Will Play for PB&J

Happy Saturday!! I've taken a few days off from work and it feels great. I'm so glad I took Monday, too, because I'm not going to be ready to go back. :)

Thursday was spent with Mom & Macy at the mall playground.  I am amazed at the grandmothers at the playground who chat everyone up and pay no attention to the kids... As they wander out of the play area and into the mall area. One boy had been with another family outside the play area for about 15 minutes before granny missed him!! It was stressing me out. We heard crazy stories of military moms and suing doctors for malpractice and so on. But Macy had a great time and that's what this was all about. 

She enjoys life at 100% full speed.  This must cause a great appetite. Lunch was at McAlisters where she ate her entire PB&J, applesauce, some of mom's chicken meal, and two bags of Teddy Grahams. Then she wanted to shop at Hobby Lobby (she loves it!). After all that excitement- she crashed! Heaven help she's so cute. 

Saturday mom and I shopped and bought more fabric for me to keep sewing! My goal this time is Macy clothes. We'll see how it goes. 

Here is the finished quilt top!! I did something that caused ruffled edges but I think I'm moving forward anyway. I have lime and white polka dot flannel for the back :) 

I picked up the pottery Paulene and I painted and am pretty happy with this. My other piece not so much. (Paulene, I will get yours in the mail!!) And I started another while I was there with Sara. Hers is going to look great. I didn't finish mine so I have to go back! Argh. 

And one last photo - Noelle! Taken this morning as she visited in the house for a few minutes. I'm supposed to be cleaning. Sigh. I really want maid service but that is no where near in the budget. 

I suppose if I want to sew this afternoon I better clear space to do that. Hope you are having a great weekend :) See ya later Alligator! 

Happy Christmas & Such!

The holidays are here and gone! And for a person who absolutely LOOOOOOVES Christmas, I can't tell you how happy I am it's OVER.  I was actually excited to come back to work today because it gave me a break from my disaster of a house.  Sheesh.

I'm so disappointed in myself this Christmas because I allowed myself to completely lose sight of the true and only meaning to Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.

I'm already looking ahead to next year and ways to put this first and foremost in the Christmas celebrations because I never want this to happen again - or to have this completely empty and lonely feeling.  I'm exhausted and ready to pack up 2014 and start fresh with 2015.

 
This said, of course we had a good time with family and watching a 2-year-old find such joy in every single gift she opened.  She loved every one of them. But was totally overwhelmed and didn't even open all her presents.  At one point I asked her if she wanted another present and she said, "No thank you, I'm fine."  And went back to playing with her old toys. :)  The 12-year-old was so gracious for every gift she opened and showed appreciation for them all.  It does make you feel pretty good about it.

I'm truly looking for ideas to bring the focus back on Jesus next Christmas and would love to hear your ideas.  Seriously.  Share.

Part of our problem was sickness kept us from many events - our family get-together, our church services and church program - we have quite a bit hitting the family right now. I'm asking for prayers for every single immediate family member because each one of us are battling with issues right now. I won't get into the details, but do ask for prayers.

I had to add this picture of my Dad.  My sister-in-law gave him this squirrel that fires foam "nuts" from its nose or mouth.  He was attacking us throughout the day with that thing! And he figured out to load it so the ammo would really travel! It was quite hilarious.

My mom's beautiful tree.  Loved the gold beads she added this year. And tucked in the branches are stuffed animals! It was really neat!  

My vet cousin and princess Macy.  These two (and one other vet) were so cute dressed up in one of their Christmas Eve presents.  So stinkin' cute!  We managed to stuff about 20+ people or so into my mom's house for Christmas Eve.  I'm so tired of cooking - I think everyone is because no one really ate all that food we made.  I don't want to think about how much of it is going to be tossed out.  

I have to tell you I'm excited about my Christmas present - a Brother SE400 Embroidery/Sewing machine.  Holy cow, I don't even know what I'm going to do with this beast of a machine. Put monograms on everything Macy owns! hahaha!  If you know anything about it, give me some pointers! I need help! But I'm so excited to have a good sewing machine so I can attempt some quilting and monogramming.  I'll never see my dining room table again. 

Ya'll, I hope your Christmas was blessed and beautiful, I hope your 2015 is filled with happy memories.  Thanks for joining me on this adventure called life via my blog and thank you for each and every comment you leave or prayer you send up or just happy thought/smile you give as you read.  It's appreciated!!! 

*hugs* to you!

Beth

PS - My kitten is still visiting me, although she's still a little skittish. She's my bright spot, I'm so happy to have her! :) 

Run Faster! Catch Up With Life!

I feel like life is leaving me behind and I'm running after it, so excuse the randomness that will be this posting. :)

Saturday was an adventure of Macy in Wal-Mart.  We actually had a VERY good time. We went early so it wasn't as crowded and she ran up and down and up and down pretty much every aisle of the store.  Made it interesting to attempt shopping while keeping up with her.  The highlights of the trip: her hugging the bag of marshmallows like a treasured baby doll for at least 3/4 of the trip.  Visiting the pre-lit Christmas trees and petting every one.

...And accidentally running into Santa.  I didn't even see the man there until Macy started jumping up and down, chanting, "Santa! Santa! Santa!"  Oh my, she was star struck.  She told him how she wrote him a letter last night and blew him a kiss.  It's ok that Santa resembled one of Duck Dynasty's cousins... he did a great job with her.

I hate her mama wasn't with me to see it, but she was at the doctor. Because, you know, every sickness passing through our neck of the woods attacks our family.

Anyway, Sunday I loaded the two Sweet Nieces up and headed to church for Sunday School because I was NOT missing another Sunday of the Christmas Story in detail.  So glad I managed to get there, but didn't stay for preaching.  Everyone else was SICK, so we packed it up and went back home.

Celebrated Katie's birthday, where she finally opened the canvas photos I had made for her! They look SO GOOD.  I'm glad she liked them - I'll get pics and post/review those two companies soon. CanvasOnDemand and EasyCanvas.

Sunday night I kept baby sweet niece while Sweet Niece #1 went back to her mom's house. Can I tell you how bad I am - I let her fall asleep. EEIK! I didn't mean for that to happen! I'm fired as babysitter for sure.

Monday - work work work.  Tuesday - work work work. Wednesday - took off to take care of baby sweet niece, since Dad had a dr appointment, Mom had another steroids shot (please pray for her neck), and the babysitter had the flu.  We had a BALL.

Do they come any cuter than this?? I don't think so!

Every hug needs a kiss, right?

Called Uncle Clay to come have lunch with us and she wrapped him up around her little pinky.  She was so good all day - I'm so thankful.  I love moments like this, treasures to store up.  (How responsible am I as an aunt, I went a bought a bib to keep her new shirt clean! uh-huh, I'm good!)

So I don't think I told ya'll that a sweet kitten adopted me! Or if I did tell you, just pretend to be excited about it.  She showed up, totally claimed me, hopped up on my lap - she's got me wrapped. I've named her Noelle and I think she's adorable.  An outside kitten right now, but maybe she'll make her way in the house. I need to do a vet check first, but holy cow, it's only CHRISTMASTIME so that might just have to wait.  But I'm happy with her.

Let's not even get me talking about the medical company that charged my entire remaining bill on my debit card this week, completely without my permission.  Seriously? The week before Christmas and, of course, it takes 3-5 business days to reappear on my card.  So it has the potential to get wrapped up in Christmas, which pushes it into the week after Christmas. Really? *sigh*

But ya'll, blessings abound in my family.  We've gotten good news on my dad twice now, my mom's shot is hopefully helping her neck AND she agreed to buy a turkey from a catering company.  We have so many things to be thankful for, so let's all CHEER! :)

Holy cow this turned into a novel. Sorry about that. Just happy to share some happiness.  Especially at a time where the holly jolly-ness of the holidays is running a little thin and we are all feeling squeezed by the pressure to have the perfect holiday, right? This holiday, ya'll, it is perfect.  It is - perfectly beautiful, brought to you by the most amazing miracle birth of a baby savior.  It's beautiful, so shrug off the man-made stress and send up a word of Thanks for the lovely miracle given to us from God.  :)

And on that note, I'll hush! Merry Christmas, ya'll!