Semi-Annual Pilgrimage to the Homelands

As soon as I finished school, I started on what ended up as the biggest project of my life. It is a family tradition to receive a quilt when you are married. I volunteered to make the quilt for my sister's wedding. She picked the fabric, and I drew up a plan. It was a great plan... if I had had several months do to it. Luckily, I had all day every day for 3 weeks to work on it. I used a technique I found on The Welsh Quilter.

 the back of the quilt is gray and yellow. this is square 1 of 100... I quilted a treble clef/bass clef/heart design on each square. I actually ended up mis-calculating and making 45 extra squares (?!) so there may be a mini-version of this quilt up on etsy in the not-so-near future.

This quilt was huge, she took over my entire desk!

It's hard to see in this picture, but I embroidered their names and a quote from Shakespeare about love and music.

 Brian was also working on the biggest project of his life: studying for Step 1 Exam for the Medical School Boards (aka "The Test of questions about anything in existence"). So he didn't mind that I was completely occupied. He studied for 6 weeks, 14 hours a day, 6 days a week for that bad boy. He resisted all kinds of social temptations (movies, game nights) that were posed to him. And he conquered that 8-hour test! He just got his scores back this week and he scored above the Vanderbilt average! (cue the music.. "Hail the conquering Hero! da da dun dun dun....."

We flew to Arizona for Sarah and Zach's wedding. We had a week full of Chimichangas, Just Dance 3, decorating, ice cream, and generally enjoying the Arizona sunshine.

Mom and Sarah manning the frying station.

Michael and Brian claimed the "quality control" station while making chimis

 Just Dance3... bringing families together

 Beautiful centerpieces for the reception

 caught in the act...

The wedding was beautiful, the day was beautiful (though HOT), the bride was beautiful, and everything went generally smoothly. It was so fun to be their photographer! My amazing friend Amanda has been so great to help me along as I learn how to take better pictures.

After the chaos died down, we flew to Oregon. There we had a week full of sleeping in outrageously late, visiting the Keldsens in Bend, s'mores, puzzles, golfing, Disney Sing-Alongs, nieces and nephew, mini-golfing, movies, reading, PS3 gaming, the beach, fireworks, and (of course) more ice cream.

500 piece puzzle!

 Eli--Commanding and Conquering

Disney Princess sing-alongs

 cute Avery!

 Silly Alayna

 Reading the Bearnstein Bears

Jenna, Alayna, and Uncle Brian shooting for Par

 Brian likes his ice cream...

 Alayna and Aunt Stacey

 Fireworks!

  The Oregon Coast is beautiful, but COLD!

All too soon it was time to fly home. It's back to real life... I am studying for the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Exam and Brian is starting his rotation in Anesthesiology. Always staying busy!