• For the love of Sock Monkey and sewing…

    January 23, 2013 / No Comments

    I love sewing.  I especially love sewing for my grandchildren.  I have just begun using my new sewing machine this week and it is definitely a little more complicated.  I have to stop and read the machine manual from time to time, but I’m not complaining.  In time, I will have the whole thing figured out and will be back up to speed.

    My thirteen year old granddaughter has had a growth spurt this past year and her closet is looking a little bare.  If you’ve shopped for clothing for young teens, then you know about the choices out there.  To be honest, it’s a bit appalling to see some of the clothing the fashion industry thinks a young teen might wear.  Not this sweet Christian young lady.  So, her Mom and I have been busy sewing dresses for church.  She loves all animals (she wants to be a vet) and especially horses.  I found the most wonderful fun horse fabric and created a dress and vest ensemble.  She wears it with her boots and it is absolutely adorable.  I am now in the process of sewing a red corduroy dress for her.

    My eight year old granddaughter is a happy camper when she receives her big sister’s very nice “hand-me-downs” and her closet is far from bare, but I wanted a make sure she had a new fun outfit as well.  I found an adorable rich brown corduroy Sock Monkey fabric at Hancock’s and knew she would love it!  She does.  I created a skirt from the Butterick B4722 pattern (the one on the model) and ordered a white cable-knit sweater from Old Navy to go with it.  It is a very cute outfit!

    I have six granddaughters and am looking forward to sewing for each of them!

  • The dining nook…

    January 22, 2013 / 5 Comments

    When I posted “a little tour” of my new home, I mentioned that I would share photos of my dining nook when I purchased a table and chairs.  My daughter, her two youngest children and I ventured to the furniture store before Thanksgiving.  Grandchildren are very helpful and actually wise beyond their years (especially my 8 year old granddaughter) when it comes to selecting furnishings.  It “had to fit all of us for Sunday dinner” according to my sweet girl and she proceeded to explain how this would work.  There are two extra chairs in my storage room on the lower level.  The table has a hidden leaf which can be opened to an oval which seats six when needed.   We actually scoot in the computer chair too and it seats seven!  Otherwise,  the table looks like this.  Right now, there is a protective cover on the table and my sewing machine!  It’s the perfect place to sew and watch old classic movies at the same time if I so choose.  😉

     

    In past years, I have used the shelves on the hutch for favorite dishes.  This time, I’m enjoying using it for photos framed in black.  I still have several more photos to frame for the buffet.  The perfect place to enjoy my family on a daily basis.

    I have so many books that I needed one more bookcase.  Although I ordered the identical bookcase, the stain on the one on the far left was a little lighter.  After putting it together all by myself, there was no way I was returning it!  Come Spring, when I can open windows, I will try to darken the stain to match.  In the meantime, I really don’t notice the difference and am living with it!

    I love this little setting.  The antique was a gift from my children’s dad on our twelfth anniversary…many years ago.  The angel was a gift from my daughter and her family.

  • Over the river and through the woods…

    November 26, 2012 / 6 Comments

    Over the river and through the woods, to Aunt Penny’s house we go…

    Actually, it was eleven hours by interstate and the prairie farm backroads of Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas…but the end result was definitely worth it!  It had been two long years since we’d all been together in one place…my children, my grandchildren and myself. Not since the summer of 2010 when we all met in Chicago.  At that time, my oldest and his family were returning home from almost 7 years on the medical mission field in Peru.

    Thanksgiving 2012…and all my precious grandchildren

    We all drove from three different directions to meet in Memphis…where I had grown up…where my children were born and, sadly, where their father is buried.  My children’s paternal Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike graciously hosted our family in Memphis…along with their three sons, wives and four grandchildren.  Thank you, Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike!  We love you!  My oldest and his wife are host parents to a fourteen year old South Korean foreign exchange student this school year so this was her first Thanksgiving. Altogether, there were 27 of us there for the Thanksgiving feast!  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I found myself wishing more than once that their Dad could have been their with us…no doubt he was in spirit.

    On Friday night, my niece Sharon and her husband joined us for a fun Corky’s Barbecue dinner.  Delicious food and fun fellowship!  Sharon and Tommy’s son and his wife and their two children stopped by to see us.  They were headed to the Christmas tree lighting at their church so they couldn’t stay for Corky’s.  It was so good to see them!

    I loved watching all my grandchildren playing together and sometimes pairing off by age and interests.  It thrilled me to see the love (and talent for) art in all my grandchildren as well as the love of music.  Four grandchildren are superb on the piano and one plays the violin beautifully.  (I know I sound just like a grandmother – what can I say?!  It’s true all the same.)  The love of books and reading was evident as well.

    I was in grandmother heaven until it came time to say goodbye to each one…then I was a crybaby.  Now, it will mean flights to see my sons and their families…and waiting until we are all together again.  Thankfully, for my daughter and four of my grandchildren, I can just get in the car and drive 14 minutes.  😉

    To see more of the Thanksgiving crazy fun, enjoy the slideshow below!  Just click the arrows to forward or reverse pics.

     

     

    P.S. For those of you who asked for them, the cookie recipes are now at the bottom of the previous post! 😉

    Note:  The Thanksgiving song above is here.

  • One week from today…

    November 14, 2012 / 5 Comments

    One week from today, I will be in a mini-van with my daughter and her family (seven of us) traveling (11 hours!) home to Memphis for Thanksgiving.  Memphis is where I grew up, fell in love and got married (39 years) and had three wonderful children.  My three sisters (two now in Heaven) and I spent so much time together in Memphis and Mississippi.  My nieces and nephews are so much a part of my life there.  The closer I get to Memphis, the more the memories come flooding in…whether I’m flying into the airport there or on a rare drive.

    The last time all of my children and grandchildren were in ONE location (always my dream), was in June 2010 in Chicago.  What a wonderful time we had!  My precious little Peruvian granddaughter – never shy – walked in first to the hotel room where we all were and proceeded to introduce her big sisters and then herself.  A perfect introduction.  Of course, she didn’t realize that she was the one everyone  was meeting for the first time!  (Except for me of course – I had been to Peru in 2008 where my son was a missionary doctor.)  Special memories.

    I’m looking forward to making more special memories as we are all together in Memphis with my late husband’s sister Penny and her family.  This time, my younger son’s fourteen month old  baby girl will be there too!  I can’t wait to hold her!  Although now she is so “busy” I probably won’t be able to hold her for long, but we can definitely play.  She will be so excited to be with all of her cousins!  My precious niece Sharon and her husband will come over for a fun barbecue dinner.  I can’t wait to see them!  I miss everyone and wish that we ALL lived closer to one another!  My youngest says “but, Mom, you gave us roots and wings”!  Let that be a lesson to me – about the “wings” that is!  😉

    Chicago 2010

     

    Featured photo at top:  Sweet baby girl!  She will have so much fun with her cousins in Memphis!

    I would be tempted to stay in Memphis and visit a while longer then fly back home to Iowa; however, I do not want to miss the first birthday that my baby girl and I have been able to spend together in a very long time.  My birthday (and her late Dad’s birthday also) is December 1.  Her birthday is December 4th!  She was almost born on OUR birthday.  She took the photo below at arm’s length under flourescent lights the night of the Great Pumpkin Party at our church!  Please remember:  flourescent lights are not kind to anyone!  😉

     

  • Operation Christmas Child…

    November 10, 2012 / 3 Comments

    A couple of weeks ago our church was distributing boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  The boxes are to be filled and shipped to children all over the world through Samaritan’s Purse.  The church is large and there were stacks and stacks of boxes to fill.  My daughter took four – one for each of her children.  I took two.

    This afternoon my daughter, her two youngest and I drove to Walmart where we proceeded to buy things to fill the boxes.  I decided to buy for two girls (ages 5-9).  My eight year old granddaughter loved helping make the decisions as to which barettes, which hairbrushes, art supplies, etc.  My three year old grandson was especially interested in what would be going into the boys’ boxes.  (My daughter was buying for two boys and two girls).

    The boxes are packed and ready to take to church in the morning.  You’d be surprised just how much a “shoebox-size” box like this will hold.  I made my two boxes identical and each box holds:

    a cute 25 piece animal puzzle

    a small Disney Cinderella with an extra outfit

    one box crayons

    one package of ten pencils

    one small pencil sharpener

    one small art tablet

    two multi-packages of adorable barrettes

    one hairbrush

    one package of two combs

    one package of two children’s toothbrushes

    one carton of Kids’ Crest toothpaste

    one bar Dove soap

    one bathcloth

    A check for $7 to cover postage/shipping

    my love and prayers for the child who will receive it…

    There are boxes like this being packed all over this country…boxes that will travel across the world.  It amazes me that these two boxes will travel on a journey and end up in the precious hands of two little girls living far from me.  My love and prayers go with these boxes filled with things I hope they will like.  As I carefully filled the bright red and green boxes, I couldn’t help thinking about my own grandchildren.  Two of them are adopted – one from Peru and one from Africa.  We are so immensely blessed.

    It isn’t too late to get involved in sending an Operation Christmas Child box of your own.  Just check the links above.

    operationchristmaschild

  • Trick or treating under a full moon…

    October 31, 2012 / 8 Comments

    There’s nothing like spending a chilly evening – under an amazing full moon – “trick or treating” with your grandchildren and your daughter…especially if you are dressed like Grumpy and your daughter is Winnie-the-Pooh!  My thirteen year old granddaughter and almost four year old grandson were “Penny” and “Bolt” from the Disney movie Bolt.  My eight year old granddaughter was an adorable fairy.  My daughter created or coordinated each of the children’s costumes.  What a fun night!

    Grumpy with attitude and padding!  😉