Repeat.

This message keeps coming to mind: I'm not familiar with anything in the Bible saying God won't give you more than you can handle. Who came up with that, anyway? God does give us more than we can handle to make us understand we need HIM. If we could handle it all on our own, why would we ever look to the Lord? That makes more sense to me. Something I'm still chewing on.

Already I've not followed my #nestingwithjesus like I wanted to his year. Time to hop back on the horse and open my Bible ... Or app, whichever one works for me. I love my Dr Charles Stanely study Bible (www.intouch.org) but the Bible app having many different versions at your fingertips also has merit. Sometimes it helps me understand a verse to read a few versions. She Reads Truth taught me that. 

Dolls my mom made for me when I was a child. Macy enjoys playing with them now :)

Last week at the end of a doctor visit, I mentioned a total medical miracle that happened in my family I thought she'd be interested in. The conversation moved along to her asking me to pray for a friend's salvation. I was very humbled she asked - so add this request to your prayers, if you feel so moved. Thanks. 

Anyone else addicted to PBS programming right now? Sunday night: Mercy Street, Victoria, and then a show about Henry 8th and his 6 wives. Loving it!! Trying so hard to be patient and not spoil Victoria but they realllly left us hanging. Mercy Street did, too. Now to get Poldark back up and running. Man I need to invest in some series on DVD! 

Have I shared this already? My sister and I took Macy to her school parking lot last Sunday so she could practice riding her bike. She was so cute! She loved it! Asked this weekend - Bethie, do you remember me riding my bicycle in the parking lot? Hahah! The storms this weekend kept us all indoors. 

She also entertained us with puppet shows in the puppet tent my friend, Donna, and her niece, Ellie, bought Macy for Christmas. She's loving it. Luckily my mom fits in the tent with her so they can both put on shows. Hahaha

Macy begged for a Panther Drink! Oh no!

Ok I'm headed for bed 2 hours after my self-appointed bedtime. Have a great week! 

From 9 to 77

Holy smokes, only in the south can you go from 9 degrees to 77 degrees in one week. Craziness?! But today was totally beautiful, driving with the windows down and music pumping. It just brought everything back to life for this one day. Tomorrow - we go back to 50s as a high. It's all good, it is January, after all. But I'm so thankful for this one awesome sunshiney day in the middle of winter. 

My drive into work this morning 

I have all this creativity in my head right now - it's almost stifling because I can't seem to pick one idea and run with it. Argh! I have some beautiful fabrics and can't make a final decision on which pattern to move forward with. Any ideas on how to choose one?! 

I did finally decide on this one. I need to put on the red border. Love this fabric but I almost had a panic attack when I cut it hahaha!! 

This sweet girl... (She's missing her glasses in this pic) but I hadn't seen her all week until yesterday. She was so excited! Hopped up into my arms and hugged, snuggled, nose squished, and showered me with love. Wow what a blessing. She can bring tears to my eyes with her sweetness. I'm so blessed. 

Love her! And her imagination. Her unique personality. Her smarts. And sass. Lol! 

With my early afternoon off today I ran by the store I sell my bib sets in and dropped off these Valentine's Day bibs. Cute!??! I thought so. I'm hoping someone else does, too, and buys a few. Sheesh. I keep wondering if this is the right path. 

Ok it's Friday night and here I am, squeezed into a love seat in my living room watching Shark Tank and wanting to throw things at my tv. Sometimes at the Sharks, sometimes at the presenters. 

So I'm going to go stretch my legs and I hope you have a lovely weekend :)

I originally posted this on my Pressed Clovers blog by accident. Oops! So it's a little out of date here. Sorry!   

Nesting in 2017

Once I was so excited about blogging and obviously that enthusiasm has waned. Makes me sad because I loved having this as a type of journal to see what happened when. Maybe I'll do better this year :)

2016 brought a new school year for the ninth grader and put Macy into full-time school as a 4-K student. She loves it (thank heavens)! We'll overlook that one incident early in the year where she bit a kid for stealing her toy. Bet he didn't make that mistake twice. (I really shouldn't laugh, but I'm the aunt and can get away with it.)  

So thankful for the blessing of my nephews and watching them grow up. Christmas was different - we had two sickies here and after one twin ended up in the hospital after catching a respitory thing, they couldn't risk being around the sickies. But I had a day of keeping them and snuggling them leading up to Christmas. Already took another day off from work in 2017 to do it again. :) Gosh they are sweet boys! 

I'm very excited that 2016 brought me courage to sew, to sell bibs & burb cloths  in a local store and online, make pillows, it's been a great adventure! Now I'm planning a few quilts, and trying larger projects. 

Baby quilt for my friend, Paulene's, baby girl. Such a cutie!!! 

2016 is gone now and 2017 already brought us snow, sleet and freezing rain. That's some fun stuff (please note my sarcasm). While my sister took Macy to our neighbor/cousins' house to sled, I enjoyed a hot bath. That's the way to enjoy snow. 

Sweet niece #2 and her mama (my sister)

Sweet niece #2 

My sister and me this morning. 

One thing I'm trying this year is Nesting with Jesus, a devotional onAnc Instagram with Nick Holden. In addition to his great explainations of the passages, his pictures are amazing. You can join too by searching #nestingwithJesus. Maybe it will touch your heart in a meaningful way. 

Another thing I've dove into is Ancestry.com and a DNA test. It's been interesting finding kin folk and figuring out how we are related. Thankfully my cousin Floyd has a lot of family researched already and that makes it much easier. Met some strange folks, too, that I'll be backing away from shortly (related or not!). It's almost creepy how DNA works and how strangers are walking around with your DNA, too. CrazzzY. And fascinating. :)

One last photo to wrap up 2016 and welcome 2017 - I did this for Mom's birthday on January 3. I'm missing Aliah and Roger but they are part of the love, too. This family has experienced trials, but the Lord is always there with us. I'm not saying we always remember that, but it doesn't change the fact that He is still there. 

Happy 2017, y'all!! 

Memory Lane

For some reason, I have been lost in college memories tonight. My freshman year, I met four guys who completely changed my life. Thinking back I'm trying to remember exactly how we all ended up together. I met the first guy, A, in the computer lab. We dated all of two weeks before I knew this wasn't going to work. Which sucked because he was exactly what I liked-fair skin, black hair and beautiful blue eyes. Taller than me. Crazy smart. I convinced him we weren't right for each other by telling him I didn't like to think. Yup, he then agreed we weren't right for each other. And he never let me live that down.

He introduced to his friends, D, W, and C. I saw D for the first time peeking through his window where he was sleeping. We couldn't wake him up. Heaven help. He and I dated off and on every three years or so for the next while. I became closest to him as friends, too. 

D and W were roomies and C and A were roomies. You might as well say I roomed with D and W because I basically did. Not because D and I were dating but just because we were close friends. They tied a stick to the window so I could throw it and let them know I needed in the side door. Girls weren't allowed after 10 on week nights, 12 on weekends. So I had to crawl through the window or be let in the side door. 

D and A were the two I knew were looking out for me. D mainly-when I went on dates he insisted they drop me off at his apartment. He gave me piggyback rides so my shoes wouldn't get wet on the grass. He looked out for me in concerts and crowds. A was much the same, I would watch the two of them search me out in a crowd to make sure I was still ok. 

Last Christmas, A's card mentioned he and his wife were seperated. I hate to hear that. They have two little girls. Well, probably not so little anymore. I haven't seen him in years but found that card his afternoon. Made me miss the group of them. 

Made me miss my ex, E, too. I was dating him as I went into college and we broke up just before I started dating A then D. It was a very long drawn out goodbye as E signed up for the Air Force and we said goodbye for months after the relationship ended.  He and D didn't ever see eye to eye. Imagine that Haha. Of course , E and I ended up back together 10 years later as adults. Still didn't work out. :(

So yes this is rambling and making no sense. I just miss having guy friends with No pressure. Just friends. I've slept in bed with each of them and had nothing happen because it wasn't sexual. It was friendship. And I miss that tonight. 

Vote for Me!

I'm dying to go to bed and can't seem to turn off my TV from watching the Mark Twain awards honoring Bill Murray. I don't even adore Bill Murray but it's a compulsion to watch it. I do love me some PBS. Downton Abbey. Poldark. Mercy Street. Antiques Roadshow. Daniel Tigers Neighborhood. America's Test Kitchen. Martha Stewart. Fons & Porter. Seriously good stuff!!

But to say I'm exhausted would be an understatement. My full time job is in the elections office. Imagine what that looks like less than two weeks out from a Presidential election. Ugh. Last night, a coworker and I worked from before 8 am until 1 am in the morning. So the job is kicking my butt. But I still find joy as I see my "students" aka people who work the polls. I love them and the relationships we develop through the years of training classes. Good people. 

Y'all my sweet nephews turned one this month! How can time have passed so quickly?!? Adore them. Liam's sweet flirty looks and Kellans sweet nonstop laughter when he gets going. Precious!! 

These two - talk about love. Macy goes bonkers for her sister and thankfully Aliah 1-Loves her too and 2-puts up with Macy attacking her in hugs constantly while she's home. 

You'll notice Macy is patching. Hopefully this will help her avoid surgery along with her eye exercises and glasses. 

Someone told me Macy should be featured in a Dr Seuss show ... Is that a compliment? But she's hilarious and comes up with the funniest stuff.  Last night in a restaurant, Mae moved to a table by herself. When mom told her to come back with the family she said she did her best thinking when she was alone. Hahaha!!!

Spirit week at school... Go Mountaineers! 

Let me share a lap blanket that went a bit wonky on me. I tried the easy hourglass pattern but didn't want to chop up the butterfly fabric too much. It's a hot mess but is being gifted anyway. The bright colors, the butterflies and cats fabrics, the flowers and pinks all remind me of her. I hope she finds joy in it :)

I'm still enjoying seeing for Pressed Clovers. The last two pics are from vintage fabrics that a friend asked me to see into sets for her first grandchild. Isn't it neat?! She bought the fabric almost 40 years ago when her own daughter was born. So special. 

Ok if I don't get some sleep I'm going to be in a mess tomorrow. Glad to get a few photos added for me to see later. :) 

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. 

Bday month of happiness

September is my birth month and I love to celebrate all month long. Any and every good thing that happens is due to my birthmonth celebration.

And while it's been years since I've felt like my birthmonth was a true celebration - or even my birthday, for that matter, but September 2016 is starting off well!! 

Through work I've presented at my old college and saw familiar faces I hadn't seen in 20 years. I felt like I did a decent job at it and represented my workplace fairl well. Two thumbs up for that! 

Had the opportunity to visit the sweet nephews mid-week and it melted my heart. Those two are sweeties, even when tired and sleepy. Such a good feeling to snuggle them. 

On my vacation day off this Labor Day weekend, I sewed and finally got the adult bibs up in the Etsy store. 

Saturday (today!) Mom, Dad, and Sweet Niece #2 headed to the mountains for some apple pickin' and to visit the kids museum up that way. Totally success! Beautiful blue-skies kind of day. 

The grocery store is always her favorite. Always.

Having family time is what restores my mind to handle the chaos at work. I've needed some good family time. 

Let's cover some other events: like Macy's first day of 4K. So cute! 

One day that first week I walked her into school and her sweet teacher offered to take a pic of us! 

Went to my state capital for a work meeting and this crazy painting is in one of the conference rooms of the state museum. No matter where you view the painting from in the room, the road follows you. Really neat. 

And that's about all I got. ;)  I hope the good vibes of September continue well past my birthday. I'm excited to be excited.