Angel Food Cake

Look what I made!! From scratch!! Marye, you were right, it was easy. Once I get a new camera cord, I'll add some more pictures.... and it was really really yummy too!

Legislative session

Well, the legislative session in WY has begun again. It's a season of prayer for us, praying that our freedoms don't get trashed any more, and expanded would be even better. There is a bill close to my heart, SF 74 Traditional Birth Care. If it passes, it will legalize midwifery in Wyoming again. Currently, midwifery has been erased from the books, without even notifying the public, or asking for public opinion. CNM, which are nurses with specialized training in midwifery, is covered, but they do not deliver at home here. The bill would allow Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) to attend births.

This is dear to my heart. You see, all 6 of my children have been born at home with a midwife in attendance, some after the legal status changed. I never knew it had been made illegal. I had dreams of becoming a midwife when my childbearing years are over, and my daughter has mentioned more than once a desire to become a midwife. (she has attended my last two births) My husband and I have been so distraught over the outlawing of midwifery in WY, that we have seriously considered moving to another more midwife friendly state. Here in Wyoming, we have a shortage of OB care. What a boon it would be to a rural state like ours, for a midwife to be able to take on the low risk patients, freeing up OB time and facilities to the mid to higher risk patients they have been trained to handle! Midwifery has been a time honored tradition, tracing its roots back to Biblical times, and beyond, I'm sure. The Hebrew midwives in Egypt were honored by name in the Bible for performing their duties admirably. A trained midwife provides so much care, gentleness, and understanding to an expecting woman. They are taught, and believe, that pregnancy is not a medical problem, but a normal state in the lifecycle of a woman. There are parameters to follow, and if a woman and her pregnancy veer outside of normal parameters, they refer the woman to a Dr, who is trained to handle the complications that sometimes do arise. Drs should be there, but they shouldn't be a woman's only choice. It bothers me greatly that a woman can choose to end her pregnancy for any reason (ain't getting into that here) but cannot choose a midwife to attend her birth. Many countries have midwives for most of their women, it's considered normal, and their birth mortality rates are lower than here. And as the US pushes once again to a caesarian rate of nearly 30%, it seems like the almighty dollar is making choices for us, not us for ourselves. (not saying Dr's are performing c-sec's for financial gain, but do we all not know someone who was forced into having a repeat section because of hospital policy or insurance restrictions.) I truly hope that Wyoming's legislators listen to all the statistical information that shows midwifery to be a safe option, and allow us to step back into the 21st century.

Please keep this issue in your prayers....

New Mexico trip

Here's some pictures of our drive home from the funeral in NM. Yes, it was snowing really hard from Santa Fe til Las Vegas, but Raton was clear.

Enjoy eye candy.

Totally Random and Pointless post

GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008 sock KAL

I'm part of a group on Ravelry that is knitting socks every month. This is my January sock I finished last week.
These are the diagonal rib socks by Ann Budd. Knit on Knitpicks Harmony needles in size 2, 2 circular. Yarn, Trekker XXL. Alterations- I put in a short row heel. I'm really like how these turned out. I'm a happy camper!

Custom Sewn wedding dress

Ok, so before the first of the year, I was working on a request from a friend. I offered to make her wedding dress. (yes, I'm insane...LOL ) The pattern she chose was wonderful, easy to make. Thsi was a fully lined a-line dress with princess seams. I think it turned out well, she loved it.
Pic heavy...
this stuff was like cutting a cloud. This is the material for the undersleeve. Beautiful, light, airy stuff.


under sleeve cut out.





This is the main sleeve/over sleeve. It was a long draping poet sleeve. Since the interior of the sleeve was visible, I lined it with the same material as the dress, not lining material.






These are obviously cutting out the pattern. I cut the two layers of satin and the two layers of lining at the same time. It saved my sanity...LOL Actually, it was easy, it was just faster to cut them out at the same time.









An in process shot...

Look at that train....





Finished!! Waiting for delivery. I finished it at about 2 am. The wedding was on New Years Day. (which also happens to be my Noah's birthday!)
This is a close up of the applique on the front. It uses cording, fire-polished Chech beads, and hemitite tube beads. I think it turned out pretty good!





A happy bride. (yes, I know the exposure is horrid, but I had to bump it way up... I took a lousy picture.)

Many years of happiness to you both!!

2008- new year.....

Well, we made it down to my MiL's home and had a great stay. I still have to unpack, then I get to update here tomorrow. The wedding went great, and the dress fit (YEA!!). So, I figure this is as good a place as any to post some goals for the new year.

1. Jim and I have given up all sodas and fries.... bummer... they're soooo yummy!
2. One of my big ones for the year. Jim and I are reading thru the Bible in a year. Our church gave out a simple dayplanner with daily readings on each day. We have made it thru our reading each day so far. each day is a step in the right direction.
3. get more consistant with my prayer life. I struggle with this as well. I talk to God most of the time. (He probably wishes I'd shut up...lol)But I really want a set aside prayer time, focused, just being with Him.

Guess I'll check back once a month with my progress on those. Hopefully I'll be more consistant on posting here. I'm starting to go thru a book I got, 'Grieving the Child You Never Met." So validating. I guess my biggest fear is that this son will be forgotton.... and I can't forget. I told Jim on the way home, I guess God called Ferne home so she could rock our baby.... works for me......

On with 2008!