The BIG 80!!

My husband and I took a quick trip to Florida this week to help my father-in-law celebrate his 80th birthday!!  What a momentous birthday.  He started off the day, as usual, meeting a group of friends to play tennis.  They play just about every day for a couple of hours.  Helps keep them young and active!

 We surprised Dad with a birthday cake after they were finished playing.  Lots of his tennis friends came over and sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed cake.  A wee bit early in the morning for cake, but it was a special day after all!

 My husband reminding Dad that he is indeed 80!  See any family resemblance?!

 We stopped by an orange grove to get some fresh oranges and while leaving the grove, my husband spotted an alligator in the water.  I hopped out, grabbed the camera and shot a few pictures but you barely see the old guy.  He's very close to the edge of the grassy area in this photo.  In all the years we've been going to Florida that's the first "in the wild" alligator that we've seen. 

 We then stopped by a local park and found this guy meandering around.  He was so huge and he didn't like me taking his picture!

 And then we ran into a couple of these cool looking "birds"  Loved the shade of red on his head!

 We took Dad out to dinner for his birthday and came home afterward to have his favorite cake that Mom makes for him only on his birthday.  She has a special brown frosting recipe that is so delicious.  And only one candle to blow out, thank goodness!

 Mom and Dad still happily married (almost sixty years).  Think of all the birthday celebrations they have shared!

Dad is a big Detroit Red Wings hockey fan.  My brother made this shirt just for his 80th birthday.....the big 80 on the back and a Red Wings logo on the front.  Dad loved the shirt and couldn't wait to wear it.  My brother did such an awesome job on the design.

 I created a special scrapbook for Dad's birthday.  Here he's reading one of the stories that my son wrote about from a few years back.  It still made him laugh!  He told me he wasn't going to read any of the other stories until later on.  I told him it would make him cry!

 Look at that handsome man in his new Red Wing shirt.  Looks like he could still go out and play hockey!

Happy birthday Dad!!  Hope you enjoyed your big "80" celebrations.  We sure did love being with you on your special day.

Rough start.....

As some of you already know, 2013 has not been kind to me.  I have caught some sort of CRUD (as I am calling it) and have been sick since before New Year's.  My husband was sick right after Christmas and I guess it was only a matter of time before I got sick too.  I am now on some nice antibiotics and after just one day of medicine, am starting to feel human again.  But that's not what this post is about.....it's about how sweet my husband is.

I was just looking out one of our upstairs windows and thought how pretty our garden was looking in the backyard.  We cut a huge river birch tree down a couple of years ago and we've been slowly enlarging the garden and adding to the landscape.  I had several plants/trees that were given to me when my Mom passed away and we added all of those things to this garden.  It makes me think of Mom whenever I look out at the garden.  She loved her flowers and trees and bushes!!!

At Christmas, hubby gave me a beautiful Holly tree, which I've wanted for years.  And right after Christmas, we figured out where to plant the tree which involved enlarging the garden space to accommodate the tree (his idea, not mine!).  So even though hubby was sick with the CRUD, he still went out and enlarged a huge section of the garden, raked and put down fresh mulch. 

And then, on top of that, he relocated our bird feeder pole and made a new area for that.  I love that man!!!

Just wanted to share something sweet as I sit here coughing my head off (literally it just rolled off!!).

I wrote this post several days ago but have just figured out how to get the pictures to post.  Something happened to my blogger and after several hours of off and on dinking with the computer and almost paying someone to tell me what I was doing wrong, I just figured it out!!  I still love my husband for what he did for me and we are still both battling the CRUD!!!  Some other people are not using as nice a word as CRUD!!!

Hoping your New Year is a healthy one..................and definitely find some stitching time, I hear it cures all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

May 2013 bring you happiness, good health and prosperity!!

New Class Schedule

OK, I'm ready for things to get back to normal!!  So I have spent the morning and part of the afternoon working on a new class schedule.  I have emailed that out and updated the web site calendar with the dates and photos.  Please let me know if you didn't get a new schedule and would like one and I will be happy to email out to you.

Lots of cleaning going on around here today.  My husband has been cleaning as I worked on the schedule.  Now it's my turn to tackle our master bedroom which has become a dumping grounds for all things Christmas and otherwise!!! 

And I am definitely going to sit and do some stitching tonight......I am craving it!!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

From our busy, chaotic, crowded, happy, merry, festive little home to yours, wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!!! 

And  no, I have found no stitching time AT ALL this week!!!!

Tis the Season.....

to be jolly...............

and speaking of jolly.....here's the jolly old elf himself with Reagan and Raleigh....... 

Joshua spent the day with me one day last week while Mommy and Daddy went Christmas shopping......he decided to try on my "reading" glasses so he could see me better I suppose!  I found him hidden between the sofa and coffee table with the glasses on.   

What a funny boy.  He would not give the glasses back and by the end of the day I found one of the arms but not the rest of the glasses.  When I asked him where the glasses were, he went to his basket and brought them to me and just smiled.  What's a Mina to do??!! 

A great group of ladies got together to work on a project that they have been working on off and on for several months.  They come and do a little bit of gathering, drawing, creating and then go away until they get caught up and come back and do a little more.  Soon they will have some masterpieces to share! 

Bonnie just got her beautiful quilt back from Laura.  It turned out just great and I promise you the photo doesn't do it justice.   Laura's quilting was perfect for this project and I know Bonnie can't wait to get it home and hung. 

And Joyce started this project, I think way earlier this year and is almost done.  She just has the back to put on now.  Just in time for Christmas!! 

And another flower garden quilt almost done.  Joyce has her top together but needs to get the quilting done, which her sweet sister has volunteered to do for her.  Lucky gal! 

Fifteen of us went out for a Christmas lunch after Busy Bee Finishing School today.  We ate at a restaurant in Fuquay called Bellini's.  Great food and even better company!  Looks like we all cleaned our plates! 

What a great bunch of ladies!!!  I love them all!!! 

And look how happy they are when they get gifts.  Doesn't the table look festive with all the red and green papers!  Thank you to each and every one who contributed to make this such a special day.  I couldn't do what I do without you!! 

Awww.......the bad news, look at all those checks.  Somehow mine mysteriously disappeared!  Again, thank you ladies. 

And tonight I got some presents wrapped.  I just felt like I needed to stop and wrap some things so I could see what I still needed to do.  In other words, I needed to regroup!!  I'm feeling a little more in control but still have lots to do before the weekend.  And the hours just keep flying by. 

Hope you're all getting lots done but taking time to enjoy the season.  Sometimes I feel like Christmas comes and goes so quickly and I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do.  Let me know if anyone figures out how to extend the season a wee bit longer!

As I'm sure you all feel, my heart goes out to all the families in Newton who lost their precious loved ones at what was supposed to be such a joyous time.  I cannot even begin to imagine what they are feeling right now and can only offer lots of prayers for their continued healing.  

Blessings to you all.....................

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas............

............everywhere you go!! 

I have had several people ask me to post some pictures of  my house decorated for Christmas.  I move lots of "normal" stuff out of the house and bring in lots of Christmas.  Love doing this.  So what follows are just some random pictures from around the house.  I don't think there is anything in the same place as last year.  Lots of fun!! 

My latest collection.........vintage carolers..............

I even decorate the bathrooms........and I seem to have a thing for elves this year!!

Breezeway porch coming into house

Hope you enjoyed my little tour.  Lots more to photograph but surely don't want to bore you.  What does your house look like for Christmas?

Don't forget to find a little time for stitching inbetween decorating!