And now it's December!

Life has been busy lately and I haven't posted in a while, so here is an update to catch you up on the happenings of my life.

The boys took turns doing the flag ceremony and learning how to fold the flag.  The cost of a full uniform was prohibitive for some of the boys.  Instead we tie-dyed matching t-shirts and presented them with home-made sashes for them to put their awards on.

Earlier in the year I took a class on how to make cement decorations from leaves around the yard.  I harvested one of the Elephant Ear leaves Matthew had grown, made the pile of sand and covered it with cement.   Here it is flipped over and drying.  I quickly made a second one before the weather turned cold.  I still have to "trim" it with dremmel, then paint and polyurethane it, but that will have to wait until Spring and warmer weather.

Brian came by for the regular bi-annual service to my heat pump and found this scary guy slowly slithering on the driveway.... a copperhead!    UGH! I guess it wasn't cold enough to send him hibernating yet!

I worked with some of the ladies from FCE sewing up bag holders and aprons for the regional and state conventions.

We took the boys to Nashville to see the Titans play the Colts (they lost !)  Then a couple weeks later the three boys (hubby included) went to Indianapolis to see the Colts beat the Titans again!  We are gluttons for punishment.

I stayed home from the Indianapolis game and instead worked at Santa's Workshop selling quilted items and crafts that I make throughout the year.

My Christmas Cactus decided to bloom early this year!






There was the Veterans Day Parade with the Knights of Columbus marching.... and a meet-up with a former JROTC teacher for Matthew.

The infamous dining room table was cleared and set with my grandmothers good Bavarian china for a grown-up Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and all the fixin's. (I forgot to take the picture of the turkey!)

  

Black Friday arrived signalling the beginning of the new Bonnie Hunter Mystery... En Provence.  I pulled fabrics from my stash, but haven't had time to begin cutting yet.

 

Instead, we had all three grandsons for a day full of activities with cars and legos and balls... and I made a second, kid friendly-kid approved Thanksgiving dinner of ham, potaotes and green beans.

  

Now it's December and the youngest grandson turned two ... he didn't quite know what to make of the candles on the cupcakes. The candles were eventually blown out with help from his brothers.  They all enjoyed playing with the cars.

The annual children's Christmas party at work .  Trying to get the three of them together and smiling for a picture proved impossible.... but they had fun with crafts, coloring and gifts.

I snuck in a 4-day trip to Denver to visit my youngest daughter, but I'll save those pics for the next post.

2015 Update and start of 2016

I had difficulities with both the camera and the computer in 2015 and I didn't post very much.  So, here is a brief summary before I try to begin posting activities for 2016

Family gathered for last goodbyes to my mother-in-law in January

We survived the ice storms of February..

We redid my sewing studio and under-stair storage area after heavy rains caused water damage in April ... and reorganized my scrap stash... although it needs a lot more work!

 

 

In the spring, I wanted to plant a rose garden near where the big trees were removed in 2014... unfortunately... there were way too many roots and we began the big dig in July...

I finished the Savannah Squares quilt for Sr. Doris in September... and the niece it was gifted to was thrilled!

I finished my grandson's Big Brother quilt in October

     

It turned out totally different than the orginal plan.  I had laid the blue/white pieced blocks out on the floor for grandson to see... and his only comment was... but Nana.. there's not enough red.. red is my FAVORITE color! there has to be more red!  So I added red bandana fabric sashings and cornerstones and borders and it grew to nearly king size!  It is draped over the queen size bed he sleeps in and he pulls down one corner and snuggles in.

In September I started work on Little Monkey for a new grand-niece born in July

Activities with our grandson included a week of cabin camping with a waterslide near our cabin, a visit to dinosaurland, exploring caverns in KY, visiting several local county fairs, and a trip to Disney, SeaWorld and Sanibel Island and a trip to Nashville to see the Christmas lights and eat at the Aquarium restaurant in December.

    

 

An online friend from Alaska stopped in for a visit  ... and I met other online friends at at a retreat in Virginia Beach...

Matthew and I won ribbons at the fair....

And I had a very successful booths at Rugby and Santa's Workshop...

 

Other activities throughout the year included working the church rummage sale, working with Cookeville Jr. Women's Club at Santa's Workshop,  various activities with TTU college students, making woven placemats  and christmas trees with Matthew and his friends at Hope Academy.

 

I'm sure there is a lot I've forgotten but these are the highlights.  I hope to be better at posting, maybe monthly in 2016.

I hope you had a good 2015 and are looking forward to 2016.