Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

Well it was more ICE than snow. Boo Hoo! and Yuck!! So we stayed inside and worked feverishly. Then settled in for a long winter's nap ;)

Check out some of the "GREAT" Custom made, Personalized WHAZATs we made that some Lucky people (Preschool to College) are getting for Christmas.

the weather outside is frightful..

My prayers go out to all those effected by the weather and outages. (I hope our friends in New York are okay) It is bitter cold here with wind gusts, but I am thankful that we still have our electricity.

We stayed inside finishing the Christmas tree and Then decided to take pictures of Lil Orchid for our Christmas cards.

12 more days

This morning we prepared to attend a service for my Aunt (89 yrs old) who passed away. She was one of the people that never seemed to age while growing up. She also was talented and they displayed her quilts and handiwork along with photos of her & family. She was an incredible women and will be missed.

Lil Orchid got to open another date on her Advent Calendar which gives her a different item to make a Santa display. She will ask me all day when is it time to open another box.

This evening was a special Christmas Party through an adoption group, we always have fun eating, playing and waiting for Santa to arrive. This year when he called out her name she jumped up to see him. She took great care of her friend, Samantha (9 mos younger) .

On the way home we stopped in town at the old train station for a few photos.

MamMaw, my tree's broke

We are finally getting the house in the Spirit of Christmas, with decorations that is. This is turning out to be an incredable month all because of the greatest Joy in our House. Lil Orchid is the perfect age and understanding for the season. We have watched the Christmas shows, meet Santa and are seeing the beautiful lights outdoors when we are driving. So I decided I would attempt on bring the tree down from storage even if it is in bits and pieces. Lil Orchid was so patient and stayed in the living room while I began to surround her with piles of branches from the tree. My last load I saw her sad little face and pouting lip and asked her what's the matter. She looked around and said MamMaw, my trees broke (through the eyes of a two year old). I tried not to chuckle and explained it wasn't broke but we had to built our tree first. She was so pleased when it was up and placed her two candy canes on the same limb while exclaiming, "Santa coming tonight".

Back in the Saddle Again!

Okay, Hello dear friends.
I have given little updates on my past blog dates 11/27, 12/1 and 12/6. I didn't write much because my daughter wrote an overview on 12/4 for me. So hopefully I'll get back in the groove and blog more often. Everyone please be good to yourself during this Holiday season and take care.

saturday

Today was a Craft Show and Santa Breakfast in town. My daughter and I were both under the weather. Check out all our goodies that we have been working on. Lil Orchid and I had lots of fun visiting Santa and meeting lots of new folks.

Where's Grandma Monica?

Since my Mom has been either too miserable because of the pain from her knee, sick with this nasty virus that's been going around, taking care of extended family business, worrying about my sick Grandpa (aka her step-dad) and also worrying about my Grandma who's trying to take care of him, taking care of Lil Orchid at night so I can work, taking care of Lil Orchid during the day so I can work my other job also, trying to catch up on sewing and making things not only for Etsy but a few shows coming up and lots not forget that we have entered the Holiday season filled with stress and lots of fun parties :) So that's why my Mom has been absent, absent minded is more my thought (ha,ha).
She will post soon and tell about the great Thanksgiving we had, my Baby Brother being home for the holiday and our trip to get our family picture taken(which will be sent with our Christmas cards that we haven't even began to address), about helping me search for the perfect preschool Lil Orchid will attend (since around here they can't start until they turn 3), the wonderful pumpkin soup I make every year and how my Aunts devoured more than half of the 5 gallons I made this year, my best friend (aka my Mom's other son) visit over the holidays, my Cousins visit (aka her niece and nephews), our mad dash this month to renew my 171-H since I just realized it hasn't expired for the future Lil Ladybug and that way we won't fall under the I-800 Hague paperwork (praying it will all fall into place like all of Lil Ladybugs's adoption has). And all the other random adventures of our life together as a family. So I leave you with a few random photos from the month of November, K took the last 2 all by herself, they aren't her best work but they say alot :)

K playing in the sink

K's plate after eating most of her Thanksgiving dinner

This is her FP Little People who she calls her Uncle N

So until again when my Mom fails to update her journal for almost an entire month, I bid you adieu

Lil' Orchids MomMom or Grandma Monica's ever wonderful Daughter

Also did you see the awesome avatar I made of our family that is on the sidebar. I was surprised at how well it depicted us.

Monday

We have been working very hard on the Handmade items for YOU! mini WHZATS, Orchid Babee's (vintage style Church Baby's), more Hair Bows, Hats and Headbands, and lots of Leg Warmers, Crawlers or Wrist Warmers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

After the Fact.........Sorry I've been gone from the blog...today is really12/9/08.......Blessing to All. All in All I have to say it was a good Thanksgiving. Thankful that I was with both my children and my granddaughter,Lil Orchid. My son was able to work his schedule from Grad School and his job to drive home for a few days. Had to leave on Thanksgiving to be back for work on Black Friday. Thankful that I got to share it with my Mom and Stepdad (YeYe). Thankful that we could let her rest, and Thankful that my stepdad who had collasped in the store the previous week (rushed to IC for a stroke) was here with us, even if he sleeped most of the visit. Turned out it wasn't a stroke but he was hit with a bad viris that attacked his nervous system (he has already had multiple heart surgeries). So we are Blessed.

Lil Orchid is wearing a cap made by my Mom when my daughter was in kindergarten, Thanksgiving 1981 (vintage wear) it is still very big on her but she looked so cute just like her mom mom.!

She's A WINNER ! THANKS !!

Yesterday was a day to Vote in more than one way.
For us Americans, it was a New President.
It's was all about her Future!


But for Lil Orchid
she needed every Vote
that you gave her.
SHE WON !!

So THANKS to all our Family and Friends,
for our Friends of Friends,
for our Yahoo Groups and
for all Uncle Nathan's Friends,
and of course...
Lil Orchids and Mam Maw's Blog Friends !!

It was Scary and Close watching the last hours.
At 7pm they both had 398, by 8pm it was Peep 414 & Cowboy 410, 8:17 Peep 420 & Cowboy 416 then 8:34 Cowboy 424 & Peep 423, then 9:30 Peep 435 and Cowboy 432, by 10 pm Cowboy 443 and Peep 441, at 11pm they were both at 450 .....then the final results.

Little Bo Peep (42%, 461 Votes)
Cowboy (42%, 455 Votes)
Two Thugs (9%, 94 Votes)
Sigfried and Roy (8%, 86 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,096

This is the comments on the Voting Blog regarding the results....
And speaking of election results, Little Bo Peep is our Chicco Trevi Twin stroller winner - check out the poll on the left sidebar!! Congrats! Adorable Christopher the Cowboy gave her a run for her money all the way down to midnight last night (I know that because I had to stay up until then to close the poll on the exact hour since it was such a close race;). Thank you to all who participated in our photo contest and the voting process. It was fun!

Congrats to ALL four finalists.
THANKS AGAIN
EVERYONE EVERYWHERE
THAT HELPED US WIN !!!!

Sunday, Sunny and Mowing Grass ?

Sorry not much sewing being done. The weather gave us a second chance at working outside before the weather turns terrible. Yes, can you believe it in the 70's ?!?!?!

Extra work needed to be done...someone is stealing our firewood from the back of the property, so we are moving it closer to the house. We worked to hard chopping and stacking that wood. And it has memories, some of it is from the tree that fell through the roof during the ice strom.
We have big plans for it... keeping us warm this year. lol

Vote for Lil Bo Peep !

My Lil Orchid is a finalist in a Halloween Photo Contest
and we need your VOTE!!

Please follow this link
http://www.goodhappenings.com/?page_id=487 ,
at the bottom of the 4 photos is a poll,
please VOTE for LITTLE BO PEEP.

THANKS ALL and Please pass this around to your friends
so they can Vote for her too!!!
You can only vote once, it goes by your IP address

The voting ends on Nov 4th......
if she wins, we get a double stroller perfect for when her little sister comes home:)

Lets make Handmade & Homemade Count !!