Computers UGH!!!!

I hate computer problems. When they work they are great but when they don't it sucks!!!!!!!!! We've been dealing with this for about 3 weeks now. It really was hard finishing presents. I had a lot of things stored on the computer and couldn't retreive them. Finally after days of working on it my DH got some of it retrieved. Then after days more it was restored. now we have no internet connection. It's always something. After many calls to Verizon someone is coming out before 8:00 pm tomorrow. Stay close to your cell they'll text you before they come. So after working midnight to noon I'll have to be sleeping with my cell. Great!! Hopefully DH doesn't have too much planned and he can carry it for me. I'm at work now and at least can read blogs.
I didn't get to post any christmas decorating pics or train competition pics either. Hopefully when I'm back on line I can get some posted. I'll post DH and the winner's for sure.
It sure has been a lesson period for me. I've learned to slow down some and be more patient. It hasn't been easy for my type A personality to be so at the mercy of a thing that I couldn't do anything about(control). I really don't like that feeling. I spent lots of time in communication with God about the whole situation. Like I said it was a lesson. Not necessarliy one I wanted to learn but with the Lord's help I'll grow through it.
I hope to resume posting soon.
Rhonda

Christmas tree,trains and projects done

We went hunting for our Christmas tree in 19 degree weather on Sunday. You can see from the pictures below that we had a pretty good time. As good a time as can be had with 2 girls 12 and 13. My were they ever full of the whines. My DH used to take them by himself and I thought I was mising out on the fun and have gone for the last couple of years. It's funny how you forget the whining from year to year. I had fun making them laugh and getting some pictures.

Tori thinks by not smiling I'll leave her alone. Little does she know I was a 13 year old once too with an annoying mother.

Emily was "hiding" in full view so I wouldn't get her picture. "why do you do this all the time"? More whining from a 12 year old. I'm immune I'm a mom.


In the end we did all have a good time. We had hot chocolate and cookies for ther ride home from the tree farm.

Our "angel" making an angel.




The train board has light and most of the wiring is completed. The water has been added.



These started out innocently enough. Use up the pine cones I had collected from our trees. They are super small. Well it turned into a bigger project when I had to buy the styrofoam cones. I did have the moss for covering them on hand. Once I had them done they needed something besides being all brown so I purchased tiny rose hip from a local dried flowers store. She says they are freeze dried????? Anyway they added the color I needed. So for about $5.00 each I got 2 nice pine cone topiaries.


My hubby loves when I say I used up stuff and it cost me nothing. He says I had to originally buy it. I just feel good thinking I'm using stuff up. I've ended up with some nice things this Christmas just using what I had on hand and adding a little here and there. When I get done I'll post a slide show.


Rhonda

IT's Friday

I can't believe how fast this week has flown. I took several vacation days this week and I still feel like I got nothing done. I got my small kitchen tree done. I was so excited about this tree because I tried painting this tree and it could have gone either way. It was an older Martha Stewart feather tree and was all white. Way too contemporary for me. So I tried my new best friend Camoflague spray paint. Well you be the judge. I think it turned out great.
It has all my childs cookie cutters and utensils on it. I love it. The camo paint is great because it has no sheen to it at all and it is an dark olivey green color. I'm using it on several things now. It is the perfect prim color.




This is a picture of the 6 brothers from one of there first years 1989. My hubby is the youngest. He's in the front on the far right. 16 years old he was. Wayyyy before me. They are all really good guys. I'm not sure they'll be crazy about being on my blog but what they don't know won't hurt them.

This is progress on the train board. The mountains are painted and the track layout is complete. Some of the buildings are appearing. He's working on the lakes now.



I finished several candle matts and coffee stained them last night. Tori says they look like tortilla shells. They were sitting on the pan upside down and they really did look like them. Of course this led to my DH telling her a story about a 3 stooges episode where they cooked an oven mitt. It was hilarious. Tori just rolls her 13 year old eyes at Carl's laughing so hard cause he's remembering the episode. It was a great exchange between them.



These are now in the done box and ready to be wrapped. The patterns are from Rhonda at Primitive Stitches. She has a other candle matt designs as well. It was my first time coffee staing and I'm not sure if I like how I did them. It may need some perfecting on the next things. These are stitched on old onsaburg feedsacks I have in my stash. This has really been a cost savings for me. The cotton batting inside these is left over from other projects. And, I had the floss already. So the cost for these 3 gifts $0 dollars. The feeling of knowing that they are for special people in my life.... Priceless.


Stay Warm.
Rhonda

Train Platforms

Every year the end of Nov and the beginning of Dec we see a side of my DH that lays dormant for the rest of the year. My DH comes form a family of 6 boys and 1 girl. For 29 years the boys(now men) have had a contest to see who can make the best train platform. Now over the years this has taken on many forms. When thay still lived at home some were even built over top of their beds. My hubby was 16 when they started. (I'll have to find that picture and post it.) I am so proud to see evolution of hubby through these boards as well. From that very first train board after I met him to today I can see his growth and maturity. He spends countless hours in the planning and execution of this each year. This year has brought a new dynamic. I found him teaching Em how to paper machie last evening. It was such a great moment.

There are 20 grandchildren in my hubby's side and only a handfull are interested in any form with joining in with their dads. (His sister doesn't participate but I will explain her role on a later day.)
This was a milestone in our lives. In the past he has always allowed the girls to do small things with the board like help in the planning ,choosing a theme(winter,fall,etc)or placing trees or people. But this year to be instructed in the fine art of sculpting mountains (tongue in cheek) was a huge leap toward maturity for Em.
She will be able to proudly boast that she "helped" build the mountains. Which in this family counts for something. Most of her uncles will compliment or instruct her on judging night. Oh yes we have an annual tradition of the Friday before Christmas all going from house to house then having food (of course) at the last house and passing on the coveted trophy to the new Railrider president. (Yes there is an official "club" for the 6 of them.)There has been some years when my DH's older brothers wanted to do the judging alone and exclude the rest of us. But I fought that because our girls were little and they needed to share in the tradition. And at this point the older brothers kids were getting older and weren't as thrilled with the traveling around. But we felt and still feel that family tradition is something we don't have a lot of these days so we wanted to give our girls all we could. Here's the last picture of the other end of the board. I will post progress as the month goes on.
But I must be careful what I post as the spies may be checking my blog to see what my DH has up his sleeve this year.

Have a wonderful and creative day.
Rhonda

Swaps

I participated in an ornament swap on my Yahoo group woolandrags. My partner was Norma. She sent me this lovely Angel ornament. Isn't this sweet. Her buttonhole stitch is flawless.


She makes these fabric postcards. I told her I was going to put a hanger on it and use it as an ornament also. It's really nice. I found my craft for after Christmas. I was reading up on these last night and they seem pretty straight forward in construction but the possibilities for creativity are endless.


This is the santa ornament I made for her. I had an absolute grand time making this ornament. I started with a 4 inch body from the craft store. Then I made all kinds of mistakes making the coat and pants. The beard,face and hat proved there own challenges. This actually is the second ornamnet.


Here are the pictures of the first Santa with all his mistakes. I loved the embroidery on the coat. I glued on his beard and all his fur. I tried to grubby him up some. I painted on my coffee vanilla cinnamon mixture and put him in the oven to bake. Can you see where this is going??? The glue softened an dI reached in to turn him. SQUISH and it stuck to my fingers. His face ran too. I forgot I drew it on with permanent (or not so permanent) marker. Although I did show it to a friend of mine and her first thought was that it really now looks like something you would find in the attic. I kept it around because it does have some charm even though it has my mistakes.


My misfit Santa.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here. We put up one tree today and DH got the lights on. Now we need to get the totes out of the attic and dive into decorating. We will go for another tree next weekend.
Tomorrow I will show you what's going on in my family room. I will tell you the story of the 29th year of a family tradition.

Rhonda

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

I am at home enjoying the quietness. Hubby got called into work and my girls stayed at my SILs last night. We will go there for dinner today. I do have a turkey in the oven to take with us. I will do 15# of mashed potatoes as well. My hubby actually did the turkey and stuffing to take. He made his "mom's" stuffing for the part of his family that likes it her way. His sister made it a different way for the rest of us. I never realized until I got married how much families do things and celebrate holidays differently then we did growing up. I had friends who did some things a littel differently but I guess I never really paid attention. But as we started celebrating combined family traditions it became more apparent. We use some things from both of our families and started a few new ones of our own. I guess that's what being a family is all about-blending.






Here is a link to Trudy's Blog. She is a dear lady who currently has a lot on her plate and still finds time to enjoy life. She is having a giveaway in Dec. She will pick the winner on Christams day. Be sure and hop on over and register.

Have a Happy Day and remember to give thanks for something or someone today.


Rhonda

Where does the time go?????

It's hard to believe that it has been over a week since I've had time to post. We're blessed have a visit from sister and her son from Texas. While they were here we celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents house. I've posted the photos below. Notice that we hold dinner in my parents 3 car garage. That may seem a little odd but you have to seee this garage to believe it. We have heat, TV, refrigerator and a bathroom all in the garage. At one point my dad was going to put a hot tub in one end. But that's a story for another time. I have 3 bothers and a sister all married with families. We were all there except 1 brother and his family who also live in Texas (HI Aunt T).


Tori and my nephew Ben.



Some of the "gang". I must admit it's not the classiest joint but we have so much fun just being together.




Some folks just can't cooperate to have their pictures taken. It was a light hearted day for all of us though.


We were all just grateful to have one more holiday with everyone since we never know what tomorrow may bring. I am most grateful for my parents this year. They raised me to believe that God and relationships are some of the most important things you can have.

I must go now and finish my ornament for my ornament exchange. I will post pictures of it later.


Rhonda