Yeah! Visitors from TN

Wednesday December 14  ... We can't really show this to William when he comes. He is very concerned about the earth. We had the crepe myrtle in the front cut down and the tree in the back. It was really necessary. Don't worry, we will plant something else.

Thursday December 15 ... Caleb had his Christmas program at his day care and Sarah shared a photo and this VIDEO!

Friday!

The plane with Helen and William arrived late. It was past midnight when we finally arrived back at our house. William is a travel trooper though. Helen took this photo.

William sure knows how to melt his grandma's heart. He went into the house, looked silently around with big eyes and told me that I had decorated wonderfully. From then on it was his "job" to turn on and off the Christmas trees whenever necessary. 

Saturday!

William knew that two packages were supposed to be delivered for him at our house from his Daddy. And yes, they had arrived. A kindle! And a protective cover! He was a happy boy!

Sarah and Wade came over for dinner in the evening. Helen and William met the twins for the first time. 

James had mentioned his wish to have a photo of the four boys and may be us. The mothers tried the arranging. Needless to say that the boys were wound up and it was not an easy feat. But the cousins were excited to meet and here are the best photos:

I don't mind changing diapers but I had to take this photo ... and the next when I wasn't fast enough to take one of them. Sarah just scooped them up.

After dinner ... very informal.

Bedtime. William is usually reading a story to Papa (not the other way round).

Sunday!

Church time. It was also the Sunday of the Pageant. William might have been a little sorry that he couldn't be in one this year, but overall I think he enjoyed the children and Sunday school.

Late afternoon we went to Sarah and Wade's. Sarah had to work Saturday and Sunday but she had taken off on Monday to have time with her sister and nephew. She invited Helen and William to spend the night. William especially was very excited.

Sarah suggested to do a "tacky lights tour". James and I volunteered to stay with the twins. The rest all fit into their minivan. Sarah shared this VIDEO with me (and I took these photos off that).

Afterwards Sarah served dinner and while we sat at the dining room table the twins sat in their "table-for-two" (official name).

When it was bed time, William and Caleb wanted to take a bath together. Helen had brought glow sticks. You bet they had fun. 

James and I went home. 

And since this blog is getting long, I better stop. I know. I am trigger happy with my camera. 

Party, party, party!

Advent time is a very special time. Getting ready for Christmas. Getting together with your family and friends. 

December 6  - - -  The first celebration was a lunch with my friend Julie and her friends. The table decoration in the restaurant was very nice. I might have to copy the idea.

December 7  - - -  As one of the programs at the Hospitality Quilters a member talked about her little business of painting "barn quilts".

December 8  - - -  Thursday Stitchers. We did do some work but we had a very special potluck this time. Where is the dessert picture?

In the evening we met our friends Rob and Barbara at the Ashland Coffee & Tea for an evening of Celtic Music. It was very very nice. Here a little sample VIDEO 1 and VIDEO 2:

Couldn't resist taking pictures of the mirror in the bathroom. Think it is a clever idea.

My quilt/lace Chrismon Adventcalendar: every day turning over another lacey Christian Symbol.

December 12  - - -  Monday. Colonial Lacemakers meeting in our house. We don't make lace at the December meeting but we usually make a craft. This year I had prepared to color clear glass ornaments with melted crayons on the inside. I don't have a picture of a finished one but I am sure I will make one with William soon and show you then. It was a bit messy but some did even two.

I told in the previous blog that I had not been able to decorate the lace tree. I thought my friends might enjoy doing it ... and they did.

We had a sit-down luncheon and even cracked some English Christmas crackers again, including reading the corny jokes. 

Group photo!

We exchanged lovely gifts. Lali had "sacrificed" some of her handmade lace to make this special picture frame and Donna was the recipient. We had fun again using/reading one of those "left/right" gift exchange stories.

December 13  - - -  Tuesday. CrossRidge Quilters meeting in our house. Just some nibbles. But at both meetings we had hot cider since it is soooo cold outside.

We had a lively conversation, show and tell, and just great friendship time.

And yes, some things have changed this week again. Sarah has gone back to work. Caleb is so proud that his brothers are now with him at the same day care. We are not going to see them so often any more.

Now it is time to get ready for Helen's and William's visit. We are so looking forward to it. We have to make a list with things to do. Sarah has taken an extra day off work. It will be fun.

Ha-ha, I will be slacking with blogging again. In the meantime, hope you all have a blessed time too.

Looking a lot like Christmas

I can hear the song in my head. And it helps when I shout: Alexa, play Christmas music. Alexa, louder (ha-ha)

Of course the dead summer flowers had to go, so I persuaded James to move the pot with the self-seeded cedar tree to the front and put some lights on.

That was nice but three days later we had quite a storm and it fell over. No harm done and we could upright it again. But ... it had taken the two of us to move it and a little huffing and puffing and it fell?

The items not needing to be climatized are stored in the attic over the garage ... entered into through a little hole from the utility room behind my craft storage behind my queendom (sewing room). You have to be a bit of a contortionist to squash through. 

The walls are slanted and you barely can stand upright. The roofing nails are coming through with their sharp tips. Soon we got clever and put packing material styrofoam over it so our backs don't suffer anymore. You learn fast.

James is always great and willing putting up the trees and lights. Teamwork. Adding the ornaments is mainly my job. The Christmon tree in the sunroom first. Then the straw ornament tree in the living room corner. And the main tree with all the "memory ornaments". Gosh, my mind wonders remembering when I do that. I LOVE IT! My lace tree didn't get done but about that later.

I was busy getting the Chrismons finished for our church. If you are interested in this ministry, click HERE. The workshop had to be planned. Notices had to be written. Some Adventsacks for the girls and their families had to be finished. James is president of our Townes HOA again. Lots of 5-minute jobs. 

Once in a while a little R&R like sewing. These stars were a little challenge. I had to try whether I could do them with fabric. Some friends had tried it and were not successful, well actually rather frustrated. I had done Fröbelsterne since childhood with paper. They were fun to make from fabric too.

Sarah is still on maternity leave and at least one of us likes to go and help. It is a joy to see the twins develop and when Caleb is around to see how much he loves his brothers.

Here is a VIDEO of the Owen (on the left) and Colin (on the right). Colin is actually a little bigger then Owen but I had to fight with the mobile over the crib and the angle is funny.

Things are challenging for Sarah but she is determined to decorate for Christmas. Some fresh air is good for the twins too but it gets cold in the afternoon quickly.

On top of everything the contractor finally is doing Sarah and Wade's remodeling. Remember the "hole in the wall" in a previous blog? The transformation in the house is amazing. It is not totally done and I have not taken pictures. But we all think it was the right step and a great improvement.

On Friday the 9th James and I accompanied Sarah with the twins to IKEA. I had high hopes to find certain things but disappointingly I was not successful. Sarah had more luck. Papa had the most fun. He was "parked" in a waiting area and got to feed one of the twins after the other. He was proud when people came by and uuhhed and aahhed over "his" babies. Because of the traffic it is not a trip we like to do very often. Sigh. Swedish meatballs for lunch of course.

Saturday afternoon we went and got Caleb to spend the night with us. Sarah has to go back to work on Tuesday and had arranged to do her manager inventory thing Sunday morning. Caleb was excited ... especially when I told him that we would make cookies. He always looks at my display of cookie cutters on the kitchen wall when he is visiting. It was a success!

He was also very interested in the little bird figure we have close to the front door. It has a motion detector and sings (when you turn it on). Ryan, the new stuffed camel toy from IKEA, had to make the bird sing too.

Sunday morning Caleb was excited that we were going to church. He always talks about our church and remembers previous visits, especially the cookies after the service in the Parish Hall. It was a strange day with the heating in the church not working and the service being cut a bit shorter.

It was Christmon Sunday. I usually hand them out after the service outside when the children are leaving but this Sunday WAY TO COLD outside. So we did it in the Parish Hall too. James took one picture. There was way too much going on.

At 2:30 we had the workshop. Whoever wants to learn to make that year's Chrismon can come and make a large one for the church tree. When we are finished we go into church and hang them up. This was our 9th year to do it at St. Martin's. Participants are welcome to take the directions/pattern home.

While I was at the workshop, James brought Caleb home. He came back with Wade's famous cheese straws, a tradition in his family. His father does it every year and now Wade too. Needless to say that the container was full. We gobbled it up in the evening ... and didn't need dinner, really.

When I sent the next photo to Sarah and Wade, Sarah texted back:

Oh my. Must have liked them. Does that mean you want a refill?

And that is all for now!

Happy Advent to you all (who read this)!