It's a Crafting Year!

Because I'm just not busy enough (Whoa! My tongue just got stuck in my cheek!), I've decided to take a quilting class! I wanted to take one so badly while I lived in Spokane, but I was working full time, traveling a lot, and then had a baby; so that didn't happen. But I figure, hey, if not now, when, right? (Wow- lots of commas in that sentence). So I joined a Block of the Month club at the Sharman Sewing Center in town. My friend, Kim, did it last year (it was an 18 month quilt) and will be doing it this year, too, but at a different time than the class I am taking... because I'm taking a tap class during her time. Yes, I'm not busy at all.

The quilt in question looks like this:

 I'm doing the white one. It's a really awesome program because I paid $5 for the material for the first square. If I bring that square back completed to the next class, I get the next square pieces for free. I can continue that for the entire year and end up with a finished quilt front (I'd still have to buy backing and edges) for just $5!! There is a registration fee of $15 for the binder with color instructions and reminder stickers for the calendar. But still, that's an awesome deal! If you have to miss a class or if you don't get your square done in time, you pay $5 for the next square- so that is incentive to do your homework!

Here are some pics of the projects I did just before Christmas for a friend of mine. She has 3 young girls and a boy and wanted some special, hand-made gifts for them this year. The hooded cowls were a little challenging as I did not have a pattern. A little trial and error happened, but they came out pretty nice, I think! Check out my cute models, too (one of which was not happy that day).

 This next picture is of a project that I have been working on for myself, which means that it always gets put aside when other things come up. I started it last summer during crochet club. Oh, I don't know if I told you that I joined a crochet club last year! I think it was around March or so that I joined Graceful Hands, a club that meets at Grace Creek Church in Longview. We have since moved to Woodland Hills Baptist Church on the loop and meet every Tuesday night. I can't believe that it has been less than a year since I joined because these ladies are now my closest friends in Texas! 

Anyway, I started this project sometime last summer and worked on in for a couple weeks (so, 2 or 3 evenings total). I put it aside to do something else, can't remember what. Then I did the things above. Then I did a wrap for donation. Now I'm working on some scarves for my brother. But sometime in the next few years you might see me in something like this:  

Aside from learning to quilt this year, I am also signed up for a day long embroidery class next month and I'm going to be knitting one of the scarves for my brother. I've knitted a tiny bit before- literally, a very small sample- but I'm happy to have an easy project to practice on. 

So, what are you learning this year? I encourage you to do something: read some non-fiction, learn a skill, practice something you want to improve on. And I'll try to post anything I finish (here's hopin').

Nothing to Report

It's kinda slow right now. Nothing much going on. Trying to get my year planned and sorted out (so God can laugh at me), but other than that...

So here are a few pics to keep you interested.

Uncle Jim and Aunt Beth have awesome taste! A piano for Molly and a Fairy House with fairies for Milli!

Hugs for Pop from one of his princesses.

Kids don't need toys, just the packaging.

Molly is playing Princess Anna.

More authentic Princess Annas.

Jolly Molly.

Two Princess Hugs!

These are the amazing boots my husband got for me!

Thigh high, but need longer strings to get all the way up.

My view.

Best show of the actual color.

Santa filled stockings while we were in MI!

Rudolf.

I don't have enough pictures of Molly.

Blurry, but you can see Laura and Jr! Very happy girls.

2014 Recap

This year's Christmas letter has turned into a New Year's letter. The end of the year kind of snuck up on us. I know it happens every year, but I can usually catch a break somewhere. This year, not so much.

2014 for us began in Longview, TX. Edward was still working for LeTourneau University and I was still a stay at home mom. After returning from our holidays in Michigan, we hit the year running. I joined a crochet group to fill some of my time with less mommy things and met some women who are now my closest friends here! Dr. Ball, the physics professor at LeTourneau, lived with us from Sept 2013 until July 3, 2014 when he went on sabbatical in British Columbia. But before that point, Ed and I were using him for his free babysitting! We were running twice a week and doing running club runs once a month. I began running 5Ks in February! We also got to attend every game night that semester! Pat came for a nice visit in February, as well.

For Spring Break, we took the girls on a Texas State Tour! It was a noisy trip, as Molly decided to practice her screaming skills and Milli decided that shouting, “Stop crying, Molly!” was the best way to get her to stop. We drove to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and back home in three days. We did some shopping, site seeing, and seeing friends; so there were some good points. We also celebrated my 40^th birthday by going to a play (Llama Llama!), seeing the Alamo, and eating at a fabulous Greek restaurant in San Antonio.

In May, Edward did research again and I took a class! I needed a lab science, so I took astronomy with Dr. Ball. I aced it, and not because the prof was my tenant! At the end of the month, Edward and a student went to a conference in WI. I dropped him off and then took the girls to MI for a visit. No screaming that time! We stayed for a few days, picked Ed back up, and then spent the night at a friend's house before driving back to TX. Ten days later we returned to MI for Hamilton Family Vacation at the lake.

Dr. Ball left in the beginning of July and we proceeded to use our game room for its purpose! We had a big game night with friends from my crochet club – 10 adults and 11 kids. Never allow yourself to be outnumbered – that is my new motto. Lots of noise and lots of chaos. Only one injury, though; so all in all, not a bad night. We also had a garage sale which made just enough money for me to begin my own business as a Jamberry Independent Consultant! I now get paid to have pretty nails.

Ed went back to work in August and I began to work, too. In September, Molly turned 1! In October, we did some more traveling: I went to San Antonio for the Jamberry regional conference, Ed went to Houston for the Welch conference, and then I took the girls to MI for an apple picking adventure. All travels went well and all happened in the same week. When I returned from MI, I had a bushel and a peck of apples and a brother with me! Uncle Michael came down to spend a week with us. Milli was very excited because it happened to be her third birthday! We celebrated by going to Veggie Tales Live the weekend before, having pie and gifts on the day, and having a Frozen nail party the weekend after. Ten days after Uncle Michael left, we headed to KY for Thanksgiving. There was a lot of sickness and I ended up in urgent care. Not the best holiday ever. We returned to Longview to finish out the semester and then traveled to Michigan for Christmas. That was a lovely holiday trip with no screaming, no sickness, and lots of great times.

Hoping your year was wonderful,

Edward, Reba, Milli, and Molly

Blogger wasn't working, so here in my November post.

Whew. That last post was so much work that I took a few weeks off! Just kidding. I was traveling. I took my two precious girls back to Michigan for a bit to visit with friends and family and to get apples!! Michigan had an amazing apple harvest this year and I got a bushel and a peck of them! So far we have made two pies (one for us and one for Milli's third birthday) and several quarts of apple sauce. We still have almost half what we started with! 

While home, we went to a Halloween party at my aunt's house, did nails with my mom and sisters, had a lot of restaurant food with friends, and spent time with Nana and Pop! Oh, and I spent a couple days in bed sick with something my girls had.

The drive up took only one day! But just as we were crossing the boarder from Illinois to Indiana (about 2 1/2 hours from home), Milli vomited. After cleaning her up and making two more stops, we made it to Nana's at Midnight-05. Pop was still up and took care of bathing Milli while I put the baby to bed and unpacked the car. Milli seemed fine after that, but I got it a little more than a day later. 

After the wonderful time in Michigan where we got both colors and snow, we came back to Texas with my brother in tow! Michael came to spend a week with us! Milli had been saying for weeks that Uncle Michael was going to come for her birthday. We drove back in one day, too, but without the vomiting. The very next day Ed and I did a 5k, we all went to the syrup festival in Henderson, hit the grocery store, and the boys went to game night while I took Milli to see Veggie Tales Live! Molly stayed home with a sitter. 

Other activities this week included: a trip to our local game store for Ed and Mike (boy bonding), a trip to Dallas for all the girls and Mike (Madness Games, Lockhart BBQ, and Four Corners Brewing Company), cooking at home (Korean bean buns, apple sauce, pies, baked mac & cheese, and calzones), eating out (Dudley's, Lil' Thai House, and Papacita's), and celebrating Milli's birthday. 

Yup, my little girl is 3!! We made her bed into a big girl bed by taking the front off. She got her own little pie and fun gifts which included Frozen outfits and movie, great books, and a scooter from Daddy! We had a little party with some friends to watch Frozen and do our Jamberry nails!

Now life must get back to normal... for a week... then we leave for a Thanksgiving trip to KY. And next thing you know it will be Christmas! Where has this year gone? I wish I had gotten more pictures of it. But here are a few:

I'm three, flirty, and fabulous!

My conference stash!

Dressing for MI is NOT like dressing for TX!

My cutie-patootie!

Story Time at Baker Book House.

Molly is wondering why Milli got fruit snacks and she didn't!

My little love bug!

Dorothy eating dirt.

Yoda

A wood elf.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK.

Dorothy and the engineer!

They love to hug!

Uncle Michael is extremely entertaining.

My Halloween nails (plus some Dia de los Muertos!).

They played well together.

Bob is looking at me upside down. Oh, and Milli is in a bowl.

This is the way a 3 year old smiles.