Fun with Grandkids...

 Hiking in Redwood Regional Park...

 Who says there's no fall color in California?

 Halloween fun at balloon house mania!

 The "traditional" Nieman Pumpkin Man..

Cupcakes with Kody!

Play date...he's King Kody...

Cupcakes with Penny!

Beautiful baby boy....Crew!

Tending Penny...it's easy (shhhh...don't tell Dave and Jess how much tech she gets when with me!)

Mother's Day Pictures...Christian, Alec, Sadie, Lindi

 Every Mother's Day, Amber's gift is that her children cooperate with having family  pictures taken...when they were small she took them to Kiddy Candids I think, until they closed....now she take their pictures herself and does a great job....usually she has individuals of each of them, plus shots of the two brothers and two sisters and a group shot....of course this year Christian is on his mission in Colombia....but he had someone take a nice photo of him and emailed it to mom...then Alec used his photo editing skills to put himself in the picture! Next year Alec will be on his mission...we'll see who can create that shot next Mother's Day....aren't they fine looking young men and women?

Sewing with Lindi

So Lindi and I also made this skirt while I was here...Lindi did almost all of the sewing! Side seams, hems, gathering stitches (LOTS of gathering stitches)...It's very twirly!

Talented Lindi...

Lindi has quite the artistic talent!....Here is her first picture done with charcoal....

And this is a picture she worked on for months (it took about 25 hours!)....

State Champs!

Alec's swim team (Mountain Crest) took first place in the State finals last week...it was very fun to be able to watch him swim "live" due to the meet being streamed by Deseret News....Amber filled me in as to which event and which lane. 

It's a tradition for the team to dye hair (and sometimes shave it all off!) in the weeks prior to the competition...good thing he got his "missionary" picture taken before this! (thanks to a mom who plans ahead!)

Alec is holding the trophy in this picture....Nice!
Now he's on to water polo!

Utah Thanksgiving!(Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping)

Catching up with 2012 before we get too far into 2013

After getting back from Utah on the 13th...I flew back on the 17th with Kendra and kids...we had a great week with family....here are Kody and Parker with Everett on his blessing day (Nov 18,2012)

While in Utah, Parker got his hair cut...at the only place he trusts....looks pretty fun, but it could be a long time between haircuts if you have to got to Utah for one!

Wrestling with Uncle Karl....those are a lot of boys to take on at once...good job, Karl!

Brady's story of Carson's sleepwalking/night peeing adventure...

Grandma time with Audrey...while everyone else went sledding...loved it.

Cutest little "turkey" girl...

The main event...low key but yummy! Good rolls, Kendra....Here's the ...

Sweet Potato Casserole:
4-6 sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
2 T butter
1/4 C cream (or milk or almond milk)
1/4 C orange juice
1 t vanilla
1/4 C maple syrup
1/2 t salt
3/4 T nutmeg
3/4 t cinnamon

Pecan Topping
1/4 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C flour
3/4 C chopped pecans
2 T maple syrup

Mash sweet potatoes with butter. Add everything else and pour into 2 qt casserole. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over potatoes...bake 45 minutes.

Most of the group....such a lot of joy being together!

A last hurrah...stopped at ?Kangaroo Bounce House? on the way to the airport....you can't see them but there are a lot of boys playing in there!

Welcome, Everett Alan Broadbent!

 A new member of the family! Welcome, Everett Alan Broadbent!....born a little early,on November 1, (see Kaity's blog for birth details...) I left California at 4:30 am on November 1, thinking that I'd be there by the time he arrived as the plan was for Kaity to be induced that morning. But much to my surprise I got a text just after I left Reno that they were done! Kaity didn't have to be induced....went into labor on her own and had Everett at 8:15 am...happy news!

 What a little sweetie...6 lbs. 14 oz., 19 inches...

 I drove all day (observing the speed limit across Nevada...sort of)...and this was my reward!

The many faces of Everett...

Big yawn!!!

Face palm....aren't you guys done with the photos???

Sunny when he was born, snowy a few days later....

And when I drove home...temperature in Nevada at 7 am....10 degrees...glad I had my seat warmer!

The Broadbent family....

Doll Clothes Short Cuts - tights from Dollar Store Knee Highs...

Here's an easy way to make doll tights out of a pair of adult size knee highs...I got these at the dollar store for $1...I found these instructions here...

 Turn the socks inside out, measure the distance on the doll from waist to crotch and crotch to toes.
Mark and sew with a zigzag or serging stitch.

 Cut away and slit sock on inside fold line from waist to crotch.

Pin this center seam and sew from front to back..

 Turn right side out and you're done!...

Here is  our dolly in her new tights... 

  

 They look really cute with her jeans skirt.

Grandma Fun!

So I got this cute doll for Penny...and before mailing it off to her, thought I'd make a few clothes (most of the Corolle outfits start at about $25!!!)...first I made this nightgown...with some flannel I've had around ...plus I knit her some cute slippers...

Then I made this cute little dress (and bloomers)...

These were pretty labor intensive...so I started looking for a few shortcuts... I found a couple of good sites...one showed how to make doll leggings from knee hi socks from the Dollar Store...and another, again using Dollar Store underwear to make doll socks, panties, etc. 

    After making the cute leggings I decided to make a jeans skirt...so I got an old pair of jeans (thanks, Mark), cut off about 4" across the bottom of one leg,  cut another 2 1/2 inch strip to make a waistband with a velcro closing on the tab...and put together this cute little jeans skirt (I'll do a separate blog post on making these clothes).

Now Dolly needed a top to go with her skirt...I liked the idea of repurposing clothes rather than starting with fabric...so stopped at Kmart where they were having a 70% off clearance in the baby dept...  I got this little t shirt for $1.29...I cut out my doll blouse, keeping the ruffle collar, and placing the sleeve bottoms along the bottom edge utilizing the hem...and made the shirt she's wearing above...

 (Last night with different light the shirt looks pink)...

 On a roll now...again with a cheap (ummm, discounted) Kmart baby jacket that cost about $3.00...I cut this jacket, keeping the bow snap front and appliqués...

OK...one more bargain Kmart dress (for $2.75)... cut off the ruffle and used to make a skirt, then cut a top keeping the neck ribbing, back snap closing, and puffed sleeves...added a little appliqué...and made bike shorts(we'd hate to dress our doll immodestly!)...

Tired of doll clothes yet? I found some girls jeans leggings at Goodwill (for $1.00) and cut out these little jeans pants, keeping the bottom hems that were already stitched..sewed up the legs and added elastic at the waist...Easy peasy!  This was a lot of fun...coming your way, Penny!