No Black Friday Here!

I do not shop the day after Thanksgiving. I also do not put up Christmas decorations on that day. (Although Sweetheart and Zach are putting lights up outside)

I spend the day after Thanksgiving the same way every year. Doing whatever I want!! This usually means sewing, or reading or watching movies...most of the time it is a combination of the three.
Our thanksgiving was wonderful as always. I did not get many pictures. I was too busy enjoying the day. I forgot to bring my camera out until the day was almost over.
Sorry for the blurry pics. I really need a new camera. My 8 year old niece, Casey, made turkey headbands for everyone. She had a STACK of them. Bud and Rachel look cute in theirs.
The little kids got Kyle to color with them for a while.Kyle is a great big brother, but an even better Uncle!!!Emerson adores him, as does TJ. Emerson loved her new dolly.

But she loved her Pumpkin Pie even more!!!!!! That's my girl!!!

Christmas Sewing and Thanksgiving Preparations

My Christmas sewing is moving right along. I finished hand quilting, and binding, this little number and made the bindings for 3 more, which are also to that stage.
I got 2 of them sewed on the front and they are ready to be hand stitched down in front of evening television.
I filled my candy dish with Bliss Meltaways....they truly are bliss...and stitched the next miniature on my list. These adorable American Jane fabrics are wonderful!
I need to mark and baste it and it will be ready for the hoop. I love this pattern by Thimbleberries and have made this block 2 other times. Once as a wallhanging and once as a block in my sister's quilt. Both times I screwed up the piecing of mirror imaged sections. This time I was very careful and had no mistakes!! I may use this pattern to make another one on my list!

I was blessed to see my grandkids over the weekend. They are getting so big!!!

I will have them for an entire weekend in mid December. I am looking forward to it! I bought Emerson a little dolly with a pacifier, bottle, and diapers for my house. She has been playing with dinosaurs and cars! All the baby toys are boy related as I did not have Charlotte until she was older. Emerson will be happy to have a new baby doll on Thanksgiving!
Speaking of Thanksgiving.......
I am working on getting ready for dinner for 30! I love hosting Thanksgiving, but I am afraid I am not at all organized this year. My mom and I did get all the shopping done yesterday. We got to the store and I asked her if she had the list. She looked at me and said, "I thought you had it"....we had to scramble right there in the aisle and make out our menu and shopping list. I hope we got it all!!!! Tomorrow is cleaning day and also making the dips, pies, fruit salad, and cakes, along with anything else that can be done ahead of time. Darn it! I just remembered we forgot the Jello!

I pray all of my American friends have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

I am most thankful for my God, my family, and my friends!!!

Thanksgiving Day In Pictures

Another successful Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. With it, many wonderful memories were made. I thought I would share some pictures of the day. Before I start, I will warn you, it has been agreed on that I need a better camera. Most of the pictures turned out fuzzy. It really is not me...it is the camera!! (Ask Rachel!)

The kids were a big help. Here, they are making the fruit salad...Charlotte especially was a HUGE help to me in the day before and the day of Thanksgiving.

She had her apron on and was ready and willing to do whatever was needed. Once done with a job, she would say, "What else would you like me to do?"

Rachel helped with the food prep which was much appreciated.Everyone arrived around 2pm.

The house was filled with children.....Charlotte, Casey, Zach, Dominic, and TJ all had a great time. Emerson had her Thanksgiving dinner of Organic Rice cereal.Emerson helped Grandma play hostess, though she fell asleep on the job.Andrew came and we were just thrilled to see him. He is recovering nicely from his fall off the cliff. Still on a crutch and wearing a immobilizer cast, he is getting around well.TJ loved his crutch and wants one of his own.Here is Meghan, my Dad, and Andrew enjoying each other. Meghan is on a full scholarship to a law school in Chicago. They even pay her housing....we are all so proud of her.Her mother, my Aunt Robin, loved her new apron."Kunkle Kyle" and TJ read a book together.Mom supervised the food set up.Zach and Robby spent time playing video games.Sweetheart spent some time smoochin up that granddaughter!Emerson met some of her family for the first time. Here she is with her Great Aunt Debbie.My sister and her husband Mike brought Mike's mom, Thelma. She was recovering from knee surgery and was a joy to visit with.Here they are with the grand kids, Casey and Dominic.My Aunt Robin with her family, Meghan, Robby, Matt (Sarah's husband), and Sarah. She lost her husband, my Uncle Bob, in a car accident in 2001. Her fiance, Ted, is a wonderful man. My son and his family. It is difficult to get a nice picture of TJ, who moves all the time. Again, my camera is not great.My Mom and her girls...me, Debbie and Robin, who my mom raised.My family, the ones left at home, anyway.We tried to get a picture of Sweetheart and I with our grand kids, but TJ was DONE with picture taking!!! It looks like I was too!It was a wonderful day, and like always, I was wiped out at the end of it. I don't know who took this, but I found it on my camera while loading the days photos on my computer.

Happy Thanksgiving

May your day be blessed as you offer up Thanksgiving for all He has done!!!

" That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."

Psalm 26:7

"The Offering Of Thanksgiving" where I am on a journey to Thank Him for 1000 gifts.

Let The Holiday's Begin

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and the preparations are well underway. The shopping is done and the menu is planned. More fresh fruits and veggies along with a nice garden salad are being added. Cute little poster but so UNTRUE. I am getting rid of as many preservatives as I can. A new ranch dressing recipe has become a big favorite here.1 c mayo

1/2 c sour cream

1 teaspoon minced onion

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chopped chives

2 teaspoons dried or fresh parsley

buttermilk til desired consistency

Makes 1 pint

The kids and I enjoyed a nice workout this morning. We walked a mile with Leslie Sansone. Zach had taken his jammie shirt off and tied it around himself "Rambo" style. Too cute.That only took 20 minutes, even though it made me sweat and got my heart rate up there. The kids worked on their math while I continued with a Pilate's circle workout and my daily 100 crunches.

With only a 3 pound weight loss in the last 2 weeks, I need to step things up a bit.

I spent some time in my sewing room over the weekend.This mess will need to be cleaned up today. The entire upstairs is getting cleaned. I did get some good progress. The apron is finished and wrapped, ready to be given for a birthday gift on Thanksgiving day.This bag was created...I really like this one. It is a Galena fabric...one I bought on my trip last spring.These squares got cut and are ready to be stitched into a special gift for Christmas.
The Amish table runner is basted and in the hoop, ready to be hand quilted. A set of Christmas coasters are made up and another set ready to stitch. Things are moving right along in the sewing department. Until Thanksgiving is over, only hand quilting will take place.

Well, this upstairs area is not going to clean itself. I love my home, but it can get messy very easily. How does that happen? It must be the kids, cause it can't be ME!!!

Praying your Thanksgiving is blessed!!!!