Christmas was wonderful!

It was the best Christmas I ever had...I missed all the kids, but it was relaxing and fun and little Jace was so darn cute that it made it really special...And presents,,,,,, I got them!...Dont want anyone to think I am too spoiled so I wont list them, but it was amazing...My favorite present from Santa Claus was a book reader from Amazon...It is a pleasure to read again, because I can see the type! Julie got one too so we can trade books...Wendover was extreme fun and also relaxing. We got home last night and I am tired today....Tonight I am going to start making something for a little giveaway, but today I am getting ready for a long winter's nap.....stay tuned.....

Oh Holy Night.......

Christmas Eve is here, a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ....Thank you God for all your blessings, but especially for the gift of your son.


Julie and Steve and Jace will be here shortly and everything is ready.....I have a ham in the oven, homemade rolls and scalloped potatoes a green salad, green beans and a red velvet cake that I made from scratch.... everything is wrapped and I have called all the kids and grandkids....I made Christmas table runners and pillows the other day and forgot to show them.







We are going to go to Wendover Nevada tomorrow for a few days to just relax and enjoy each other so I wanted to post and wish everyone a HUGE Merry Christmas.....God bless......

A trip to Washington state....

I am so grateful that I had everything done and caught up, because last week we got a call that Don's mom was dying..We found out in the morning and by 4 pm we were in Seattle and visiting her...We were there a week and it was exhausting! The good news is she made a miraculous recovery, but she is 90 years old so we will see what happens. Don got to say his goodbyes, and the next trip would be a funeral I guess...Family things are so stressful. I think when we got home late Monday night we both felt like we could sleep for a month. I am tired of eating out and tired of living out of a suitcase....I love that Don and I are initially from the same area and that he knows my family....He loves to say laughingly that he knows "we are all nuts.." Well, after this week, he has nothing on me, let me tell you and I think that phrase officially went by the wayside. My personal opinion is that every family is crazy in one way or another....I heard on David Letterman tonight that Christmas time is the number one time for heart attacks...Because of FAMILY....jeesh. Can anyone else relate to this?
I had all these plans of getting Christmas postcards out to all my friends and it just didn't happen...I made six last night and sent them out today....They were fun to make and I put our picture under vinyl with some sparklies in the pocket....These went out to some of our family members.



not the greatest picture, but you get the idea....I also thought I would show some little Christmas'y things upstairs in the kids room...This year it is mainly for Jace, but I love to decorate for the little kids....The stuffed Christmas toys that are on the bed are my own children's....Santa Claus has no nose because Andrew loved it right off of him after he got a present when he was two...He was very into this stuffed Santa for a long time.



here is Jace's little purple tree that he gets to touch since the ornaments are plastic...He is fascinated by it...


and last of all, here is a little grouping of some retro things that I enjoy in my sewing room...tinsel, a box of tree snow and some ornaments that my mom gave me over twenty years ago....



that is my grandmothers old singer treadle machine that they are sitting on.....I also have been making a few things that I will show in my next post and I am going to have a little giveaway....Haven't decided what yet, but it is coming....
I also found out that my little green quilted piece that I did for the blind challenge will be in Quilting Arts Online.....I got a request to send it in, and I didn't put a rush on it, otherwise I think it might have made the actual magazine...It is still an honor and I learned when someone asks, send it priority....It will be on the website in February/ March....Christmas is drawing near....I am getting excited. Are you ready?

checking off my list...........

Getting things done is such a great feeling! Christmas shopping, 90% done, wrapping presents, done so far....trees up, lights up and the house looks festive....Christmas plans? They are all made too...Christmas Eve here with Julie (sister), her husband and little Jace and then Don and I are leaving for Wendover Nevada on Christmas morning for a couple of days.....No stress here and it is feeling good! Tomorrow we are going to go toy shopping for Jace. I already know what to get him so it will be easy. Then we are going to take warm blankets to the mission in Ogden and milk and eggs........there are also several light displays, so I am hoping to take Jace to one of them....
Yesterday I made an apron, hot pad and a little tree ornament for my step mom and got it in the mail.




the fabric is by moda and it is in fall tones....I made aprons for two of her friends a long time ago and she really liked them. She tried on one in almost the same colors and it looked so pretty.......I almost made chocolate peanut clusters for my brother...I make them every year and they are so easy and yummy....I have never shared a recipe before even though I cook and bake a lot so I thought I would give it a whirl!
Chocolate Peanut clusters:
one bag chocolate chips
one bag white chocolate chips
two cans salted spanish peanuts
waxed paper


Put chips in a glass bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until all the chocolate is melted....stir in the peanuts, dont forget all the salt in the bottom of the can! drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let harden
yummy good and kids love making these too....Olivia could make them by herself! Enjoy!

Baby, it's cold outside!

It's about 0 degrees tonight and that is without a wind chill.( and there is wind!) Holy cow!
I am finally feeling better so I got dressed today and went out and ran errands. Before we left, we got some pictures in the snow....I have on about 5 layers of clothing on to go out for about five minutes...Cooper however, loves it...


I am trying to get him to pose, but he is wanting to play and run.......



in this one, I am still trying to get him to pose and trying to keep my hood zipper from hanging in my face....




The last one is Don holding the camera out to take a picture of the two of us...this is the second picture....For the first one he didn't bend down and all it showed was my forehead...he is a lot taller than me....so the second one he bent down. Don't we look happy?

pink Christmas...

First of all, I have to whine....I just HAVE NOT felt good for the last three days and it is really getting on my nerves..I don't even know what it is but I am miserable...Despite that, I have been pretty busy....Had Jace again today..He felt extra snuggly and and gave me about ten hugs and kisses..when he wasn't shaking his head no no and pulling things off the tree. Julie and I went shopping yesterday and took him and he was horrid....I try not to laugh but it is hard...Why is it funny when you are the grandma (well, actually the auntie) and not the mom? I have about 80% of my Christmas shopping left...I still need to make a few things...an apron, table runner, a couple of pillows and ornaments...I do best under the gun though. No problem. I also got the big tree up...all festive in its pink Christmas sweetness!



I also got a picture of the ornament I made for the "jingle for the cure" pink ornament swap....It is on my tree and it is tilted, but maybe when Sandy gets it she will take a better picture....hint, hint......It is a wood block painted and decorated with a quilted fabric bird perching on it and it sits inside a wreath with siver berries...I like it a lot...in fact, I may have to make another or two...after I make all the other crap...it could happen, or maybe not.



Here it is all wrapped up in pink tulle with a tag I made that says, "may all your Christmas's be pink".



Ok, here I go about vintage trailers again, but just for a second or two....I found this little canned ham trailer model thing when Julie and I shopped and I just have to show it! I think it is so gosh darned cute and I love the little antennas! It is bigger than an ornament, but when our trailer is done, I will hang it in there...Keeping in mind that this is my first winter in Utah, now I know why we will not being working on it in the winter.....It is hecka cold......in the teens and the single digits...and then there is the wind..yep, I am here, Miss cold hater with a passion, whining up a storm.



I also finished Decembers Nature Journal pages for Miss Roc....She loves birds and I am happy to make them so it worked out great....This is paper, fabric, thread, gel medium and anything else that would stick to it....



the back has a pocket for a poem called, "sing little birdie" by Waitie W Swanzy.....here it is in and out of the pocket...




Well, since I have jace tomorrow at 5:30 am, guess I will close for now and go soak in a hot bath and take some tylenol...whine, whine, whine

It is starting to feel like Christmas.....

The last few days have been super busy around here...Mainly because I have had little Jace for the last three days...I spend most of my time laughing and chasing him around. He is really, really busy and boy, it is hard to get things done. I did get to the unpacking and laundry. He is fascinated by magnets so I got him a package of magnet letters and then gave him a cookie sheet to stick them on and it keeps him busy for quite a while. I put up a little pink tree in the guest bedroom and he saw the silver balls and he about went nuts...They look like glass but they are plastic so he had one in each hand...I love this little pink tree! I even put pink perfumes around the bottom just for fun...


On our trip, I didn't take many pictures....I am regretting it now. We went to so many places that I got overwhelmed and most of the time the camera was in the car in its case. I took none of the kids which is really sad. Olivia and Andrew just ran for me when they saw me and when we were together they both were in my lap. The great news is they are moving here with mom and the baby in March. She is looking for a new start and I am more than happy to help. The really hard part was leaving them...All three of us cried and it was especially hard on Olivia.
Here is the stupid thing...I took pictures of mushrooms in Don's sons yard....Yes, they are really pretty and I like them, but these are the only pictures I took...go figure. I think I had mushrooms on the brain because of the Enchanted woodland swap or something. Plus, I had never seen these growing before...





Today we hung outside lights and got a space cleared for the tree. We are going to put it up tomorrow. For the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to and enjoying the holiday season. It is a good feeling and once again I am feeling GRATEFUL! I made my pink ornament for the "jingle for the cure" but have'nt taken a picture yet...I have been making Christmas pillows and block ornaments.....The block ornaments are super easy...wood blocks painted, scrapbook paper and printed black and white paper all mod podged on....I love them and they don't cost anything...I have all the stuff!



I haven't done any shopping, but I am doing it all online and having it sent out, so no sweat there....What a change from last year!

Thanksgiving Road Trip........

I am back and I dont think I even announced I was gone...Well I was, for eight days...... Don and Cooper and I drove to Portland, the Oregon Coast and the Seattle area and then back home to Utah.....The best part? I saw my babies!!!!!!!!! I will be back in the crafting game soon..I have all kinds of Christmas plans! We got home yesterday at three and I am tired! See you all soon!