December 9, 2014

I am getting ready for Christmas...my cards are sent, most of my shopping is done, most things are already stuffed in the stockings, decorations are up, the quilts are quilted (all 7 of them!)  and some of the wrapping is done. So I need to get a gift card, finish wrapping the presents, bake something and make my candies. I want to make marshmallows and give them as gifts...also some chocolates. I'm not so sure about baking anything...we'll see. I have to decide on what we're having for Christmas eve dinner. Not so sure everyone will be there...it gets harder and harder every year. I AM looking forward to having 2 whole weeks off work...I know I just had two weeks off a couple of months ago...but it just sounds so darn nice! So looking forward to retirement or at least partial retirement. While I'm off I have to get busy on the baby quilts for little Audrey...can't wait for the end of March to be able see and hold that baby. For now though I have a bunch of sewing to do. Tonight we're watching the girls while their mom and dad go to a Cavs game. Lucky  us!

Goodness I have let a lot of time go by! We have had a pretty good year.

Tim and I celebrated our 40th anniversary in June with a photo session with all the kids and then brunch at home.

Also in June, Tim and I traveled with the camper to Holland, MI and found it absolutely beautiful up there. Lake Michigan was gorgeous and the sand dunes were awesome. I think we like the beach! It was a little cool, but we didn't care...actually it was in the 90's in Ohio and we were glad we were in Michigan! We had a great campsite not too far from the beach. We drove to Grand Haven...a cute little town with nice little shops, then headed to Ludington because Tim wanted to check out the Drueke cribbage board company. They no longer make the boards, but did have some rough ones that we bought. We went on a sand dune ride in Saugatauk...it was sooo much fun! Just everything about the area was pretty nice. We also went down to Allegan, MI where I had a relative (dead one). So we looked him up and found where he and his family were buried. We also spent some time in the genealogy library there.  On our way to Holland we stopped at a cemetery in Dowagiac, MI to visit some of my relatives also. On the way home the back of the camper came apart...and it rained hard and we had a flat tire! We made it home, but not happy about the camper!

In August we finally got to go on our Alaska cruise/tour. We book this trip in May 2013 and had been planning it since. I hadn't flown in so long that I was really, really scared. It wasn't so bad and I managed to do that and several other things I hadn't done before. The trip was amazing and I kept asking myself if I was really in Alaska!!! We were gone for two weeks, but there were so many things that we didn't get to see. I would definitely go back in a second!

February 12, 2014

It has been such a cold and snowy winter! This morning on my way to work it was -15 degrees F. I don't think it has been above freezing for at least a month! And it keeps on snowing! Snow is everywhere and it's not just a coating...it's inches and inches. So, enough already! Usually the cold and snow doesn't bother me, but usually there are some breaks in the action, but not this year. Can't wait for spring!

Melissa had her back surgery last month and it went very well and she is feeling so much better. She can actually walk standing up straight, which she hadn't been able to do for several months. So glad for her!

I have started 2 new block of the month quilts...I know, I know... I should finish the quilts I have started...actually the tops are done...I just need to get them quilted. I must have about 10 quilt tops that need quilting. Right now I have 2 that are half quilted...so I really need to get on that...one is for Addie's birthday, so I do have a deadline for that.