High, higher than the sun

The air is different at 9,000 feet.

The thinness is not only noticed with every breath, but also in the way the sun streams through a lacy filter.

Everything is lighter, brighter and the shadows don't seem as deep.

A 30 year old tradition of meeting at the top of the mountain; siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, all coming together and sharing space, meals, conversation while we find respite among the clouds.

So many things have changed over those 30 years.

The cozy cabin feel has given way to modernity.

Activities for kids have sprung up among the wildflowers.

Toys have evolved from plastic

to metal and glass.

But so much has stayed the same.

Spirited conversation about politics, religion, and education cushioned in mutual respect and admiration.

Days that are filled with games

swimming

hikes

and meal planning/cooking for 20+.

Also falling into bed each night filled to the max with new experiences and the comfort of being surrounded by family.

This place holds so much beauty.

Some of it in the contour of rock and trees, the wildflowers whose colors soften the harsh landscape, and the bright sky dotted with soft clouds.

Oh, but the most beautiful part of this place, is the fellowship of my extended family.
To me, fellowship brings up images of potlucks in the church basement or wedding receptions held in the Fellowship Room.
It's a church word.
But, really,  it just means a gathering of people who share a common interest.

Some of us share the same religion, politics, interests, taste in music, but there's also a lot of differences too. One thing that is constant, however, is our interest in each other, which far outweighs anything divisive.

Snowbird has become a sacred place (there's another church word!) for all of us.

Gordon and Ruby and their kids kept the tradition going these last 30 years.
Now my generation is stepping into a leadership role to continue our biennial reunions, hopefully instilling a love of this place and each other into our children.

It's nice to know we can say "until next time."

It's Coronation Day!

Ever since we got back from Disneyland, Maia has been asking for Elsa's coronation dress. She's been relentless.
In fact, for several mornings in a row, she'd come in to our room just before 6, saying "And mommy? We need to be sure to put some blue stuff on the edges so it's just like her dress. Ok?"

And the next day "So, we need like dark blue fabric for the gloves since my gloves have holes in them."

And "Don't forget about the cape. It's pretty long so maybe we should go outside on a windy day so it doesn't get all dirty."

Apparently this dress was pretty important.
I finally caved and told her I'd work on making her one.

First I thought I'd look online to see if I could purchase the dresses. Apparently the Anna dress is being sold, but it wasn't long enough for Ruby. Elsa's dress is also being sold, but on Etsy for upwards of $120.

I also found 2 patterns on Etsy for $9.50 apiece. I swallowed my nerves and apprehension and hit the download button.

I used This Elsa pattern and this Anna pattern. Both were very clear and easy to follow.

With a list of yardage and fabrics in hand, Maia and I headed to the store.

The printing and cutting of the fabric went smoothly. Shoot, I now know what a grain line is!
Also, I should point out that La Croix fueled this project. (don't worry, they were recycled).

Then came the painting for Anna's dress. It was at this point that I felt I had perhaps gotten in too deep.

And while it seemed never ending, it was also a lot of fun.

Maia kept getting out of bed each night to "see how the dresses were coming."

And then, finally, after 3 days, they were done!

My least favorite part of this whole thing? Making the stencils.
If I ever do it again (which at this point, is doubtful), I'll buy proper stencil film and use it instead of a cereal box.

 There were so many times that I would finish a step and then laugh out loud in disbelief that it actually looked the way it was supposed to look.

There were so many things that I did for the first time.
Sleeves.
Lining.
A collar.
Fabric painting (which was a lot more fun than I anticipated).

My motto for the past three days was "it's only fabric."

They are certainly not perfect.

But the girls don't seem to notice.

They only care that it's long enough and not too itchy.

Hemming this dress was a huge job.
And probably my second least favorite part.

Lots of room for growth in this one.

The Elsa pattern had painting the fabric as the last step. If I did it again, I think I'd try to do it before sewing the dress together. That way I could paint everything at once, without having to wait for one side to dry before rotating it.

One of the hardest parts of the project was trying to complete the dresses at the same time.

I would also use gold fabric paint for the trim on Elsa's dress, instead of ribbon. It's way easier to paint on the outline than it is to sew the ribbon.

"Mommy! My gloves have shipped! They're going to be here today or tomorrow!"

Also "when are you going to make the cape?" and "we need to make a crown now."
The Elsa pattern did come with a cape and I'll probably try to have that done by Halloween.

Oh yeah, speaking of Halloween, there is no way I'm buying costumes this year. So hopefully these aren't destroyed or too small by then. If they are, too bad.

The entire project cost just about $120 for both dresses.

I have lots of material left over from the Elsa dress though, maybe enough for one more in the same (smallest) size.

It was a fun project. Exhausting, but also exciting. Especially since I don't really consider myself a sewer.
However, after this project, I think I do pretty well!

House stuff

Well, it's that time of year.
Home improvements and big projects abound.
I've been sewing all day every day for the past two days. But more on that later.

At any rate, there have been some small changes in the house.

We used to have this clothesline hanging in the hallway, to display artwork and pictures.

It now looks like this!
I replaced the clothesline with 4 frames I found at Goodwill. I painted them all the same color, placed matting in the back and attached wires in the front.

I like how we have the same display area, but its now more grown up. Also, it will be easier to cut down on all the Lion King and Frozen pictures.
Sorry! Only room for 4!

Patching up the walls and painting them brought the suddenly urgent (to me) need to give the downstairs a fresh coat of paint. The paint can the old owners left for us is from 2007. I think it might be time. I'm hoping to get that done before the semester starts.

However, of more immediate concern is that some of the siding on our house is rotting.

We've had four companies come out and do estimates. From these visits we've learned that the siding used on our house is the cheapest you can use, low quality (surprise, surprise), and is reaching the end of its life. There are about six spots that were repaired before we owned the house.

So, we're looking at close to $8,000-$10,000 if we do the front of the house, spots in the back, and paint the whole house (which it needs) or $20,000-$30,000 if we do the entire house and get it painted.

The thing is, we won't get our money back when we sell the house. It's not like redoing a bathroom or kitchen. But if we don't do the work, it will continue to deteriorate and cost us money when we try to sell it.

I can think of at least 20 other things I'd like to spend that much money on.

Several of the guys who came to give estimates said if we're planning on being in the house for the next 15 years, we should consider doing the whole thing or a larger part of it. However, if we're only going to be here for 4 or 5 more years, then it would make sense to just fix the spots that need it.

Bottom line, we don't have that kind of money. And I really don't want to pay it back longer than is absolutely necessary.

All the decisions we've made about our lives up to this point include being here in Wichita for the long term. There are lots of wonderful things about this place and we're happy to be here despite my longing for the Bay Area and disdain for Kansas weather. However, you never know what crazy, unexpected turns life can take.

In 15 years Ruby will have graduated high school. We certainly won't need this size house once our birdies have left the nest. We could downsize and move to a more "hip" part of town, even if it's in a terrible school district.

What would y'all do?

We're leaning toward new siding on the entire front, the few spots in the back, and getting the house repainted.

Any thoughts and/or advice?

Things

I can't believe we've been home for a week already. Re-entry has been fairly painless. Thankfully the weather here was mild, making our departure from paradise a bit easier.

Here are some highlights from our week:

1. Today Maia wrote some lyrics:
Somewhere over the rainbow, swimming birds drop
They fall into a lake, they're called ducks.

"Haha Mommy! Is that funny? They're called ducks, haha."

2. I scored a coat rack at Goodwill for $9. It's not in great shape, but I've been looking for one for over a year. I just couldn't bring myself to spend $50 on a new one. I also found some picture frames for a hallway project and a new ceramic container for my coffee. It was a good trip.

3. Some of the siding on our house is rotting. We're getting about 4 different estimates this week. Sooooo that's happening.

4. Still dreaming about our vacation to CA. It was such a great trip. Also, I have to include these photos of some old friends I got to see while in southern CA.

This is my favorite recitative partner.

We haven't changed a bit.

It's been over 15 years since I've seen this lovely lady.

And this gorgeous friend is now a mommy. Her son is so so cute. Dimples for days. Curls too.

Unfortunately we didn't get to see any of our NoCal friends. I had also hoped to see my aunt and visit my former piano teacher, who retired this year. I guess we'll just have to go back!

5. This is the first year we let the girls stay up for fireworks on the 4th. Both girls kept their hands firmly planted over ears the entire time. Ruby basically hated it and wanted to be held as our neighbors shot cannons into the sky (not really, but it was loud!). I don't really blame her. I guess when you live in the prairie you like to blow stuff up. Needless to say, I'm glad that week is behind us.

6. All of a sudden I'm learning ALL of the music. It's nice to have a full plate.

7. Only 2 more weeks until we get to go on vacation with my side of the family, but who's counting?