~Stocking Stuffin~

I finished crocheting all the stockings (small about 4") for the kids school classes.. So, on Tuesday nite, I had 6 of them over to the house for a stocking stuffin party.. Kiefer is not having a Party, but he wanted to come over any way and I was glad to have him. He does not come often, because it is ALL GIRLS!!!!! He is unfortunately the only boy around now.. James's boys are all in Texarkana and so there is just girls.. Kinda strange after all those years of JUST BOYS!!!!! He is almost a teenager and does not want to hang out with girl COUSINS!!!!! I don't think he is quite into liking girls just yet... Not sure on that, but he tells me he does not have nor want a girlfriend.. Bruce told him to stay away from them, they just cost you MONEY!!!!!!!

Any way, we all got in a circle to stuff the stockins.. I think there were 159 of them, we put candy canes and a couple other pieces of Candy in them, place them in a ziploc and put a Merry Christmas From: sticker on each one. I make them with a loop so the child can hang the stocking on their own tree when they get home.. Wonder how many I have made over the years?? I did this for my boys all through their school party years... Now, my grand daughters and nieces and used to for my nephews, all the boys have gotten out of the party thing, except Justin and he is home schooled, so he will not need any this year.. I enjoy doing this with them.. It is crazy trying to get everything together for it and get everyone in their places, but after we get going, it goes fairly smoothly.. So now, they are all stuffed and taken to School for their Party on the 18th.. I even had a few left over, so I have a jump on next years. Wonder how many will be needed then. Normally Middle School does not have parties, but Cember's homeroom voted to have a small one so I did for her. If Gabby, Maranda and Briauna's class does not have one next year, I will just have lil bit to make for and I probably have enough from this year to do hers. What will I do with all that time??? I am sure I will find something to do... I think I have finished up all my little Christmas gifts I make every year and it is still 2 weeks till Christmas. How did I manage to do that. I am usually working up to the last minute on those.

Oh well, I guess since I found out my Lil Bit is getting a new BIG GIRL bed for Christmas, I have time to at least get her a quilt top done for it. Mom and I have made all the Grand and Great Grands a quilt for Christmas from Mamaw & Papaw.. We did Kelsey's for her Toddler bed, now she is getting a full size bed and her room is being changed from Back Yardigans, to Tinker Bell. I am doing new curtains and I guess I will have time to do her quilt, at least the top and then get it quilted and finished after Christmas. Or maybe I will save that for her Birthday in January.. Hard to believe she will be "4"... Decisions, decisions, decisions.... Ain't if fun being a Grown Up??? sometimes "NOT"

~quilts quilts and more quilts~

Here are the last 2 quilt tops for mom and dad's grand kids... All but the 4 oldest will be getting one for Christmas.. These are Maranda and Randi's.. I had a large time helping mom get them all done and to the quilter... Mom will be doing the hemming. She likes to hem them by hand and I take them straight to the machine and zip they are done... I really like the black and white one.. Randi wants to do her room in zebra stripe and this is what we came up with for her.. I am getting a zebra stripe rug and will make curtains for her after Christmas and she decides what she wants. Maranda still has Care Bear curtains, not sure if I can talk her into changing those or not, but if not, this has some of the Care Bear colors in it and will still match them.. Let me know what you think??

~Spider Bite~

Don't ever get one of these. They really hurt and look disgustingly nasty... When I got out of the pool on Monday nite, I dried my leg and it stung kinda bad, then I noticed a red spot kinda like a mosquito bite. No biggy.. Tuesday morning it was about the size of a silver dollar, by noon it was huge and really red and hot. One of the nurses sent me to the doctor. He said it could be a spider bite, but really thought it was just an absess.. Gave me an antibiotic, told me to keep heat on it and if not better come back in a couple days.. Well on Thursday, one of the nurses wanted to see it. I told her the swelling had gone down and the red area was smaller, but she wanted to see under the bandage.. Boy were we shocked as what we saw... Back to the doc I went, right then.. He said this is definitely a spider bite and we are going to have to lance it. Boy did I want to RUN!!!!!!! I knew that was going to hurt... And I was right... IT HURT!!!!!!! He deadened it but that hurt for him to do that.. I told him I was sorry, I was being such a baby about it, He said don't worry I know how bad it hurts...So he lanced it and sent it off for culture.. Then he packed it and wrapped it up. I had to go back on Friday morning for him to re-dress it and I was told to take 2 vicodins before I come up there, so here again,,, I knew it was going to be PAINFUL!!!!!!!! and I did not want to go, but we went.. From then, I have been changing the packing twice a day myself. Boy is that NOT fun.. It hurts and makes me sick to do it, But I do it. I am showing it to the nurses again tomorrow, because I don't think it looks right, but then I have no idea what it should look like now... STOMP SPIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sue, I know now how you felt last year.... This is NO FUN!!!!!

~Veteran's Day Quilting Bee~

Last Wednesday was Veterans Day, I have personal Veterans. My Dad and My middle Son. They both went to the Intermediate School to participate in the Program there. The girls were so excited.. Dad and Rocky got to have lunch with them (not sure they were all excited about the lunch) but I am sure they were excited to be with the girls.. Gabby still talks about it. Thanks guys for making their day...

Mom, Jeanette and I got together for a day of quilting (Aunt Jeanette did not get to spend the day, but she did come for lunch). Mom and I pieced 4 twin quilt tops (not difficult ones), we used the wildlife blocks and put them together with other prints and solids. Now we only have a couple more to do.. That will happen soon. I almost have one of them completed.. For me, it was an awesome day.. I am going to try to do that again real soon. We had 2 machines set up and both of them going.

For lunch, mom made Chicken and dumplins and a chicken noodle soup made with stir fry veggies. They were both really good. I took the left over chicken and dumplins home for Bruce's supper, he was REALLY Excited. He LOVES his mamaw's dumplins.. Thanks mom for sharing with him.

Thursday morning early they were on their way to be quilted... Can't wait to see them finished..

I will post pics when they are all finished... Gonna be fun doing that...

Well, better get on with some actual work... Love to ALL!!!!!!

~Punkin Patch~

On Sunday, Oct. 18th, the girls and I made a trip to the Punkin Patch in Grady, AR. We began our day with lunch at Mickey D's, Maranda had Subway, cause she was with mamaw and papaw, we had to stop and see if she wanted to go with us. which of course she did, then on to Grady. What a fun day I had, I hope they did. We were there about 3 hours and did whatever they wanted to do, except pan for precious stones, just too expensive... But I did not get too much flack from them. We just went on to other things, milking a "cow", feeding the horses, pigs, goats, going on a hay ride to the punkin patch to pick us a punkin.. As you can see, Gabby and Maranda got really big ones, then wanted me to help carry them, the rule is you pick it you carry it... Sorry girls, that's the rule.. They did manage to get them to the wagon and back to the Yukon.. We got face paintings, Kelsey got a punkin and the other 3 got peace signs,, Then on to take pics in all of the cute cut outs that you stick your face in, or you boodie as they did,, Sorry, will not post those pics here, but I do have them. In fact in that short 3 hours I took over 150 pics of my girls. I love spending time with them. Wish I had more to spend, but with having to work and them in school, time is limited, so I try to make the most of what time we do have together. Then it was a treat at the gift shop as we were leaving the punkin patch, then back to nana's. Fixed a little dinner, got baths, then settled down to watch the newest Barbie Movie, Barbie and the 3 Musketeers.. We have them all.. Then they all spent the nite, then stopped at the Donut shop the next morning for our ritual of donuts for breakfast. Then to School and me to work... Thanks Girls for a WONDERFUL AFTERNOON

~Awesome Vacation~

Larry and I just came back from an AWESOME trip. We were able to chaufer my parents around in California for 9 days. We sent them out there a week in advance of us, since Larry cannot take 2 weeks off at one time. Then we flew out on Oct. 2nd. Spent the nite in Sacramento (a good thing, since our luggage did not make it until 3 AM). Then we met 2 of my cousins and some of their family. That was GREAT.. I had not seen Robert since I was about 16 or so and had not seen Ken since I was 20.. Got to meet Robert's wife and 2 of his sons. Ken did not get to bring his family since he was on his way to work. Sorry I did not get to meet them, now he has a new baby boy, that I understand is doing quite well. Congrats Ken, Kris and Family... We visited there for about 3 hours then it was off to Redding to meet up with my parents, who had been spending the week with My dad's older (not by much) brother who is married to my mom's younger sister. They had a week of rest and relaxation around the pool and hot tub. They got to visit with my dad's sister and had a big day then..

We all went to dinner, and had a wonderful time, then we went to the Sundial Bridge in Redding It is beautiful.. OK a confession here, I am deathly afraid of heights, but I tried to walk accross the bridge. I made it maybe a quarter of the way and turned back. I just could not do that. But at least I tried... Then Larry and I went to the Hotel and the rest went back to Aunt Sue and Uncle Davids. We were kinda tuckered, not getting to sleep until after midnite, trying to find out where our luggage was and when were we going to get it. The girl at the AA counter had told us if it came in on the next flight, she would drop it off at our hotel and believe it or not she did. We made sure when we checked in on our way back, we told them at the counter what she had done and how much we appeciated it.. THat was above and beyond her duties. So we turned in kinda early (CA time not AR time). Then we were on our way to pick up my parents around 10 that next morning and off to the Redwoods. What an AMAZING trip.. The GPS took us up through Medford OR and then down to Crescent City, CA (we found out why on the return trip). We arrived, checked into our hotel, with an ocean view.. it was great, mom could see driftwood for miles in either direction, just had no way to bring any back. We had dinner and saw the most amazing sunset over the ocean from our dining table. Then we turned in for the nite..

Monday morning we were up and off to see big trees, Larry did all the driving,, mom and dad just got to look... Larry had never been there and I had not since I was a little girl. I remember thinking how huge they were, but did not fully grasp just how huge they were until this time. I will never understand how anyone can look at something this amazing and say there is NO GOD!!!!!!! That is just beyond me. What some amazing things we saw... Elk along the roadside, that I almost walked right up to, the vast ocean that just seemed to go forever... We spent the next 3 days just touring different scenic routes through the Redwoods, It was great. Got lots of pics, more than I can post here.. But I am trying to add a SMALL SAMPLING... On Thursday, we headed back to Redding, That was not a GOOD day for ME!!!! As most of you know that road from Eureka to Redding, is steep, up and down, winding round and round the mountains, with cliffs off the side of the road, MAJOR panic attack for me. I spent most of that 5 hours with my head down in tears, but God is good and I survived that trip. We dropped mom and dad off at Aunt Sue and Uncle Davids, and Larry and I took a NAP.. My body was in knots, had sore muscles for several days, But I survived...

Friday, we were up and out fairly early for a picnic(Larry loved the cheese tray, can't remember the name of that white cheese, but LOVED it) in Lassen St. Park, then hopefully on to Shasta Dam and then back home,, here again, I shortened the plans, I got with in 2000 ft of the summit of Lassen and had to get back down where there were not cliffs off the side of the road, just could not do it, but we went back to Manzanita Lake and had our picnic walked all the way around the lake, Aunt Sue and I even walked a log.. I gathered several large pine cones and brought them home with me. We stopped and took pics at the Hot rock, I have pics of us older ones on that rock when we were little. I tried to climb it, but did not succeed, but the 2 heart patients did and here is their pic.. GO Larry and Aunt Sue... It was a wonderful day..

Than Saturday, we headed back to Sacramento for an early flight home on Sunday. What a WONDERFUL TIME I HAD... As we were leaving for Sacramento, we stopped at 3 houses I lived in out there 2 schools I attended and took pics. We were going to stop in Red Bluff and get a pic of the first school I attended there but forgot. Oh well.

I am so proud we were able to take that trip and to be able to do it with my parents, was such an honor for me. We did not get to stay as long as I wished we could have, I did not get to see as much family and friends as I would have liked to, but there is never enough time.. But for me it was a GREAT TRIP>> Mom/Dad, I am so proud that you went with us. That made this trip just that much more SPECIAL to US!! We love you both so very much!!!!! Thanks.. Aunt Sue and Uncle David for taking care of them for me while I was not there. LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!!! Maybe we can do it again....

~Chugga Lugga Luggin 5 Miles an Hour~

We had the Grant County Fair Parade on Tuesday. Rocky drove our 1936 F-20 International Harvester Farmall Tractor in it and pulled the girls in the wagon.. It was a blast. We had so much fun doing that. We dressed all the girls in overalls, white t-shirts and bandanas.. Between mom, Rocky and I we had enough overalls for all of them. We bought most of them at the Goodwill store so they would be old and worn.. Now they will be stored for future uses.. I am sure we will do this again... They were so cute.. We had a CD player going playing that song by Craig Morgan, "International Harvester" Cember told me, " I HATE OVERALLS.. I will only do this for you and only this time.." Rocky fell in love with that tactor when we brought it home. He cranks (hand crank on the front, no battery, no electric start) it and drives it everytime he is out here. He has researched everything he can find on the internet about that tractor.. He and Buck washed it and got it all shiny for the parade.. They had it looking good..

We bought 8 bags of candy at $8.50 per bag for the girls to throw. We had Cember, Gabby, Kelsey, Maranda, Briauna, Teagan, Kaylee and Gracie (these 3 are friends of Kelseys) in the trailer. When we got back Kelsey, told us that was AWESOME, I LOVED IT... Paige (2 of the girls mother) and I walked beside the trailer the entire 3.5 miles. I was tired, at the end of the parade we hopped in the trailer with the girls and rode back to Rocky's house.. It was so worth it.. I love doing things like that with my Family. Thanks everyone for helping make this happen.. I have now nick named Rocky "Farmer All" (Farmall Tractor)

VACATION in 7 days...