Christmas Memories 2009

Christmas came and went so quickly, but the memories made will last forever. I hope everyone had an enjoyable day with family and friends. Below is a photo of "Joy to the World" by Shepherd's Bush, I stitched for my sister as her gift for Christmas 1997. I still think this is a beautiful finish and I love the way it is framed.

Next up is another photo I took at her house of a little "cupid" I stitched for her as a gift several years ago. I made it thinking it would be nice to display for the month of February for Valentines. Story goes that she loved it so much it hangs in her kitchen all year long. It's so funny to me that I love to stitch, hence the needle and thread, and she runs from it!!! How can two sisters be so different??? I don't know what I would do without my needle and thread. It seems that over the years, some of my styles have changed but I still love the choices of framing I had these two mounted in. They are so breathtakingly gorgeous to me still to this day.

Below are some photos taken Christmas Eve. We had lots of good food, entertainment, giggling and rough housing going on. What would Christmas be like without the magic of children? They make the magic of Christmas come to life.

I love this photo, you can see my hubby, Mike, and my son, Brayden in the mirror. It looks so peaceful, and the warmth from the glow is so embracing to me.

A beautiful "Angel Boy" stands watching on the mantel. I love the glow of the Christmas tree in the background.

This is my BIL, Dave, entertaining us with his talents on the guitar. I hope someday I will be able to learn how to play as good as him.

This is the beautiful Aryanna playing her pretty little violin. She has such talent at a tender age of six.

These are my two rugrats, Brayden and Mike.

The young violinist "Aryanna".

My handsome brother, Kerry, and his son, Preston.

The mardi gras girl, Reign, I can just hear her giggling, can't you? She loves to take her clothes off just like her Mom did when she was little, I guess a chip off the old block as they say.

The three musketeers, Mikey, Aryanna, and Elisa (aka Snowy).



And look at this cute little angel, Kita, she looks like she has a halo above her head.

My tired son, Brayden, after a long day with his family.

Below are some pictures I took at Gardner Village a few days before Christmas. It was soooo freezing cold that night and I struggled with my camera/batteries to capture any photos.

This picture was taken on Dec. 22, 2009 in Fruit Heights, UT. I love antique tractors and I have several photos of ones from all over. Whenever I get a chance to spot a tractor I have to stop and capture it especially if it has time worn character. I guess I am just a country girl at heart.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog. I have some fun projects I have been working on, but just haven't taken the time to sit long enough to blog about them. Once the holidays are over I hope I can get you up to date on my dabblings.

On the day after Christmas, a Christmas wish is granted to "Berit" so she will have a Happy New Year project for 2010!! She chose "Redbird Sampler" by Bent Creek as one of her wishes to stitch. Congrats Berit, please send me your address so I can send you your "wish".

Now, for some after Christmas humor I though I would share:

The 12 Days AFTER Christmas

The first day after Christmas
My true love and I had a fight
And so I chopped the pear tree down
And burnt it, just for spite

Then with a single cartridge
I shot that blasted partridge
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

The second day after Christmas
I pulled on the old rubber gloves
And very gently wrung the necks
Of both the turtle doves
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

On the third day after Christmas
My mother caught the croup
I had to use the three French hens
To make some chicken soup

The four calling birds were a big mistake
For their language was obscene

The five golden rings were completely fake
and turned my fingers green.

The sixth day after Christmas
The six laying geese wouldn't lay
So I sent the whole darn gaggle to the
A.S.P.C.A.

On the seventh day, what a mess I found
The seven swans-a-swimming all had drowned
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.

The eighth day after Christmas
Before they could suspect
I bundled up the
Eight maids-a-milking
Nine ladies dancing
Ten lords-a-leaping
Eleven pipers piping
Twelve drummers drumming - well, actually I kept one of the dancing ladies -
And sent them back collect
I wrote my true love
"We are through, love!"
And I said in so many words
"Furthermore your Christmas gifts were for the Birds!"

RECIPE FOR A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long


Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise.


Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.


Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)


Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.


If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December.

May the wonder of Christmas fill your heart and bring you peace. Thank you for sharing your talents with me this year, you are all an inspiration to me. I have loved visiting your blogs and have enjoyed your friendships. May we all have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year in 2010. I hope Santa treats you well this year and brings you everything you wished for and them some. God Bless you and yours this Holiday Season.

Please leave me a comment and let me know one of the items on your wish list that you would like to stitch in the year 2010. I will be granting a wish on December 26th to one of my blogging friends. You can leave your wishes on this post until midnight Christmas Day. Good luck!

BIRDS, BABIES & ORNAMENTS

My rustic "fish" tree.

Seasons Greetings!!! December is flying by, work is crazy, crazy, crazy busy!!! No time to put up the tree yet, boo hoo!!! But, I do have a tree I keep up all year round in my "fish" room. So, all I have to do is plug in the lights and wa-la, ta-da, the tree comes alive. Not quite the exact thing I had in mind, but it works! (At least for this year)!

Carriage House Samplings

"Frederick"

I would like to introduce you to the newest addition (work in progress)(sneek peek) of my cross stitch addiction, my beautiful bird "Frederick". I love him and I have decided that I must stitch his beloved "Fredericka" to keep him company. Isn't he just gorgeous??!!!

Next is a picture of the beautiful baby set a dear friend of mine, Ellen, crocheted for me. Actually, for my future granddaughter......don't take that wrong, my son is only 14 years old, but I really, really, really hope that I get a "girl" someday to cuddle and love. (And even if I don't, a daughter-in-law would be great). Maybe in 10 years or so..... Ellen surprised me with this because she "knows" how badly I want a daughter so she made this for me to put in my hope chest for future use. The soft pink yarn she chose is so dainty and the pretty silk ribbon and flowers are a really nice touch. The flowers have pretty pearl buttons in the center if you look closely. She was so kind to make this for me.


Next is a photo of a little ornament I am making (sorry for the crummy photo). I wish I could get the lighting right so you could make out the true colors, it looks vintage or nostalgic looking. Now I am trying to decide exactly how I want to finish it. Sometimes I really have a hard time making decisions when I come up with too many options. Maybe I will just stick with something simple.

Happy stitching!

The Older I Get and Hoe Hoe Hoe Update

Ok, I love turkey, but did we have to make it twice??? I just finished yet another helping of left over turkey dinner. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain, but we had Thanksgiving dinner at my mother-in-laws and everything was really yummy. I didn't over eat so I felt good about that. As a kind gesture my hubby's boss gives us a turkey with "ALL" the trimmings every year at Thanksgiving time. So I fixed round two yesterday which was Sunday. So, what I'm saying is "where's the beef"!!!! lol

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful holiday. Now it's on to Christmas. I can't believe that 2009 is almost over, it will seem weird to write 01/01/10 for the new year. We watched the movie "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with Henry Winkler (remember the "Fonz" on Happy Days?) over the the weekend, in fact I watched it twice! I love the "redbox" greatest movie rental system for only one buck per night!!!

I am getting closer to having "Hoe, Hoe, Hoe" done and then I can do the happy dance. I have enjoyed this one, maybe because it has to do with Santa and the anticipation of things to come. I took two photo's one with the flash on and one with it off, just wasn't sure which one I liked best so I posted both of them.

Notforgotten Farm

"Hoe, Hoe, Hoe"

***flash on***

Same photo....."flash off"



I Love Christmas

The Older I Get…
the simpler my holiday preparations become…
the closer I feel to old friends as I write my Christmas cards…
the more I cherish the oldest ornaments…
the more fondly I remember Christmases past…
the longer I hold on to a holiday hug…
the more I realize Christmas is a matter of the heart…
the tighter my throat gets when I sing “Silent Night”…
the more I enjoy giving than receiving…
the more I try to see Christmas through the eyes of a child…
the longer I sit at night in the glow of the Christmas tree…
the more wondrously beautiful the Christmas story is…
the deeper my awe at God’s infinite love…
the More I Love Christmas! The older I get…
the more I enjoy sharing Christmas greetings with wonderful people like you!

BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVE

May each of you have an abundance of love, time with family, yummy food, good health, fun and laughter this Thanksgiving.

I hope this post finds you all well and you aren't suffering with the flu that so many people are experiencing nowdays. My son was home from school for three days last week with it (this being his 2nd round with that darn bug this year). Yesterday we were able to get the H1N1 vaccination for him, hopefully this will help in some small way, but he still needs to get the regular flu shot also.

I have a few things I would like to share today. First off, my Aunt and Uncle are serving a mission in South Africa so we won't be able to see them during the holidays this year. I did receive an email from my Auntie just the other day and it included this poem I thought you might enjoy reading:

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.
THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.
TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.
I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.
MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Here is the first photo I took of my progress on Hoe, Hoe, Hoe by Notforgotten Farm. I really love the shades of green on the tree. They have been fun to stitch with. I will post more photos after Thanksgiving. I still have pies to make, apple, pumpkin and cherry cranberry (my fav) before I get any shut eye tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day but I am looking forward to spending the day with family.

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the USA!!!