Movie of the Week!!!

Here are a few clips from our Waseca Homecoming Parade

The Waseca Marching Jays warming up for a few of my children!



The parade starts!

Waseca Homecoming !

A little History

This is so neat...a distant relative that I never met has been working very hard at tracking down his family history which in turn benefits my knowledge of my family history.


Descendants of Johann Halbauer

Descendants of Stephanus Veis (Vaisz)

I can not believe all the work that must have been put into all his research!Anyway,now I know my relatives on my dad's side came from Austria-Hungry in 1889 or there abouts.

Now the relative who did all this hard work is the grandson of the sister of my great grandfather. What does that make him? My uncle once removed or my great uncle twice removed?Confusing! But it is very neat.

The little boy sitting on the ground on left is my great grandfather. The woman sitting in the chair on the right and the man sitting in the center would be my great great grandparents.The man sitting on the left in a chair is the brother of my great great grandmother and the other children would be my great grandpa's siblings.This picture was taken in about 1894 just a few years after they moved to America.There were about 5 younger siblings born after this picture was taken.

Busy Josh

Josh made this very pretty quilt from the scraps of my fabric books.

Great job Josh!

A Little This and That

I sold a lot of things on Ebay this past month.It seems the more I sell the more I find to sell.I have made a little money but it is hard to figure out how much to start a bid out at.It is very hard to figure out the postage.I made a few mistakes sending a few things to the wrong customers and it has cost more to fix it than what I made selling those items.

I also made these cute Christmas books I am going to put on my Etsy shop.I have a few more to make as well.









Jeff is going to bring Elena and Grant to pray tomorrow morning at the Jr. High for See You At The Pole. I guess our church is focusing more on the Sr. High but our kids wanted to go to the Jr. High so Jeff is planning to take them.It would be nice if other Jr. high kids show up.



Our fridge is not working again.Frusterating.It is a challenge to keep food for 16 people stored in a dorm size fridge.I was looking at the Duggar's photos of their house and reading the list of all the things they have...and then I look at our little dorm fridge and stove with just one small working burner and dryer that only works half the time...we make do.Of course, they do have 4 more family members so they need that much more.Their house seems like a palace.I caught myself thinking that they must do a real good job raising their children for God to bless them so...but I know God does not bless based on performance.He promises to provide for our needs and he has done that for us.Anyway there are a lot more pressing things to pay for than buying another appliance.Can you tell I'm just a little tired?A good night's sleep will do wonders!

Video of the Week

I thought I would make a little movie of me reading Joel a book.It did not turn out the way I wanted it to! I did not realize Joel was doing a little,hmm...nose picking! How funny and embarrassing! Gotta love little three year olds! Ok, maybe it is only my three year old who picks his nose but I will still hold my head high and enjoy it all!

Gifts from Grandpa & Grandma Frye

To Cyrus..





To Ekie...

My Sad Little Pepper

When should I pick it?

A Few Random Tuesday Thoughts

I took these picture of Anya running around the 'track'/bike path around our house.It is a mandatory 10-12 times around every week day.Amazingly the kids rarely argue about it and they have been doing it for 6 months now.Doesn't it look like we live in the country?Sadly,we do not but it looks pretty from this angle.You can see Cyrus and Naomi right behind Anya.You might notice the lack of foot wear...Jeff's parenting theory...if it worked for Shoeless Joe Jackson it will work around here...Teasing.Actually the kids would rather endure the pain of barefoot running than take a few minutes to find there shoes.





I am getting down to the last of my Ebay school book selling.So far I had over 60 auctions.Each round of auctions I do gives me the courage to let go of even more of our unused school books.I only made one goof up which was getting the books mixed up with two customers.As of now a group of books that are supposed to be in California are somewhere in the hurricane mess down in Texas.

If you are wondering,the Ebay thing has not been all bad.Once I figured out how it works it is pretty fun.It has been hard to see books that I paid $20.00 sell for as little as $3.00. On the flip side, there were books that the bids get higher than the customer would pay for it new.Crazy.Want to know the 'hot books'? Anything Beautiful Feet or Genevieve Foster (or are they both the same?). Also, the living history type books,books that can be used for classic schooling go fast as well.

I am now starting to go though my sewing stuff...the first thing to go is my knitting machine.Who knows why I thought I needed a knitting machine to begin with but I bought it ,hardly ever used it, and am now selling it for probably an 8th of the price.

I also am on my way to list my CUTE homemade doorway puppet theater.I only am showing it because I was so proud of it.It was my own brainstorming creativity!Sadly,I really did not use it but in theory it made sense....all my little ducklings learning via puppets...The pictures do not give it justice but there has to be an Ebayer somewhere who would enjoy it! Find a good home puppet theater!




Enough rambling...

Fashion at the Fryes!

I sent Joel to pick out his own outfit this morning.

Gotta love those corduroy capri's for boys!



And those Egyptian looking sandals



Yes,Joel's fashion style is 'for real'!



His mind is thinking about what fashion statement he will make tomorrow...



And whatever he brings to the runway as a loving mother (or maybe just tired mother) I will oblige!

Video of the Week!

Now it is time for another crazy video from the Frye house!

This video is just about an hour old so it is almost like you are all joining us for our Sunday Pizza night!


Jeff's true personality shines in this video!

And the Winner is...

I has a lot of entries this month!

Thank You to everyone who took the time to enter my quilt drawing!

Each entry is assigned a number as they come in and this month I had forty entries!That is a record so far. My handy random number generator chose # 22 and that number was assigned to...


Andrea of the little collection

Congratulations Andrea!!!!

I hope you enjoy the quilt!

By the way, Andrea the red work quilt you are working on is VERY pretty!It will be fun to see a picture of it when it is all finished.


For anyone who is interested,I will post my October quilt to give away Monday October 6Th, 2008 so mark your calenders to come back and enter.


Thank you to everyone!!

It Must Be The Weather....

Crazy things are happening...it must be the weather or something...

I am planning to get a lot of my quilts ready to donate to Project Linus but have not taken down my Dragonfryequilts.com site. It is not hopping with activity so there was no hurry.Well,crazy enough, I just had a lady buy 9...yes 9...of my whole cloth quilts!I also put another quilt on Ebay along with the school books I am selling just to see what would happen and someone bought that one as well.If anyone of you payed someone to make my day (week) Thank you!!!

I also have a record 36 people in this month's quilt drawing.I published the contest on Google something or other which got my drawing on a contest list.We will see who the winner is tomorrow.I will do the random number generator thing think I do each month.

If anyone is curious about the quilt in the picture above...it is called Puppies at Play. It is one of my most prized quilts. I made it about four years ago.I am crazy about the reproduction '30s fabrics and the combo of embroidery on quilts.Anyway,it is one of the few quilts I would not part with.It represents my 36Th year of life.

A Letter...and my Lengthy Thoughts..

I received this email the other day regarding my Dragonfrye News blog. It has gotten my mind thinking.I do not know who this woman is but she hit on something in my life I have been overlooking.I highlighted it in purple.

I have been thinking that over the years I have gotten a little mixed up in my thinking about God...I have forgotten that God is not waiting for me to get all prettied up or figure out 'life' and then bring it to him afterwords.He will not keep distant until I'm together enough.He does not pull out a clean towel to sit on before he sits beside me so he does not dirty his clothes.Sin does not intimidate him.Was it not Jesus himself who touched the Leper...Didn't he muddy his own hands to heal the blind man...yes, and shed his own blood.He was right there in the moment...

It has gotten tricky for me because I think I should know better.I should already know how to be a good mom or wife.God sure has showed me a lot over the years.I think my issues have not been whether I follow all the great parenting/home management/good wife tips.I think the issue has been am I only letting God in only during the "Christmas News Letter" times in my life and not the hidden icky times.Am I just as comfortable with him sitting next to me when I majorly blow it with the kids or Jeff or even personal things.Can I accept that he wants to be there right next to me with the yuck of my sin all over both of us.Maybe my thoughts are off base.I do not know.


Dear Tina-

I came upon your blog through your quilt giveaway, but as I read your blog a bit, I was very struck by your post about considering taking a blogging break. Isn't blogging an interesting thing? We want to share and read other's blogs to be inspired and to see other's stories, but ultimately as public space, we often see only the "public face" of someone. The deepest parts of our lives (both joys and sorrows) are often not meant for the blog. My friend compares blogs to a perpetual Christmas letter where everyone writes about the accomplishment highlights, sends a picture of the kids looking their cutest (and usually neatest they've been all year!), maybe alludes to a few struggles, but never truly shares the nitty gritty yucky stuff of life. Perhaps that is ok, as long as we realize that that is the case. It's not like our lives are a mess, and everyone else has it together!

I think at times we need to retreat to our private places, and that's ok. We need to come back to working things out in our own hearts, praying (sometimes heartachingly) honestly, relying on friends who can hear our craziest thoughts and deepest discouragements and still have faith in us, working through the messes and misunderstandings with our families. I guess as I think about your post from a month ago, I think that setting aside blogging for a time (or forever) shouldn't be something you feel bad about if that is right for you. The most meaningful work we do within ourselves and within our families doesn't always show up in ways that others can see, not immediately and in some ways, not ever.

But also, if you find a way to blog that helps you celebrate the little joys (even if they are brief in the midst of BIG time craziness), process your feelings, connect with others, may you be blessed to find it.

When you shared the story of two women, it made me think about a recent change in my prayers. It dawned on me that I, like Eve, am often ashamed of what ever it is I am dealing with and struggling with here in mortality and want to hide myself from God. I've started changing my prayers to let Him know I want Him in my life, right now in the middle of the mess, even when I am doubting and scared and screwing up. He can see it anyway! I'd rather have Him with me as I work it out. Remember, He says His grace is sufficient for us, imperfect people.

Oh, I am saying a prayer for you today. May you continue to find more peace, more answers, more guidance as you move forward in your heart and in your life. I think that struggling with faith can be a way to strengthen our faith, so be patient with the process. I trust that you are following your heart now and choosing what is best for your family little by little as that way is shown to you.

God bless

Southern Research and Outreach Center

University of Minnesota's

Waseca Campus

Southern Research and Outreach Center

Open House
at the
Southern Research and
Outreach Center
Highway 14 and Co. Rd. 57 W.
Waseca, Minnesota
“Ag for the 21st Century:Striking a Balance”
September 11, 2008
4-8 p.m.
Free picnic supper:
4:30 to 7 p.m.

Thanks Jeff for taking the kids!

A few Thoughts...Tina Style...

I am just feeling so overwhelmed with everything...I just do not get it...I do not know how can look at the things that go on around here daily and sit back for a moment of two to take a breather and count my blessings,to take a moment to appreciate all God is doing...is he doing anything?It does not seem like it a lot of the time.I'm sure the blessings are there but life is going SO fast there really isn't the time to notice much.If I do not do the laundry for one day we are SO backed up it is overwhelming.If I make a stupid impulse purchase, however minor, the effects are felt greatly.I can not organize enough,clean enough,plan enough, to have a day that flows even sort-of smoothly.I wake up every morning with a stirred up stomach dreading the day and can not sleep because things weigh so heavy on my mind.Now, I do not want to pull out the large family vs extra large family card but having our seven seemed like a lot back then but it was nothing compared to right now!There really was some breathing room back then.A break was really a break.A day or so letting my tasks slide was felt a little but not like now.Now days there isn't much wiggle room for me to sit and be idle for long.Not to mention the verbal pincushion I am most days.I have a few kids very talented at hitting some major arteries of mine.

I think what is happening is that I am holding on to the idea (maybe holding onto the 'right') that I can ( should be able to ) do things the same way as I could way back then and get the same results. What I think I need is for God to teach me new things...new management skills,new training skills,new teaching skills,new cleaning skills,new deeper loving skills,new strength to cut out the time stealers I am clinging on to so tightly,new strength to lay more of my self will before him.Now...if I become invisible ( which I fear I will become )you will know why...Hmm...maybe becoming invisible is the point...less of me/more of God.Hey! I might be on to something. You just witnessed a few scales falling from my eyes.This whole craziness might not be as bad as I thought.

Behold, (Tina) I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

A CUBS fan in Training?

I grew up with the TWINS...Jeff grew up with the CUBS. I believe in our house it seems the CUBS trump the TWINS...Jeff where is that Minnesota loyalty? Is living 18 years in Minnesota not enough? Besides the TWINS' colors are SO much better!

I'm teasing...this is a gift from Jeff's parents who are great CUBS fans as well and they indeed live in Illinois.They trained their only son (and three daughters)well...CUBS loyalty to the end!

Fresh From the Farm

The Abraham's dropped off a bunch of farm fresh eggs and apples today! We have not seen apples for a VERY LONG time at our house.

THANKS!!!!

Crazy Wednesday

Today was a crazy day and I am thinking it will be like this every Wednesday through the school year. I decided that the main focus on Wednesdays will be to get the kids ready for AWANA. Nothing else. Showers, hair washing and braiding,etc...my stress level has always been VERY high over the years with the task of getting the kids ready so Jeff can get home get changed and get the kids in the van for church in a matter of minutes.I could not imagine if I actually had to get Joel,Lily, and myself ready as well.The balancing act comes with making sure showers are spaced right so all 12 kids have hot water,making sure there are enough socks for everyone,AWANA books are ready,shoes located...sadly there is not much relaxation once they are gone either.I spend most of that time cleaning up after the storm has subsided and making a late dinner.I am sure after a few months things will start to get easier.I hope!

Another of My Rambling Reflections On Life...

I've been in this kind of down mood the past few days.

I Was in the Kitchen Today!

I finally got around to trying the Funnel Cake recipe that I read about on A Baker's Dozen: Daily Life in a Large Family today.They were a hit even though I over cooked them a little!Thanks Baker's Dozen!

Inspiration!!!!

I received my Australian Smocking magazine on Saturday! I just LOVE this magazine!



Looking through it I saw this project which got my mind turning...





So I went to Walmart and bought this...I was SO exited because the tank tops and shorts were only $1 a piece!





And so far did this...Ok it is not smocking but I did embroider a back stitch and added the patch.I actually think it turned out very cute!






I decided the ribbon on the shorts did not match the top so I tried another embellishment idea by adding a matching patch and embroidery to this pare of shorts.I like this pair better.



I'm inspired so there will be more show and tell in the near future!