It's looking like Christmas!

I think even more than THE day I enjoy all the activities leading up to THE day.  I enjoy the old traditions surrounding the season, the music, the bringing out of familiar Christmas decorations.

 For years we have helped decorate our church for Christmas the first Saturday of December.  Now the grandchildren are helping and it is so much more fun with them.

 My favorite Christmas decoration hands down is the Fisher Price Natitivity set.  We've added pieces over the  years and it has held up well.  The kids play and play and play with it.

 We don't get a white Christmas here very often.  Face it, we don't get snow very often period.  We did get a bit of a dusting a week ago and a little 3 year old insisted on a snowman.  This was the result.  He's about 6 inches tall.  She also insisted on a carrot nose.  We packed the head so tight that the head flew off when we tried to insert the nose.  Ahh well, she was happy.

 So we don't get much snow.  That doesn't mean we don't have snowball fights.  Indoors.  A friend in my IBK group on ravelry sent me a dozen knit snowballs as part of an ornament swap.  They have been a hit since.  Just a day ago they divided into teams, boys vs girls and had a war.  I'm not sure who won but considering how much fun they had, all won.

 Zoo lights is part of the holiday tradition.  The lights!  The zoo characters for hugging.  Elephant ears for eating.  The night we went this year was cool but clear, as in no rain!  Perfect!

 One of the ladies in our church uses tea time as her ministry.  Usually there is one around Christmas time and one in the spring near Mother's Day.  We haven't gone to the last few because we had other commitments but we made it to this one.  The little girls seem to enjoy it more than we do.  But then all they have to do is smile or bat their eyes and the waiters are swooping in to give to their every whim.  They enjoy the dress up part of it too.

 Church, church family, are a huge part of the Christmas season for us.  My grandchildren enjoy their moment in the spot light lighting the Advent candles.  This year the brothers did it together.  Half way up the aisle one of the candles went out which meant going back for a relight.  The other went ahead and lit his candle and then patiently waited for his brother to light the 3rd candle together.

 I've tried to get some knitting done inbetween scrapbooking and passing the treasurer's job for the Guild on to the next one and running children to and from school and fixing meals.  Hats are great projects for busy people or any knitter really.  Super cute results with pretty instant gratification.  Both the hats I've finished were slouchy ones and I want to do some more.  They look so cute on the kids.   (details on ravelry)

 Just a week before Christmas and we finally got our treel.  It's a pretty one and it was fun to decorate.

Now to get the needles clicking.  Another holiday tradition?  Last minute sewing and knitting projects!  But come January it's all about finishing projects.  Nothing new in January but back to the old.

Geared up and ready....

As these "gorgeous gobblers" remind us, it's the season.  For giving Thanks, and then onto Christmas. But even before Thanksgiving, a little crafting is in order.  

 A snowman for our tree.  I made some modifications on the tree to snowman pattern in "Topsy Turvey Toys" to make this little guy.  Details of those mods are on my ravelry page.

 I've been involved in a few ornament swaps in my Itty Bitty Group on ravelry.  This one went off to Wisconsin.  I sure hope it doesn't classify as an "ugly Christmas sweater".  Pattern is also from Susan B. Anderson.

 Bird Feeders for great grandparents for Christmas!  It was a simple recipe and they had fun doing it.  We've made 4 and need to make 2 more.

 Someone, ahem, had more fun with the clean up!  And terrorized everyone in the process.

 A very sweet little granddaughter made these for me.  They were waiting for me in a gift bag when I got home from a meeting.  They will take front and center on our tree this year and for years to come.

 The week of Thanksgiving I was mostly child free.  A good time to sew or knit or shop?  Nope.  A good time to go to the schools and have lunch with grandchildren.  On Monday I went to one school to have lunch with a sweet 2nd grader.  She opted to have what I had brought for little J and myself instead of buying lunch.  I think the selling point was the strawberries.

 We waited 20 minutes and had lunch with a handsome 6th grader.  He opted for PB and J.  No big surprise there!  He did share his chocolate milk with his little cousin.

 On Tuesday I went to another school to have lunch with 3 adorable 1st graders.  I had enough time to stay and watch them at recess.  Twirl on bars, walk on bars, and play football.  I am SO glad I did that on my days "off".

 Which brought us up to Thanksgiving.  Or rather the day after.  We usually celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday.  That would be black Friday and, more importantly, the day of the Civil War.  I was so grateful for all the help I got this year.  I try to have jobs for the grandmunchkins to help with.  They love to set the table for starters.  This year they made the fruit salad.

 And licked the beaters.

 And dried the dishes.

 After dinner it was gingerbread decorating time!  Houses for the older ones and men for the little ones while the Civil War was on the tv in the living room.  Do you think she wished for the Ducks to win?  If so, her wish came true!

 Any guesses who he's cheering for?  In a very loud voice? With lots of giggles and hand waving?

 Another swap ornament that's winging it's way to Oklahoma.

 And this is what my sewing room looks like after Thanksgiving.  Yes, I shopped on black Friday.  At Joann's.  For flannel and fleece.  I'm going to be busy finding the table.  And the way to find the table?  Sew it all up!

May the season be bright and may I find the gumption to get 'er done!

Happy Fall...already?

I've been told the first rule of blogging is not to apologize for absences.  So I won't.  I've noticed when I step away from the blog is when I'm emotionally in a bit of a tailspin or life is crazy busy or I'm tired of being on the computer.  This absence has all three qualifiers.  The downward emotional tailspin was caused by watching a few more pieces of my heart go to school each day.  Sure I still have 2 here but 7 are not.  I've been scrapbooking online 8 albums from our Disney trip as well as keeping up 8 day to day albums for 8 grandmunchkins.  Hence the overload on computer time.  The Disney albums are done and the 8 day to day albums are pretty much caught up and require a half hour a day or so to get pictures and comments in per event per album.  I am, however, now doing our church bulletin weekly and some weeks are a bit more work than others.  As for the crazy life.  Well, the pictures below explain that.  While I won't apologize for my absence, I'll apologize for the photo overload.  There are knitting projects, birthdays, fall activities, and life that happened over the last 2 and a half months.                          

 A few of my finished knitting projects.  They are on ravelry if you would like more details.

 While I knit and care for the home, my husband fishes.  Successfully!
And below are the pieces of my heart I'm lending to the schools each day.  I'm thankful their parents let me have them each day.  While I wish they were with their parents and lent to me, in this world that's not possible so I will hold out my hands and be thankful for each moment they are here.

There were 2 special birthdays.  Our sweet daughter and Great Grammie.

 A trip to the pumpkin patch was in order as the air cooled and the leaves changed.

 And on Halloween we were visited by a Princess, Tigger, 2 Ironmen, Steve, a Nerd, a Care Bear, and a witch.  Did I forget anyone?

 Happy Fall!  "A second spring where every leaf is a flower".

 Raking and gathering commences.  We have an art project in mind for those leaves.  Stay tuned.

A quick glimpse of the last few months.  I'll try not to stay away so long.