Monday, March 21, 2016

Flowers, Family and a Farewell

Hello my friends, did you have a good weekend?  We had a bittersweet one.  We spent time with our daughter-in-law Beth to say goodbye.  She decided a while back that she wanted to move back to California to be closer to her family, so she's been looking for a job and they've put their new custom built house up for sale after living in it for a year and a half.  She flew down to San Diego for two interviews last week and was offered a job so is driving down next Friday and will live with her uncle and start her new job.  Shawn will stay here to sell the house and pack things.  The boys will stay in school here until the move.  ::sigh::  I worked on my blanket while we visited with them and found out more about their plans.


They had a going-away party at their house on Saturday so I brought my blanket and laid it out on the table and my sister and grandson Michael helped me place the new flowers around the blanket so that the colors were well mixed and not too many colors in one spot.  Then we used safety pins to attach them so I would remember where to put them.  That worked really well!  As you can see above, I finished adding the new flowers with white yarn is a "join as you go" method.  We had my son's family over for dinner yesterday for more time together before Beth leaves and I sewed all the ends together, too.  What a job that is!



This morning I spread the Easter tablecloth on the table and brought out my Easter tree and a couple baskets.  I have WAY more decorations to bring out.. later.. Easter was extremely early this year.. I'm not a fan of it being in March,  :-)


My daughter posted this photo on Facebook and I grabbed it.. my son-in-law Jay took the two girls to a Father-Daughter Dance.  They all looks so nice!  Amy is bringing the girls for a visit in early June, I am really looking forward to seeing them.  We plan a trip to the beach and just lots of time together.


Kristi made a fantastic dinner for us all yesterday.  A big lasagna from scratch, even the sauce, it turned out perfect!  She also made a nice salad and some super delicious artisan bread.  Then.. she made Italian sodas for us all to order, cherry, orange, blueberry or black raspberry.  :-)



Nummers!


And to top it all off, a scratch-made carrot cake with special cream cheese frosting.  She got the recipe from the King Arthur Flour website and the frosting recipe called for a unique flavoring, Fiori di Sicilia, it's a citrus vanilla blend that is amazing.  It made the cream cheese frosting the BEST EVER.



The cake was great, crunchy with nuts and fragrant with spices - and healthy - right?


Would you like a slice? :-)



The magic ingredient.  


I have a busy day ahead.. swimming and then a board meeting of the Friends of Multnomah Falls.  Actually a busy week.   I hope you're having a good week.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 


Click HERE to visit Jennifer's Link Party!

24 comments:

  1. I wish your son's family all the best with their move. It sounds like they have a good plan for themselves, but I know that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye. I hope they will be back to visit often. Your granddaughters and SIL look so nice dressed up for their dance. I hope they had a great time. Kristi's meal looks fabulous, what a talented cook she is. I hope you have a good day with swimming and your meeting and a good week too. Take care and enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It must be so tough to say goodbye Teresa. We all wish our children could be round the corner but they have their own lives to live. Your blanket is coming along so well. Kristie looks after you so well...she's a keeper. Take care xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Teresa, I feel your heartache. It's so sad that your son and daughter-in-law are moving and taking your grandchildren. You know I've been there. I do have high hopes that maybe someday Mandy and Brad might end up back out here in the Northwest and bring my Piper back home. Your blanket is coming along beautifully. That was a great idea to pin the flowers to the blanket. That's always my hardest decision. Where to put the different squares. Your dinner yesterday sounds amazing. Kristy must've spent all day in the kitchen...everything made from scratch. Amazing! She is definitely a keeper. Have fun swimming my friend.
    Blessings always,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is better than your carrot cake?
    *smile*

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bless your heart Teresa, I know you are going to miss your son's family so much. I know you don't see them every week, but they were still a lot closer than California. Good news about the girls coming to visit in June, I can't believe how much older they look in that photo, wow!
    I think a great dinner was very much deserved and it looks so yummy.
    Hugs and hang in there, I am thinking about you.
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Teresa, I'm sad with you . . . it's so hard having family far away.
    On the brighter side your blanket is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Teresa, my heart dropped when I read this. I knew it was coming, but too fast!! I know how much you wish they were not leaving. I'm so sorry.
    Hooray for the girls coming soon. I cannot get over how much they have grown!!! Beauties!!!
    Your blanket is lovely. I really loved doing my flower blanket. I don't know if you remember or not. I gave it to my dear neighbor Sue. She had just lost her husband suddenly about the time I finished it up.
    Kristi is cooking up a storm. And such wonderful things. That lasagna looked fabulous! And that cake...oh my!!!!
    I liked your safety pin idea for keeping the flowers where you want them. I usually lay a quilt top out on my bed, and when I get the blocks how I like them, I take a photo with my phone. So that way, I can zoom in at any time, and see exactly where things should go. But your pieces are smaller, so the pinning is a good way to go!
    Much love,
    Kris

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful blanket Teresa! Sorry about your family moving - it's always so nice to have family near. The cake definitely looks lo-cal to me. LOL

    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Teresa so sad to hear they are leaving soon, but so good your dil found a job so fast ☺ They have a wonderful home and someone will sure snap that up....Kristi is a legend with all of her fabulous cooking ♥♥ Those girls have grown up way to fast and sure will be fun when they come in June ☺☺

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your blanket is lovely, your granddaughters are beautiful and the dinner looks so yummy! Sorry to hear your son's family is moving far away but hopefully you can visit them. I hope you're week goes well. Hugs, Pat

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm glad you had some time to visit with Shawn today. I am feeling for you as you face this change in your family. I'm glad Jay and that your pretty growing grand girls got to go to a father-daughter dance and that you are looking forward to the girls coming for a visit in June. Kristi did a wonderful job on that yummy looking meal! Flowers in the Snow is fabulous!!! So beautiful!!! Swimming was relaxing today. Folks were asking for you. Hope to see you on Wednesday :) xxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Teresa! The family you have is amazing, God bless all of you!

    The cake looks oh my... so delicious!!! I wish I could taste it.
    The blanket is coming along really nice, love the blanket colors, so Easter like!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Its hard when family move away, make some arrangements before they go so that you all have something to look forward to. Great looking meal, Kristi is a real gem I will definitely take a large slice of cake, stunning! The blanket is amazing, love the design and the beautiful mix of colour.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your blanket is looking so beautiful, Teresa and what a good idea to pin the flowers in place like that so you know where to add them! You have a wonderful family both near and far and though it is sad your son and his family are moving further away I hope they will visit you often. Your grandgirls look lovely in the photo with their father...how nice it will be to have them visiting you in June!! Delicious cooking by clever Kristi....and carrot cake is one of my favourites!
    Thinking of you and sending love x
    Helen xox

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awww Teresa I'm sad to hear that more family members are moving away. I hope you'll be able to visit them often. Great news that the girls are coming to see you - bet you can hardly wait for that. Gosh they're growing up quickly. Your blanket is looking beautiful - so is Kristi's cooking. You are both amazing. Yes, I would like a slice of that cake :) xox

    ReplyDelete
  16. You have a lot going on with your family! Glad everyone had some time together before the big move. Kristi is a GEM! I need a Kristi at my house!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes, I would like a piece of cake!!
    I know how you feel about your daughter moving farther away. I cried when my daughter went off to the East Coast for college because I knew she would probably never move back to the Midwest. And I was right. Now she is in Miami!
    Still, there is joy in watching our children grow up and build brand new lives. And your family is so close; that won't change!

    ReplyDelete
  18. BIttersweet news for sure. I want my daughter to move even closer to us. She moved from Virginia to Knoxville and she is 8 hours from us now. I ll be happier when its under 6 hours! This is how people live now. Families are not all gathered around SUnday tables, and I must say it saddens me.
    My sister in law has her entire family and grands all within twenty minutes of her. She is moody and I just cant see why! She has a wonderful family all around her. Hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Mmm, delicious, thanks for that slice of cake. I'm sorry that things are moving on with your son's decision to head off to California. I know you will make the most of them while they are still around. I love that a group of you sat down with the blanket to decide where each flower should go. It's looking gorgeous and it will have good memories attached to it as well. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sorry that your family are moving away, I hope that you get to go and visit them often! xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. I know how sad your heart is. You know I had one that moved to California too, but we are trying real hard to get them back...
    Beautiful blanket. If you have a chance please stop by and share some of your posts with us tomorrow, we'd love to have you.
    Jemma

    ReplyDelete
  22. I somehow missed this post Teresa. I really feel for you - I've said before I find it hard that my eldest son and grandsons are a 2 1/2 hour journey away. Do you think you will get chance to visit themor they you in the future? Your granddaughters are so beautiful and growing up so quickly. Pleased they will be visiting soon. The carrot cake looks yummy. Hugs Anne x

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am so so hungry after reading this post, the food you enjoyed looks absolutely amazing. As does your crochet blanket, and of course your grand daughters. I made a blanket using the same pattern but called mine firework at midnight because I joined my flowers with very dark grey. We live hundreds of miles from all our family, it is not easy and I understand how sad you are feeling. Have a lovely week. x

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Teresa, just wanted to say thanks for linking up. I hope you're having a good week. :)

    ReplyDelete

I absolutely love comments and thank you so much for taking time to leave me a note. :-)