Happy New Year!

It's time to celebrate - 2011 is just around the corner!

2010 wasn't a bad year - in fact a lot of good things happened this last year.

my sister got married

my niece was born

I started a great book club

I started my blog

work became less stressful

I got to spend good quality time with friends and family

I actually got to take some time off

I started crafting and learned to crochet

All in all I would say that 2010 was a pretty good year.

And now I look forward to what life brings me in 2011.

I look forward to:

resolutions to health issues that I have had for months - regardless of the implications it may have on my future

working really hard on reducing my debt

spending time with family and friends

spoiling my nieces and nephew

I hope you have a very Happy and Safe New Years!!

Christmas Gifts

 I made these shirts and onesies for the my nieces and nephew while I was on stay-cation.

I would have shared these before, but my sisters read my blog and I didn't want them to see before Christmas.

All of my fabric came from the thrift store - love it!!

My niece Tennessee got 3 - only because you can't buy just one white long-sleeved onesie - you have to buy 3!

I used iron on fabric adhesive, but then I also sewed along the edges - you aren't supposed to have to, but I don't think the designs would have stayed otherwise!

 Korrine modeling her shirt!

 John modeling his.

 Tennessee modeling hers

 I had to take lots of pics - this one was the best of the bunch!

Of course I had to take a pic with my special kiddos!

We do have a serious pic, but this silly one is so much cuter!!

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Sugar Cookie Fun

Last night my niece and nephew were over and we decorated sugar cookies.

I think they are excited!!

She was concentrating really hard on what she was doing.

John did is best at decorating the cookie, but he thought...

eating them was so much better!!

Korrine's cookies turned out great!

We had a great time and the kitchen wasn't a disaster when we were done!

I am excited to spend time with my family for Christmas this weekend!

Day 3 of Stay-Cation

I could get used to being on stay-cation!

But I couldn't pay my bills if I didn't work - bummer!

I heart not waking up to an alarm

I love not having a schedule and doing whatever I want based on my mood

I love being able to eat lunch with friends

I get to visit stores that I otherwise don't get to shop at

I get to stay in my pj's all day if I want (yes, I did that yesterday!)

I finally had to make a to do list yesterday to make sure that I accomplished

everything that needed to be done.  

That list is longer than what it was in my head.

I love scratching things off the list.  

And I admit that I put something on the list I had already done just so that I could cross it off.

You do it too, don't you?

I got my sewing machine out last night.

It had been years since I have sewn.

I really wasn't sure if I would remember how to thread it!

But it all came rushing back to me.

I am not very good at sewing unless it is a straight line, but even that can be troublesome for me!

The sewing machine was my grandmother's and as I sewed I thought about all of the wonderful

things she made us and about how great her sewing was!  

I guess I would probably get better at sewing if I did it more, but it's just not my thing.

Hope your week is going well - it's half over - ugh - that means my stay-cation is half over!  I do not have half of the things crossed off my list!  Better get busy!!

Stay - Cation!!!

So, this week I am on stay-cation!  I had 40 hours of vacation to use by Dec 31st or I would lose it!  I wasn't about to lose it - I worked hard for it!!

I haven't had an entire week off since Christmas last year!

I was supposed to go visit my BFF earlier in the fall, but things fell apart at work and it didn't work out so, instead I am now staying at home for a week.

My "to do" list is long and it I keep thinking of things to add to it!
I have plenty of crafts to finish start!
I should also send out some Christmas cards
and bake!

I am also waiting on some car parts to arrive on my door step to make some needed repairs to my vehicle!
It would be really nice to know exactly how fast I am driving and how much gas I have!

Okay so - I guess it is time to stop talking about all that I need to do and to actually start working on it!

I have been MIA

I have neglected my blog this week.  Mostly because I could be a stunt double for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!  

I developed a nasty cold and my nose has been as red as Rudolph's!

I still have my cold, but it is getting better - yeah!!

So, today is the 10th and I told you that I would always post a list of 10 things on the 10th.

I am officially on stay-cation so, here is a list of 10 things I plan to accomplish this week.

1.  sleeping

2.  cleaning my house

3.  reading

4.  crafting

5.  working on my vehicle

6.  going to lunch with friends

7.  going to 3 Christmas parties

8.  Christmas cards

9.  blogging

10.  relaxing

I think that I most look forward to relaxing and sleeping!   

Hope you have a great weekend!

Vintage Goodness

Last week I told you I would share with you what I got

from my antiquing in my parent's basement.

Love this old toaster - my dad said he used one just like it when he was a kid.

This old radio is minus the cord.

I love this fan

and these lanterns!!

and the old bowling pin.

My dad made sure to tell me not to plug any of these things in - no worries - the cords are not in condition and the cord from the radio has been cut off. 

I also got some glass bowls as well - apparently I didn't take any pictures of those. 

I can't wait to go through more stuff!

Life is Short

This week has reminded me that life is short and that you never know when it's your time to meet your Heavenly Father.  Members of my extended family lost loved ones this past weekend.  My brother-in-law lost a grandfather, aunts lost mothers and cousins lost grandmothers.  All had spent Thanksgiving Day together and got the dreaded phone calls on Saturday and Sunday that those loved ones had gone home to be with the Lord.

Each had lived long full lives and while we know that they now aren't experiencing any pain or health problems that doesn't make the loss for their families any easier.  My aunt and I were talking last night about how no matter how much you thought you had prepared yourself, you aren't really ever prepared when the day comes. 

It was great to hear the stories about the lives these people lived.  Memories about how warm, open, loving, caring and Godly they were.  I hope people say such nice things about me when I am gone. 

Remember to tell the people in your life how you feel about them - you never know if you are going to get the chance to tell them again.  To all my friends and family - I LOVE YOU!!!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I last bought a Christmas tree 18 years ago!  It is 7-1/2 foot tall and it is almost as big around.  Every year I spend hours putting it together and fluffing it.  The last couple of years I have spent almost as much time cleaning up the needles that are falling off of it!  It was time for a new tree and a tree that didn't take up so much room.  So, I downsized this year - it is only 6-1/2 foot tall and it not nearly as big around and best of all it was pre-lit!  Yeah - no untangling of lights and hanging them on the tree! 

I love my tree - every year the ornaments take me down memory lane!

I have had this one almost since birth.

I got this one from a friend for helping her at her wedding.

I got this one on a trip to Mexico for the wedding of two friends.

This one hung on my grandparents' tree every year until they moved to the nursing home.

I also love the vintage goodness on my mantle.

I love this vintage snowman and tree.

I picked up this tree at the thrift store - it is blinged out and I love it!

Now I just need to wrap the presents and put them under the tree, but that will have to happen another day!

Untraditional Thanksgiving

For the first time in my life I did not eat a Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.
It was fine, but it was weird.
I ate turkey sandwich for lunch, but it was deli turkey.
I ate tacos for supper - they were make with ground turkey.

My mom had to work and my sisters had things going on with their spouse's families.
My dad and spent the day together just the two of us.
He slept some and I crocheted. 
My mom joined us after work. 

I also went antiquing - well sorta.
I rummage through my parent's basement.
I took some fun stuff to display around my house.
I will share it with you after I clean it up - you see they came with dust. 

I think there is more stuff that I would like, but I am going to wait until my sisters look at it too.
I don't want to be a vintage goodness hog!

I did leave on old lantern there that I was so excited about.
My parents were excited for me to look at the lanterns and pick one or two out.
I couldn't figure out why until I actually looked at them...
they put a fake mouse on one of them!!
UGH - I told them they were not nice....you see I had a mouse in my
house this last week - and I was scared of it - I screamed and I actually
ended beating it to death with a stick. 

I am looking forward to eating turkey, mashed potatoes etc... tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family

This weekend I got to see my entire family.  I don't usually get to see them all in one weekend unless it is a holiday or a birthday. 

Friday night Tennessee and I got to have a good "talk" - Okay she is the only one talking, but isn't it just precious!?!  She was staring up at the ceiling and she is camera shy.  If she sees you trying to capture her "talks" she immediately stops.

I tried to upload a video of Tennessee talking, but I couldn't get it to load.  : ( bummer!

I also got to spending time with John and Korrine during church.  Then Korrine decided she wanted to go to Nana and Papa's with me to eat lunch and watch the last NASCAR race of the season because she wanted to watch Jeff Gordon race.  (she is so smart - I taught her well!)  I also worked on crocheting and so did my mom.  Korrine decided she wanted to learn to.  So, I tried to teach her how to chain - she is only 5 and she is left handed and I am not so, it was a little hard to teach her, but she actually did well.  She ended up taking some yarn and a crochet hook home with her so that she can practice. 

It was a great weekend!  I now look forward to a short work week and a long weekend with friends and family!

Hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Overwhelmed

I can't believe that is already November 17th!
I feel like I have so much I want to do and so little time to do it in.
All of these ideas keep coming to me about things to make for
Christmas gifts.
Some of these are for my extended family Christmas which is at the
beginning of December - um that doesn't leave much time!  I guess I need
to spend a little less time on my computer and a lot more time crafting!

Speaking of it being Thanksgiving and Christmas time - that means here in
these parts that it is cold outside!  I am most usually very, very cold -
remember the grandma/teacher sweater story!?!  HA!
Anyway, with these hormones that I am taking right now - I have hot
flashes - nasty hot flashes!  I say nasty because when I am hot - I AM HOT!
But on the same note, when I am cold - I AM COLD!
So, I find that when I have a hot flash I wish I were cold and when I am cold
I wish I were having a hot flash - it is such a vicious cycle!!

For those who saw me driving home from church in 36 degree weather with my windows down -
don't worry I did have the heat on in the car and the windows up when I took my niece and nephew home!
I waited until they were safe in their warm home and roll down the windows in my vehicle!
I have 2 more days in this first round of hormone treatments! 

Beth Moore: The Hair Brush

I have watched this video several times - Beth continues to inspire me!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was busy! 

Friday night the ladies came over for our final evening of disucssing the book

Crazy Love - Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

It was such a great book!!

I am looking forward to out next book - Beth Moore's So Long Insecurities.

Saturday was busy, busy, busy at work and then I went to a party in the evening -

we sat outside around the fire.  It was 44 degrees outside and I sat out there without my coat for awhile.

The silly hormones they have me on are giving me hot flashes!  I don't like them and I have a new appreciation for women going through menopause!

My sister and her husband needed a date night Friday night so, my parents came over to watch my niece and nephew while I went to the party and then I came home and bathed the kids and put them to bed.  Usually we all crawl into bed and everyone including me is out like a light....not so much this night!  Oh my goodness - we were up late and up often.  Korrine had nightmares and started screaming and kicking me in the middle of the night and John kept waking up needing a drink or chapstick or I am not sure what and

I woke up because I was H-O-T!! ugh!

Sunday morning we woke up and I made Mickey Mouse pancakes - the kids love them!

They were so happy at breakfast!

For John that happiness didn't last long and to be honest my happiness ran out too - I get mood swings along with the hot flashes and between those and John being tired we didn't get along so well, he ended up breaking a lamp and making a giant mess in the bathroom and I ended up putting him in timeout more than once and we were late to church.  Even though all of that happened I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything - I love them beyond words and look forward to the next sleepover!  I can't wait until my other niece Tennessee is able to join us!!

I have now done everything I needed to get done today including paying the bills - yuck!  Now, I am going to crochet and relax in front of the TV for the rest of the evening!

Hope your weekend was good!

10 thoughts

So, it is already November 10!  Can you believe it!?! 

I have seen blogs where on the 10th of every month they do 10 on 10 where they take one picture every hour for 10 hours.  I always think that I am going to do this and then I get home and realize that I forgot! :(  So, I have decided that on the 10th of every month I am going to give you a list of 10 things.  Every month will be something different.  Because it is November I am going to give you a list of 10 things I am thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving!

1.  that I have the love of an amazing, steadfast God
2.  my loving, supportive family
3.  my loving, supportive friends
4.  I have a roof over my head and food on my table (okay - I know this is two!)
5.  every winter I have someone to supply me with firewood and asks nothing in return
6.  I have a job
7.  I live in a country where I have freedoms
8.  I have 2 nieces and a nephew who love me
9.  my church family
10.  my health ** 

** If you read my blog a few days ago I was complaining about how impatient I am because I was waiting on some test results.  I say was because all of the tests are done and they all came back clear!! YEAH!!  What an answer to prayer!  This doesn't mean that the issue that caused those tests and all that stress is gone, it just means that nothing major is wrong - no cancer, no tumors, no cysts or anything else that I had automatically assumed it was.  I do have to start hormone replacement therapy to try to help resolve the issues...seriously hormone replacements at 35!?!  I just hope they help and that the side effects aren't bad!

Too much stuff

Last weekend I went out to my shed to get some firewood that I had leftover from last winter.  I was so excited to build my first fire of the season.  Well, some other nasty little creatures decided they wanted my firewood too because what I found was a bunch of saw dust!   Ugh!

Anyway, while I was in the shed I decided I should look in the other rubbermaid tubs I had out there as I really only knew what was in 2 of them were full of Christmas decorations.  When I got into the others I decided that if I hadn't missed any of the stuff in the almost 3 years that they were in the shed I should probably purge the shed of the un-necessary crap!  I found some stuff in there that I still coudn't part with - heck I had been holding onto some of it since I was 5!!  Check it out:

I got this award in kindergarten - can't believe I still have this -

although a couple of years ago I found a medicine bottle full of all of the baby teeth

I lost - do not ask me why I kept them or why the tooth fairy didn't take them!?!  HA!!

I found these valentines that I got in 4th grade - some of them look vintage!  HA!

Check out the one below - somehow I don't think kids would be able to pass one out like it these days!

Can you believe it!?!

When I was in high school I was a helper for my 3rd grade teacher - she was still teaching 3rd grade.

The kids made this poster for me - love it!

I apparently met Lorenzo Llamas sometime - I don't remember it.

I also found all of these GREAT notes from friends!  They were so much fun to read!!!

No, I didn't get rid of any of this stuff - I just still couldn't part with it. 

I did, however, purge most of what I found! 

I just crocheted my first dish cloth!

I have always wanted to learn how to crochet.  My mom has crocheted for years and has tried to teach me on more than one occasion.  I never could get it.  Guess I just wasn't ready.

My friend Olivia came over on Friday night to teach me.  Poor girl didn't know what a challenge she was in for - ha!  Though, she did say that I was a quick learner - I certainly didn't feel like I was.  Guess it was the bit of practice I had from when my mom tried to teach me.  Anyway, I am slow and that irritates me - back to the impatient thing I guess. 

Here is what Olivia got done

Here is what I got done in the same amount of time

Today I finally finished it

I am glad to have learned - not sure I remember everything she taught me, but at least I can say I made something!!  Guess what my family is getting for Christmas?