Goals

2010 will be here tomorrow! Do you have your goals set? If not, I would like to share my outline for my 2010 Goals. I try to set 3 goals in each category....not to many or you will not meet them. Some goals need more detailed goals subtitled under them. I will give you an example of one of my goals in each category and you will see what I mean. I am not sharing all my goals here, as some are personal, and to be honest, I don't think many people much care what MY goals are....YOUR goals are the important ones to you.

Spiritual & Innerdevelopment Goals

a. Read 6 non-fiction books in relation to my Christian growth.

Family & Relationship Goals

a. Speak daily affirmations to my children

Personal Development Goals

a. Teach a hand quilting class in April

Ministry Goals

a. Make a home church decision

Physical & Health Goalsa. Weight Loss

this goal will require a more detailed goal sub-list, such as exercise plans, food plans, etc.

Home School Goalsa. Reread Educating the Wholehearted Child

Homemaking Goals

a. Create and follow a stricter food budget

Material Goals

a. New curtains and dust ruffle for master bedroom

Life Enhancement Goals

a. Memory enhancing exercises (may include vitamins)

I also have a Quilting Goal section, though I posted that earlier. You may add any creative goals to your list. Any other category that would work well in your life may be added, such as Career Goals, Educational Goals, Travel Goals....the list is endless. Goal setting can be a vital tool in our lives. Give it a try!!!! See you next year!

Blessings~Bren

Meeting Goals

This is my new favorite spot in the house. I am working hard on the Pink and Brown and have put a lot of thought into my goals. I pondered why this quilt, along with a couple of others, have been on my goals list for the last couple of years....this being the third. I concluded that I set a goal that was too generalized for such big projects. Its not like a wallhanging or tablerunner....these are queen-sized quilts! I decided to get a bit more specific and set shorter-termed, more specific goals. As for the Pink and Brown, I just finished the entire middle and have the blocks around the outside to quilt along with 2 borders. My immediate goal is to finish 1 side of the quilt (not counting borders) each week. That will mean the quilt (minus borders) will be done by the end of the month. At that time I will set another specific goal regarding borders.That is a lot of quilting in a week....there are motifs and 1 inch crosshatching all along those outer 12" blocks. I plan to spend much time in my new favorite spot. It is relaxing and set apart, yet very available to family. Directly across from my spot, is the new piano....The kids are playing on it everyday. They do not pound on it, but "play" nicely, and seem quite eager to begin lessons. My quilt frame is no more, but that is fine. I did not enjoy quilting on it enough to find another place for it just now. Besides....it is not on my goal list, right?

I did go to the quilt shop and picked up a new book with my gift card. This will be my "week between Christmas and New Year" book.
Lots of wonderful designs I can use and interesting stories from 1810-1940....some of my favorite eras of quilting.
I am not finished talking about goals just yet, but my personal goals are still unfinished. For now I best head back to that chair for some needle time!
Blessings, Bren

Christmas Day 2009

Christmas morning is our favorite time of Christmas. It is so much fun to watch the kids open their presents. I will say my children, going all the way back to my boys, are always very appreciative of what they get. Zach was in Lego heaven. We have seen very little of him since Christmas morning, as he has been building Power Miners and Castles for days!! This gift, he was not certain of.....
Look at his hands. He is a bit apprehensive. It is a remote control TARANTULA! Looks very much alive and real. He plays with it during the day, but wants to keep it in my studio at night, because, "It creeps me out". Zach had a wonderful Christmas!!Now let's talk about Charlotte for a minute. Here she is modeling her new "grown up sized" robe. She can wear a small in the women's dept. in alot of things. She has gotten so tall.
Charlotte really surprised me this Christmas. So grown up acting, and very helpful. She cleaned most of the kitchen after Christmas dinner that day and she made the mac and cheese and helped prepare the juice for the beef on Christmas Eve. The most surprising thing was just Charlotte. She NEVER shows much emotion....those with RAD kids will understand....and what emotion she shows, is forced and/or fake....you can tell. Now look at this next picture closely.....
That is some REAL emotion. I think this will be my all time favorite picture of Charlotte for a LONG time. She was really letting herself feel a good feeling. She did not melt, or fall over dead, so maybe she will see that it is ok to feel good. Pray that for her!
Kyle had a very Bears Christmas. I did not get his Bears quilt done. His birthday is in March so I can make it then....it is just tied so will not interfere with my goal list! All Kyle wanted for Christmas was a Bears bedding set. I thought the quilt would maybe feel like a jip to him, so I got him the set he wanted.He loved it....along with the leather Bears cell phone holder, Bears T-shirt, and 5 DVD's he got.
The kids opened the Family Box (a newer tradition thanks to Niki) and found a new Jonathan Parks series, Nims Island, a couple of games, and a 1000 piece puzzle.Sweetheart opened his gifts and among them was the afghan Charlotte made him. It is about 60x72 and is beautiful. I promised him I would not post a pic of him in his bath robe, so you will have to wait to see the finished gift, but here is a pic of Charlotte watching him open it....
Look at that smile!!! Again, a real smile with real emotion. A priceless gift for her mother! Picture her sitting there watching him open this gift of love....she actually flapped her hands during the process.....a happy emotion that is without control in a very small child will bring flapping with it....she is going to be ok, I think.
What did I get? I got just what I asked for....a Michi Bag!I got 2 shells, so there is the red one, and here is the black one.....If you don't know what a Michi Bag is, click here. I am having a Michi party in January, so if you want a bag or shells, let me know. My distributor will ship to you! I LOVE MINE!!!
We relaxed the rest of the morning. It was wonderful to kick back for a while. I had a ham in the crockpot and potatoes boiling, so all was well in our world.
In the afternoon, my Mother in love, and Bud and his family stopped in. Bud and Rachel were going to her Mom's for Christmas, but they wanted to see Grandma on their way out of town.

Grandma got all 4 little kids a new born plush puppy that moves and makes noises. They loved them! She bought Kyle a Bears Snuggly so he was a happy camper too! Emerson loved watching those little animated guys on the box sing and dance. She got her butt just a goin with them! I need to video tape that!

Then was the Christmas finale.......My mother in love opened her gift from us. She looked very confused and shocked when she realized what it was.The Basket Quilt. Yes, Basket Case was for her all along! Though she had not seen it in person, she had seen it on my blog and knew I was making it for a friend's mother....my best friend's mother! Actually she helped pick the block and colors!!! Her advice helped me greatly!She fought her emotions hard, but I could see she felt the love that came from it. I pray as she covers herself up in it's love she can feel how much she means to her family.

Christmas 2009 has come and gone, and even my tree and decorations are packed away until next year....I always take it all down on the 26th. The joy it brought is still in the air and you can not pack that away. We did not forget, even a little bit, in all the presents, family, and food, that this Christmas represented the ultimate gift of our Saviour. That we will take with us everyday. It will not wear out, need new batteries, no repairs will be needed, and we will not outgrow it. That gift is the perfect gift. I pray you have received that gift yourself. If not, it is not too late. That gift is one you can have any day of the year!!! Just tell God you want it and it will be delivered immediately!!!

Blessings, Bren

Christmas Eve Highlights 2009

Christmas Eve is spent at our home celebrating with my side of the family. We had a wonderful meal and then the kids opened their packages. They all were so excited! Zach and TJ passed out all the gifts.

We go youngest to oldest, so Emerson was first!Isn't she a doll?! She was so sweet and loved Christmas!

The other kids took their turns so nicely. Not one of them complained about waiting.

We decided to let the kids open the BIG package, since TJ wanted in on the action!My grandkids were thrilled with the gift! My children seemed happy, but, I think they did not know what to do with it.

TJ and Emerson sure did!!!!

I will say my kids really spent a lot of time on it after everyone left. They are excited to begin lessons on January 12th. The piano was such a blessing....truly a gift from God.

After the kids are done, the adults all do a grab game. (look at that kitchen!!!!....what a mess! We usually clean up first, but the weather was so bad I wanted everyone to be able to get home before it got too bad. Charlotte, my aunt, and I cleaned it up in no time!)My sister and her husband CHEAT! Yes, they do.....they conspire on what, and how they will get, a certain gift! Look at them acting all innocent!I am not sure if it was the wallhanging I made, or the Limited Homemade Gourmet Carrot Cake Mix, but they were able to pull it off and ended up with the package they wanted!!! Cheaters, I say!

I am happy to say Debbie's son does not take after her in that respect and he plays fair and square! Andrew is such a wonderful guy!!!I did not get these in the grab, but I wanted to share the gift I got from Bud and Rachel......I almost cried, they are so beautiful!

After everyone went home, my kids opened the one gift they always get on Christmas Eve. It is a tradition since I was a child.....a new pair of jammies!Everyone was happy, and though they should have been tired, they were NOT!Zach modeled his jams, while Charlotte (in the background) played the piano for a while. Zach got his turn too, and then off to bed they went!!!It was a wonderfully blessed Christmas Eve. I will share our Christmas morning with you tomorrow!!! Praying your holy-day was as blessed as ours!
Blessings, Bren