Unity Park 5 K Run

My middle son competed in a local 5 K run/obstacle course event in town. It had to be postponed but was held on 4th of July at the local park. I couldn't go because my husband wasn't well enough but my daughter went and took photos for me.

Along the run you would have to stop and do push ups, burpees etc. It was a test of endurance.

He was the first adult to come in but he wanted to support other runners. She has photos of him running with others to help them come to the finish line. Such a sweet heart.

Its nice to see that hes not all about the glory but really about enjoying the run and serving the Lord through it.

Here is everyone that participated. 

Those that came in the top for their age groups.

I am so glad she was there to support him. Its neat to see how close they truly are to one another.

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Fathers Memory Quilt

While I was in the hospital with my husband orders started to come in through my ETSY page 

I was so incredibly thankful for the Lords immediate provision as we tried to figure out how we were going to manage with him out of work for 3 months. I wrote customers immediately and explained there would be a delay and why. They were all so incredible about the circumstances and still placed orders. 

This quilt was with a father's clothing who had passed. I love the patriotic flannel backing. 

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Trendy Tshirt Quilt

I love this turqoiuse teal fabric. I think it was the perfect fit for this Camo/ FFA style of graduate. 

The brown flannel backing was the perfect combination too.

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Summer Meals

Having 6 people in our household was trying at times with meals. It was tough because my husband needed me constantly and so taking time to make meals really was a lot of effort. I felt I was constantly washing sheets that were changed every couple hours, clothing etc. I decided at some point that kids would have to help. my oldest did great with some instruction at making this pineapple upside down cake. 

One thing I learned was my best friend is the crockpot and beans. I could make this and my husband and I could eat it all week then my kiddos could make frozen foods for themselves. That helped a ton.

Once Paul started to feel better he helped some. He made us some yummy chicken tenders and the boys helped with the side veggies. It was about all he could do to make the chicken, then he was down the rest of the evening.

At some point we made a turkey. I figured that would feed us a week. So taquitos were something Paul was able to make if I did all the prep work and he did the frying. I learned really quick he wanted to feel useful.

Breakfasts at times were creative as well. Like turning french bread into french toast because we were out of sliced bread.

My oldest did great with that turkey. He was able to help with some sides to make it last for lunches and dinners.

He got really good at making perfect mashed potatoes.

I always knew when he made dinner, it was almost always CENTERED around mashed potatoes. 

I was super thankful for this meal when my husband was feeling so much better. We saw a brisket at Walmart for $13, that fed us a week and boy was it yummy to have smoked. That is perfect for him because he can go sit a while, then just go check on it. No standing there for thirty minutes. 

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Carnival Cruise Quilts

If you read my post regarding our summer I want to talk to you about one of the many blessings the Lord provided us. We have some friends from the historical society of our town. They heard of the news and let another member know. Between everyone working quickly we had that hospital bed we needed. Also when I got home I had a quilt order. For me quilting is essential. It keeps my bipolar depression in check. With my living room now a bedroom my bedroom became my quilting area. I needed some normalcy and this order helped with that. I am so thankful for the Lords provision. They even brought me Orange Juice which I desperately needed.

What was nice about this particular order is the hope within the shirts, these are travel shirts. I have never been out of the US so it was fun to see all the different shirts and think about one day when he would be well enough again to get out there and go on a vacation.

The summer was taxing, it was hard to stay on top of all the bills. I had to keep faith that God would continue to provide orders. This second order came just in time for me to take my oldest back to college. The profit helped with gas there and back.

I am so thankful for each order this summer. Every single one truly made a difference in whether bills were paid, food was on the table or if kids had enough money for Ecuador, camp etc. 

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Summer 2016 Adventures

Sometimes life spirals out of control. My summer felt very much this way. I am so thankful to have the Lord in our lives because I would have never made it through this ordeal without HIM constantly there. I saw this summer going much differently. The kids had camp and a mission trip to Ecuador planned, they had a computer class to take, I wanted to do some college visits, some family vacations and Paul had his men's break planned which he takes every summer around his Birthday. Its seemed the Lord had something in store for us that we just had to take day by day to understand.

Paul was in an accident at the Ranch he went to. Without going into much detail wise he ended up with 75 stitches to reattach his ear, eye trauma, body trauma, and a back that was partially broke and fractured. He would spend time in the ER twice and then at a wound care specialist once home before finally getting on the mend.

We turned our living room into a bedroom, borrowed a hospital bed, the guys at church came out and put in a ramp for him since walking was difficult. We attached a rope to the hospital bed at some point to help him ease out of bed when he was able to get up. We went to MANY doctors appointments. Gradually things were cleared, his eyes were not damaged, the blood eventually went away as did the bruising. The ear was healing well and no internal damage that we know of has been detected. His legs on the other hand continued to deal with infection. It was tough because he was forced to stay down for over a month. Just going to dinner out for an hour had set backs.

The ER visits proved crazy as they really weren't helpful. The wound care specialist ended up being the secret with a new antibiotic for a longer period of time and stockings to help with the pressure and distribution of blood in his legs. 

It was a long summer. I was home bound with him for most of it as he needed quite a bit of assistance. It seemed like life was put on hold. Thankfully all the kids plans still came to be and their lives weren't interrupted too much, minus the lack of a family vacation or the college visits. The computer class is now rushed during this semester of school. Hopefully we get it done in time without having to file for an extension.

I think all the time we spent together was rewarding. Its during times like this that you reevaluate your decisions in life, your relationships, your priorities. I am thankful to say that he is on limited duty back at work, he no longer has the brace and despite some back issues is doing fairly well. I know the Lord has a great plan for Him. I am thankful for more time on earth with him too.

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Summer Eats

This summer we had such a successful garden, minus our squash. I am not sure what really happened with those. They just seemed to always start in the middle of so much rain we were having. Now peppers we did really well with.

We had so many pounds we were giving them away, then we got smart and found time to can some of it. We made jalapeno peppers that were candied, pickled and even dehydrated some too. 

We made a version of our own with some banana and jalapenos because it will be great with meat and beans. The jalapenos were very hot this year, while the banana peppers were mild. It will be a perfect combination. 

This is my favorite recipe  for candied jalapenos. We pour it over cream cheese and eat with fritos or wheat thins. I love to add it to my cornbread too. 

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

Let's Get Crafty

I love Pinterest Ideas
Sometimes I have good intentions and not enough time.
Sometimes I try something new because a customer requests something special

That is the case with these pillows. My customer wanted to save a robe that her mom had worn. I used some of it in her memory quilt, which I had been doing a while, however I hadn't made many pillows that involved an envelope type back as well as clothing on the front. 

I think they turned out beautifully. I do want to purchase a pinking shear rotary blade as I think it might make it a little easier for edges not to fray on the inside. That would have been a great Pinterest tip.

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts

My Favorite Thing

Deciding on a favorite item was very difficult, it really depends on if I am cooking, cleaning, helping with kids, doing something for myself or quilting. Since I seem to really quilt a lot  these days I chose a quilting item. 

Fiskars Donna Dewberry Collection Easy-To-Read Ruler

I truly cannot live without this ruler while quilting. In fact I probably buy two or more a year because I use them so much I wear the painted markings right off of them. I love this ruler. It is truly perfect for all the Tshirt and Memory quilts I make. I love using it in combination with my rotary cutter and self healing mat. It makes life so much easier. I have made over 300 quilts in the last 8 years and I can tell you I used one of these rulers on every single one. 

Feel free to browse my shop and check out some of my items. 

google.com/+JennWellsandSunshineOfAutumnQuilts