Wrapping up the Birth Month

September has been wonderful, y'all! Loved the many blessings and celebrations - it's been one thing after another that I'll claim as a birthday celebration.

      My family, minus Roger and Aliah

Gifts on my doorstep night after night, beautiful star-filled evenings to greet me as I got home late, visits with friends and babies, it's just been so wonderful! 

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of it :) Truly thanks for making September and year 41 so special!

Nobody gets as excited about birthdays as much as this girl! Well, except for maybe me! 

It's been difficult and confusing, too. I live just South of Charlotte so seeing that situation play out on the local news... It's so hard to understand how totally destroying a city can be perceived as the answer. Hurting other innocent people cannot improve the situation. I hope and PRAY tonight is better and calmer. Thanks to all who have worked to bring peace to the city, to those who have prayed for peace. 

And work kicked into overdrive already, which is exhausting. For all of us. Therefore, sometimes those frustrations, stressors, and such are taken out on other coworkers. Pray for that, too. Because when it happens, cool heads are often difficult to maintain. 

I've been in a pillow making mood. These two are for mom - the Christmas pillow came first, the second is an autumn pillow. I love creating and trying new patterns. Glad I got these done before work became too chaotic. 

....and I've been sitting on this for who knows how long. :). That's what happens when you work in an elections office and it's a Presidential year. Sorry y'all. 

Sorry folks, I totally fell asleep on you - but I'm awake and in a rush now. No winning!  I know I'm giving a photo dump-sorry about that but I like looking back and remembering what all was happening around the same time frame.

Daddy and Macy playing on the iPad. 

Macy saw her first movie in a theater (a local place called Sylvia, you should check it out) and she loved it!! The Secret Life of Pets. I wasn't that impressed but it was talking animals and a cartoon so she loved it. 

Clay turned 45 and he and Angela had us all over at their house. Her family and ours! So good to visit with the whole group. Look at Liam-Is he not a cutie! 💗💗 Love those boys, Heaven help!

Sweet Kellan had some surgery and I kept Liam. I was a little nervous but he was good as gold. We snuggled and rocked, ate up our food like a champ, cleaned up and played tummy time and supported sitting, back to snuggle and sleep. I sent pics to his parents all morning because I knew they were missing him fiercely. Kellan came through surgery well and Liam was a sweetie with me all day. God continues to bless those sweet boys 

 I hosted a Keep Collective jewelry party. I wasn't too excited until I played with the jewelry and fell in love. This is my set with four hearts, one for each niece and nephew. No one can have any more babies because I'm out of room. Hahah! 

Caught up to this week. Macy's mom had a conference in Columbia so mom and I took Macy on an adventure. We stayed in the same town so she could see her mama at dinner time but she stayed with us. The highlight of the trip was Edventure, the children's museum. She loves that place. 

One event just broke my heart and it was when two older girls started making fun of Macy. I wasn't paying them any attention so I had no idea until it was over. But sadly, she knew it and as they were getting ready to leave our area, Macy said those girls were making fun of her in the saddest, most pitiful voice. My mom said they weren't and made one of the girls tell her they weren't but the snide laugh at the end negated all that. 

The kids were with a daycare from the county beside ours and were wearing the daycare's shirts with scripture on the back. As much as I wanted to find those kids and point out what horrible examples they were of God's amazing love for us, I knew I was also a horrible example. 

I was mostly saddened by the fact at age four, Macy knew they were making fun of her. That innocence is gone already. A do know it will get worse before it gets better but it doesn't mean I can't wish for something better. 

While we were in Columbia this past week we were able to visit my friend, Paulene and her precious baby girl, Paige. What a sweetheart this adorable baby girl is! So outgoing and happy. It was so wonderful spending time with them both. 

I'm still sewing, lots of bibs and burp cloths. But a friend asked for a pillow for her to gift so there you go! Flannel front so it's really soft. It's getting mailed tomorrow. :) 

This Saturday and next I'm in a quilting class, learning so much!! Our project was to make a star block and we did that in class one. I enjoyed it so much, this is what I created at home. I want to bind in blues. And if I ever get motivated, I"d like to do one for every season for wall hangings :)  we'll see how it goes. 

So we've had some interesting days recently. I've already mentioned baby Kellan and his surgery. He goes back to the doctor Monday. 

Mom's knee "popped" this weekend and she's on crutches. She doesn't want to go to the doctor because they'll tell her she needs surgery and she's not interested in that right now. Hopefully the two days of rest will help her knee recover. 

Then my brother-in-law has his third back surgery the first week of August. Big time surgery. It's his only chance of getting this pain down to something bearable. Please pray. We are very concerned. There is a team of surgeons coming in for it. Will take all day. As the doc said - this is the big league. We appreciate all prayers, spirit fingers and good vibes. 

Well, that's my life right now. Thanks for tuning in after weeks of silence :) 

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Crazy Cat Ladies...

Ya'll, I'm just happy right at this moment.  I'm not sure why - but I'm kinda wrinkling my nose and smiling.  Maybe because I feel accomplished at work: I'm getting the job done and feeling like I'm doing it well.  I'm managing some folks under me that will help take the load off by covering training classes for me and I just held an honest to goodness meeting where we covered everything I wanted to cover and it went smooth.  Let's hope that continues next week when they start teaching. :)

I'm also happy because I have a FITBIT! I'm so not into technology - I don't have internet at my house and the computer is so old I'm shocked it works.  Well, it used a modem to get online at some point but lightning fried that so... yeah anyway.  Fitbit.  I went to the DR and he basically said - your A1C is 6.5 and that's the threshold for medicine.  UGH.  HORRIBLE NEWS! Not what I wanted to hear at all!

Since 2014, I swear that June election tried its best to kill me.  Seriously.  Two ER visits. Thought I was having heart attacks.  I now have stomach issues.  I went from 2 medicines too 6 meds to try and get everything leveled out.  So when he said more meds, I just wanted to cry.  I knew I'd been being even worse than usual.  I really did.  I could feel it sucking the life quite literally out of my body.  But please no more meds.

So we made a deal - 3 months to get my life back in order and healthier.  I did something I so rarely do - I spent money on me. A Fitbit Alta and I love it.  I am not walking as much as they tell you to walk, but I'm walking more than I ever have been.  One of those reasons I'm happy today - I found a place to walk that is usually empty-ish, air conditioned, and big enough to make some laps around it and you know you've accomplished something.  They have a gym, too, so I'm hoping I can hit it after work a few days a week.  Free Free Free! (Part of the training for the police officers).  So I went on my lunch break today and did several laps before having a salad and chili for lunch. I'll keep you posted on how this continues.

Of course, it was Mother's Day this weekend.  The first picture is Macy and Katie, ready to go to church. I thought they were just so cute and we were late because I insisted on pictures. :)  But it is a great photo of them.  Below that is Katie, Macy and Mom - the three generations photo.  This one also needs a frame! I love it! Katie and Roger added a nice deck to the side of their house and bought patio furniture, this covered swing and a grill.  So Roger grilled for everyone for Mother's Day and it was DE-LI-CIOUS.  The weather was great, it was so relaxing.  Very thankful for a good day with family.   The picture below is what I made my profile photo for Mother's Day - me, my mom and my grandmother.  Another three generation photo from way back yonder.

My friend, Raynore - ALWAYS remembers me on Mother's Day.  It's really awesome, actually, because there isn't an Aunt's Day or anything like that.  But I so very dearly love my nieces and nephews and spend a lot of time with them (at least Macy right now! AH is a teen and is busy busy.  The boys I try to see when I can!) So it's very special to have someone recognize the love I have for my nieces and nephews on Mother's Day.  Her cards always bring happy tears to my eyes.

And look! I am a mama! To FIVE kittens. Oh yes.  Five.  One-two-three-four-FIVE.  I'm totally going to lose my mind if I don't find a home for these babies.  So stinkin' cute! But holy moly, I'm going broke in cat food!  But aren't they precious?  Yes, I'm smitten but not so much that I don't welcome a happy home for them...

I need to get home and figure out what halfway healthy thing I can eat tonight.  Tomorrow I teach a night class and will be home late, so maybe I grocery store run is in order to find food for the rest of this week.  Tomorrow morning I get to go with Macy to Muffins with Mommy (Katie is a teacher and they are in the middle of standardized testing, no way she could get off for this!). MawMaw is going with me, so she'll have extra "mommies" ... yummm... muffins. Ok, food is needed.

Night ya'll!  :)

Blog Writer, Where Are You?

I'm here! I've not totally abandoned you! At least this time it's not because of medical drama that I've been slack. It's probably more due to the fact I've been seeing, enjoying family time and working more than plenty.

I'm crazy behind so let's start with Easter. Baby Sweet Niece very much enjoyed Easter and REALLY got into the Easter Bunny. Everything that happened was the EB playing tricks on her. Pretty hilarious. This lasted for weeks. 

The week after Easter, Macy had another eye appointment. This is where we expected "the surgery talk," so I went with Mom and Katie so I could take Macy somewhere to play while they had this serious discussion with the doctor. 

I waited in the lobby. When everyone came out I was confused. Tears shimmered in Mom's eyes. And then - surgery talk is off the table for the time being!! Her vision had improved with these special glasses and is just under the surgery threshold. Lord, thank you for that blessing!! 

Katie had to go back to work after lunch so Macy and I celebrated by visiting my alma mater. She loved it! 

Such a sweetie. She told her mama we went to a really fun town. Hahahaha

I have wanted pics with the beautiful pink trees for a while now... But didn't really have the funds for that. This year I asked two photographers whose work I greatly admire. One was $300 and one $125. And the $125 was closer, allowed more outfit changes, more time and was a daughter of a church member. SCORE! 

She really worked with Macy and I LOVE our portfolio. So many pics that I just adore. So thankful this worked out. 

This dress is one of Macy's "dress up" outfits but she insisted we take it. Don't you know it was the best color-wise?? Hahaha love it :)

I hoped her sister would be home but she wasn't. She's a teen now and it's harder and harder to catch up with her. I swear I haven't seen her in a month of Sundays! 

Pure Love.

This weekend my sister-in-law brought two amazingly beautiful baby boys into this world. It's been a very difficult pregnancy but she has been so strong and fought for her babies every step of the way.

So Sunday morning at 12:03 am, two handsome boys entered this great big earth. Liam is 2 lbs 9 oz and Kellan is 1 lb 13 oz. they have a long road ahead and you know we would appreciate your prayers. 

Here I am visiting with Liam. These boys are so cute. And already showing personality!  So cool. 

Ok y'all, don't spill the beans on this ... I've been working on floor quilts for each boy. Here is one - the very first quilt top I've ever made. It's backed in flannel so this side can go face down and the baby will have soft fleece to play on. 

Here is the second, not backed yet but will be soon. This is a brick pattern and I really like it. May do this for Macy, just make it bigger. These are 40 x 40. 

The next photos show a gift I mailed to a friend in Columbia who is expecting.  

I just realized the completed photos are on my camera so these don't show the buttons. Oh well. You get the idea: burp cloth and matching bib. I've really enjoyed my sewing machine lately and wonder if I should try to sell these things. I don't know - we'll wait and see.  

(She is so cute!!) 

This is the week before the massive floods hit SC. I live in the upstate and while we were due 10" of rain, we got no were near that. The system stayed south of us and pummeled Columbia. That place is in a mess. I promise you, no one in Columbia has flood insurance. I just can't imagine what some are enduring. Please pray. 

I'm off to read some in Isaiah and wrap up my night :) thanks for your prayers! Night night! 

Crafty Bethie

I'm pretty excited about two projects I did over the weekend - a Happy Thoughts Jar for a dear friend and a piece of Valentine's Day decor for my house.

First, the Valentine's Day decor - burlap and buttons heart! I took the time to type out some steps so others can do this for themselves at home - posted over at my craft blog, Pressed Clovers.  So for more of a how-to, go visit there.  My aunt heard I was trying to learn to sew and gave me a ton of thread and a vase full of buttons. After sorting them by colors, I knew I wanted to make her a gift to say thanks... so I'll be working on something for her this coming weekend.  I'm not sure she's the bright-red-and-pink-button-heart-decor kind of person.  But I really loved how it turned out and REALLY like the buttons with threads still attached. Something from the previous owner.

 


Then the Happy Thoughts Jar for my dear friend, Paulene.  I started one for myself with scraps of scrapbooking paper and an empty kleenex box. This is one much cuter.  I took a vase I already had, added gift wrap tissue and watered down glue and made a scene I thought would be fitting for Paulene - a You Are My Sunshine theme! I took the first picture at home, but couldn't find my ribbon so I did a quick trip into Hobby Lobby for that and took a final photo in the car.  Inside the vase are strips of paper waiting for her happy thoughts.  At the end of the year, she can dump them all out, open them up and see all these blessings she's received in 2015.  So easy but so cute.  A coworker brought me more vases so I'll be making a few more of these!

I mentioned receiving a sewing machine for Christmas on here before.  Well, I finally got the sucker set up and let me tell you - it's all kinds of Oh-La-La! It sews with the press of a button.  Cuts the thread and pulls up the needle with another button. Crazy? But I'm so excited.

source

I have a quilt kit that I won from Fabric Editions that will be my first attempt at real sewing. It says for beginners so it better be telling the truth! So cute? I think so! It's very similar to this one - just cute baby girl elephant print instead. Let's hope I can do this thing right. We have a baby on the way at church and I thought if it works out ok we can gift it. :)

I'm off for home and some tacos with my family.  Looking forward to some good food tonight! :)

The Big Reveal.

If you have followed this blog much at all lately, you know I've been enthralled with the pumpkin that volunteered in our office's flower bed.  I make a "Fru Fru" pumpkin each year and when it's time to send it on its way, I undecorate it and toss it into the back of the flower bed.  Finally, it took root and came back this year! So exciting!

To catch you up on the progression of this pumpkin - the plant (which for the longest time we had NO idea what was growing in this flower bed), then the pumpkin started showing up but was dangling outside of the flower bed!! We moved it into the bed and it really ripened quickly.  The bottom two pics were taken with 24 hours of each other. 

So back to the fru fru pumpkin - I hit Hobby Lobby last night (man, I love that store) and picked out what I wanted to do this year. And I'm in love with it. It cost considerably more than the dollar store finds I usually use in making these pumpkins, but it was SO WORTH IT when you see the difference. (By the way, I did a post earlier all about making Fru Fru Pumpkins, feel free to check it out for other ideas!)

TA DA!! I love the chevron and the blue/orange/burgundy combo.  The rustic colors and burlap just bring the look up a few notches compared to the dollar store glitter ribbon I've been using.  

This is last year's pumpkin with all items coming from the dollar store.  So this in total (not including the hot glue and stick pins) cost about $8-9 and will last several months. It will carry you through the entire fall season.  

I also did one a little tamer last year, still using dollar store items.  I bought a dish towel at the dollar store and ripped it into strips, fraying the edges for a more rustic look.  The fabric was too floppy on its on, so I used wide packaging tape along the back of one strip to form the bow shape.  I really liked this one, too. 

For today, I'm enjoying our new pumpkin in blue.  :)  AND I have enough decor left over to do another one for my house and I can't WAIT! We even have another pumpkin in our flower bed, so I may get two pumpkins for free! :)  If so, I'll show you how that one turns out, too. 

Ya'll have a lovely hump day! Thanks for joining me in my crazy fru fru pumpkin excitement!

Friday's Letters

This time last week, I was at Edisto, preparing to head for home.  Not that I really want to be back there right at this moment (you want to talk about hot and sticky, not that it's any better up here...), but I do miss being lazy and kicking back. Well, life marches right along, so let's get to some letters.

Dear Edisto, I enjoyed your relaxing properties...including the fact there is nothing to do while visiting you but relax.  That's a good thing!  Loved seeing the dolphins, shrimp boats and even enjoyed shopping at the Pig-Lo (was a Piggly Wiggly and now a Bi-Lo... a Pig-Lo.)  See you next summer!

what a horribly grainy photo

Dear bunnies in my yard, you make me so incredibly happy.  You are mostly tame at this point, hopping around my flower beds, my car, the pine trees - you seem to enjoy life and each other's friendship, and that makes me smile.

Dear God, thank you for the beautiful sunsets you've shared with me lately. So wonderful! Thanks for getting my whole crowd feeling better, for giving us a restful vacation and safe travels to and from, for my Pen Pals new wonderful job she starts soon!, and for so many other blessings.  I'm wandering about directionless right now, looking for a devotional to start, so please guide me in Your direction? Thanks.

Dear Crafty Gene, I've so enjoyed your sparks this week! I finally finished up the LOVE canvas that my 2-year-old sweet niece started and I completed the NOEL blocks from two years ago? I know, how horrible is that. But I love them and can't wait to display them this Christmas! (oh let's get real, they'll stay there until Christmas...).  More details on the Love canvas here...

Dear Seaside Tree, You have REALLY made me happy this week.  Starfish, seashells and many good vibes adorn your fake branches, your soft glowing lights soothe my frazzled nerves.  You are much sunshine. :) Or maybe my starlight... (should I decorate you for fall or leave you alone??)

And last but not least, you - the travelling fair - oh my, you were the highlight of my trip for training this week.  Seeing your gaily decorated rides and silly concepts (a strawberry tilt-o-whirl??) were the entertainment I needed to finally wake up until we made it back to the office.  Please treat the kids nicely, wherever you were headed, and please pass all your safety checks!

And that is a wrap, folks. I'm headed to mom and dad's for some burritos with the family and sweet nieces! Have a great weekend!