Happy New Year!

I am excited about 2008, but I really have to say that 2007 was a wonderful year. I entered the blogging world and have been so inspired by so many other blogs. You all know who you are...if I visit your blog, I am inspired. Sometimes I do not comment, but I am always smiling or thinking or even in awe at some of the wonderful blogs out there. Sweet Hubby said he was going to start a blog. He was going to name it "My Wife Is A Blogger". He felt it would be a very popular blog for husbands. I started cutting down my blog reading after that. It really does not take alot of time to write a blog, but reading blogs...that is another story.

I have already posted some of my goals for 2008. I am a goal setter all year round. I make goal posters regularly and always have them up. I just took my last one down as 80% of the pictures on there had been achieved. It is a proven fact that a goal poster will bring about the success of goals 50% more than if you have no goal poster. Habakkuk 2:2 says "Write the vision, make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it." Even God reminds us of the importance of seeing our goals. Put them where you can see them daily and you will run with them, even without knowing it! I had tried to quit smoking many times. I ended up putting it on my goal poster and within 6 months I had quit! Other things like an Oreck vacuum I did not achieve, but let me tell you Hazel is just as good as any Oreck I could have gotten. I will be making another goal poster early in January. My quilting goals and weight loss goals are a priority. Instead of the Tales From The Scale, I have decided to join Charlene in the Live Well Wednesday's. I really like the idea behind it. You can click on the badge on my side bar. I will be doing Body For Life. Angie, bless her heart, started a whole new blog regarding this. Check it out. I am amazed at her. She knows her stuff and shares it so willingly! Thanks Ang!

As for the quilting goals, I have added a RRRR. No, I am not growling!! It is a mystery Round Robin Row by Row. Debi will be starting it tomorrow, and the first of every month through June she will add to it. Click here to read about it. I plan to do mine with a muslin background and scraps. She has it set up where you do all your own rows...no mailing anything out.

Well I am off to take the boys to their brother's house and Charlotte and I are going to a fabric store! Sounds like a great way to end the year. Talk to you in 2008...I am starting off the year with a Tackle It Tuesday!!!

7 Random Things

Lib tagged me for 7 Random or Weird things about me. 1. I completely dislike traveling, especially long road trips, but I love a long walk.






2. but often feel guilty doing it, thinking I should be doing something else.





3. I worry alot about my kids. Someone called me "highstrung" once. I was crushed!!





4. Fred and Renee are my heros!!!





5. I have done almost every home business there is. Avon, Shaklee, Home and Garden Party, Mary Kay..I am sure there are more. I now make soy candles and sell them in a health food store. I should be rich by now.... I would rather be content.



6. I have a deep rage concerning the Child Protection Laws in our country. A mother can abuse her child daily with neglect, starvation, prostitution, abandonment, and verbal and physical abuse, and not spend one day behind bars. Believe me, losing the child means nothing to them. We need to take away their freedom! I have an urge to do SOMETHING, but do not know what.

7. Today I feel bored...can you tell from all the graphics I posted???? I better go do something with the last day of 2007!!!!

I am suppose to tag people, but I think everyone has done this. If not then PLEASE join in or redo it...we change, so maybe your last 7 random things post has changed too!

Winter Weather

We are getting blasted with snow! It started at about 8 o'clock this morning and we have many inches on the ground at noon. I am not sure how many, but these pictures were taken about 10 o'clock. They say we are getting 2 inches per hour. Look at the size of those flakes! It is actually snowing harder now and the flakes are so dense I can not see the road. No wind, just a straight downward fall of snow. Joni showed pictures of her cows covered in snow today. I thought I would show a picture of my cow dog chewing her bone out in the snow. Carly LOVES the snow. She runs and plays in it like a puppy. The kids watch from inside and laugh and giggle. It is great entertainment.

Today was THE day. The day that order and calm is brought back to our home. All the Christmas decorations came down. Had I known about "boxing day" I would have joined in! I love to get the decorations down right after Christmas. Americans think we are a scrooge if we do that, but I feel a need to move on. This morning the kids laid around watching a movie...Kyle on the couch, Zach on the love seat, and Charlotte on the floor.
After their movie, we got this....back to this.... The small tv room where the kids hang out still had the dance mat and the card table set up.
Kyle handled that job for me. So all the decorations are down, boxed and back in storage until next year. It was a really wonderful Christmas. I felt very blessed and thankful that my family was all here to celebrate together. Thanks to all of you who shared your Christmas on your blogs. It was wonderful to see how everyone celebrates. We were even able to start a few new traditions thanks to some of you. The family box was a BIG hit...thanks Niki!

Now I have to decide what to do for my Tackle It Tuesday....there is so much to choose from. Kyle goes to the Doctor on the 3rd. Until then, he has been using my sewing room as a "motel room" (his words). I can not wait until he can go back to his own room. The floors in his room are concrete under the carpet and there is a concrete wall at the bottom of his stairs. Just not safe until we get a medication for him. He is my priority and I am not complaining, per se, about him using my sewing room, but good grief...if you remember I just booted the little kids out and NOW look at what I have going on!!!! Here is my sewing table!

Less than a week! I am counting the days!

2008 Quilting Goals

That is the plan! Scrap quilts! First, however, I will finish my pink and brown, machine piece the hidden star and put that in the hoop next, finish the applique on my Underground Railroad sampler, and of course FINISH THE MASTERPIECE BLOCK. Yes, I got stuck on a teeney tiny acorn and I threw it aside (literally). I am refreshed in my goal to get it finished and get the next one underway. I really picked about the most difficult one to begin with. These goals should be met by summer, but after the Hidden Star is pieced, I need another machine piecing project. Of course I have the Winter 4 seasons swap piece to do, but that will only take a weekend (if that) to do on the machine. I will hand quilt it. I have my PIF gifts to make, which is exciting. I have not figured out what I will make yet. Something quilty, I think. My plan for further machine work is "scrap quilts". I always thought I had a pretty good size stash, but I really have very little in comparison to many other quilting bloggers. Still I need to use up what I have. Some of these fabrics I have had for 10 years or more. I have Thimbleberry Paintbox if that tells you anything (from it's first release!) So the year will be full of quilting projects! Now I have a question for all you quilter's who make stash quilts...what is the BEST way you have found to pre cut, store, plan out, your stash to be used in the making of stash quilts??? I think I definitely want to make a log cabin so 2 inch strips would be a way to go I am sure. Please share...maybe even a blog post showing your process and plan. Remember...organized is good!

Tales From The Scales

I am on my new weight loss journey...AGAIN. Yes, I do this often and am most of the time very successful, just to put it back on. I am glad I can be accountable to someone....everyone. On Wednesdays I will post a little update with the link back to Tales From The Scales. I found this cool site from my friend Donetta. It is encouraging to visit the others working so hard at dropping some poundage.

Here was my breakfast this morning:
It was GROSS!!! I just could not drink it. I love Myoplex Lite but it is very expensive. I found a place where I could get it cheaper. Still not as cheap as the Whey protein, but if I can not drink it, it is a waste.
Today is my first official day on my weight loss program, but I have lost 3 pounds in the last several days. I am sure it is a fluke, but I will take it. I will update my ticker every Wednesday too. I am not going to be jumping on the scale everyday, if I can help it.
Tonight my dinner is not conducive to weight loss, but I am not grocery shopping until tomorrow so I won't worry about it. I tried to make whole wheat bread today and it was a bust! The ingredients were so tough that my bread machine threw most of them over the sides of the pan. I followed the bread machine recipe to a tee. I will need to find another one...I think Cheryl has one listed in her recipes.
If you are on this same journey, join us at Tales From The Scales!

Christmas Day

These are the wonderful gifts I recieved from my Grandson. He has a talent! The apron was painted with his own little hands. Homemade gifts are so special!
Speaking of homemade gifts, Linda sent me the most wonderful package. I have to confess I did NOT wait til Christmas...that is another story. Here is what she sent me. Lovely pot holders. Also, a potato bag to create wonderful baked potatoes in the microwave (not pictured)And would you look at this. It says "Pieces From Me" with beautiful applique and beading.
Inside was a gorgeous label and the first page of my new quilt journal including a picture of my previous blog header.She also made a beautiful angel, which you can spy on the mantel behind the picture of my family on the last post. Thank you Linda!!
My Prime Rib turned out great and we had a quiet dinner with our son and his wife.
The kids had an awesome Christmas morning. Kyle's funding came through on Christmas Eve so he can return to work (Thank you GOD!!) the Monday after he sees the doctor. He also got a new cell phone with his own number. He will have to pay his share of the bill on our plan monthly, but the phone and activation fee was a gift. He was THRILLED!
Charlotte loved her doll and accessories. She shows little emotion so it is hard to read her, but she has played non stop with "Gracie" so I am assuming she was happy with her.
Now Zachary...poor kid. Imagine being 6 years old, it is Christmas and you wake up at 3:30 am with the stomach flu! The kid threw up every 1/2 hour for several hours. (He was fine by lunch time) He had a 101* fever, but did not let that keep him from enjoying the morning. Remember his rationalization of how Jesus would want him to have a Nintendo DS? Well the video is very dark, but you get the idea. And this is WITH the tummy flu!!! Hope you all had as exciting a Christmas as Zachary...minus the flu!

Christmas Eve Pictures

Zach made cookies! Kyle made dirt cake! Charlotte ate cookies and drank egg nog. Once she decided to join in, she helped make cookies too.

The kids got a dance mat from Grandma Dianne.
Paw Paw got some TJ snuggle time!
Lots of family came to celebrate!
Hmmmm. Should I open it or sit on it?? I know, I will open one and sit on another!
My son and his family. The rest of us!
You may want to turn your volume down a little! TJ got drums!!


I will post Christmas Day pics soon.

Happy Birthday Jesus

"Glory to God in the Highest, And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." Luke 1:14 (the song, to God the Father, sung by the Heavenly hosts at the birth of Jesus)Merry Christmas to you all. May God's Love touch each and every one of you this Christmas and carry you into the New Year.