All Is Calm.....

Our family Christmas this year took place on Friday thru Sunday before Christmas.

On Wednesday we got the nicest snow; Thursday, however brought blizzard conditions which meant difficulty for our family to make the trip on Friday.  Jennifer and family left early, without much happening in KS, but by the time they reached West Des Moines the roads were in terrible condition.  It took them 8 and a half hours but they did make it all in one piece, except for their nerves.  It took Angie and Carson 3 hours to make the 2 hour trip from Des Moines.  Amanda and Scott and family decided to wait until Saturday morning as they didn't want to be travelling after dark.  Just as well.

Newly weds Kayla and Wes brought Parker on Friday night to have dinner with us.

The other kids all clamour for Parker's attention.  He is adorable and very sociable.  

The gift exchange included a very special picture of Parker's 3rd birthday for us.  He was so excited about everything he got.

Saturday was a full day.   Angie and Wes worked out at the W and Jennifer ran her 8 miles outside.  After lunch, the girls took the kids to the W for swimming for a couple of hours.  Gave me some much needed down time.

Stuffed manicotti and salad were on the menu for Saturday night--it was fun to have the girls around the kitchen to help with the preparations.

Once it was in the oven, the gift opening started!!

Bailey is a new driver and has purchased Grandpa Chuck's work car.  Teenagers aren't always easy to buy for, but we enjoyed surprising her with a car plate representing Olathe East where she attends high school.

After the gift opening we decorated gingerbread houses.  It turned out to be really a lot of fun.  The moms and one dad got involved.  There was lots of frosting and candy everywhere and the kids were very creative with their houses.

Melina and her dad Scott

Angie helping Carson, and Bailey really didn't need any help!

Jennifer helping Olivia

FINISHED!!

Melina

Carson

Bailey

Olivia

Lots of frosting and candy stuck everywhere!!  We turned out the light and I got the mess cleaned up in the morning before everyone got up.

Only Melina took her gingerbread house home.  It was too long a trip for the others, so the houses were put out for the birds.  I have actually had a woodpecker investigating and a couple of chickadees sampling the coconut.

Another Christmas over again.  This year Chuck and I spent Christmas morning in the sunroom watching the birds and having coffee in our pajamas.  It was really pretty nice.  

The new year rolls around once again and I'm falling into my mode of motivation to organize, clean closets and start healthy eating again.  

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!  

Nutcracker "Sweet"

Olivia has joined the 'Trilogy Cultural Arts Center' this year and is immersing herself in everything dance.  Last year she was part of a small production and then tried out for, and landed, a part in the larger production of Wizard of Oz.   In order to be involved in the larger productions, she was required to be enrolled in a class, so she started with Level One ballet this year.  She quickly informed me , however, that she would be prohibited from wearing 'toe' shoes until Level 4 or 5.

We opted to go to the Friday night performance.  I got to go along with Jennifer to get her ready.

Make up is applied  perfectly.  Mascara first....

Mom has to put the fake eyelashes on!

OMG!! They make her look so old!  And they are thick and long.  But on stage, they are perfect.

More make up and on with the costume.  The hair  was styled with the traditional 'ballet' bun.  

The costume was beautiful.  And the earrings and tiara were the same  for all the girls.

Olivia was one of 5 little Snowflakes.  Here they are, all posed and ready to go.  My buttons are popping -- and I know that I'm biased, but do you notice that she is the only one with proper form.  And she's so serious.  She was serious about her performance.  She was nervous when we left to get ready, but she did everything perfect.

This was just too fun for me.  I had forgotten that there are no speaking parts in a ballet.  Just music and a few solos.  But there was no problem following the story, if you had seen the Nutcracker before.  The costumes were gorgeous and the players ranged from  little 3 or  4 year olds, to a couple of adults.  Some very, very talented young people.  Olivia will be working hard, I know, as her goal is to secure the lead in this some year.  They do the Nutcracker every Christmas, so who knows.  Anything is possible with this girl!!

I can only imagine what's in store for our little ballerina.  

House Changes

 John K has been  busy this fall continuing with our planned changes to the house.  The woodwork has now been replaced in the two guest bedrooms, the walls have been painted, new wood blinds installed, and window treatments installed.  The rooms look so nice.  I remade valances for the front bedroom.  I had made those for our previous house and finally got the modifications made so that I could use them here.

Now it's time to start re-doing.  This summer we painted all the walls a light cream, just to get a clean look.  We had always planned to do some color in the kitchen and finally decided on the colors.  The big wall is a brick red and the rest of the kitchen is painted gray with a touch of green.  Looks really nice; makes the woodwork really beautiful.  John does such nice work and it shows.  Now the kitchen is done, except for the wall unit John is going to build for me.  Hoping he can get it done before Spring.  It will be eight feet long and will have storage for stemware, linens, extra serving pieces and a wine refrigerator.  Maybe a liquor cupboard if there's room.  We're working on a plan.

Is it never going to end!!  I've been decorating for Christmas for almost 2 weeks.
I still don't have the downstairs tree up and decorated, but I'm running out of time.  I really want to get to it done because some of the kids will be sleeping downstairs while they're here for Christmas and it would nice to have Christmas there too.

Just a quick shot of the front foyer.  My friend Jean talked me into buying this piece  during one of our Spring Green  trips.  It's really versatile and it's fun to decorate for the seasons.  I thought Jean might enjoy seeing what I did with it this year.

And speaking of Christmas decorations, this little gem finally got finished.  Jean stayed here  a year ago and this was a project she helped me with.  We thought it was going to be fairly easy, but we both became extremely frustrated with it.  Jean threatened to toss hers; I don't if she did.  But I put the finishing touches on it this week and hung it from the ceiling fan in an extra bedroom.  It really is pretty......but I have no desire to make another one.

My new thing.  Vacation this fall started it.  Chuck insists on doing all the driving and it's boring for me, so I started knitting again during our trip to Maine.  We've made multiple trips to Des Moines and Kansas City and I find I can whip these out pretty fast.  Actually, I made my first pair last year.  It was a pattern I had for beginners, using worsted weight.  I washed and dried that first pair and they felted up nicely to use as foot warmers while I have my shoes off.  I took inventory of my yarns and realized I have about 20 skeins--each a different color.  Not enough to do much with, but 220 yards will make a pair of socks.  I'm on my 4th pair; don't know what I'll do with them, but for now I'm just throwing them in a basket in the sun room.  Another trip to Kansas City this week, so that means I'll get that pair done.  Go figure....it keeps me busy.

Catching Up

 Even though I haven't blogged for awhile, I have been busy.  Trying to finish some UFOs and starting new ones.  So, of course, I can't help but show and tell...

I started this Blackbird Designs last year.  But started with the Winter design on the right, stitched the center Summer design, then waited until Spring of this year to get back at it.  It turned out really good and I love the frame.  Twin Oaks Framing was my place of choice, however, this summer she lost her lease and decided to close out the business.  I don't know where I'll find people so good at what they do.  And since I can never make a choice on my own, always depended on Cheryl and Sandy to confirm what I thought, or make another suggestion.  I have been puzzled about why the BB girls decided to do only 3 seasons.

I worked on this quilt most of the summer.  The basket handles are hand appliqued.  It's a Blackbird Designs pattern and I chose their Antique Fair collection for piecing.   Whenever they come out with a collection that I truly love (which is most of them) I purchase a fat quarter pack.  This one had about 40 different prints and did the entire quilt, with additional yardage for the outside setting blocks and the ruffle.  I had seen them do a ruffle before and really wanted it on this quilt, however it took until mid-fall before I could get motivated to get it made.  I think it really makes the quilt.  If you click on the picture to enlarge you can get a better view.  I love the scrappy background blocks and I used up almost all of the fabrics, which is a good thing.

This large pillow is a new pattern from Country Stitches.  It's stitched on a large count linen (22 ct) so it goes really fast.  But it used lots of hand dyed threads as I used 3 strands for stitching.   I distressed the linen before stitching.  The dark stripe was accidental, but decided that I liked it.  It's not really obvious, but there's lots of distressing along the top and bottom edges.  Still waiting for the rusty jingle to attach to both ends.  The colors were perfect with my basket quilt.  

I love punch needle, but it takes so long.  I finished this last year, but not before Christmas so I never did get it finished for displaying.  It's mounted on a simple wooden box, painted black, corners and edges sanded, then stained with a dark Bri-Wax.  

Here's the inside.  I glued black wool felt on the bottom and on the inside of the lid, a padded foam core board covered with a couple layers of batting and some blue velveteen that matches the sky perfectly.  Lately I've been making sewing boxes.  The first I did was an idea from Blackbird.  I have so much trouble keeping sewing necessities with me all the time, so I've taken to having 3 or 4 boxes placed strategically around the house (wherever I might sit down to sew) and stocking each of them with types of needles, pencils, threads, threaders, and stitch markers.  it has helped and I'm making lots of them so that I can be 'season appropriate'.  Maybe I'll even give a few as gifts.

THANKSGIVING

Traditionally, we spend Thanksgiving in Kansas City.  We were a small group this year; Jennifer, Wes, Bailey and Olivia, and our oldest daughter, Angie and son Carson made up the group.  We were able to get to KC by 1pm so we could all have lunch at Panera.  Then back to the house to cook and drink wine.  Jennifer got some things done early as the girls had afternoon appts , but there was still plenty to do.  Angie made her unbelievable broccoli and cauliflower gratin.  Very good with lots of cream and cheese -- everyone has at least two helpings.  This warms my heart, seeing my girls side by side in the kitchen.  They are both extraordinary cooks.  I didn't cook until early am as my contribution was pie and I believe they must be made in the morning, the day of.....

Dinner was delicious, as usual.  We tried this year not to prepare too much food, but as usual there were lots of left overs.

Chuck and Wes escaped the cleanup by playing 4 square with the kids.

We all enjoyed football games after a supper of leftovers and left early in the morning to get back to Des Moines before 10am.  Angie's new furniture was being delivered and she had some things on her To Do list for her dad.

Catching Up

October

We made it to Olivia's last football game.  Jennifer  has coached the girls' cheerleading squads since Bailey was in first grade.  Bailey decided not to stay in cheerleading a year ago, but she helped her mom.  It's quite a commitment; weekly practices, learning routines, keeping everyone's attention on what they are doing.  Her teams always participated in the end of the season competitions.  Jennifer works full time as an Elementary Principal Assistant so I've always been impressed that she's able to juggle it all.  Our son-in-law, Wes travels a lot in his job, so she does the bulk of the running around with the girls.  They are great parents and I commend them both for the two wonderful daughters they have.

 This is an experiment.  The short video (if you're able to view it) is a preview of the routine the girls did at the game; she is second from the left.  Olivia is in 5th grade this year and they have been the cheerleaders for the same team for 5 years.  Amazingly, the team has lost only 2 games during the entire 5 years.  They are a very talented group of young boys and the games are fun to watch!

Olivia has decided this will be her last year to be involved in cheerleading and soccer.  She broke her arm early in the soccer season this season, so she was only able to play in the first couple of games.  The real reason though, is that she has been taking ballet lessons and is involved in a drama group and decided that is her real passion.  She's been involved in a couple of week long camps and had parts in both of the productions.  Currently she's involved in the group's annual production of The Nutcracker and will be preforming as a snow flake.