm proud to see the person he is becoming.

Shea.... A joy from the moment she joined our family. I love her creativity and the happiness she brings to our home.

Our first letter from Kayla!

I'm feeling like a rotten mother... I just got a note from Kayla, and I haven't even mailed her one yet! Kayla has a loooong history of being a terrible letter-writer, so it must have been all that threatening I did.

I'll just share one part:
"I absolutely LOVE the MTC! After I bore my testimony that I Heavenly Father and Christ love me and how I have been called to share this with others, one of the branch counsellors came up to me and said "You are the perfect sister to share that message. You truly are one of God's angels sent to preach his gospel.""

And yes - I did send her a package today. Letters from everyone along with her coat that she forgot. Pretty sure she'll need that in Seattle!

Empty nest... or rather, empty car!

After the whirlwind of getting Kayla off to the MTC, Robert and I spent a couple of days in heaven.... um, I mean Estes Park, CO. We drove from UT to CO through Vernal (not pretty) and then the Rocky Mountain National Park (divinely pretty).


I found the perfect spot for my cabin by the lake. The only problem is that the road is closed during winter. And it is on public land. And I don't have money to spend on a cabin (those darn kids keep using it all!) But hey - I'm a problem solver by nature... Nothing is impossible!


This big elk was right outside our balcony each morning... along with his 12 girlfriends.








Waterfalls are my favorite!




The first day, we hiked five miles and saw five lakes. The next day we hiked a shorter trail, which was good, because man was I sore! I wish we lived closer to mountains.... I wouldn't mind "delayed onset muscle soreness" (thanks Dr. Robert for labeling my pain) if I could keep up that kind of exercise.

We even decided to stay an extra day (after I talked myself out of feeling guilty for not being at the first primary program practice - thanks Melissa & Lee Ann!) The only problem was that they messed up our reservation for Saturday night. Now - for those of you that live on another planet, Saturday night was THE game between Texas Tech and Texas (#1). We didn't have time to get home by the start - so we called Sterling & Ann in Manitou and asked if they wanted company. It was great fun. My sister-in-law is the sweetest thing. Except when she is watching football. Lots of yelling. Swearing. Jumping up and down. It's pretty funny to watch - if you don't have young children to protect.

Really though, we had a wonderful time and I am so glad our reservation got messed up! It did help that Tech won in the last second... Texas is no longer #1! Go Red Raiders!

Kayla's Address

I know Kayla would love to get mail... so here's her address (until November 18):

Sister Kayla Sawyer
MTC Mailbox #113
WA-SEA 1118
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604-1793

I will keep her address posted on our blog and share parts of her letters. I pretty much threatened her if she didn't write every week!

The Big Good-bye

What a week! Robert and I just got back from taking Kayla to the MTC (and spending a few days in the mountains - I'll post on that later). It was a wonderful experience, even if I did cry too much) Here are the photos....

On Monday, we drove to Manitou Springs, CO (in Kayla's tiny pink car - hey, 37 miles to the gallon! Every penny counts when you have a missionary!) We stayed with my brother and his wife. My favorite Aunt & Uncle were there as well. Don't know why I didn't take pictures there!!

We stayed in Heber, Ut with Grandma Zee and Tammy Law. It was absolutely beautiful - but a little chilly the morning we took Kayla to the MTC. Kayla was SO happy - and it was almost fun helping her get all the last things ready. Yes - my sweet, wonderful daughter hadn't noticed that the paperwork mentioned she needed a flu & meningitis shot before coming to the MTC. I panicked a little bit - but Kayla was fine with it. She was worried about bigger things, like if she should wear her shirt tucked in or out.

We are all in front of the MTC - there were literally hundreds of wonderful volunteers helping us get where we needed to go. Missionaries everywhere! It was a beautiful fall day in Provo, UT and there isn't any place I would have rather been! I am so proud of my wonderful daughter.

I love this picture. Kayla was so happy to go in this door (it said New Missionaries enter here). I wasn't feeling quite as happy, until the volunteer said I would meet up with her inside. I wasn't ready to let go yet!

Kayla had me put her name tag on... yes, I cried. But they were happy tears.

A note about Shea... She and Kayla are VERY close and Shea started crying Sunday night and was still crying Monday morning before we left. She even made a drawing of her "Grid of Tears" showing us that her tears were 40% happy and 60% sad. A year and a half seems like a long time for a 9 year old! But she and Kayla were able to talk a few times until Kayla went into the MTC on Wednesday. We will only be able to email and write from now on. Kayla can call home only on Christmas and Mother's Day. Shea misses her sister!!