The letter of 2011.........................G

For those of you that don't know Mom started a tradition about 7 years ago that began with the letter A. That means.......................each year we have a different letter and our gifts that we give have to begin with that letter. 2011 was the year of the G gifts.
Now if you know my mother at all she tends to go OVERBOARD with the whole idea and by the end of the night we are all very TIRED of the letter.
As you can see Mom can decorate a pretty good table. We had a gingham table cloth, green candles, gauze that ran down the center of the table and a Gatorade at every place setting.

Cheap GAUDY snowmen also found a spot at the table!

Yes, this is mom...........................she and Dad were our GREETERS!!

After we eat Mom reads a story that has LOTS of the letter G in it that she has so carefully written! We are all given a package and every time a word begins with G we pass the gifts. Now your gift may be grand or it may not but it begins with the letter G.

My brother Jeff received a very fine box of Gas-X. We also had a giraffe, gorilla, grease and ginger.

I believe these fell under the GRIPS category?
Grinch sleep shorts, pants and shirts were also wrapped up.

So, next year is the letter H. Mom has already bought gifts and the ideas start swirling before the evening is over. The question is..................can she remember where she stashed the H gifts?!?

Santa's Workshop

When ideas come to me sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. This one did. If you received the last issue of the magazine Primitive Place then you may recognize this Santa. In the back of the magazine was a Santa ornament that you could make from Sculpy clay. I decided that it would be a fun project to do with Grandpa and Grandma. I bought the supplies and made the soup and we were off.

The creativity has begun.................

Lots of concentration going on............

Santa heads ready for baking. Yes, that's a reindeer in the right hand corner...........he didn't fare so well!!
Below, Santa has facial hair and rosy cheeks!! We had a great time and it was fun to see how everyone's Santa came out differently! Grandpa's Santa even had ears!!!

Remember This?

Do you remember this?  Does it resemble a living room?  I thought that I would show you a before and after picture so you would understand my frustrations.  

The other day when I couldn't sleep I started to count the number of months that the plastic sheeting has hung between my living room and dining room..............9 months......and that was the SECOND time!!
I decided I had be patient long enough. The goal was to have it completed before the college crew came home for break.........................and we did!!

Yes, this is a very empty wall.  I didn't want to put anything on it until I got a cupboard in there.  I want a cupboard that I can put a small television in and shut the door.  Ultimately, I would like a corner cupboard but don't think that is in the budget right now.  I know, the rug is small but I wanted to get a feel for what one would look like.  I was going to order one but decided to wait till I get my furniture figured out.

A small table to play checkers or sit with the laptop.........I am hoping that will get them off of the kitchen table.  The table is actually from an auction that I purchased several years ago for $25.00.  It's walnut and works perfectly there.  Jenny refinished it for a 4-H project and it went to the State Fair.

This is my "thinking" chair.  I love to sit here with my favorite cup of coffee in the morning before everyone gets up.  I can collect my thoughts and figure out the day. Notice the wing back chairs?  I purchased them at the consignment shop.  There are now green and kinda work but I want something different.  I decided that after the first of the year I would "try" and reupholster them.  I have done some research and have been told that it isn't that difficult to upholster!?!  I may be out of my mind or just plain stupid?!?  You may hear my screams over the internet!!  I will keep you posted as to the progress.

In our SPARE time...............

Our days are busy with the kids so thought I would share a few pictures with you so perhaps you MIGHT understand as to why my posts are farther apart than you would like,(besides the fact that I am having trouble with the new blogger).  Natalie is a freshman at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa.  She tried out for the cheerleading squad and made it. 

Natalie is known as one of the "flyers".......yes, it means she is the one that gets "tossed" in the air!

The same day we watched Natalie cheer Drew was in the High School play Arsenic and Old Lace.  He played the role of a homeless man that was "almost" poisoned.

I think he will "age" just fine.

Sam and Drew both were in the North Iowa Honor Choir representing their school. 

Yes, that's Sam sitting with his head in his hands.........looking VERY excited.  It does get to be a long day.

Parent's weekend took us to Pensacola, Florida to watch Jenny play volleyball.

We caught all of these activities in about a 7 day period.  I was just a little tired to say the least.  Some days I ask myself why do we do this to ourselves?  If you are a parent you know.........because you wouldn't miss it for the world!!

It's a BOLT load that's getting smaller..............

Okay, so I have written this post MANY times and am still having troubles with this blogger.  For some reason some pictures are VERY big and other are the regular size.  We have received 12 new bolts of fabric.  Shown are only 6 as I can't get the other picture on without it being LIFE size!!  Perhaps you will have to stop by and check out the other 6.