It’s A New Year!!

Well, so much for my attempt to blog more LOL!

With the little people here and orders I’m keeping pretty busy.  I miss you all!  I’ve been trying to keep up with every one’s posts.  We had to change internet providers and switching (remembering) all those passwords has been a challenge.  I ’think”  I’ve got it now.

 

Christmas is done and over….It went way to fast. We took the tree down today and I “Think” we will only find one or two errant decorations. We didn’t put out as much this year…it seemed like we ran out of time to decorate. It was wonderful as it was.  We went to midnight Mass & had a beautiful service. To make it even better, it was the first time there wasn’t ice in years. no slip sliding into church.

Through the week we were able to spend time with all of our children except our son.  A collage student’s budget only stretches so far but, we were able to Skype with him and Brianne.

We rang in the new year with my family and had a wonderful relaxing evening.  Great company, a glass of wine and as always to much food.   First time in years we’ve been “out” for the evening.  We generally stay in to avoid traveling with the crazies but we went from one rural area to another so it was fine.   Actually the roads were nearly empty so that was nice.  Yesterday we took the tree down and puttered around the house doing nothing in particular…...it was a nice change.

I’m so ready for spring!

Our weather has yo-yo’d like crazy. We had earlier than ever snows, then right before Christmas it hit 70!  There’s not been a bit of real snow since.  We’ve had a dusting or 2 but that’s it. There are dandelion's in the field for goodness sake! All the trees are forming buds, the mums are starting to sprout!  If it stays nice the rest of the week I’ll get the flowerbeds and herb garden cleaned out. Our weather changed to rain and super nasty to fast & I didn’t get them cleaned out.  EEEP!  If I can get it done now it should be pretty good when real spring hits.

OK, can we talk about stink bugs?

We have been invaded!  I bet I kill about 20 a day..in the house…and that’s a low estimate….one just landed on my keyboard….they don’t hurt anything but creep me out. Nasty little critters. I found 3 in the curtains (I’d just washed and rehung) and sucked them up in the vacuum.... BIG mistake.  The entire front of the house stunk to high heaven.  From what I’ve read this has been an unusually bad year here for them.  Mr. Fix-It pulled his coveralls off the hook in the garage and had about 100 of those suckers (frozen) fall out the legs ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! 

Any tried and true tips for getting rid of them?

Help!!!

We rang in the new year with my family and had a wonderful relaxing evening.  Great company, a glass of wine and as always to much food.   First time in years we’ve been “out” for the evening.  We generally stay in to avoid traveling with the crazies but we went from one rural area to another so it was fine.   Actually the roads were nearly empty so that was nice.  Yesterday we took the tree down and puttered around the house doing nothing in particular…...it was a nice change.

 

Supper for tonight is in the crock pot.  I’m trying to clean out/use up items from the fridge freezer using the reach in and grab something method.  Tonight will be pulled pork in BBQ sauce and slaw. The pork was from a pig roast earlier in the fall that I’d bagged up in  meal sized leftovers.  It may not have the full original flavor but I think the BBQ sauce will help with that.

A list of errands in town awaits so I’ve got to run

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and relaxing New Year!

2014 is going to ROCK!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Christmas,stink bugs

 

Last Minute Sewing

 

The photo is a bit off in the colors, those are bright red bandana’s not pink!  Isaiah needed a quilt for his bed but he’s 9 & at that awkward in between age…not the “little boy” anymore but not a teen.  He loves cowboys and trucks so I thought this was a good middle of the road. Especially when you hear….Grandma, will you make me a quilt?

The plan is to add a few bandana throw pillows and a valance also of bandana’s.

I can’t wait to see his face Christmas morning.  I love giving and receiving homemade gifts & this one was so quick and easy.  I picked up the bandana’s at Hobby Lobby when I went to town and used the 40% coupon so the .99 bandana’s were .60 cents each.  I picked up a few blankets at Wally world on sale for about $5.00 and used one of those. It makes a nice mid-weight batting only super tight.  The backing is a nice heavy, red and blue plaid sheet.  With thread I have less than $13.00 invested.

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With recent changes in the DOT towing laws, Larry had to get a CDL to tow larger trailers from the manufacturer to the dealership. My understanding is its needed anytime he’s in a tow rig with a customer now. Anyway, He took classes part time (he’s towed for years) and tested just fine. But, in order to be sure he was understanding the logs he needs to keep…..(sure I believe that) he’s been offered to tandem drive with the trucking company anytime he wants…..in all his spare time LOL! Well, for us this is the quietest time of the year.   SO,  Tuesday afternoon he was off on a road trip in a semi and back Thursday night. Over 4500 miles and he was grinning from ear to ear like a little kid.   They left KC. right ahead of the snow storm and stayed ahead of it all the way to Louisville. As happy as he still was when he got home…..I think I see many more trips in the near future!

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Most of the gifts are wrapped, the house is half clean..need to get cracking on that.  Rachel, Adam and Hayden will be driving in tomorrow night from South Carolina.  They seem to have settled in well & Hayden is excelling in school.  I think he has 10 children in his class so it’s a 5-1 teaching ratio!  One thing l really like about South Carolina is they do not have “special needs” children.  They have EXCEPTIONAL children!!!! From what Rachel has said that it the total attitude they have encountered.  He was slotted to be in one class but after meeting and talking with him they moved him to a different school & the perfect class.  He’s happier now than I’ve seen him in a long time.  God Bless who ever invented SKYPE.

We hated to see them move from 2 hours away to 8-9 but, it was the right decision

Evie just LOVES her cousin Hayden and was thrilled with the surprise chat. I don’t think her Mama has told her they will be here so it will be fun to hear her yell MY HAYDEN when she sees him tomorrow night!!!

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We’re still in process of trying to buy the house next door.  The owner wants about 30K more than the property appraises.  Once we come to an agreement it will close quick.  We have the funding in place and she wants out by the 9th of …..JANUARY!  Nothing like pushing it to the last  minute.  We have the RV show the last week of January and would love to have Erika moved by mid month.  Tonight, we gave her our final price so, we will see what happens.  Please keep your fingers & toes crossed for us….a prayer or two sure would be appreciated.

Wishing you all a blessed and wonderful Christmas!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Christmas,gifts,quilting,family

A few More Handmade, Homemade Frugal Christmas Ornaments

Cinnamon Applesauce ornaments using SMALL cookie cutters..To big and they are to heavy for the tree! I have some from 3 years ago and the scent is still there! These are fun to make with children, as the cookie cutters needed are the perfect for little hands

Make Gift boxes for small items from recycled Christmas cards. Use for those small gifts or simply as ornaments

Most of these could also be made with children

What fun memories you could create…

Beautiful sphere Balls from more cards or colored card stock

Beaded wreaths or Candy Cane

Beaded Stars

Recycled light bulbs can also be used

Snowmen from wash cloths…this is to cute!

There are Just to many to list!

Tell me when you’ve seen enough!

Technorati Tags: handmade christmas,homemade,ornaments childrens can make

Christmas Eve Chaos

Christmas Eve was a little crazy at our house, well lets be honest...It was a normal day. Things are always crazy around here! Rachel, Adam & Hayden came in about noon, an hour or so later this is what we found behind a closed door with lots of giggles and chatter, not the mess or chaos we expected! Mr Hayden finding himself a quiet spot!

My new son-in-law Christopher had never wrapped a Christmas gift! He was bound and determined to wrap this gift for Isaiah. Poor guy, he had a odd shape to wrap with his first attempt!

He gave up on the regular tape roll and grabbed the heavy duty stuff! Half a roll of paper later, numerous creative folds & a lot of tape...the finished product!

I'd like to say they got better but.....they were wrapped with love!


A lot of random postings for a while, our internet service provider is not providing very well.

The past 10 days its been off more than on. I'll catch up soon

Frantic Friday!

I know I can't be the only one out there frantically trying to finish Christmas Gifts & projects! I was able to have 2 of the 3 baby sets for Monica completed this week. The first is for a baby girl born in November. I took these at about 1 am so, the photos are not the best!

And the 1st of 2 infant boy sets

We did get our tree up this week. With every ones schedules and Larry hunting it took some coordinating. Our son Aaron's birthday is the 10th of December so we normally waited until after that to put the tree up. Poor kid always got shorted for his birthday! Now its habit to wait. With the kids all having the nerve to grow up, it was Isaiah's year to place the angel on the tree. That poor angel, shes so tattered and discolored from sticky children's fingers but I just can't bring myself to replace her yet. Our oldest Danielle used to place the angel while the others were so young, then as they were old enough to reach (with Daddy's assistance) we had yearly squabbles over who's turn it was to set her in place. So we started "THE LIST" A piece of notebook paper with the year and (age order) of who's turn it was next. The 1st year that Aaron was gone in the service went to Rachel, home in time from collage. Those who were not home always asked who placed the Angel this year!

Now, were moving on to the Grandchildren.
This was Isaiah's first year, with Grandpa's help. It will be interesting to see what our children do as their family's grow.

What traditions with your tree do you have? Star or Angel? Do you have a List?

We have in our home what we refer to as "The Cabinet."
Everyone has one, the cabinet with all the storage containers. The empty butter tubs, Rubbermaid, Tupperware, extra pitchers. Nothing fits....never stacks, the great balancing act.

It was punishment in our home. The kids would open the door toss something in & slam the door quickly before they had an avalanche. It became a form of punishment in our home. Get in trouble? Need time to think over your decisions? Go clean out the cabinet! They would have preferred to mow, clean the bathroom or basement rather than that cabinet! There was aways a deep moaning sigh like sound as they plopped on the floor in front of it. And the ALL stared at that door in fear before opening it. For the past 5-6 years the top hinge has been pretty iffy, it finally gave out and needed replaced. So, Isaiah with Grandpa's assistance replaced it. Isaiah said this cabinets a mess! Well, while your down there........Isaiah just looked at me & shut the door.