2016

Well, this has been a momentous year for us!  I started out the year realizing my working days were over.  Realizing I didn’t have to go to work anymore felt like a huge weight lifting off my shoulders.  We decided that after 24 years of living in our house, we would be much better off moving closer to the church building 28 miles away.  After spending months looking for the right house, we took possession of our new house the beginning of August.  We spent the month cleaning, painting walls and ceilings, and replacing flooring, then moved in by the end of the month.  It’s been a lot of fun trying to decide where to put our belongings and to weed out unnecessary items.  I’ve really enjoyed decorating the new place and am finally about to reach the time where I can get back into quilting, knitting, and crafting.

Peppa Pig Party

It took me all summer to knit these socks! The only time I had to work on them was when I was traveling.

I took a trip to Canada

Our new dining area

Floor in my sewing room

This is the playhouse out back. Maybe it’ll get spruced up in 2017.

Our cozy family room

Trying out a new heel pattern

Christmas is getting close

Lots of beautiful snow – most of it’s gone now.

Our youngest son’s wedding last weekend

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Hello!

It’s been way too long since I’ve posted anything.  Time goes by so quickly.  Last weekend, we visited a farm where they were demonstrating tapping trees.  Auds got to help drill a hole in a tree and also got to hang a bucket to collect sap.  There were a series of rubber tubes going from trees to a collection point to make it easier to collect sap.  After we watched the demonstration, we went to see some sap boiling, then we ate some delicious pancakes with maple syrup!

We all got to “share germs” with Zoey!  All of us ended up with a stomach bug – luckily I wasn’t affected until I got home.  

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting since I’ve been off work.  I’ve made two sweaters, a shawl, a pair of socks, several presents, and miscellaneous items.

I’m using this computer for the first time for my blog and need to figure out what I’m doing!  Hopefully, I’ll get the hang of it soon.

Give Thanks

We had a very nice Thanksgiving, filled with fun and family!

I did some Black Friday shopping at the fabric store and knit two cute hats for two cute kids.

The girls got to wear their new hats today. Daddy put them on backwards, even though Auds told him he was wrong!

John did a little shopping at a tool store and noticed a little boy staring open-mouthed at him. John said, “Ho Ho Ho!”

His beard is longer than usual 🙂

Summertime

It’s been a busy year so far. Unknown Factor had the privilege of singing at the Groundhog Banquet on February 1st. In June, Special K got to sing at OVU in Parkersburg, WV. I gained a new brother-in-law, who was already a cousin!?! Jeremy and his family moved away, and our new granddaughter, Zoey, was born.  During a storm, a pine tree hit our house and had to be cut down. Last Saturday, I helped Amy drive to Pittsburgh, and watch 10 girls run around the mall!

Christmas-making

I have always loved Christmas time – decorating, watching movies, making presents, shopping, and especially spending time with family! The past few years have not been as enjoyable as I had hoped because I’ve been a frustrated shopper. This year, after looking at an email touting a wonderful sale, I did a lot of cyber shopping and crossed off several names from my list. I always enjoy making gifts and have started a couple.

We enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving with almost all our kids and grandkids.

I took two granddaughters shopping and bought their Christmas presents and played Scrabble and lots of cards.

We finally bought a nice big, comfy bed and I’ve enjoyed making some pillows to use in the place of a headboard.

I’d love to be with my youngest granddaughter tonight as she enjoys seeing Disney on Ice!

She’s wearing a poncho and hat I made for her.

Fall

It’s the end of the fourth week of school already! The weather has been crazy – last week was sweltering and this week was almost freezing.

It’s football season and there have been some exciting games!

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting.

More Summer, Please?!?

It’s been a busy, fun summer that’s quickly dwindling away…

I spent lots of time with my grandkids and visited with a lot of relatives and enjoyed lots of time knitting. I spent several wonderful days in Canada, looking at places I remembered from childhood and hunting for gravestones – one of them was hidden in a huge bush!

There’s still almost two weeks of free time left, most of which will be spent shopping with grandkids and cleaning the house.

Grandkids!

My summer is zooming by, but it has been happy and busy so far. I’ve spent a lot of my time with the kids and grandkids, and John, of course!

Busy, Busy!

I’m very happy to announce that Jessica bought her first sewing machine and has made a couple things already! 

I helped her with her first project, which was an apron for Audrey.   She also made an apron for herself.

It’s Finally Spring!

It’s been a long winter, but spring has finally sprung! I cleaned up the flower beds yesterday and found a few crocuses and some snowdrops. I have some daffodils coming up too.

I’ve done a lot of knitting this winter and have finished up some old projects along with some new ones. I’ve been getting the urge to sew recently and hope to get busy on some projects after I get some spring cleaning done.

Today I started making a cowl with merino and baby camel yarn! It’s really soft and easy to work with.