New Year Wishes!

I hope that each and every one of you has a 2011 that is super fantastic!  That you finish all the projects you want to finish, read all the books, see all the movies, take all the trips, etc, etc, but most of all that you and yours will be happy and healthy!  May only good things find you this new year!

December finishes!

After several months without a finish I have two for December!  Above is the doll quilt I made for Nora.  I sent the basket you can see with a cloth doll as well as other things.  My machine quilting is improving as is my binding.

This is Brayden with his "travel memories" quilt.  He loves mine so much and asked for one for himself.  His is bigger than mine!  He has three patches already;  one from DC that Mommy and Daddy brought him, one I brought him from Ireland and one that his Grandad bought in Germany as a teenager.  He has a lot of space to fill!  I'm working on one for Kolby as well, should only take another couple of days but it won't be finished in December!

I have been posting finishes, etc as part of my participation in the OPAM challenge for the past two years.  This year I didn't do so well!  My focus for the next year will take me away from this type of thing, although I will continue to create and to work on projects already in progress, I'm not going to participate again this year.  If and when I finish something I think is important I'll still put it on the blog!

Christmas Update!

 Brayden wearing his "headlight," each of the boys received one to wear in their boys only "cave" under Brayden's bed.

 Kolby is crazy for silly bands, I think he put on most of an entire package!

 Kolby opening a new "bass Pro"  truck and trailer.  I could not believe how many ways that thing was attached to the box!

Brayden with his Dragon Castle.  It was a pretty cool toy on Christmas!

Brayden opening his V-tech "reader" Kind of like a Kindle for kids.  Alas, he did not receive the I-pod he asked me for.  The boys, made out like little bandits!  It took Kolby until 7:30 Christmas night to finish opening his gifts, mostly because he wanted to play with everything and would not open another gift until he had!  (Do you know how hard it can be to get a toy out of the package?  Especially when a nearly two year old is helping?)

I am lucky to have children who spoil me!  I only have to mention that I am thinking of buying something and it appears under the tree!  This year that included a food saver and bags (no more freezer burn), an indoor grill/griddle, and a lovely jewelry case.  On Christmas we had our traditional blueberry coffeecake for brunch, then snack foods through the afternoon followed by chili for dinner.  It was a very leisurely day!  The day after Christmas, Scott and Bri joined us (more presents) and we had our big dinner of Steak and Shrimp.   Then in the evening we were able to Skype with Steve, Candice and Nora.  I think all had a great time, we did all agree that the boys had too many gifts!

Happy Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve.  I have a bit of baking to do, purposely saved until today.  Some preparation for tomorrow and Sunday's events but it will be a relaxed day, I'm thinking.  Plus, IT'S SNOWING!!! and I'm giddy with it!  I know I will worry that Beth and her family are traveling to St Joesph today and I want them safe, always, but I can't help myself!  There's a huge grin on my face and my heart is happy!  It's snowing and tomorrow is Christmas!  So put on the Christmas music and celebrate with me! 

I wish all of you a joyful and giddy Christmas holiday and only wonderful things in 2011!  Happy Christmas!

It's Getting Close!

Another week bites the dust!  I've been busy baking, went back to mostly cookies this year instead of so much candy.  I think it's more traditional for me and also easier to store!  I still have a few things to make in the kitchen in order for it to "BE" Christmas. I nearly have my Christmas cards ready for the mail, should finish that and the letter then into the USPS tomorrow.  I have only two gifts yet to arrive from my best shopping friend Amazon.com and then a few to wrap.  All the prep is winding down, will clean house etc and work on Travel memory quilts each day plus the little extras.   The weather, while gray and gloomy, has turned much warmer.  Kelsey and I appreciate being able to walk in the park these days-without my wearing 6 layers of clothes that is!  I heard it might snow on Christmas Eve but any forecast for then is definitely going to change, beyond 48 hours it's really hopeless for accuracy.

If you noticed the tabs at the top of the page I'm trying to move the posts related to my trips to these pages.  Haven't quite got that figured out so be patient.  It's a wonder I figured out how to add the pages!

Really nothing exciting going on around here.  That's why no posts, I've nothing to say.  How odd.

A Winter Saturday

Just brought Kelsey back in, there is snow on the ground!  I doubt that it is "measurable" but It can be seen and it's blowing hither and yon.  The temperature started the day quite nice, Tanya started the car without a coat, but it has steadily dropped throughout the day.  Tonight it will drop to single digits.  The wind is blowing fiercely and sometimes the sound it makes in the trees reminds me of a jet engine up high.  People used to say it sounded like a train but I'm not of the train era really so jets mean more.  I know it makes me grateful to have a sturdy home and no outside work to do.  Kelsey will get cranky if we don't get a walk in after a few days but it will have to wait for next weeks warm up!

I didn't really get much done this past week, went shopping some-bought little.  Went on-line shopping, bought more!  Getting the box ready to send to Steve, Candice and Nora, think it will go out on Monday.  Had a couple of days where I just sat and stared into space, odd for me but I just didn't want to do anything.

The boys spent the night last night so I made homemade pizza and root beer floats for dinner, then french toast for breakfast.  They played pretty well together and separately but Kolby was being "I'm cute but a  troublemaker!" Uncle Rob rescued me for a while, taking them downstairs and putting on a movie-settles them right down.  After returning them to their parents I took a nap (they wore me out!) then I began sewing strips together for a Travel memories quilt for Brayden.  It's going together really well, all the strips are sewn together, tomorrow I'll press and cut so the rows can go together.  I'll have to make a Joann's run for the rest of the flannel for Kolby's quilt and the fleece for the backing plus a few other things (of course.)

Tonight, I'll wrap packages while watching TV and perhaps do some cross-stitch before I crash early!

Sunday

Well, Christmas EXPLODED at my house last week!  All NINE boxes of decorations came down from the attic and parked in the living room, what a mess!  I am happy to report that with the exception of the living room tree and tree boxes everything is up and the boxes returned to the attic!  I love when everything is finished but boy is it work.  This year I added to the mess by looking and looking for a new tree for the living room, I wanted a 7' skinny tree but I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on one.  I found a couple I liked but they were out of them, of course.  Finally Lowe's came through again, my new tree is up and we are going to decorate it this afternoon.  The tree in my bedroom is new as well, taller but not much wider (slender spaces call for slender trees) I like looking at it when I'm all tucked into bed with the lights out!  The little tree is up in the extra room decorated with the little Boyds bear ornaments.  I use timers on everything so they come on about 4 and go off about 11.  It looks magical and for me that's Christmas-magic.

I've been doing some sewing as well, can't show anything as they are gifts and I don't want to give away the secrets, shhhhhhh.  This week is for shopping and finishing (on in some cases beginning and finishing) handmade things.  I swear I'm starting next's years gift the 26th!  (I think I say this every year, sigh.)

Finished reading the new J.D. Robb books, they are always so entertaining and I love seeing Eve change and find new friends! 

Had an appointment with my G.P. just for a check up, plus we're trying some new meds for all the aches and pains I'm having.  Too soon to tell for sure if it's working.  He gave me the okay to join a gym-especially wants me to try water aerobics and maybe an eliptical-need to get the weight off these unhappy joints!

I'm off the cut blocks fro some of those secrets and to work at hemming the miles and miles of bedskirt!  (I tried the machine but truthfully it was as much work as doing it by hand!)