HAPPY NEW YEAR !! Happy Birthday !!

Happy New Year!!  A and the sparklers on New Years Eve.

With her trusty dog by her side, she safely used the sparklers and he faithfully protected her. 

Happy Birthday to my mother.  Happy Blue Moon.  A made a wish and we all went to bed.  See you next year. . .

Time flys . . .

In the month of December time goes by twice as fast as a normal month like January. Unless you are a small child, say nine years old, then time drags by so sss-lll-ooooo-www. I think A has told me every day since December 14th, ten more days 'til Christmas Eve, I wish it was Christmas Eve. She has counted down every day since then. She tells me every night when I tuck her into bed, I can't wait 'til we go to Grammy and Papa's for Christmas Eve. If you are an adult then you know how fast time goes by: shopping, making elf hats and shirts, working, trying to stay one step ahead of the ever changing Christmas list.

Christmas Eve afternoon we go to my parents for the celebration, opening presents, getting the little oranges (clementines) and candy in your stocking, visiting with cousins and then driving home to get in bed before Santa comes to our house. A loves to see her cousins and grandparents.

Over the weekend, we went to see grandparents and cousins. On the way we went to an antique store. WOW, that was spectacular, everything decorated for the Christmas holiday. WOW, everything I looked at was $1,100+. We stopped downtown to shop. We watched the cousins, W and B, play hockey. My A, my niece A and my nephew M, play and run around and do little kid things at the hockey rink. After the hockey game, T and I saw a movie, The Blind Side, a great movie. Sunday, I watched Julie and Julia, great movie, and I watched I Love You Man, not so great.

That about wraps things up for the weekend. This week will flash before my eyes and before I know it we will have wrapping paper all over the living room floor and it will all be over. Things will slow to a crawl again and we will be on our way to 2010.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

December . . .

I see it is December and I have not blogged yet. I had a volunteer job and my (paying) jobs to keep me busy for a while.

As you know and I have blogged about, A is in gymnastics. Her coach decided that the Christmas Parade would be a good idea and Coach wanted the girls and boys to wear elf hats and elf shirts. I volunteered to make a few. Well, that was a long project. The parade went well except that it was the coldest day of the year. It doesn't matter when the parade is, it will be the coldest day of the year. A's picture is on the front page of the newspaper so that is exciting for her.

I shouldn't say that we had the coldest day of the year, the entire U.S. experienced the coldest part of winter. Many states had snow and bad weather. We had cold. I think it was too cold to snow.

December is here and I have not had much time to do the Christmas shopping. OK, I've had time to shop, it's the ideas that I'm having trouble with. What to get the parents, what to get the nephews (we have the niece's gift taken care of), what to get T, what to get A. The list goes on and on. The Christmas tree is not up and decorated yet. A is going to Grandma's tonight to make cookies (that's a plus). I love Christmas cookies. I love cookies period, it doesn't have to be Christmas. T and I are going shopping tomorrow and maybe Sunday the tree will go up. I am running out of time. I better get busy.

Whoever said change is good . . .

Still trying to get used to a few changes with the computer ordeal. Things are set up so different on different computers. I am using T's set up for a while.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!

And then we are on to Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

My how time flies.

We have two feasts to attend tomorrow. Family time is a great time. I am thankful that my family members cook. Mother, Mother-in-law, Grandmothers and Great Aunts have been doing this for years. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Blogs, backgrounds and backups

After spending most of the day composing, posting pictures and publishing I thought I would be creative and find a cute background for my little blog. OH MY GOSH!! Little did I know that was a very bad idea. Somehow, (don't ask me) my computer took over and had a mind of its own. But, with the help from T, things are almost back to normal. I'm not as computer savvy as I thought.

AND don't rely on your automatic backup virus protection you bought for $69.99.

Sunday . . .

Not much happens on Sundays here.

Laundry for one thing. And that reminds me . . . while the blanket is off the bed I decided to snap a few pics. This is the first full-size quilt I made. I picked fabric 5 years ago, I cut fabric 2 years ago, machine pieced 1 year ago, picked backing fabric, had it long-arm quilted, sewed binding and gave it to A last year for her birthday.

The pattern is Yellow Brick Road. After spending lots of time with it I thought it should be called 'beige, blue and blah'. I didn't pick bright yellow fabrics. I guess yellow wasn't a popular color 5 years ago.

Sending it to be long-arm quilted was a task. Trying to pick a pattern for the quilting was a guessing game. I liked this pattern and that pattern, oh and that one was nice too, but I had to pick just one -- a simple flower, not too small, not too big, no points, just a simple flowing flower design. I LOVE how it turned out after sending it through the laundry. I was very nervous about the whole wash and dry process. I thought it might come out in pieces. After spending so much time on one project, I dreaded the not knowing what would happen. But it came out of the dryer crinkly, warm and clean. It will go back on A's bed. She likes it but not as much as "Specials".

A told me last night she loves "Specials" and she will never throw it away. She will keep it forever. "Specials" is the first quilt I made.

I made it many, many years ago, 1990 maybe. I saw the picture and pattern in a magazine my aunt had. I thought it was small enough to give it a try. I couldn't start my first quilting project too big and never finish it. I had to take on a small project. I picked each fabric carefully. The hearts are hand stitched on the white background. The sashing is machine pieced. The batting is poly. (I wish it was cotton.) The hand quilting is very scarce (only around each heart). But it has been loved by A for 9 years now. I ask her if I can fix a few holes. She says, no, she wants it just like it is. "Are you sure I can't put a few stitches in right here?"

"No, it will be fine," she says.

I told A I made it for a very special little girl. "Specials" has been it's name ever since.

As I am writing this post, which has taken most of the day, A said she didn't want me to post a picture. She said it is embarrassing. I told her no one knows it belongs to her. I only use her initial instead of her name. (Good thing I have changed the names to protect the innocent. Can you imagine the legal issues that could bring?)

Saturday happenings . . .

Saturday is cleaning day, or at least this Saturday is.

We cleaned and we cleaned and T made excuses. He can't sit still or stay in the house for long periods of time. This morning he said I need to go to town. I said OK. Which means, he has to go and get a coffee (mocha big train). We don't have Starbucks, but we do have a nice coffee drivethru, The Fix.

This afternoon his excuse is that he has to take the dogs for a walk. I said OK. I can clean more while he is gone anyway.

We are having my parents over for dinner this evening and I thought it would be nice to have a clean house for them. This will be the final birthday for A. (finally). My mother will bring a cake for A, we will have candles, sing and A will open more gifts. This has got to be the longest 9th birthday party in the history of birthday parties.

I guess I can't complain that T can't stay and clean house. He will be back in time to cook. He cooks our meals for us, all our meals for us. He is an awesome cook. Tonight's menu: salmon and stuffed mushrooms.

Oh, I promised pictures . . . this is my favorite. We took A to Phoenix for part of the birthday. We went to dinner one night at Macaroni Grill. A's friend H, is with her.

And while in Phoenix, T and I made it to a NASCAR race. Oh what fun.

Thanks to our friends Brian and Stacy.

We had a great time!!

busy, back to work

I have been trying to catch up with work.

Pictures will follow soon.

Birthday, birthday, birthday

Today is A's birthday. However, we have been celebrating for the past week and now we are working on week two of the celebration.

Last Friday night she had a sleep over. (I am not sure how much sleep.) Then, Thursday we took off for Phoenix where we celebrated several times, with several friends. (Sunday, T and I went to the Phoenix NASCAR race.) We flew back home this morning. Today is the "real" birthday and next Saturday we will celebrate again with grandparents.

And to think she turned 9 today. What will we do next year when she turns the "big 1-0" as she called it. My Aunt Diane turned 7-0 today. Aunt Diane and A talked today as they have every year since November 16, 2000.

There will be pictures (lots of pictures) to follow.

blogging is cool

My husband, T, has asked many times if I am blogging then he snickers and continues to watch TV and secretly read over my shoulder.

I visited my sister over the weekend. I told her about my blog and found it for her on her computer. Then she marked it in her favorites. My sister said she also follows her sister-in-law's blog. I found and read the sister-in-law's blog. We also visit with each other as our children have gymnastics together.

Tonight at gymnastics we exchanged blog information. That is so cool.

Also, I checked me blog tonight and found that I have one follower. That too is cool. (I think I know who it is. Thanks sis.)

Though blogs may not be cool to T, T has recently figured out how cool Facebook is. He was jealous that I was on facebook and he was not. I had to create his profile for his facebook page. It won't be long he will want me to show him how to create a cool blog.

I must sign off now before T reads this over my shoulder.

I would like to thank to my follower(s) and those that may follow in the future.

My quilts

Now is as good a time as any. I wanted to have a blog for my quilts and other things, but I have been afraid to start this. After reviewing and browsing other quilt blogs, posts and pictures, I guess I will blog too.

This is the layout for my "Tiramisu, I Love You". My husband T said he wanted a quilt. After sewing and sewing I realized this was not the quilt to snuggle on the floor in front of the TV with. I told T this is a stay on the back of the couch, display quilt. The seams were very hard to keep 1/4 inch and some of the blocks are not exactly square. It is a courthouse steps block from the Fons and Porter Spring 2008 Easy Quilts.

I finished the quilt and entered it in the Billings, Montana Quilt Show. It was fun to see the other quilts, to see what quilt artists created. I am by no means a quilt artist after seeing what can be done with fabric and thread.

My mother and I talk about quilts, look at magazines, buy fabric for our stash and occasionally we sew. I will show more of our quilts in the future.

A giveaway

I am not sure how to do this but here goes . . .
Canton Village Quilt Works is having a giveaway. Visit Jackie to see the wonderful prizes she is offering. http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/
Good luck to everyone.
Sarah

WOW

It's been two-and-a-half weeks since I blogged. Sorry about that. We have been busy. I have been working in the office and at my home office. Not much extra time right now.

The snow has finally melted and it looks like fall. The leaves are falling anyway, all over the place.

Mom and Dad are driving today going to Oklahoma to see Grandma, Aunt Linda and Uncle Bill.
My sister and her family returned home late last night from a cruise to Mexico. I can't wait to see pictures of that.

And I am staying in Wyoming for a while. We have a surprise trip planned in a few weeks. I can't reveal that yet.

I have pictures to post and blog about, but T took the USB part that reads the card to download pictures. (very technical terminology).

Oprah

Please watch Oprah this afternoon. She will be talking with Stephanie Nielson. Also, please read Nienie. Stephanie is an amazing lady. She has an amazing family. She has an amazing story.

Sunday . . . snow . . .

We have snow in Buffalo, Wyoming. At least in our backyard.

It looks pretty, but it sure is cold. We drove to the mountains to see how much snow is up there. LOTS!

Not much to do today but stay in and stay warm. I am watching as the snow flakes get bigger and bigger.

Last Friday night, A performed at the halftime of the Bison football game. It was much warmer last week.

Busy, Busy . . .

I have been busy lately. Last Wednesday I attended hearing prep. Thursday I worked. Friday I cleaned and did football activities. A performed gymnastics at halftime. Saturday T flew and we went to the RC store in Billings (mad dash). We ate at Jake's, a wonderful restaurant in downtown Billings. Sunday we cleaned up the lawn. Monday we had a birthday celebration in the family. Now its Tuesday. Who knows what will happen today.

Research . . .

After some research, getting frustrated and deciding not to give up, I found out that I have to keep at this and get more posts out there for my blog to show up. Hopefully, I can stick with this.

On to other things . . . time for some pictures of my family.


This is A, she is loving, kind and a funny 8 year old. She loves to ask questions, read, listen to music, sing along with the music and play. She is in gymnastics. This is my husband, T. He likes numbers, nature, model airplanes, hiking, fishing, biking, hunting.
We have two dogs, Goofy #1 and Goofy #2 as I like to call them. Hoover is the black lab, Audit is the Llewellin Setter. Audit is hyper, Hoover is lazy --great dogs.

That's the family in a nutshell.

Not sure about this . . .

I am not sure about this blogger thing. I can't find my blog when I am logged out and looking around. I guess I need to change some settings.

In order to see my blog I have to publish a post. So here goes . . .

Saturday happenings . . .

My family went to the air field this morning. My husband flies remote control airplanes (RCs). My daughter played with her cousins. I visited with my mother. I made her a beaded necklace and we talked about earrings to match. Mom and I talked about some quilting things, went to get lunch for the family and talked more about quilting things.

The weather was very summer-like as it is the last weekend of summer. I am not looking forward to the season when we have the "s" word. (snow)

The weather is going to change quickly. I miss the color of the leaves in Tennessee in late October. Speaking of Tennessee, the UT VOLS football team did not do so well today I see.

More later . . .

OK this is goofy but . . .

Yes, I know this is a bit silly (or crazy) and I will draw or scribble aimlessly while occupied with something else. (Thanks Webster.) But I tried many times and everything I wanted to name this blog had already been taken. So, I know this will be fun and silly at times, but I thought I would give it a try.

I spend some of my day checking others blogs. If my husband knew how much time, he would disconnect my computer power supply.

I spend some of my day working as a paralegal, caring for my family, cleaning, sewing, taking pictures, lots of other things and now blogging.

This is new for me, so be patient. Thanks.