2011 done

Well that year just flew by for me...
Lots of ups and downs and personally I'm glad it's over and I'm looking onto 2012.
I did finish a few quilts/goodies and I will share some now with you.

quilt made for son's GF

Baby Trevi's quilt~client's baby.

Crochet big throw

Marcus' Celtic Pillow for Xmas

Well I went searching for more pics but it seems that I do not have many more of things I've created.

I almost forgot about that Celtics pillow I made for my son. He is 16 and just loves the Celtics.  I handmade/hand created/cut this pillow and quilted it for him. He loved it~he said it's one of his best gifts. 

2011 was a downer in terms of my job situation.  I learned in July that the client did not need my services and since July I've been scrambling to 'get other work' for myself but come to realize there just isn't a whole lot out there any more for me in terms of medical transcription.  I'm putting my transcription aside and will be working out of the home for now.  It's always hard raising kids (especially 4) and having to work.  Somehow we always make it through.

2012 looks positive for me.  I'm thinking better job, better relationships, etc.

We shall see.

I hope everyone has a great New Year's and is SAFE!
I am not going out, not doing much but staying home.

Cheers! Happy 2012!

Happy Bday to Me!

Yep, I'm the big 4-0 today!
Last night my husband took me to Famous Dave's for my bday dinner, YUM~been to that place? Great bbq stuff!
All the fixins and a beer too!
YUM!
Today actually I have an interview for a job.
My medical transcription thing just isn't panning out~the career is going downhill quickly and I think it's time to look for something stable.
Maybe I'll get the job for my bday! LOL.
Hubby is cooking me dinner tonight~such a great guy.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and have a safe New Year's!  Hubby works grave shift, so we won't be going out/celebrating. We never really do. So many drunks and crazies out that night. I like to stay in and watch good movies :)
Any fun plans for the new year?

Merry Christmas!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo. the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST,
AND ON EARTH PEACE,
GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN."
Luke 2:8-14

Merry Christmas!

The reason for the season~

Merry Christmas everyone!
Stay safe.

Enjoy the day~

Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family!

I am not sure if I will be posting for a few more days due to all the hustle and bustle of the holiday, but I wanted to wish YOU and YOURS a lovely day.  Hopefully stress-free (is that possible for mothers?)

Merry Christmas from Arizona!

A fun freebie~

Just in time for the holidays!

Check out this peek-a-boo sack tutorial~so perfect for the kids!

Free too!

Click HERE for freebie pattern.

7 days. Are you ready?

Oh my! Where did December go?

Christmas in 7 days~are you prepared?  More baking to do?  More shopping to do?  We KNOW you have gift wrapping to do.

So I started 2 small stitcheries for my 2 youngest kids.  I got my daughter's done yesterday, so cute and my son's I have yet to start.  They are small and I think I will make them into a small ornament or picture.  I'm not sure yet.  If they are ornaments they can only enjoy them at the holidays, but if I make them a small picture they can hang them on their wall or some such thing~who knows but I will take pics of them when I get them done. So cute, and vintage.

Lots of great freebies roaming the blogs lately~have you seen?  I think this year I will make the yummy candy barks.  I saw where they put white bark with craisins, nuts, and topped with dark drizzled chocolate then broken into bite-size pieces. YUM!

I have lots of ideas yet for the big day. 

The kids are very excited of course, and driving a mommy nuts. LOL~too late!

The 2 little ones really want to see the Chipmunks movie~Oh my! I don't think I can survive another Chipmunks movie! especially loud in the theaters Ha ha ha!  Might do that today. Don't know yet.

What are YOU up to? 

I feel like quilting.  and then I tell myself, why???I never finish them.  You know how many tops I have now to quilt?  Probably 8!

Joey had his first tournament last Sunday!
This was taken out front of my house before he left.

Make it a lovely day!

Oh ya~

Some of this done yesterday.
YUM!

These are cookies made with choc chips and butterscotch chips~the recipe was the basic choc chip cookie recipe on the back of the Nestle bag.  They were a bit greasy IMO, but yummy. 

I really want to take the kids this weekend to see the new Chipmunks movie~looks so cute.

What are your plans for the weekend?  Hopefully some relaxing time.

Life's questions~getting older and such.

Well I'm headed out in an hour to see my family doc.

Seems like lately I've been 'living' there, ha ha.

I turn the big 4-0 this month (Dec 29) and I feel like my body is just falling apart!

So I wanted to consult him on a few things.

In the past 12 months or so my toenails have gotten so extremely brittle that they are cracking way down at the cuticle, base, and tearing off!  The one nail has gotten so 'thick'~and gross! 

My docs have suspected Lupus for a long time with me, but all my lab work comes out fine, negative.  The rheumatologist says there is a type of Lupus that is sero-negative (blood) and that is what he suspects.  I've been seeing this doc for a year now and every time I go in it's the same story..."I just don't know what's wrong". UGH!

So I'm thinking today at the appt with my family doc I will get a new rheumatologist.  I will ask about my nail issues.  I recently had a colonoscopy and had a polyp removed, and now every 5 years colonoscpies, blech!  I have Hashimoto's disease, which is a hypothyroidism issue, but once again, my lab work always comes back fine so they do not medicate me.  SOMETHING is definitely going on with my body.  The GI doc when I went for the consult for the colonoscopy told me that the next step might be to do a full body scan to see "if any other issues are presenting".  Oh great, how much is THAT gonna cost!?  Anyone have one of these yet?

I've yet to schedule my 40 year mammogram.  I just feel like I'm falling apart.  Funny, I do not feel old.  My body thinks I am though LOL.

Well, thanks for letting me vent a bit and if you have any insight about any of it, I'd love to hear it! I will always try to comment back in an email.

Happy Thursday!

Here is one of the pics I took of the kids for the Christmas card:

Taken at Red Mountain Country Club golf course
Mesa, Arizona

Holiday blahs

Well I ordered (finally) my Christmas cards from Snapfish over the weekend. Lovely photo card of the 4 kids. Great.

Get an email from them today stating they are behind and I won't get these for 2 weeks, WHAT?
I guess this year everyone's getting cards LATE!
Grrrr.

I mean really people, how many would order if they knew that they wouldn't get them in time for Christmas? NO ONE probably~ugh.

So I'm dealing with that.

It's been raining for 2 days here in the valley, Oh my!
Nice to get rain, but makes me sleepy~no time for that!

Too much gift wrapping, baking, decorating.

We just BARELY got our tree up Saturday, ha ha.

We have a few lights on the outside of our home.

A few decorations INSIDE our home.

And I'm trying not to get stressed this year.~TRYING! lol.

Have a great Tuesday!

You've made these...

I know you've made THESE lovely cookies, but thought I'd post the link to the free recipe HERE..

Make it a "sweet" Monday!

Love these ornaments.

Free pattern for these lovely crochet ornaments!
Link here

Fav Xmas Songs~

What is your favorite?
Here's mine!

OMG~Don't you just love Christmas movies?

Well check out THIS boatload of movies she has listed for us all!
Thank you so much for posting these girl!
I just found this blog on true couponing and bookmarked her!
I just {heart} love love love Christmas movies!  All types.  Cartoons and all!
How bout you?

A snowman mug rug~freebie, of course

Click HERE for pattern

Not my pattern, but ran across this and thought I would share.

The Help

Purchased this book yesterday at Barnes and Noble.
Actually, rewind a bit...

I purchased a new PC (Dell) at Best Buy and needed a MSOffice 2010 for Dummies book.
Of course, how do you go into a mega book store and only buy what you went in for?

Right~so I walked out with 2 gifts, and 2 items for me.~4 total, good.

I saw "The Help" book. I've not seen the movie or read the book.  So with my free (HAHAHAHA) time I will read this.  Did you see it?  Heard it was excellent.

Ok, new stuff...
Want to make egg nog this year with alcohol~you know, the grown-up way.  So I searched out the recipe in THIS is what I found.  I'm not sure if I will make it from scratch, per se, but I wanted to know what alcohol to buy. I knew it was brandy (but wanted to check) and realized you can use (in this recipe) rum or bourbon as well. What do you thinK? Stick with Brandy? 

Anywho~we're off to Bass Pro Shop to look around (we love this place) and then to walmart for some last minute shopping gifts.

What are YOU up to today? hopefully fun!