playing catch-up {still}

 

Thanksgiving 2012

We traveled to Grandma F’s house in Wisconsin…  where Aunt Janice had decided to rearrange the bedrooms.  As in switching beds from this room to that…

  

… and cleaning as they went of course. 

 

   

 

They still had time for sharing a movie with cousin T.

 

It’s not a holiday at Grandma’s without playing table games…

 

Matthew & Jessica and their one-year-old dolly (E)…

 

Ticket to Ride… Settlers of America…

  

 

Some games are invented as they go – the boys are playing with one of those pop-up baby toys, but it was some sort of race … silly boys.

             

 

More UNO Extreme…

         

 

 

A neighbor had an extremely large flag flying on their farm.  Kate said it was lit up at night.

 

Black Friday means buying flannel at JoAnn’s – this year I shopped in Wisconsin.

    

 

 

At home again – December 2012

Before Christmas I took the time to make up some blankets with the older inventory – and catch up with overdue baby gifts  :)  The blankets on the right were for twin boys at church – mama elephants are called cows, right?  almost fit the cowboy/farm theme… ha.

   

This blanket had to go via USPS to a special little girl near Seattle…

Matt & Jess chose this new fabric for little E ~ love those birdies

 

 

And this large blanket went to a big girl who wore her baby blanket to literal shreds over the past several years of constant companionship.  The original blanket flannel had kittens on it, so she called it Kitty.  You can see why I chose this piece for its replacement :)  I thought the extra doll-sized blankie might serve as her new travel companion ~ not sure if her mom persuaded her of that or not.

 

Boys at work… Note the short sleeves and bare ground

  

 

Next up:  the Christmas tree!

sewing with my girls :)

 

Abby & the Cattleman were gone for a week plus.  Tim & the Computer Geek left Wednesday to join them for a day and bring them home again.  So our school schedule this week became the unofficial first spring break.  {the real spring break is scheduled for Easter when Kate will be home with us}

So anyway, I had told the Popper that she should sew a pair of PJ culottes this week.  Since her sisters at home recently each sewed some from lovely flannel – and have been slightly ecstatic about their comfort.  :)

And besides, the Popper needs to learn to sew! 

We didn’t get started until late Thursday afternoon.  (I was sick earlier in the week :p)

 

 

Ta da!  We finished them Friday morning.

(Love this easy pattern! out of print Simplicity 7409)

The Cowgirl decided she needed a break from writing an exciting classification essay on cereal… :o  and joined the sewing frenzy for the day.

                                          Isn’t she goofy cute?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile I started on a pair of heavy denim culottes for the Popper, which she helped with too.

The Cowgirl thought she needed a pair from the denim also.

                       

 

While we’re at it.  Buried in the closet for how many years … Fabric I had given to the Popper after she received her sewing box.  For pillow cases.  Easy first project.   :D

  

    

(I hope you can see the fun dragon flies in the print)

They opted to keep them each one solid fabric instead of combining the pink and blue.  Faster, ya know?

 

 

The Cowgirl in her new denims, ready to work the cattle  :)

 

 

 

 

She said the Popper helped stitch the hems.  And together they’ve been working some scraps into new doll clothes…

        

four weeks via the camera

 

Canning pears four weeks ago…

            

We spent that evening (Oct. 12) at a wedding near Des Moines.  I had some dreamy idea about sitting with my hubby for the ceremony, but I had agreed to help in the kitchen – and we barely got it ready before the service was over and folks were coming into the reception hall!  I did sit down long enough by Tim later - to enjoy a delicious piece of cheese cake.  Oh yum.  And then we helped our friends out even more by bringing some of the leftovers home…  ; )  Should have put a piece in the freezer for Kate to sample at Christmas – ooops.

 

The next week we celebrated big at home in anticipation of Tim’s birthday… grilled steak, burgers, Abby’s Cajun chicken, gyros, lasagna…

{You’ll have to use your imagination for most of that…}

The Popper’s loaded burger was a bit too big, but she got the job done 

 

On Thursday, the Cowgirl made symphony tier bars so that Tim could take a plate to work…

Friday evening {his birthday} the kids loaded the rest of the dish with 48 candles…

      

                             

The kids said next year we could just have a bonfire  ; )

 

{should be a recipe here somewhere for the dessert – probably need to add a search widget}

 

Outdoor Project of the Month:  a sidewalk and real step out front!

 

                  

          

      

    

 

The pets, of course, needed to stay out of the wet cement…

  

c-A-t was not happy about being on a leash.

 

Abby helped wish finishing – scoring.

    

                     

Sorry, I thought I had a picture of the new walk – with dry concrete and no forms/mess/etc.  Next time…

 

I made another batch of elderberry syrup for Kate…

    

I was able to send it to her via Special Delivery – her Uncle Neil & Aunt Colleen came through here last week.  Abby made lots of cookies to send along too.

 

Tim has been busy inside the house too… adding thresholds between rooms and at the top of the stairway {requiring some trimming of laminate pieces already laid}

   

The Popper finished the curtain for her closet – yay!  {thanks to the Cowgirl getting the machine loaded with green thread}

      

Soooo I followed with the curtains for their window – turned out sorta cute for my first attempt at a ruffled curtain.

           

 

The sunshine was strong last evening – made for strong shadows and colors!

 

… a little too strong perhaps for a good view of our new closet door in the front hall – yay, Tim!  It’s amazing how different it looks with the door in place!

 

I finally hung up my newest plates – above the messy desk area {don’t look!}

      

 

Next week we will set up tables for an early Thanksgiving/Christmas Feast with my family.. something like this perhaps?  We will be 20+  …but I don’t have to cook a turkey or peel/mash any potatoes, so it should be ‘easy’ and fun. ;-)