Wrapping up...2013

The weekend before Christmas we decided (at the last minute) we needed to have family pictures done.  It's seldom that all ten of us are together. I can't wait to get the rest of the photos and to do this again in the summer.   Megan Rose did the photos for us, she was so great!  Made us feel at ease immediately.

 

Our son's children spent a couple of extra days with us and the girls were leaving before Wednesday so they opened their gifts early.  Addisyn LOVED her dolly.  Now I know what to make for her birthday...doll clothes!!

 

Ratchet loves Alexis (it's mutual I believe). 

 

 

Wednesday was another wonderful day with family.  Somehow I didn't spend much time with the camera, probably enjoying the kiddos too much.

 

We celebrated our anniversary with a quick trip to Sisters for breakfast.  We left the foggy dreary valley to find wide open blue skies and sunshine.  I did not take this picture but it is exactly what it looked like on Saturday. 

 

So it's about time to get back to work after a week away from the shop.  The phone will likely be busy tomorrow, mostly returning calls.  This is a scrappy quilt we started at Third Monday sewing group at our church.  It may need to be bigger so I'm contemplating whether to add more blocks or just borders to increase the size. 

What do you think?  More blocks, borders, or perhaps both?

 

Happy New Year, may 2014 be a year that each of us follow our passion and find our purpose.

 

Almost ready to celebrate Christmas!!

This lovely was among one of many Christmas deadlines.  Isn't it so festive?  I love the colors.

The tree is up and decorated.  We found a lovely Turkish pine on a little tree farm not far from home.  An elderly couple are lovingly growing the beauties and doing a marvelous job.  Besides which, very reasonably priced.

Lights are up outside if it counts that I used clothespins to attach them to the grid of the wire fence in a chevron pattern.  I used the last strand to wrap around my wreath.  Festive enough and no ladder required.

The last Christmas deadline quilt is nearly finished, just need to trim it and join the binding.  I understand the stress my clients have, knowing they still have to stitch down the binding (this one nearly king size) in a few short days. 

My knitting (Alyssa's poncho) isn't finished but I have a back up plan in the event I don't finish so I'm relaxing that pressure.  She has a January birthday...perhaps a more reasonable deadline.

There are still dinners to plan and a house to get clean but for some reason, this year, I'm feeling unhurried and relaxed about the whole thing.  There is a fresh understanding that this celebration time is not about food or decorations or presents. We are celebrating the birthday of our Savior, Jesus.