Clay in the potters hands

A Glance At January

2012-02-02T22:24:00.001-08:00

Time to get back to my blogging! I started this blog as a way for our family and friends who live far away from us to be able to keep up with our lives and a way for me to keep memories from being forgotten.

I have had a difficult time getting back into my routines since the end of summer!!!!!

Yes, the wedding was wonderful and beautiful but boy did it throw me off my routines!

With a new year upon us I thought it is high time I got back into the game!

So hopefully, God-willing, I will be posting on a regular basis, taking pics......I have also kind of fallen off my picture taking moments.......looking back at the past few months I have realized that I have missed many photo opportunities....memories that will not be seen again.

So....here we go! A glimpse into our January.....enjoy.

Oh, but first I may add......I do not take pictures to impress you all with, I am just recording memories....I will be the first to say that I am not a photographer and I don't pretend to be one either, my pictures are taken by a proud mom/grammy/friend, to share with those who care to take a peek.

The end of Dec/beginning of Jan I worked on some beautiful dresses for some very sweet, gorgeous girls who were going on a cruise for a family vacation. I am certain they were the prettiest girls on board their ship!

We finally saw snow!!!!!
Izzy loved it! Can you see her lil....well maybe not so lil tongue trying to catch snowflakes? It was quite a sight watching her prancing around the yard while it was snowing!
Some of my loves out for a family walk.....well some were walking and others were enjoying the view!
Celebrated Hubby's birthday at a Mexican restaurant, oh! We also celebrated another special person's birthday too! Ms. Liz shares the same birthday as Hubby!
Enjoying some music while we ate....my "Cupcake" loved watching him play and signed "more" when he was done. Too cute! FYI, my daughter in love is teaching the grandloves to sign and speak! : )
Here are some of my favorite people!
And more.....
And some more, funny tho' Bill and Mary somehow managed to not get in some pics! Have to change that! I have gotten quite rusty in my picture taking!!!!
Ok, not the best shot of me but had to share this pic....only one of the two of us. Hubby and I enjoying the night.
Daughter in love and the grandloves and I went for a walk....it was cold but not terribly cold.
As we got out of the car and were loading the girls into the stroller/pushchair....my daughter in love is British.....hence the word pushchair, we saw one of my oldest grandlove's favorite animals!!!!! Actually we saw two, one was hidden.
At the end of our walk someone fell asleep! Lil Dumplin was very tired or very relaxed! Cupcake enjoyed her walk. Are they not tooooooo cute?!!!!!!!!
Thank you to Arielle and her mom and dad, Kathy and Bob, Hubby was able to enjoy some fresh lobster!

So ends January.

Lets see what February brings us!

I am still here

2011-12-23T01:27:00.000-08:00

Praying everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Missing

2011-10-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a rather busy few months lately, so much so that I have neglected my blogs! I am taking a respite from blogging to get life back to normal.....well, as normal as we can make it! ; )
I will be back as soon as possible, until then I do hope you all have a wonderful time welcoming in Fall, spending special moments with your family and making a ton of happy memories! : )

A View of Our Month in Pics

2011-07-31T05:00:00.001-07:00

July came in and went by in a flash! So much I wanted to have had accomplished but just didn't have the time....oh well, we did do a few fun things and I did manage to get them on the camera....so often I would forget my camera and miss a really neat shot or moment. I must do better this month! We only have two more months with my baby in the house.....all those years, nothing but a memory now, but oh so precious they are! This month we actually went to the grounds where the kids will be having the wedding/reception. That's is the spot, above, where the vows will be shared between them. Isn't it gorgeous?
More views of the landscape.
We are thinking this will be the bridesmaids dressing room! Lol, think they can manage to fit in there?
This will be the reception room, think candle lights, rustic decor. Before you know it the "day" will be upon us! So much to prepare still!
Hubby and I manage to get away every now and then. Here we are watching the fishermen in the Fox River.
A goose enjoying the day too.
I love this shot!
Izzy was with us too, she does like to get away and see new things too.
Geese staying cool in the water.
July was also Pat's birthday! We celebrated with family and friends. had a big cookout, here are the cupcakes I made....they are a Churro cupcake filled with caramel goodness!
Of course we had to have pico de gallo for the carne asada and chips!
Pat with Eli and Dave, Obviously Eli had some things to talk about : )
Melissa and I chatting with Megan and Rachel
Pat and Grandma, her knee was bummed so we had to sit inside for a bit, plus it was hot out!
One of the gals got this for Pat, cute shark cookie!
Pat and the boys.
A lil competition was had.
The gals chatting away : )
Yum!
Two buds. My kids have the greatest friends!
A few days after Pat's birthday, it was my turn! : ) I always tell everyone that Pat was my early birthday gift. Well it was a bit tuned down for my celebration....I worked that night so had to keep it low key. We did go here tho'!
My beauty of a princess treated me to a most delish blood orange gelato or was it a sorbetto? It was soooooo good, whatever it was!
Hubby treated me to truffles! My favorite indulgence!!! My truffle was covered in chili powder, it was really good! Chocolate and chili are a good combo.
This angel was our server! She also happens to be Jessica's future sister in law's best friend. Leah was awesome and very patient as we tasted a few samples.
Well how on earth did I miss this place for so many years????? It is a needleworks store, Unfortunately it was closed for the day but I do plan on visiting this place soon!

July was very hot and humid and this year our air conditioner decided to go out on us. It didn't take long for our handy dandy air conditioner/heater guy to get it up and running though! So thankful for cool air!
July also meant trips to DQ for smoothies!!!!
Lots of rainy days...kept hubby from driving his bike.
The Martin family threw the kids a wedding shower! It was Caribbean themed. Lots of fun was had and they did an amazing job in every aspect of the party! My daughter is blessed to have such a loving/spirit filled family welcoming her into their fold.
Some limbo fun!
Some humiliating of the parents, all done in fun of course : )
Somehow a phone is never far from Pats ears!
Getting ready to play "The Almost Newlywed Game"
Two of my favorite people! Love them so much : )
Good food! Fresh fruits and veggies.
Pulled pork sandwiches and jerk chicken, yum!
Blessings of gifts for the kids and their soon to be "life together". They were blessed greatly by folks who love them dearly.
Hubby and I decided to venture into the world of juicing! Lots of great recipes here.
Loads of fresh goodness!
Our "Mean Green" drink
Our town decided July was a good month to tear up the sides of the roads and our driveways! My mailbox was a casualty as you can see. The guys did put it back up promptly the next day. Hope the improvements do help keep the waters from flooding the roads during our bad rains.
A scene often seen in our home, Jess at the table working on cards....and the Gilmore Girls series on dvd.
Trips to the "bou" to get some wedding prep planned out!
Kyle gifted me with tilling a plot in our backyard for my garden : ) Will have to wait until next year for the real garden tho' since the wedding is taking center and full attention in our lives for the summer.

A shot of my lavender, I really want to get a larger patch planted of this wonderful smelling plant!
Hubby's aunts from Australia came to the states for a visit, we treated them for a dinner out.
Our chef
Yum
Kyle in the midst of catching a shrimp
Family shot. Well that's it for July, well what was caught on camera anyway. This month really made me think on our memories....the importance of catching life as it happens on a daily basis.

Memories that may not mean much to you but are treasures to us. So one of my biggest goals for August is to catch more on the camera! So you all watch out.....I might catch you! : )

Day 2

2011-07-28T19:14:00.001-07:00

Ok! Day 2 done! It wasn't too bad......hunger pangs were few, I did wake up with a headache tho' and felt a bit on the sluggish side which is to be expected. Hubby felt good although he was craving food when his co-workers were eating in front of him but he remained strong! So proud of him. The kids were feeling like me, headache, lethargic....but overall good. I am hoping to get over the tired phase and I really miss my energy!!!
Our Mean Green drink, not as bad tasting as it looks.

We started this journey to be in better shape nutritionally, let our food take care and heal our bodies of what it needs healing in.....for being in our forties we really are not in need of modern medicine all that much. Yes, we do like our food......I love to cook and eat and my family is big on eating but for the most part we are healthy....maybe some numbers might be up when they should be lower, our bodies are not moving as much as they should and maybe our joints are a bit on the stiffer side than they used to be when we were younger.

We are making a change, before it gets too late. I work in a hospital and every night that I work I see what can happen when we fail to take care of our bodies, it is not a pretty sight.

Becoming grandparents, we want to enjoy playing with our granddaughters and future grandchildren....can't do that if our bodies are not healthy!

Juicing Day 1

2011-07-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well we survived! today was not very hard on me as I was too exhausted to be hungry since I worked last night. Hubby did have a challenge as he was bombarded by scenes and smells of food, but he remained strong and did not cave in! Woot!!!

Tomorrow will be another day, I am sure as the next few days approach us it will become more difficult as our bodies will be getting rid of toxins that have accumulated in our bodies. We just need to remember that those feelings are not permanent and not too long after we will feel good again!

Maybe by Friday we will start a walking program as well. It will be good to get active....of course I have been climbing stairs at work and I do try to park far away from the doors when I go shopping. Every lil bit helps! : )

Time for rest now!

Our Juicing Adventure

2011-07-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

Today after hubby got done working we headed to our local Woodmans! Sorry about the poor pic, our explorer has some dirty windows.

What did we get here? Well a ton of apples, carrots, celery, pears, and other veggies and fruits. Why? Well hubby watched this with me.....http://www.youtube.com/user/FatSickandNearlyDead. That got him to thinking about his diet and lack of energy.....aches....pains etc. So he asked for us....me and him...to take part in this juicing/fasting adventure and change our eating habits.
Here is hubby selecting the best fennel he can find, of course one minute prior to this he had no idea what fennel was! Lol.
Our cart filled with natural nutritional goodness. I have to say that the bottle of green you see is aloe juice, it is sooooooo delish! I love the stuff!
What you see below is breakfast and late morning snack for tomorrow for 4 of us, yes.....Pat and Jess are embarking on this too......it will be a blast to see how Pat survives! I made a small batch and Pat said it tasted like grass. Hubby said it tasted like Indian food.....I think the ginger gave it a zing. this mixture is called Mean Green and it can be found here......http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/about-the-film/learn-more/recipies/
We are basically following the 10, 10, 10 plan. I will get into more detail tomorrow, today.....I sleep! I am working tonight. So come along and experience our journey into good health! : )

Wedding Shower Fun

2011-07-25T14:59:00.001-07:00

The Martin family threw the kids a wonderful Caribbean themed wedding shower, here are but a few pics of the event.

I love the faces Kyle makes!! : ) It was a fun day, lots of warm sunshine, good food and laughter!!!

Last Day of June?!!!!

2011-06-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

Some June shots! Wow, did this month fly by.......
Joyanne playing volleyball with the family during one of our outings
Paddle boat time!
Fishing with her uncle : )
Nothing says summer like swimming in a good ole fashioned swimming hole!
Family picnic!
Yummy strawberries from the Long Grove Strawberry Fest! These were soooooo sweet!
Mmmmmm strawberry donut!
Hubby checking out the salsa's
Good music was playing everywhere!
Spent the day in a Japanese Garden.....soooo peaceful and beautiful

Hiking in White Pines
Took an ice cream break in Oregon Il
Finally finished Jessica's scarf!
Still stitching away!
Enjoyed some wonderful days outside with the fids
Graduation get togethers
Hubby out with his aunts who were visiting from Australia.

I really need to get back into posting a once a week review in pics! So much happens during the months and now that we are getting closer to the wedding date.......it is only going to get crazier!

Well now we say goodbye to June and hello to July!

May Came and Went!

2011-05-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Remember the ribbons I bought and said I was making something special with them? Well finally I am posting on them! I first saw these adorable things here..http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunshine-rattle.htm, I fell in love with them and thought how cute! Sunshine as a rattle toy! So I studied the instructions....bought the supplies and got to the task of creating my version of sunshine! As you can see I embroidered the girls names on each of their own sunshine....loved them! My camera did not pick up the true bright yellow of the fabric....but are they not cuteness????

Flowers from my son on Mothers Day! Flowers truly lighten and brighten up a room don't they?
Hubby and I went on his bike to Long Grove and found this cute lil British store there.....we came away with these meatpies! They were quite delish!
I also stopped in and visited this little treasure of a store! http://ratherbeknitting.com/. I came across this book, I follow Susan B Anderson's blog...http://www.spudandchloe.com/blog/ and had to come away with the book! I am hoping to make these for my lil cuddlemuffins! : ) They actually had a Spud on display and oh my! he was adorable!!!!! We weren't able to get pictures due to the fact that my camera's batteries died.....we do plan on visiting Long Grove again in June for their Strawberry Festival......I will be sure to take tons of pics! It is the cutest town!
My daughter and her new lil baby, Cassie.
We celebrated my hubby"s aunts birthday.....Happy Birthday Aunt Susan!
Here she is saying hello to all her guests who came to celebrate with her.
Caught a glimpse here of my brother in law and sister in law, good food : )
Hubby and his brother catching up.....my mother in law is in the background
Aunt Susan and friends and her beautiful daughter!
Me, hubby and his mom and Susan! : )
Aunt Susan and the "young ones"......my handsome son is the one holding his thumb up!

Family!
Hubby and our new lil critter to love, Cassie.
Cassie playing on one of our visits to her house.

Pics of the Week!

2011-04-03T10:45:00.001-07:00

I am having so much fun with this lil project! making something for my lil granddaughters! Pics to come soon : )
I love it when hubby plays the piano......this one happens to be the one he grew up with as a young boy. We have since gifted it to our daughter who will be moving out this fall, after her wedding, so I am thinking.....we must get another one! : )
I had fun with Bailey this week, you can read more about him on my other blog....I do have 3 of them.
Spring! I couldn't wait for summer to enjoy some bruschetta......so yummy! Spring is close enough for me to enjoy summery foods. I am hoping to enjoy some tomatoes from our garden this year though, so much tastier than store bought.

Well thats it for now.....

A Giveaway!

2011-03-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

For all my yarn addicts out there and it does go nicely today with it being a yarn along day! ALLFreeCrochet.com is holding a giveaway! Check them out and enter : )

Here's the link for their giveaway!

http://www.allfreecrochet.com/sweeps/SERENITY-Chunky-Weight-Yarn-Giveaway

Best of luck to you! : )

I love Wednesdays! Ginny's Yarn Along Time!

2011-03-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am taking a quick break to post this, it has been a rather busy day today! But I did not want to miss out on adding my yarn along project! I am planning on ending the day by having my cup of yummy tea.....earl grey with lavender....mmmmmm and reading everyone's posts! I love blog hopping, I get so many ideas.....and I love to see how others are enjoying the fine art of yarn creations!

This week I am still reading Lark Rise....it is quite a big one! I am enjoying it and imagining how those walks thru an English village would be like. Quite interesting characters too. I am still reading through One Thousand Gifts.....not in this pic but I have it on my nook.....relishing every page Ann has written. She is definitely not one whom you can quickly read through and I love that! I love taking in words......slowly and pondering on them. For my quick reading tho' I am into my good ole Tightwad Gazette. I have had this book for years and I still enjoy thumbing through it and getting re-inspired to live on the frugal side!

As for my handwork.....I am still working on my daughters scarf....crocheting that one......I am almost done with the amount of hexagons I need to finish it! : )

I am knitting some new dish towels for my kitchen.......I do love the cotton yarn, it holds up to a ton of cleaning and it does get my dishes quite clean.

Well breaktime is over so off to get some more work done so I can play! : )

have a great day every one!

Ooops almost forgot! You can find Ginny here: http://www.gsheller.com/2011/03/yarn-along_30.html#idc-container......hope to see you there!

It's Monday Again

2011-03-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

It seems like not much has been going on but a lot has been going on.......nothing exciting to write about, I think at times, and yet life is so full and busy that I don't have time to write.

My oldest has begun to just write.....write the words that are swimming in his head.....instead of being deliberate....maybe that is a good idea. I have so much to write about.....maybe too much! Oh my spinning head.

Today......it was a quiet day, which is great considering I worked last night. I like to keep life at a peaceful calm when I work nights......only fill my days with the necessaries. I got off work this morning and was picked up by my handsome son : ) love our lil moments of chats like this......fed Izzy and let her play outside for a few minutes....had a chance to say howdy to my dear daughter before she left for work.....chatted on the phone with hubby. I even had time to stitch a little before I lay down for my nap! : )

Woke up and had a houseful of young gals who are learning to sew! Love that! My daughter is teaching some young ladies the art of sewing and hopefully they will become big fans!

After a little puttering and reading it is time once again for my nap......work then I am free! : ) for 6 glorious days!

A Blue Day

2011-03-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

It really was a sad yet good day today. Pic above is our Maggie, who no longer is ours but someone else's......we made the hard decision to let her go to a home that would fit her better.

Her new home is in the country a bit.....much more room than we have here.....daily walks and a trio of pugs to play with! Her new mommy is a single mom and wanted a dog that would "watch" their home and help them to feel safe....Maggie is perfect for that! Her mom also said we are welcome to visit Maggie when we want to.....she is only over the river and a few miles away. I will miss her....but I am sure she will be much happier in her new home. Izzy is an only pup-child again.....she seems to like that. Izzy was getting very impatient with Maggie and the two even had more than a few squabbles.....not a fun thing to see!
So with sadness we said goodbye to Maggie yet with thankfulness we are happy she found a good home with people who understand and love the big old mastiff.

Praying

2011-03-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Yarn Along!

2011-03-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Ginny from http://www.gsheller.com/.....

I love taking part in this every week although I missed the last few due to life getting busy for me.....this is a great way to get moving on projects and actually get them done! I love the sharing and and ecouragement that goes along with this too! : ) There are a ton of great knitters and crocheters out there.

So I encourage you to take part and head on over to her blog and take a peek at some great creations and see what everyone is reading as well.

I finally finished the lil blanket for my grand-daughter Sophie.....I hope she likes it! It was fun crocheting this one but oh my the lil tags that I had to weave in! That was not my favorite part.

This pattern was a freebie from years ago from Red Heart.

The book I am reading is a new find at my library.....sounds lovely......I have only just started it so I can't really say much about it but I am looking forward to escaping into its pages! Now to find a new project and to finish my daughter's scarf : )

Elizabeth Mitchell - Three little birds

2011-03-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

My goodness but time seems to fly by so fast these days! Quite a bit of busyness has been going on here but it feels like not much has gotten done! The makings of a wedding, a DIY wedding! It is going to fly by.....this year.....I love being a mom but I sure do not like seeing my lil birds fly the nest! Came upon this lil song and I love it! Her voice is pretty and soothing too.....thinking I need to buy some of her music! : )

I know, it is an old Marley song but I do like Elizabeth's version much better. But this song reminds me of when my kids were young and cute....ok, they are much older now but they are still cute! We used to sing songs like this all the time, they of course more than likely don't remember! But this mom does!

So wedding stuff....."save the date" cards are done and now need to get addressed and mailed out. Princess and I went shopping.....at a fabric store! Oh how I love fabric!!!!! We found the perfect pattern for the bridesmaids dresses that I will be sewing!!!!!! Can you feel my excitement???? I am so looking forward to it : ) Of course finding the perfect dress for our Princess is next on the agenda! My goodness how I have things running through my head! So much, God-willing....it will all fall into place. Pray for me! ; )

I have so much sewing and crocheting to do! On top of a wedding more babies are making their way......exciting : )

I will try to keep my camera charged and take pics along the way so I can share with you!

Today is such a special day....yes, I have 3 great kids whom I adore with all my heart! It used to scare me how much I loved them! But I still do to this day, love them that is! What makes today special? Today is my oldest sons birthday.....he is the one who started me on my adventure of motherhood, my first moments of smitten love and devotion and confusion! Especially during those teen years! But we survive, love and "I am sorry" are great band-aids in life as well as crying out to God!......he celebrates now with his own family......far away across the pond. I miss him so but my heart is happy for him, for he has been blessed with so much! Not the things of earth but the things that matter! Family, his own lil family to love and be loved back. So I send prayers up for him and ask for continued blessings on his life, for him to feel our love flying across all the miles.

Today, we also are celebrating a new marriage! I am going to a wedding shower for two of my favorite people! I love celebrating new marriages, new babies.....families and friends coming together to celebrate! : )

Well time to worship! have a wonderful Sunday!

Gifts Keep Coming

2011-02-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

Monday....a fresh new week....hmmm wonder what ups and downs will occur this week, what lessons to learn. What gifts to hang on to.....

Join me as I continue to jot down the never ending lists of gifts He has blessed me with......visit Ann, here.... http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/02/what-if-we-believe-we-have-everything-we-need/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+HolyExperience+(Holy+Experience) , catch up with some other bloggers as we join in thanks......

A Thousand Gifts......

18. 10 perfect lil fingers and toes, so precious.....a new life....new love to savor.

19. My young lady finally has her sisters!

20. Laughter, words of love, encouragement spoken between Mom and me.....somehow the many miles.....gone...... as we connect on the phone.

21. Big happy smile from Hubby, fresh off the "bike" first ride of the year......

22. My young man.....heading out the door to willingly become a servant......his smile touching those who have nothing....no home, no job.....but this day receiving love......His love.

23. Strong hands so gentle on me as he prays.....lifts me up to our Lord.

24. Comforts.....heat, water, power, home, He is so good.......

Taking a break!

2011-02-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

Introducing my newest grandbaby.....Chloe Rose : ) I hope this works.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg-A5resSq0&feature=player_embedded#at=11

She was born on Valentines Day, how sweet is that!

She joins her big sis who turned 1 on the 3rd of February........Chloe was a surprise! My son and daughter in love did plan on having them spaced out a lil bit further than 1 year! Sometimes the best laid out plans just don't pan out do they?

Mom and Dad are going to be quite busy! But they are very thankful for both of these girls and I know they will be nurtured and loved.

The kids are in England, my daughter in love is British, and we miss them so very much but we are grateful that they are able to have some time there.

We also found out that our other married children.....my "adopted by love" son and his beautiful wife, are expecting their first baby in August! So excited for them : )

It is going to be quite an exciting year with the plans of my daughters wedding, babies born and being born!

Well I should get back to my cleaning......finally packed up all the snowpeople! Dusting and deep cleaning here and there is what I am doing today.

2011-02-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today I am taking part in this fun event! Ok......I know.....it is late evening and the day is done but now comes inspiration for some creativity! One of my passions is sewing and when I stumbled upon this blog,http://happinesscomes.wordpress.

com/2011/02/10/the-sewing-bee/, I knew I had to take part!

Most of my creative juices come late in the day.....homemaking and enjoying time with my family take a big chunk of my day....but late in the evening into nighttime.....I dream and come up with many things! : ).

Although I haven't officially named her as of yet.............

I would like to introduce you to one of my lil darlins....she is for a special lil girl named Elizabeth and I have been calling this beauty Lizzie.....maybe it'll stick maybe not. She is a joy to work on and I can envision her scampering across the fields picking wildflowers and frogs! : ) She is a fun one!

So now to get her finished!

Happy sewing!

Yarn Along and Words

2011-02-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well as you can see not much of any yarning has been going on since I have caught this bug which has taken all my energy.

But I am reading this wonderful book by Ann Voskamp......One Thousand Gifts......so inspiring!

What a beautiful gift Ann has given us.....her written words. If you don't have the book I encourage you to pick one up.....and live fully!

I am feeling a bit better today and am anxious to pick up my hooks and yarn! Hope to have a finished product to show you all next week!

For now I am enjoying visiting bloggers who are taking part in this yarn along at http://www.gsheller.com, so much talent out there! : )

Joy of Love Day 5

2011-02-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

I am taking part in http://www.willettedesigns.com challenge of e journaling. Willette will send out challenges and we take pics jot a few words and memories are made : ) Interested???? Join us!

Todays challenge is catching something we love to hate.

I have 3 wonderful kids.....they are all adults but in my heart they are still my kids : ). One is out of the house now but my other two are still at home and I love it! I love my kids with my whole heart......but I sure do not love when they do this......

Items left on our dining table, coats hanging on chairs

Dear son has always peeled his clothes off when he would get home......dropping things here and there....cute at the age of 3 now age 20 not so cute.......

Ties wrapped around chairs, shelves, anywhere he can find a spot!

Yes, I sure do love my kids but not the lil piles they lay here and there.....but I will love it for now because one day those lil piles will no longer exist when they leave home.......and then I will be loving to hate all those neat places.

Snow Day!

2011-02-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

This pic was taken at 3 in the afternoon, snow was being blown around by the increasing winds!

I took this shot from my window.....this was only the beginning.
10 pm and the snow has not stopped, it blew and snowed all day long. Thank goodness I didn't have to work tonight! The hospital where I work was bunking the employees (pm shift) in our auditorium overnight until driving conditions improve.
10 pm, a pic of our picnic table in our backyard.
View from our front door, you can't see the sidewalk or the street and still snow is blowing and blowing.

2011-01-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

My gratefulness list continues.......

#5 Holding my beloved's hands while we both enter into worship

#6 A moment of shared tears and love between my daughter and me......suddenly 8 months seems

too little.....too little time left before my daughter ventures into her own home......

#7 A healthy family : )

#8 Laughter shared with Mom during our phone conversations

#9 The power, hope and comfort of prayer

#10 An afternoon spent with dear friends

#11 Laughter

#12 The gentle knock from my grown son at my door......smile......hi......just checking in. I love his beautiful smile.

#13 The beauty of nature, God's creations blanketed with beautiful snow as hubby and I had a small Sunday drive.

Wednesdays Yarn Along : )

2011-01-19T17:34:00.001-08:00

I am participating in a yarn along! I am joining in on Ginny's yarn along at http://www.gsheller.com/. I encourage you to join us on Wednesdays for some sharing of knitting/crocheting and reading!I am currently reading up on the makings of kombucha, anyone out there drink this? Quite a few health benefits and if it's healthy for me I will try it : )

My projects this week are a scarf for my dear daughter made out of a sz 10 classic cotton thread and sz 10 crochet hook....basically a ton of hexagons that will be sewn together into a very pretty scarf.

My other project is a special blanket for my granddaughter.....the pattern is called Dear Heart...the pink are heart and there will be colors surrounding the heart in blue, yellow, green and white. It is soooo pretty and I have been hanging on to the pattern for quite a while now.

I am using Patons Beehive Baby Sport yarn and a H hook. I really love the feel of this yarn as I am working on it.....so soft!

Well thats it for now : )

Big Time News

2011-01-19T05:28:00.001-08:00

This beautiful girl who has enriched our lives with much love and laughter has some big time news! She is engaged!!!!!!!! My oh my where did that lil babe go that used to cuddle in her mommas arms? The lil babe who would scream if one dared to take her away from her momma.....she has always been one to call the "shots" so to speak and when she was not ready for something she let you know she was not pleased!

This time....someone came along and took her from my arms.....and she went.....no balking.....crying or screaming involved ; )

She met the man of her dreams and my prayers.....yes, I have been praying for her husband since the day I knew I had a wee lil one in my body.
This is who has stolen her heart, well not completely since God has her whole heart but I would say Kyle has a huge part of it too. God chose the perfect fit for our daughter and we are excited, sad, happy, and looking forward to watching this young couple begin their journey of love, commitment and ministry......where God leads them...we do not know, but we will continue to pray for them and be there to encourage them along : )

Proud Daddy and his girls.....letting his baby girl go will be one of the hardest things this dad will have to endure....I see many many tears!
My two beautiful girls! Ok, so one of those lovelies I have to share with another momma but I love her much!
My busy bee
My fun loving gal...
My adventurer....my love!

2011-01-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

My list of gifts : ) I encourage you all to take part in this.....it will be a blessing to you and to others.

Gifts #1-10

Warm sunshine gently brushing my cheeks

Aroma of bread baking

Love of a sister

The love my daughter exudes when chatting about her beau

The smile from my son when his beloved's name is spoken

Gentle yet strong arms that hold me....bliss

Hum of my sewing machine

Squirrels hopping around in my yard

Soft glow of a candle

Words

2011-01-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

So A new year is upon us and I am back to getting the week in pics started! I did forget to take my camera along on the road a few times....need to get back into the habit of snapping pictures everywhere : ) Our first week of the year has been a quiet one.....trying to get life back to normal, household back to normal.

I am working hard on updating my household binder, journals, and getting some rooms organised. Busy work but work I love doing as I am happiest when I am home!

Cilantro and lemons.....love the colors and the smells for these two items! These two are a must have for the dish below!
Ok, one of our yearly have to make dishes is Menudo. I will spare you the details of what it is but you do need to acquire a taste for it if you haven't had it before....but it is delish! ; ) Hubby makes it every year! We really miss our eating pal Talma during this time of year, this is one of her favs!
My beautiful daughter working on her scarf....can you see it on the table? Have to pause for the ever present text coming in on her phone! : )
Trees across the street from us.....it was a rather gray cold day.
Our two babies, the lil bit of plaid is my leg on the side of the bed and the lump on the other side is hubby under the covers.....these two pups think it's their bed!
My sister gifted this container to me when she was here this past summer, she found it at one of our local antique shops. I love holding my stitchery in it : ) One of my favorite things to do in the evening is sit and listen to the radio or watch a video and do my handwork and sip my tea.....oh can ya'll see the lil bit of chocolate wrapping in the back? Lol, didn't hide it well enough did I? : )
A very special friend and her hubby gifted us with this deliciousness.....I did enjoy a few handfuls before hubby took it to work with him for his snack!
Pleasures of winter...scraping the windows! My dear daughter getting ready to go shopping.

Wrinkles Away

2011-01-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today is laundry day and having a banker as a son and a husband who wears a uniform.....means there is lots of ironing to be done.

My kids make fun of my ancient ironing board.....yes it is very old and heavy! But it still has lots of good in it. It isn't the prettiest thing but it does a great job in standing up to my weekly ironing.

I do intend to hang on to it until it can no longer stand on it's four legs.

This got me thinking.....why do we feel like it is of dire importance to get rid of something old and worn for something new and shiny, even if the old item is still doing it's job?

There is beauty in the old and worn.....memories....I love and appreciate the old and worn....

2010-12-31T00:08:00.000-08:00

My word for 2011 is peace. I yearn for peace in this fast paced world.....in order to get peace I really need to dwell in the presence of my Saviour much more. So my main goal is to spend more time with God, by reading His precious word, talking to Him and listening quietly and patiently. I get too busy to do that at times....listening. I really need to stop and just listen....quietly and patiently.

My desire is to give my family more peace when they enter our home...so that home can truly become a sanctuary of love and acceptance and mercy. A place that they can close the door to the stress filled, worrisome world. Our lives can be so easily overrun with stress and worry and demands from the world that we do need a place to go to where we can relax and find God in and let him refresh us, refill us with hope, soothe our souls from the harshness of the world.

So I fondly look back at my year.....remembering the thrill and joy of watching my first granddaughter being born....such happiness and wonder! God is sooooo good! The highlight of our year was welcoming Sophie into our hearts. Sorrow, yes we did have sorrow and trials but God is so faithful to be there with us and as hard as it was to go through some of these moments, it did reaffirm our faith in Him and it made us grow.

A new year is quickly coming upon us......I am ready, are you?

T is For Tennessee! Outdoors

2010-11-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Beautiful scenery!

T is For Tennessee! The Cabin!

2010-11-17T18:07:00.001-08:00

One of the big cabins on our lil mountain.
Precious Moments, our lil home for a few days....so much fun to get the Yukon into the little itty bitty parking spot.
Our room : )
Kitchen pretties
My favorite saying in the cabin.
Cozy fireplace
Bears are the thing!
We rarely sat here!
Going down to the girls room.....bears everywhere.
Girls on their bed with their teddy bears....aka Kyle and Eli.
Jacuzzi in the room!
Our view from the back door, love those trees!
My morning devotion spot, it was so peaceful here!
Trees in our background
Front door view.
Road heading down from the cabin.
Reminders of our God!

T is For Tennessee! Pigeon Forge

2010-11-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

We decided to take the girls out for a ride.........on a chopper! As in helicopter! They were a bit excited about it!
Us : )
One of the helicopters
Important to read the rules!
Waiting and waiting
Almost there!
Holly ready to fly!
Views from the sky

Coming in to land
Onto lunch now!
Us while waiting to eat at The Old Mill, great food and even greater pottery!

T is For Tennessee! Gatlinburg

2010-11-17T17:22:00.001-08:00

Girls got this shot at one of the stores, you can find the oddest stuff in these stores!
Nuff said
A very friendly Jack Sparrow! We never did find out where he came from but this is what you would come across at night in Gatlinburg......you just never know who or what will be there!
The girls : ) Are they not just too cute!
You could smell this place from the outside!
Yup, it was calling his name
Jess could only smell and see the stuff
Yum, Not!
Hubby's favorite fair food! Funny thing is we never had the chance to get some!
Sleigh ride!

Christmas is in the air

These are real!
Who would eat these???????
My lil crew!
Jess getting some help from Holly since she didn't follow thru the first time. Hubby and Holly crunched theirs with no problem.....ewwwww.
Round two, Jess is still not too keen on it but she did it! All I can say is yuck!
Museums galore

Fun nights!

T is For Tennessee! Cades Cove

2010-11-17T16:30:00.001-08:00

After a few days and nights in Gatlinburg we finally made it into the mountain! We had a quick tour of Cades Cove. It was such a beautiful day, we could have easily spent the entire day out here!
First stop was the John Oliver Place.
They raised 9 children in this one room house! Boys slept up in the loft while the girls and babies slept in the one and only room in the house with mom and dad.
Jess outside the Oliver home.
We had to stop and take pics, it was so gorgeous out!

Families often pulled off the road and had a picnic while on the tour in the cove.
One of the churches
Another church

Here we are on the trail to the Elijah Place, yup we had to hike there.
Saw some tracks....black bears are known to be active in this area. All we saw were deer and turkeys and squirrels.
Coming to the homestead.
We figured this was the barn for the livestock.
A smokehouse
Elijah Oliver Place
Holly is in there waving at us
Jess found a door her size!
It led to this place.....the whole house is being held up by a pile of rocks! Remember, this house has been standing for over 200 years now!
Holly in the livingroom-kitchen-familyroom-bedroom!
Chicken coop?
Back view of the house
Awesome construction! No nails here!
We didn't know what this was but it did have a tree trunk made into a pipe...with water flowing from it from a creek behind the lil shed.
Tree trunk/water pipe
Fencing.....maybe for the garden
The only source of heat
The loft
Heading back to the "real world"
Gorgeous shot of Jessica's favorite tree

Saw lots of these
Christmas tree lit up for the holidays!
We took a lil light tour of Gatlinburg's holiday lights.
Oooooops, thinking Tennessee did not want us to leave!
It was early and cold but the girls still looked gorgeous!

T is For Texas!

2010-11-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

In October we met up with my sis and her family and my mom and dad in Texas! : ) A great time to celebrate both my mom's birthday and my sisters!
Hubby and my sis cooking up a storm!
Pat relaxin after wrasslin with the cows, puttin up a fence and running a marathon! Way to go Pat.
A lil bird told the waitress that it was Moms birthday!
Same bird also told the waitress that it was Sisters birthday last week too! Don't they look cute in them fancy hats?
My sis and Mom willingly told everyone in there their birthdates and their ages!!!!! Can you believe that?!
Serenaded by the staff!
Cabin number 3 for a night
Hubby relaxing in front of the cabin.
Scene from the cabin door.
On the road following Pat and my sis....on the way to Lake Fork.
Getting to the bridge.
Big lake!
Some fishermen, it was a beautiful day!
All of us gettin a lil snack! : )
Shopping at Walmart, getting fishing licenses and fishing gear.....someone forgot his gear in Illinois!
Even hooks come in jumbo Texas size.
First Monday! My sis was on the hunt for her pup, Hubby and Ari were on the hunt for some good grub.
Grub found!
Not sure what they were looking at here.......hmmmmm
Our entrance to First Monday.....not our last visit here thats for sure! Oldest and biggest flea market in Texas, it really is huge!
Honey, don't you think we need horns in the house?????
My daddy is sooooo romantic! He bought this sign for my mom, and she loved it!
Hubby checking out some arms
On the hunt for sweet potatoes! Did not get them from here.....these sellers were from Florida, we wanted Texas grown ones!
Tator farm!
My sis checking out a pup.
Yup, she fell for him hook line and sinker! He is adorable tho'.
Hanging out at the vets.....he was soooooo mellow!
Hubby and Ari getting the fish made up for frying.
Ya catch it, ya clean it and ya cook it! Wife's rules : )

Packed and Ready to Travel

2010-11-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I last posted, I have been rather busy lately.....seems like I am always busy.

I will be gone for a few days.....Tenn here we come! I am sooooooo excited as it is one of my favorite places to visit!

I will be back by the beginning of the week with pics aplenty!

2010-10-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Taking part in this this month! I encourage you all to do the same! what are you thankful for?

Today I am thankful for the 3 adults who I can still envision as babies in my arms! My three blessings : ) . I love them to pieces and am very proud of the men and women they are becoming.

Yikes! Time sure does fly by!

2010-10-21T17:17:00.001-07:00

We went on a lil day ride to Starved Rock to see the trees starting to change into their fall colors.

Princess and Prince Charming came along with us! : ) Since they are courting, we were never too far away. It really is neat to see how their relationship is growing day by day.
Silly kids were supposed to give me a look of fear......they couldn't stop giggling!
On our lil hike we came across some young deer that were feeding.
Us!
Sunset on the way home, it was a lovely day!

My Week In Pictures/Sept. 5-12-2010

2010-09-12T14:32:00.001-07:00

One of my projects I have gotten back to. I am planning on posting a week by week progress picture, hopefully that will keep me on track and I can finish this one and hang it in my kitchen and get another one going! : )
So this is what I got done this week.
Mazi is enjoying his ear of fresh corn! Hubby's co-worker gave us a nice bunch of corn and of course I share all food with my fids!
We went on a bike ride and what did we see? Cornfields : ) ...the fields are getting a golden glow in the evenings now. Sorry it was a tad blurry...bike was going fast. I love riding by the fields, to me it is relaxing to see acres and acres of corn.
A view from hubby's seat. I love riding with him! Evening rides are the best!
Every small town has a country church on a corner.....
Bailey and I enjoy sitting in the backyard in the mornings, we listen to the birds and the soft rustle of the wind as it blows through the trees and watch the dogs play.
Izzy found a branch, these dogs are obsessed with branches! While Izzy is paying attention to the fence ( that dasterdly squirrel is in there somewhere!) Maggie is contemplating snatching the branch away while she can!
Jessica made her first batch of tamales! Here they are simmering away nice and slow : )

Thats it for now! A new week begins......lets see what comes its way.

Last week of August!

2010-09-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Poor Mazi got caught in a storm! Nothing sadder looking than a wet bird, but we still love him!

His face just makes me laugh!
Next day we are nice and dry and hanging with our favorite person in the world! My hubby.
Me with Weezer and Tilly, I am handling them on a daily basis for very short amounts of time since they are not too keen on it yet.
Once Weezer has been in my hands for a few minutes she is so comfy and relaxed, she loves scritches!
Going through my books for projects!
I sure could use some industrious mice like these for real!
Almost time to put these beauties away for the season.....although will do so reluctantly.
Bailey enjoying the great day ourdoors.
I love hanging my clothes on the line!
Just because.....
Beautiful day out! We now venture into September! Time for apples and pumpkins and cinnamon....blustery days.....falling leaves in shades of gold and orange and yellows and reds!

Wood burning in the air.....love it!!!!!

ILCS Exchange

2010-09-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

I took part in a bookmark exchange a few months ago, we were partnered with another fellow stitcher. The exchange was all about summer! Best time to read books are in the summer whie one is sipping away on something nice and cool : ) so the exchange consisted of a stitched bookmark, two skeins of embroidery thread in summery colors and some packets of those lil individual drink mixes.
As you can see my partner did an outstanding job on the bookmark she made for me! I love it! I esp love the glittery fabric she used, it's hard to see it on camera but it is gorgeous.
I received not only a wonderful bookmark, but some lovely thread that is hand dyed and 3 packets of yummy tea! What a surprise to see a cross stitch magazine and a book in the envelope as well!!!!! It is wonderful to have a group of fellow stitchers to enjoy stitching with and for!

Summer Goes On and On Aug 22-29

2010-08-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

This cute lil cat bookmark is what I made for my partner in the cross stitch group I belong to. The exchange was a stitched bookmark, single serve drink mixes or tea bags, two skeins of a summery colored thread.....we were celebrating the joys of summer! Reading, sipping something cold and refreshing and stitching!
You can barely see the hawk that was flying over our yard. It was closer but I didn't have the camera handy and when I went back outside this was all I had. I have seen about a dozen of them flying overhead at one time! Obviously hunting for food.
The garden spiders are helping get my "fall" theme going in the backyard! : )
Everytime I see these rocks I am reminded of my days on the California coast! Sigh......miss my beach!
Truly amazing that these delicate plants can sprout and grow and thrive in the midst of these "heavy" rocks! Determined to grow!
I can hardly wait for this to quit moving sooooo fast! It'll be nice to give the air conditioner a break, as well as our checkbook!
Mmmmmm yummy honey! Hubby has a co-worker who harvested this yumminess. I love to see the sun shining through the jar.
The honey above was used to make these! Homemade granola bars : )
I made dinner for the girls! They were enjoying it al fresco! Give me a group of folks to cook for and I am happy! Can you see the guys in the background? They were kind enough to man the grill and obviously play a lil tune on the guitar.
Dear Mowgli is selling his scooter......good thing since winter will be here before you know it!
Well thats it for the week! Not much going on at the moment.....just enjoying the days as they go by one by one : ) I am so looking forward to Fall though!

Boy Time Flies!

2010-08-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

How quickly time went by when my sister and family were here for a visit! One day they had just arrived and boom! Time to say our goodbyes : /.

I truly enjoyed having them in our lil home, hope they felt welcome and loved!
Mowgli and Ari got along great! They are both techies! I love this picture of the two of them.
Boy, do I look rough! Not much sleep was had the night before and it was a sad day of goodbyes. I love my lil Ari! He is so smart and sweet and reminds me soooo much of my Robin Hood!
Beauty and me....ugh! I do not like my pics.
Our fav Pat!
Two peas in a pod!
Ready for the long ride home! Norhtern Illinois to Southern Arizona! Hope to make the ride shorter one day when sis moves to Texas!
It has been so hot this week! Shaded the window with foil! Good ole' foil : ) Keeps the hot sun away and helps keep the house cooler. Tacky, yes.....but when it is hot you don't mind.
I have also been busy working on some stiching! I can't reveal what I stitched until my partner receives her goodies! I belong to a Yahoo group of cross stitcher and we often have little exchanges throughout the year. I will get a pic up this week!
Summer=weddings! Mowgli's job had a surprise bridal shower for one of the girls.....they did an awesome job! They decorated the bank and even made favors! He works with a great group of people.
Have my garden shoes ready for work! My sis gave these to me, I love pink and she knows it!
This is supposed to be a flower garden, somehow this summer it has been sorely ignored! Weeds is all you see here.
Phew! What a job that was, one side down another to go. I need to get some Fall flowers in there! It looks rather sad.
Weekend fun! Family barbeque. Brother in law Erick, Aunt Susan and Aunt Happy and Hubby. Kids were busy so it was just hubby and I there. Good food and good company! : )
Joy was comfy!
Kids having fun in the computer room.

Well thats it for the week!

Summer is coming to a close and soon we will be in the midst of my favorite season! Fall. I am looking forward to the change. We still have a few weeks of summer left so I will be enjoying the rest of summer by relaxing and taking things at a slower pace. Catch up on my reading list...start a few new projects, and just simply enjoy the outdoors.

Fun Times With The HIllstroms Plus The First Week of August

2010-08-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the day! Mornings with my cup of coffee and my Bible! Add a lil worship music playing softly in the background...that is if I am inside. If I am outside then add the chirping of birds!
I was going through some old boxes and I found this! Robin Hood's first year calendar. I had soooo

much fun writing in this! I need to send this to Maid Marion! It was fun looking through this and yes, it did bring a tear or two to my eyes and it did make my heart ache for my son too.
Princess made us dinner one night and it was so delicious! Lightly breaded chicken and orzo with a yummy salad! she is going to be an awesome wife!
Izzy and Maggie taking a rest......it is way too hot outside.
Maggie's sad face, she is such a doll!
I made blueberry cake for breakfast one morning this week! Most delicious : )
Ari is here! He was going on a ride with Uncle Ron! FYI family in Az call hubby Ron although he is really called Rhoel, easier to say and remember.
All ready to go! My sis was a bit nervous here! They went on a little errand and made it home safe and sound!
Ari and Bailey! Ari is a big time animal lover! Just like his Aunt Sandi : )
Fireworks that were brought over from Texas and Missouri. Living in Az the opportunity to light them is nil, not allowed.
Checking out the river, it was a rainy day as you can see.
Ari and his Dad(Pat) checking out the water level. It was high!
We took Ari to the library and he had fun "writing" a story.
Here is his story.
Time for fireworks! : )

Not quite sure what was going on here but it does look like Ari was trying to tell his dad something.
Sisters : ) Please be kind, it was the end of the day...we were tired and we look like poo....well I do sis looks great as usual!
Ari and his favorite person here! My Mowgli is great with kids!

Mosquitoes were horrible! We were armed!
Mowgli would not look at me!
A second try.....
Ari on top of Mowgli's scooter
Fishing day and they caught some! Ari loves to fish!

The Martin's invited Ari to their soccer group for the day! Ari had a blast! Prince charming played too : ) You can also see his sister and brother too.

Partytime, we had a small gathering to celebrate Ari's birthday. He turned 7 : )

Cousin Lyka and her Dad were on one team
Uncle Erick and JoyAnne were on another
Prince Charming and Elijah rode their bikes : )
Princess with the pinata.....oh where oh where should we hang it from?????
Lol, Prince Charming to the rescue!
Some of the hungry crew ; ) That lil tree you see there is my new aple tree!
Abby getting ready to whop that pinata
ball player Lexi gave it a swing
So did Niko! Even after a karate kick it stayed intact!
Ari giving it a shot
aunt Christy was not letting anyone off the hook! Princess had her turn.....did ya notice the adults had to be blinded!
Prince showed no mercy, remember he was controlling that thing!
Holly had a turn
So did I!
Mowgli's turn, I think Princess was having a bit too much satifaction in spinning him around!
Hubby even gave it a whack, all the candy came out : )
Ari opted for a trifle cake this year, layers of chocolate cake, vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding and whipped topping with oreos thrown in! it was sooooo good esp with the homemade vanilla ice cream we made!
Time to blow out the candles! Sorry for the blur
Time to open gifts!

Family
and more family : )
Cute couple
A little worship music was played
Dad and son at the end of a rather fun day!
Even maggie and Klyle were wiped
On our way to Sweet Tomato for lunch! Hubby opted to ride his bike
We had to leave early, the rest of the gang went to Geneva to do a lil shopping
This is why we left early, Mazi's previous owner asked me to take these lil beauties
So on one of my blogs I read how you can catch fruit flys, I wasn't sure it would work but it did! They could check in but couldn't check out!

Last Week of July!

2010-07-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Celebration time! Congratulations to Hubby's cousin! she worked hard on getting her LPN license. Some traditional Filipino food was served and of course you can't have a celebration without.......

a roasted pig! I tend to favor the yummy flan! You can see a bit of it there....not quite the same as our Mexican version but still yummy! : )
The graduate Joy Anne and hubby! : )
Joy Anne's dad, Uncle Johnny, was taking the pup out for a walk and he saw Hubby's bike.....I caught him in the act of getting on it! : ) You can see little Sheila there too! She is always dressed to the hilt!
Princess is sooooooo excited! Lol, her school books are coming in.....fun times ahead! ; )
Our next door neighbors "gifted" us with these and more hostas! She dug them up out of her front and gave us 12 of them! I placed them in the backyard. They are looking much better now.
Izzy, after her capture! She knocked off some fencing in the back and escaped.......thankfully our neighbor in the back was working in his garden, he has a beautiful garden front and back! He was able to keep Izzy from running into the neighborhood and had her go back into our yard through the gap. Here she was giving Hubby full attention as he was "lecturing" her on her bad behavior.
Me and the pups : ) See the gap in the greens behind me? That is where Miss Izzy made her escape! Maggie had no care or interest in escaping.....she usually isn't more than a foot away from me anyhow. She is just a bit clingy! Maggie is 10 months old and Izzy is 2 yrs old.
Princess hard at work on her blog. She and a friend are putting one together on becoming women of blessings to their husbands and families. Princess is a great writer!
We went on a bike ride with the kids (Kyle, Jess, Eli and Holly) then had dinner together....ended the evening with coffee at the house. Hubby and Prince Charming were playing some worship songs together.....they sounded great! Hubby loves to play piano and he especially loves to sing and play worship music.
While Hubby and Kyle were playing we sat and had some rest time with Eli and Holly : ) Aren't they just too cute! I have quickly fallen in love with them!

Well that is it! July is over......I am really glad I decided to record my weeks in pictures! I just need to remember to take my camera everywhere I go!

Week of July 12

2010-07-19T13:27:00.001-07:00

This week was a quiet one, lots of trips down memory lane, lots of prayer, and just plain ole trying to adjust to the changes in our family unit. Kids in England are doing wonderful, as expected! Robin Hood is enjoying the new sights and food I am sure, Maid Marion is faring well, just a tad of the good ol pregnancy weeziness, and of course my Dumplin is being loved to pieces and more than likely enjoying every bit of it!
I did start my holiday projects.....well one of them! Still learning the fine art of knitting.....can't tell you all what this will be due to the fact that it will be a Christmas gift!

We didn't get a veggie garden up this year, my heart just wasn't up to it I suppose, but our neighbors did bless us with some yummy cucumbers! Love them! One of the meals I made with them was very yummy!!! You will get a peek at it later.
Had quite a few days of hot humid and rainy weather.
Princess playing Robin Hood's guitar, he left this for her to "keep" for him while he and lil family are in England....it is reassuring to see this in the house : ) a part of my son still home.
Someone received roses! It wasn't me.......Princess had the biggest smile!
With all the rain that came down, grass had to be cut! I promised I wouldn't get hubby in the shot!
This salad was very yummy and has become a favorite in the house! Spinach, romaine, cucumbers, blueberries, strawberries, feta cheese, almonds, yum, yum, yum.
The complete meal, it was most delicious!
Pat had a birthday this week!
One is never too old for candy!
We had a birthday lunch at Just Kabobs, the tators were y favorite part of the meal!
Hubby and Mowgli : )
Yummy spinach pastry.....although Mowgli didn't think so. One bite was enough for him but that was ok, more for me : )
It was my birthday too! I received a lovely bouquet from my Mowgli and a dinner date : ) . Princess gifted me with a favorite movie...love doing movie nights with her! We have movie/crochet nights : ) and to end the day....we went out for dinner but I forgot the camera! How that happened I do not know! But it was a lovely dinner : )
You all have a blessed week!

Fly

2010-07-09T20:45:00.001-07:00

Today was a very difficult day for me. I had to be happy and uplifting at a time when my heart was breaking.
My oldest son and his lil family moved to England.
My emotions ran amuck today! I was thrilled and happy for them as I know my son has always wanted to live there yet I was sad because this is the longest we have been away from one another.

Our Week in Pics, June 27- July 3, 2010

2010-07-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

My week started with my handy dandy list! I would get absolutely nothing accomplished without it! It's going to be a busy week so i already had quite a few things on my list!
For some reason Harley is in the paper shredding mood lately....busy making a nest!

Kids moved out of their house this week, they moved some stuff back into our home....I could always use more stuff! My oldest "Robin Hood" is so wanting to be a minimalist....."Maid Marion" has a lil love affair of stuff and I am sure Dumpling will be collecting stuff too....I wish Robin Hood well in his endeavor! : )
Beauty was busy making pillows for her new home in NC! She did an amazing job : )
So proud of her work! : )
Princess made some scrumptious yummy cupcakes! They were filled with ganache and strawberries, the frosting.....buttercream.
Holly enjoying a day with us! We love Holly : )
After dinner the kids went on a bike ride....we stayed behind to burn paper with Robin Hood, Maid Marion and Beauty.
Thumbs up from Eli and Holly : )
here we are burning away
Beauty picked up a new hobby! Not really but it was cute!
Bailey on a lil stroll in the backyard.
Mmmmmm good! Homemade jam and scones with a nice hot cup of coffee!
Princess enjoying her lunch today!
Yay! Mowgli got a promotion at work today! Can you just feel the excitement??????
Princess bringing in the balloons for our farewell picnic to Robin Hood and Maid Marion and Dumpling.
My two gals enjoying the sun and swinging away.
Princess dreams of actually being this tall! She is actually only 5'2" tall!!!! Just like her Mommy : )
I gotcha Dumpling!
One of the Brown kiddos fishing away, they are one of my favorite families!
Time to get out of the sun for a bit!
Caught some of the Martins! A great family!
Some of the Alcantara and Terrenal families
Vic met a few Vics today! There were quite a few of them!
Miss mary and Dumpling sharing some love
We had entertainment! : )
We even had a "hotdog" at the picnic! : )
Uncle Erick playing baseball with the kids! Lost track of how many times the ball ended up in the river!
Dumpling sharing some special moments with kathie And Vic! Very special couple!
Beauty and Princess
I think Aunt Susan was trying to give Uncle John directions to the park here. Aunt Happy and Grandma enjoying a visit with friends and some food : )
I love this pic! Uncle Patch (Mowgli) and Dumpling loving moments together!
Robin Hood, our writer : )
The girls spitting watermelon seeds!
The guys were completely enthralled by the seed spitting competition! Lol
Dumpling and De'Reen! : )
A tuckered out lil girl! It was a long week for her!

The week in pics 6/19-6/27-10

2010-06-28T15:05:00.001-07:00

Dog days of summer! Maggie does not like the heat at all! So found this neat website on scrapbooking and thought hmmmm I could do this on my blog! If you ever want some neat ideas visit www.aliedwards.com/a-week-in-the-life. I am going to be posting pics online on a weekly basis. So much of my week is gone fast and quickly forgotten, well..... I want to remember the little things not just the big ones! So my camera will be going with me everywhere : ) and hopefully I will be getting some neat shots. Now they may not mean much to you but for me it will be a memory.
I love pressies!!!! These were for my daughters "love" it was his 24th birthday and we gifted him with some good ole boy toys! : )
Son and daughters shoes......boy my lil "Mowgli" has some big feet! Makes my Princess look like a teeny tiny person.
Princess planted the herb garden this year and it is looking great!
Some of my flowers.....wild and not so wild lol....I know have to get rid of those weeds! I absolutely love love the pump that Prince Charming brought me! Prince Charming is our daughters beau!
Big bear and I attended Swedish Days in Geneva, had some fun and good eats and had a chnace to listen to some pretty good music!
See there were people dancing in the streets!
Princess and Prince Charming attended a wedding for one of their friends, Princess is sooooo helpful! Shep is the brides brother!
Prince Charming! Kyle : )
Princess spent the day in these! Oye! her poor feet!
Can't let the week go by without seeing my "dumpling"! Isn't she a doll?
We had yummy fish this week!
Also made the yummiest lemon bars!
Party time! Darius turned 3! Dumpling was such a lady patiently waiting her turn to pick a gift! Pretty Mummy was holding her!
Darius enjoyed opening his pressies! His cousins were there help too!
So this was a glimpse into my week.

Taking A Moment

2010-06-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

Yup I am still around! Like the new pic of our Sophie? She is visiting her family in Az with her Mummy and Daddy, from what we are hearing she is loved by all and did very well on the plane!

It has been raining lately sooooo not much gardening has been done....but I am thankful for the rain and how it has watered our yard and plants! Actually the rains has brought up some interesting critters! hubby was grilling yesterday during a pause of the rainfall....and what did he find on the ground? A crawdad! In the ten years we have lived here we have never had this happen. This morning he took the dogs out to do their thing before he went to work and he found another one in the grass!

I haven't done much as far as crafting/stitching is concerned. I really need to tho', I feel kind of lost by not having something to do with my hands at times.
Well I must get some sleep now.....we are picking up the kids at the airport early! I am so happy to see them and get some Sophie cuddles!
Blessings!

Soaking up babytime!

2010-05-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

This Grammy has been trying to get as much baby time as possible! Sophie and Mummy and Daddy will be moving to England in a few months and yes, I am going to miss them terribly!
So I will more than likely be missing again but I do hope to post some pics on a somewhat regular basis.....hopefully : ) But for now I will be loading up on cuddles and cuddles and more cuddles!

Sugar and Spice

2010-02-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sophie Mae

Born Feb. 3, 2010

7 lbs 10 oz, 19 1/2" long

Everything Baby

2010-02-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Patrick, Jessica and Chapman who is Patrick's friend helped clear out the baby's room for Dan and Tracy. There really wasn't a lot of big heavy stuff to move, just little things. Dan was so excited that he decided to get the crib put together!

Out came all the pieces, years ago it was legos that Dan was playing with, now he is setting up his own childs room, wow.

In the midst of building.
Yay, we have a crib! Next comes the baby which I will say that as I am tying this out Mom and Dad are in the hospital!!!!! So tomorrow comes a new baby to love!
The quilt is one that Tracy will be making for the baby!

Brrrrrr it is cold out there!

2010-01-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

Temps dropped in our area again and it started to snow once again! This was yesterday by the way. Today we woke up to a very cold day once again but it is a beautiful sunny day : )
I have so much going on at the moment, thought I would stop and jot a few lines down before I plunged further into the day.
On my plate.....cleaning, purging, cooking and sewing. Spring cleaning comes early in our household!
I know it will feel so much better when I am done but for the moment it is a mess! Funny how I have to make a bigger mess as I am cleaning the mess that has collected in our homes to get it cleaner, organized.
Jess and I have been enjoying the Austin movies we have collected so far. It is such a joy to watch them with her! Her favorite so far is Northanger Abbey.
Well I best get back to my "work"

My first finish of the year!

2010-01-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

I just finished these placemats for my mom and I found them to be a quick project. I love the pattern.....I just might make myself a set!

Now I am itching to do some needlework! I have sooooo many projects lined up! Question is should I do some cross stitching or embroidery? Hmmmmmm

A new year

2010-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

The start of a new year! I love sitting by candle light in the evening the last few days of the year....sipping a nice hot cup of tea, reflecting on the past year and what possibilities will come in the next year. This year has not been different.

My personal goals are the same typical ones I hear others write about, more time and a closer relationship with God. Better health choices, more organization.....you know the typical list : )

My biggest desire aside from getting closer to God and really hearing and knowing His direction in my life is to live life in a more determined way. I want to cherish my time with my family and friends.....really stop and be there for them. I also desire to become a better helpmate for my husband....by making home a sanctuary from the chaos of the world....I want to incorporate some of the old way of living into our home. Simple hard work but so satisfying!

Our Christmas was nice and relaxing even though I worked the night before and had to cook as soon as I got home in the morning! My favorite time of the day was in the evening when we all sat down to watch some movies and just relax! Dear hubby had to work that evening tho and he was missed! Sadly we all forgot to take pictures!

New Years Eve found me at work again! Thankfully it was a quiet yet busy night in the hospital.

So now for the organizing, planning of a new baby! baby is due next month and we are very happy and excited to become grandparents! We can hardly wait to spoil this new lil wee one : )
Later today I will be ordering some yarn so I can start crocheting some blankets!

My other goal is to be more consistent with the blog writing! : ) Well tea is getting a bit cold so I better go and relax and shop! Thank goodness for online shopping : ) No need to trudge out in the cold!

Puppy love

2009-12-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

I have been having so much fun with our new addition! then it dawned on me that the year is almost over! We are just a few days away.....my that was a fast year!
I often sit and ponder on what the next year will bring, what joys and sorrows, as life goes on with both.....you can't have one with out the other but hopefully we all draw closer to God and allow Him to bring us comfort and hope as we trudge through those sorrows. Words easily spoken but hard to live through, I know! But I do have hope in my God and always keep in mind that he loves me and wants the best for me.
I will post more on my new year hopes and dreams at a later date, I need to get some rest as I am working tonight and need a lil bit of beauty sleep! ; )

Stopping for a breather

2009-12-20T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hubby gave me my Christmas gift early! We drove to the country and picked up this lil darling.
Maggie is an English Mastiff and she is 12 weeks old and about 40 lbs. I don't have to tell you all she is going to be one large dog!
She is such a sweetheart already, she loves to be cuddled and carried but I don't think we will be able to carry her for much longer!
Aside from my early Christmas excitement I have been busy creating and baking goodies....can't really say what I am working on as eyes are everywhere! It is a busy time but I am enjoying it all.

It's a very busy time!

2009-12-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to jot down a few quick notes. I have been very busy trying to get all the decorations up and the baking started as well as the homemade gifts made....whew!
I am loving it tho: )
Hope everyone else is doing well, keeping busy and enjoying family and friends but most importantly taking some time out to reflect on the love that God has for us and the gift He gave us!
More to come soon!

Fall

2009-11-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

Trying to do some catch up on my blog here, enjoy the pics!

The weather has been so great lately! We have taken advantage of this by getting out for a few road trips and daily trips out to the dogs favorite stomping grounds. Best we do this before the winter weather settles in and limits our outings!

When we drove into Chester we found Popeye!

We found Brutus but couldn't find Olive Oyl anywhere! I am sure she must be around there somewhere.

It was a nice lil get away for hubby and myself. We enjoyed some quiet roads and peaceful scenery and discovered some new ground.

Now we are getting things ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas....we opted for a homemade Christmas this year so it will be a busy time for all of us. I will try to keep this blog updated, I know I haven't been very regular but I will try ; )

Sad Day

2009-10-30T13:53:00.001-07:00

The weather seemed to fit in with the mood today. We got word today that a precious sister in Christ passed away.
She had suffered with the cancer battle for quite a while now and on one hand it is good to know that she is not suffering and in so much pain but on the other hand she will be missed terribly by her loved ones.
If you read this please lift the family up in your prayers, I am sure Debbie would be so grateful.

Apple Picking Fun

2009-10-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

The entire family had planned on going apple picking but......Son #2 had to work and Hubby was sent out of town with work as well. Son #2 works at a bank so he was needed and hubby works for a mental health facility....every now and then they need to escort a forensic pt. to another facility due to aggressive behavior. Well it was hubby's turn to go and sadly he missed out on one of his favorite places to visit in the Fall.
So into the bronco jumped in Son #1, Dear Daughter-in-love, Dear Daughter and of course me!
Off we went to pick some yummy delicious apples!

We had the lovebirds....can you see how many apples they picked? Too much time spent hugging and taking pics! Aren't they cuties?
Good apples are way down yonder!
Three of my precious kids. Grandbaby #1 is snug and warm in Daughter-in-loves belly! We are sooooo excited!

2009-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Farm Tour

2009-10-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

This was our first year going on the farm tour that is held locally. As you can see many people take the tour! It made for a lot of walking from one cluster of farms to the next. It was a bit on the cold side but hot apple cider made it feel just fine out there.
Tons of antiques were out to be bought! I was good.......enjoyed looking but didn't buy anything.
I love birds and birdhouses!
One of the many farms we visited. Each farm had a few vendors who were selling goods. I can't say what I bought as they are gifts!

End of summer

2009-09-18T10:56:00.001-07:00

We spent the day at one of our local parks with Sophie. She is our 2 yr old chihuahua that is one of many in our home.
The day was a beautiful one and it was perfect for spending some time outdoors. Once we got home out came the scarecrows and some pumpkins! I will have to get some pics of them soon.
It's time to transform our house into the season of fall! My favorite time of year!

Ups and Downs

2009-08-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week, we are trying to fit as much as we can into the end of summer! But I must say I am ready for the beginning of Fall to come upon us.

Hubby and I have had few days of riding the bike around......Thursday we actually spent the day traveling thru' southern Wis. The day was warm and sunny. We had a wonderful lunch at Popeyes in Lake Geneva and had to take some time to walk off a bit of our lunch! We met a couple there that were celebrating their 24 wedding anniversary, they were very happy and just enjoying each others company and looking forward to the next 24 yrs.

We did have some sadness come our way, our daughter lost a friend this week. He was attending a barbeque and was found in the bottom of the pool. The young boys pulled him up and proceeded to do CPR until the paramedics came along but sadly he didn't make it. The Dr. tried to reassure the kids and told them that he more than likely had a seizure and that was the cause of his death.
The one comfort we do have is that he is a wonderful child of God, he loved to worship and truly loved God. So knowing that one day we will be reunited with him is a consolation to us and to the kids, I say kids when I really mean young adults! This is a college age group.

So yes, this week has brought us many things, sometimes life can be overwhelming.....on top of all this I had a co-worker who had a nervous breakdown...it was job related.....another who is battling cancer and was in the hospital again due to an infection.....so much pain out there. A reminder of the importance of knowing and having a Saviour......how would I even come close to surviving this thing we call life if I wasn't one of His children? I don't know how I would be able to.

Well I must take some time out to get a lil crafting done, I am starting on my Christmas projects. I wish you all a wonderful week......remember to take time out in your busy day to stop and worship God and cherish the moments with your family and friends!

2009-08-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to sharing in this special event! I invite you all to stop......grab a cup of tea and sit in your lil garden and just say ahhhhhh!

Good bye July, Hello August

2009-08-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Wow the month just flew by! It has been a different type of summer for us this year. We haven't taken any trips out of town, but it hasn't been a humdrum summer either for us.
Hubby and I have had many road trips on the motorcycle, enjoying the views and ice cream treats ; )
We have worked in the garden together this year.....usually it's just me.... it has been nice having hubby working and enjoying the pleasure of seeing our produce grow from our lil bit of land. We are determined to make our home as much of a homestead as possible considering we live in a suburb!

So now comes August and the rush of buying supplies for school for our daughter, also the joy of buying clothes : )
Summer is coming to a close and I need to get our routine back in order! We have been taking it easy since the summer came upon us but now it's back to organizing and planning for the holidays and winter....and planning for our new grandbaby that will be here in the spring! : )

Stopping by

2009-07-23T08:45:00.001-07:00

Wow summer seems to be flying by fast! We have had some rather warm days but nothing too hot and quite a few wet cool days....not usual summer weather.
Posting a few pics of our summer so far....more to come! Enjoy.

Can you call me Grandma?

2009-06-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we found out that our oldest son and daughter-in-love are expecting their first baby in the spring! We are very happy and excited for them and anxious to share in this journey into parenthood.
So out comes the yarn and crochet hooks, the other grandma is a very talented knitter! I will leave the knitting needles to her ; ) I am also going to break out the sewing machine and have a very busy but fun time as I dream of holding this wee lil one in my arms.
So this means that my mom will be a great grandma and my nana will be a great great grandma! Wow!

Coughing and coughing not much else going on

2009-06-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well my reaction to the lil white floaties out there have turned into a respiratory infection! So not happy with that since I am way too tired and weak to get any thing done!

The fields are alive!

2009-05-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well it is that most lovely and beautiful of seasons when everything is in bloom.
The season where I fight the daily headaches and other allergy "aches" that I live with!
But I do adore this time of year, I love the sights and smells of everything turning green after a long cold winter! The flowers coming into their best display.....who could not love it!

So of course it does slow me down a bit, does not stop me......I still love to work in the garden and be as active as ever only it does slow down a lil bit for me. Gives me more time to reflect on the things I want to do : )

Saturday again!

2009-05-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

I got off work this morning and thought I would join hubby in the yard, or garden as my lovely daughter-in-love calls the yard. while hubby was cutting the grass I set my goal on the lil flower garden I have in front. My goal one day is to see it in it's full glory as a full English garden!
Our neighbors were working on their yard as well, it was a lovely morning. They informed us that their two trees are coming down due to the fact that a family of squirrels have taken residence in their attic! I am sad to hear the trees are coming down as I love to watch them sprout every spring.

Hubby and I spent some time together just enjoying the weather and each others company before I took a nap. when I woke up the kids meaning Dan and Tracy were in high gear getting ready for their road trip. The kids are going to Az to visit my parents and sister and brother and their families! I sure hope they have fun out there! Of course being a mom I asked them to make sure to keep me posted while they were on the road.

For dinner tonight I am making some ribs on the grill and pasta salad. I hope to enjoy the rest of the day stitching and relaxing : )

Busy Days

2009-05-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today we started to get our budget in order. I read a book by the Economides and I really liked what they wrote about, so much so that I shared it with hubby and he also liked it so now we are following suit and making our own budget book. We hope to see an improvement in our savings in a few months!
I did my daily chores and also put our menu in order, what made that easier was asking each of the kids what they would have liked seeing on the menu for the week! So we are having
today- baked fish and chipolte rice with veggies
Wed- ribs and tator salad
Thurs- pepper steak and rice
Fri- shepherds pie
Sat- grilled chicken and pasta salad
Sun- roasted chicken and veggies
Tomorrow is another day when I check the sales ads and get my shopping list in order. I don't really shop the "normal" way, I bulk buy sales items and stock my pantry that way. I have run low on a few things so I need to recheck my pantry and update my list.

I have found out that getting organized takes a lot of time! I updated my "brain" which is my big binder, changed some of the things in there and added a few others that are needed. Today I also clipped a few weeks worth of coupons and put them in my coupon folder.

Finally now I can relax and maybe stitch a bit!

Wedding Anniversary Getaway!

2009-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

For our getaway we picked Tennessee! Pigeon Forge to be exact, we wanted to see the mountains! Even tho' it was still early in the year the views were amazing!
We ate at Lineberger's restaurant, great seafood! Hubby had oysters which to be honest I am not a fan of but boy did he enjoy it.
I opted for bacon wrapped scallops with a lil bit of pineapple salsa on top. It was sooooooo gooooood!
Best sweet tea can be found in your local McAllisters! We ended up taking 5 gallons home with us since we are not fortunate to have one of these great places in our area.
Taken at one of the lookouts in Gatlinburg.
We took a lil back roads tour and they treated us to sites like this! We had a fun tour and saw things that most folks don't get a chance too. We even came home with moonshine jelly and each of us got a buckeye.

On one of our walks we found this! a Paw Paw tree! I thought this was neat, my kids call my Dad Paw Paw!
Hubby and I at one of the lil waterfalls.
Hubby treated me to this wonderful, wonderful place!
This is the front of the house, I love this place!
because it is a bird sanctuary! My favorite creatures are parrots! isn't he glorious?
I love the lil parrots too! I called the yellow ones sunshine with wings.
After playing with all the birds, there must have been at least a hundred of them! We walked the garden trail and found the prayer garden! We sat and prayed for a few minutes before we left. This parrot place has scripture plaques everywhere along the garden walk. Loved it!
So many flowers growing everywhere!
The Smith Family dinner show was great! A lot of talent here! Dinner was fabulous as well.
Hubby was picked to take part in the hoola hoop contest! he was a great sport bout it! I kind of worried about his back, but he did great! Of course the women won! But the men were great to laugh at!
Yup! We had a wonderful time in the mountains!

2009-04-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

I pray everyone has a wonderfully blessed Easter!