From Birthdays to QUEEN

I had a busy weekend.  It was Carver’s birthday.  Kalissa’s family had a wedding on Saturday so I was on helper duty.  I offered to make some egg bakes and pick up groceries for the party for Kalissa.  I took care of that on Saturday…and on Sunday, we celebrated his birthday.


He is all of three.  Here he is excited as everyone sang Happy Birthday.  Notice the candle in his cinnamon roll.

Kalissa has perfected the perfect easy birthday…serve brunch!  She makes a couple egg bakes the day before…has fruit and then has me make cinnamon rolls and muffins.

It was very nice…simple but nice.

I got a picture later in the day.  Here he is writing his thank you notes!!


We are super practical.  I got him a mason jar with slit lid to use as a piggy bank.  I wrote him a note that he could use the jar to save money to get a swing set in the spring.  They wanted to start teaching him more about money.  The provided him a place to save and a goal to save for…and it made things easy for me for upcoming events.  I can simply give money towards the swing set.

I also made him a pillowcase (it was the wrapping paper), a sweatshirt and a jar of honey.  He LOVES honey bread.  It’s his absolute favorite.

In the evening Karl and I had a special event.  I can’t begin to tell you how fun it was….well let me start at the beginning….
On Sunday morning I got a phone call from Doreen.  You might remember Doreen.  She’s a blog reader from Fredericksburg, Iowa.  Her and her husband Jim have been amazingly sweet to our family.  They were the ones who emptied their change jar and gave us the money to help cover expenses when Kramer was sick.

When Kramer died, they were again generous with food and beverages.  Now, they are at it again.  They gave Karl and I much needed break from our everyday lives.

They had tickets to the Gallagher Bluedorn to see the play We Will Rock You.  The play is based on songs from the musical rock group Queen.

Here is the synopsis:
WE WILL ROCK YOU follows two revolutionaries, Galileo and Scaramouche, on a quest to save rock n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world where there are no musical instruments and rock n’ roll has died.

Galileo and Scaramouche will join a small group of societal outcasts, the Bohemians, as they fight to take back the iPlanet from the all-powerful Globalsoft, led by the Killer Queen. They will fight for freedom, individuality and the rebirth of rock n roll.

WE WILL ROCK YOU reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. With Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors and “a band without parallel in the theatre” behind the cast, the audience can expect WE WILL ROCK YOU to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen’s concerts.

I thought I had commitments that I couldn’t get out of with Kelli and Buck and the birthday but Kelli said “Go Mom”….and I did!!

Not only did they give us tickets but these were AMAZING tickets….four rows from the stage in the CENTER.  I’ve never had seats like that for anything.  It was amazing.

We had met Doreen and Jim there.  I scooted over to Doreen asked Karl to take a picture.  Doreen said…”no, I really don’t do pictures.  Just take one of your mom.”  So that’s what Karl did.  I went to my camera to write this post and this is the picture he took!!!  Ahh…Suffice it to say, Doreen was wearing a lovely floral top.

That was not the only laugh of the night.  The play was good and charged with energy.  CHARGED.


By the end of the play everyone was stomping and clapping as the performers played the song “We Will Rock You”.  When they got to Bohemian Rhapsody, everyone was singing.  Including Karl and I! It was so fun.  It was a high energy show and we both loved it.

As the show came to an end, we got up and headed out to see Doreen and Jim.  I couldn’t help but think, “Man, this is exactly what I needed…a something to take my mink off of the everything.”  When we saw Doreen we commented about how much we loved the show.  Doreen whispered to me, “I thought you needed something to get your mind off everything.” Oh Doreen, you were so right.

Karl and I are so thankful for the little get away you provided us.  It really was the perfect little something!!  Thank you, thank you!!

So…even though life has been a lot lately, we were still able to step away for a few moments this weekend.  We were reminded that there is definitely more to life than cancer.

..on a side note, Kramer’s sister just had surgery to remove some cancer.  Seriously, when will it stop.

Thanks so much Jim and Doreen…

11 thoughts on “From Birthdays to QUEEN”

  1. Carver is a doll and such a ham for the camera! Happy birthday Carver! It’s great they are teaching him about money and saving for something you really want! I think Jim and Doreen are angels in disguise! Bless their big hearts for the thinking of you and Karl!

  2. What a wonderful idea with the jar for his special item, and to give him honey makes me smile, years ago we gave our godson a BIG jar of pickles, his favorite food. He loved us to the moon and back and those memories are special even today. I’m so glad that you went to the play and enjoyed a few moments away from it all, wonderful gift. Isn’t the music amazing?

  3. Carver is going to be quite a character! He is already it seems.
    So glad you and Karl were able to get out to see “We Will Rock You”. Sounds amazing. And so generous of your friends!
    Love and prayers

  4. Carver is 3 already? HE is a doll. Love the dimples. And I would love a show like that! We have a wonderful theater at our local college. Maybe it will come here.

  5. I’m glad you could enjoy time with your family and then get out with Karl for some fun. Really, the most important things in life are friends and family and time is not wasted when you are with them.

  6. I do agree with Carol ….how can Carver be THREE already! Happy Birthday Carver!! Glad to hear that you and Karl had a great night out!

  7. There is a Japanese restaurant here that has fabulous ginger dressing. Our granddaughter could literally drink the stuff. So for special occasions, we buy her bottles of ginger dressing.

    The jar is a great idea. My kids would spend the money and not have any for the swing set. They’re bad with money.

    I’m so glad you had a good evening. What fun to listen to music and hang out with Karl.

    Love and hugs

  8. I enjoy reading your blog. I started following it just before your husband got so sick. I was sorry to read that he had passed away, and I hope you are doing ok. It sounds as if you are. But the real reason I am writing is because last night I was going through some of my old quilting magazines, trying to decide which patterns to keep and which to just get rid of. I always have such a hard time just throwing away perfectly good magazines! As I was turning pages, I saw a familiar face. It was you and one of your daughters! And shortly afterward, I found another one. I thought it might have been your other daughter in the second one. I did not know that you also designed quilts along with everything else you do! I was impressed at all your talents. I always you all the best, and will watch for more of your work.

  9. Your boy Carver is so cute! The Grands grow up so much faster than the children we have it seems. So glad you had a good time at the show.

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