Oh I'm not much of a fan of this place

IKEA... 

I should have heeded the sign

My family loves IKEA as I've mentioned before. I've had a couple of negative experiences there in the past. Alyssa wants to help me get over my IKEA-phobia. So we headed over there on Saturday early afternoon. I should have stopped and turned back to come again another day. 

It was incredibly busy!!!

1st stop the cafeteria

 I would give this area of the store two big thumbs up. It's decent food at a decent price and unlimited lingonberry juice is hard to beat! We got a table for the 7 of us to sit around while Evie stayed in her stroller in the cart.

Children's decor and toys

I did have a good time with the girls looking at the finger puppets and cloth dolls while Alyssa was checking Rowan into small land. We got about half way through the marketplace when the guys (Harlan, Hayden and Cameron) were done with their trip through the furniture displays upstairs. Shopping with toddlers (not the problem) and teenagers (BINGO) is not a great combination.

Could this be our dream car?

 The next time I go to IKEA I'm taking as many people as can fit in this car. Maybe Har and I will head over there on a Tuesday morning or Thursday early afternoon. Saturday will not be the day to go there again.

 The 8 of us in this vehicle survived our shopping trip to this Swedish box-store. I managed to buy some glasses that stack safely in our cabinets, a couple of hanging lamps for either side of our fireplace and a matching shade for one of our lamps. I had to sadly walk by the Christmas stuff as everyone was wanting to go home.

Monday morning near Lloyd Center

 Harlan and I decided to have a mini-coffee date. While I was waiting for him I heard a helicopter. My trusty camera was with me so I zoomed in and took a picture of it hovering over what I assume was I-5. I figured it was a traffic copter from a radio or tv station but it didn't have any markings of a TV station its side. It sure was loud!

Seasonal appreciation

 I caught multiple hues as I was sitting near Har's work. I then snapped a picture of the red ivy and pale yellow leaves while driving home.

Almost 11 months

Joylynn unearthed some old baby clothes while going through stuff. One dress she found was the one that Cherise wore in her official baby picture. I put it on Evie and took a few pictures of her in it.

 Here is Cherise on 03/05/85.

A colorful girl and a colorful quilt

Kate wanted me to take a picture of her too. She held a microphone in front of her face to be silly. I love all of the layers and colors that Alyssa puts on these girls. It's so fun and frilly.

The quilt that is laid out here is for Alyssa's niece, Piper. Her mom took weekly pictures of her on a different piece of fabric for her whole 1st year. Crystal (Piper's mom) chose 35 of her favorites for us to make a quilt out of.  We cut and stacked the squares and today we laid them out. I'm hoping to get them sewn together after the kids are tucked in for the night tonight.

A surprisingly balmy day

 My van thermometer read 68 degrees when I went to pick up the grands from school. It was forecasted to rain today, tomorrow and Wednesday. I was pleased to park at the far end of the block and take a few pictures of the trees over on the other side of the playing field. 

Wyatt is gathering acorns, which I hope to encourage him to put into a feeder box for squirrels when the weather gets colder. Genevieve has a new very large goose egg on her forehead from a recess mishap and Danika had a field trip to a pumpkin patch today.

Those are just a few of the things I want to remember when I look back at this blog.

So thankful for this mode of memory keeping!