Fill It Up With Family!

"I'll go to Idaho to visit family in May!" I thought. "Surely, the weather will be lovely in May? It's a week before Mother's Day..."

And nature laughed and placed the snow-capped Wasatch Front in view from my window seat as our plane descended into the Salt Lake valley.

One more flight to go....

Dang!  It's People-y down there!

But those mountains - so gorgeous as I made y way to my gate for a quick connection.

Leaving Salt Lake and headed toward Boise - 

It's a different kind of beauty here.

(I already miss trees!)

Reunited at last!

I spent my first night at my brother Scott's - that's his cute wife Alicia by his side, and our little mama in front.

My youngest brother Mike came over to Scott and Alicia's for dinner that was waiting for us - my nephew Daniel had smoked a pork roast - oh my word, it smelled so wonderful as we walked into the house and set my bags down.

Talk talk talk and more catching up happened all the way until 9:30pm or so and since it felt like midnight to me (It nearly was - it was a 4 airport - 3 plane day) I was off to bed.

My niece Megan's baby Charlotte!

I'm the great auntie.

Such a cutie! This is what greeted me when I came down for breakfast after a good night's sleep.

Scott and Alicia drove me from Nampa into Boise to meet up with mom for lunch where I was passed off and driven about an hour north into Garden Valley -

And in case you are wondering - yes there were quilt shop adventures!  I stopped by Stitch n' Snip in Garden Valley to see what was going on - I wandered and purchased a selection of fat 1/8ths while mom grabbed some needles she needed.

In the back of the shop is a large building that hosts classroom space, and we popped in on a group of gals doing wook stitchery - so fun!

This group photo happened so we could send it to their friend who was out of town.

Gosh, I love quilters!  It makes the world a kinder, gentler, more connected (and fun!) place!

I caught up with mom and her siblings on zoom - this time I wasn't just on the screen from Virginia - I was sitting in my mom's house and joining her on her screen.  Fun times.

Garden Valley is the cutest little western town - All of the buildings look like they stepped out of the wild, wild west.  And Fridays are the best day to hit up Payette Forward (Play on words! Get it?!) as they restock all of their donated goodies on Thursdays - 

I found some fun things - including a new pair of wool slippers that will live up in mom's closet for my next visit as my feet are always freezing. 2 Bucks!  Can't beat it - and all proceeds go to the community, unlike Goodwill or other "chain" thrift stores. (Not that they don't also do good things.)

Across from Payette Forward - yep.  Snow.  And it's quite chilly.

May? Where are you?

Mom's little place at last!

Saturday morning!

That's my niece Elizabeth with the ball - GO GO GO!

Brother Mike had picked me up early Saturday morning so I could be there for this match.  Elizabeth turned 13 the day before - and we were continuing the birthday celebrations through the weekend as 13 is a pretty special age in the life of a young lady.

What you can't see here?  WIND!  It was crazy windy and we were in chairs on the sidelines all wrapped up in quilts - I was under a denim one that mom had made for Mike.

Special quilts in the guest room -

Not sure who made this one - I think it came through Nicole's family.  Definitely 1930s and heavily quilted.  Just lovely!

The double wedding ring was folded over the foot of the bed as shown here - and on the bed is a bonnet girl quilt that I remember my step-grandma Lucy making back in the late 1970s early 1980s.

She had a big hand in fanning the flames of my interest in quilts and needlework - and to sleep under her stitches - so wonderful.  She's been gone a long time now.

Waking up under these stitches made me wish so much that I could talk with her NOW and tell her about how quilting has become such a big part of my life and identity.  

I think she'd get a kick out of it.

All of the satin stitch was done by hand - not by machine.  She was a master embroiderer.

Much love to you Grandma Lucy!

It was also a special day as nephew Jaxon had asked his grandpa - sister-in-law Nicole's dad who is an Elder in their church to baptise him.

So not only was I there for the 13th birthday celebration, but also for this -

This message on the wall behind the coffee baristas at church nearly had my eyes spilling over.

I felt accepted - just as I am. As we all should be.

Visiting my sibling's and parent's houses always lets me know that I am there even when I am not there.

Jaxon's Nine Patch and Elizabeth's Chunky Monkey baby quilts are right there in the livingroom on a ladder - well loved but still comfy.

Stars Over Shallotte is from my book Scraps & Shirttails II and was given to them at a family reunion the summer before my brother Mark passed.

Loved and used and fading a bit - that's the life of a quilt much like the Velveteen Rabbit story - That lets me know that memories are being made and this quilt is a part of it - not just home decor.

Mike's high school graduation quilt!

Or was it their wedding quilt?  

I honestly can't remember.,

I do know that I freehand quilted this - so it was before I computerized the long arm.

Isn't that funny? I had forgotten all about this basic log cabin - but I sure recognize the fabrics in it.

It's being well loved, too - if I had time and had brought my stitching things downstairs I could have fixed that bit of binding that has come undone.

Next time.  Because there will be a next time.  And it won't be 5 years from now.  I'm thinking of making it a yearly thing - 

Even at once a year - how many trips can I still make during the lifetime that my parents have left?  No one knows.

This was part of our drive back to Boise to get me to the airport yesterday:

Click To Play:

@quiltville_bonnie One week away. My laptop never came out of my bag. My phone was rarely looked at. 🤗⁣ ⁣ Complete disconnect.🙃⁣ ⁣ Oh, how I needed this time with my brothers and their families and my mom a d step dad. 🥰⁣ ⁣ Time is precious. Life is fleeting. ⏰️⁣ ⁣ Take the trip. The world will wait.🌎⁣ ⁣ I'm at the airport in Boise waiting to board my flight to Atlanta and the on to Bristol TN.✈️⁣ ⁣ My cup is not only full...but runneth over.💓⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #quiltville #bonniekhunter #fyp #idaho #driving ♬ In the Forest - Lesfm & Olexy

SO much packed into one week.

This cracked me up - I forgot to mention that Elizabeth's socccer game was on May 4th - and after the game Jax had set up a Star Wars double header - because it was "May the 4th Be With You." And seeing this shirt at the airport made me think of him.  Hahahaha.

And yes, there was hexie stitching.  Loads of it.

Not only on the flights - but during movie after movie we watched in the afternoon/evening time at mom's due to the cold, rainy, yuck weather.

I am adding neutrals around the motifs pieced previously - It's going to take a while.

But with Ireland, Scotland, Kenya, England, Australia and Iceland coming up - it will get there.

It's not a race, remember?

More on hexie things to come - 

Right now Im' headed over to the retreat.  The Muddy Creek Misfits are arriving this afternoon and though Housekeeper Susan started in yesterday - and the laundry is all done and beds made thanks to the efforts of Friends Martha & Cindy - There is still much to do to make it ready.

I'm going to ease my my through the rest of this week - 

But don't worry, things are about to get very quilty around here!

I've missed you all.  I missed posting.  But it was also great to give myself a week's time off.  I never even took my laptop out of my backpack.  I only checked the phone for important emails.

Time was short - life is fleeting.  The internet world will wait. Social media breaks are healthy for mind, body, soul.

My batteries are much more full.

OH - before I forget - My exhibit at the Quilter's Hall of Fame in Marion Indiana opened yesterday! I'll post more about this through the next few weeks.  If you have a chance - go see it!

Amazing effort has gone in to providing exhibits from all kinds of artisans to help promote and sustain our quilting future as well as our quilting heritage.

I'm posting where I can to spread the word that the Quilter's Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization and works from donations as well as entrance fees and museum memberships, but was really hit hard during the Covid pandemic.

Even if you can't go and see the exhibits, would you consider donating $10.00 or even $20.00 to help them raise the funds they need to continue to expand?

Read more about their mission and make your donation HERE.

Donations are typically 100% deductible in the USA.

Thank you for your help!

If you are of a mind to do so - please contact your quilt guild boards and ask if the guild would consider making a donation to this cause.

Together we CAN make a difference and keep this going.

Okay - I'm off - 

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Keep your heart and your mind open!  

I love the vibrant colors in this one!
⁣

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!