Merry Christmas

Christmas Morning 2010

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

New Find

I removed the deer dog because he disappeared the day after I posted his picture (?). But now the guys & girls doing the renovation have figured out we have one of these

The Groundhog (Woodchuck)
Lovely little (not) critter and he's under our house...wonder what he's planning on eating...our logs?

This picture is not the actual groundhog at our house but we have seen a picture of ours. This is what I found when googling it. "Groundhogs are excellent burrowers, using burrows for sleeping, rearing young, and hibernating. The average groundhog has been estimated to move approximately 35 cu ft, or 710 lb, of dirt when digging a burrow. Though groundhogs are the most solitary of the marmots, several individuals may occupy the same burrow. Groundhog burrows usually have two to five entrances, providing groundhogs their primary means of escape from predators. Burrows are particularly large, with up to 46 ft of tunnels buried up to 5 ft underground, and can pose a serious threat to residential development by undermining building foundations.[4]
ARE WE IN TROUBLE OR WHAT?

Some of our Unique Finds

It's been a long time since I've posted anything so make sure you look at all three posts :) Enjoy!!!


The Owl




The Bullfrog





The Snapper




The Groundhog (Woodchuck)
Lovely little (not) critter and he's under our house...wonder what he's planning on eating...our logs?

Amid the Construction

Hazelnut Bush




Clematis (Clematis jackmanii)




Aster (Asteraceae)




Goldenrain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)




Flowering Crabapple (Malus hybrida)




Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americana)



Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

The Change Has Begun

We decided that we would do some upgrading to the old house before we rented it again or sold it. I don't think I could ever live in a house that was being renovated. It would drive me up the wall. Here's what it currently looks like. I'll post more once it is finished.




Outside Back (South) Door




Southeast Bedroom



Master Bedroom



The Master Bathroom



The front bathroom

It Rained

It's hard to think of anything new to write, when you are tired and nothing new is happening. It did rain though so that's a great thing, everything is greening back up. Lots of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the feeders. Love to sit and watch them. I've had an Open House to show the new Close To My Heart Idea Books and have mailed a bunch out. Will be having a workshop next weekend and the first part of November I get to go away for another scrapping weekend...hopefully finish up the Christmas presents that I'm making. Will post my latest card in a few days (after Jocelyn's birthday) I think it turned out pretty good, hope she likes it.

It's been so hot and dry here lately that we've been feeding the bees. Our neighbors raise honeybees and commented how they were eating their winter food because it's so hot and dry that the flowers don't have any nectar so, we started watering the flower beds on a regular basis and set out shallow pans of sugar water for them to eat until the flowers start blooming again. Sure hope it works. It's neat to watch. The hummingbirds don't much like the bees when the bees show up at the hummingbird feeders though.

Card Made from Scraps

Here's a card I put together today using scraps. I thought it turned out pretty good. Hope the couple who gets it like it too.

The past week

Just thought I'd share a few things from this past week. 1st the card I made for my brother and his wife for their 18th anniversary. Congratulations Randy & Theresa.



Then there is my breakfast breakthrough yesterday before going to work. :) I eat oatmeal granola with almonds and raisins but thought I'd add some 'fresh' fruit that I had just frozen the day before.

So I put the blueberries and strawberries chunks in a cup and pour my milk over them....figure this would make the milk extra cold and thaw out the fruit. So this is what I get.




Then I was sweeping today and realized our couch pieces did not have felt floor protectors on them so I proceeded to turn them over (with the help of my dear hubby) and low and behold....this fell out. It's a specialized license plate that I received for Christmas in 2008 and thought it got thrown out with the Christmas garbage. Guess I haven't been cleaning too thoroughly the last couple of years.



And last but not least, I saved two baby Mockingbirds who fell out of their nest in a storm that came through on Thursday. I was at work and when I came out one was on the windshield of my truck. Poor thing didn't have hardly any feathers, so I picked him up, crawled into the back of my truck and up on the top and placed him back in the nest. I also straightened the nest up since it was tipping to one side. Another baby was still there. When I got back down I realized there may be more so looked around and found another on the ground so I did the same thing and put him back in the nest too. By this time Mom & Dad Mockingbird were getting a little testy so I left. Hopefully they fixed that nest so it won't fall out with the slightest breeze.

Short Update

It's been awhile but, we've been busy. Took a short trip to Kentucky to see the Creation Museum, back down thru St. Louis and went to the Arch and the Zoo. I have managed to make a couple of cards over the last month and a half but, that's about all. Getting ready for my Open House on the 28th of this month to show off the new Autumn/Winter Close To My Heart products and give out the new Idea Books. I'll try to post before then and show some of the new things....once I get them.

Here is one card I've created. Love the 'brick wall' look but it is labor intensive so have to find something new that's a little quicker. Guess I didn't take any pictures of the rest but, maybe I'll have time next week.....yea right!

Happy Birthday America!!!!

Here is to 'Good Weeks'

Had a pretty easy week, even though I got enough hours. Didn't have to be at work until 8:30, so got up early, took the dogs for a walk, made a couple of cards early in the week and can't remember doing much of anything the latter part :) But it has been a pleasant week. Went out to eat with the kids and some friends on Friday night, then the kids and another friend came over for supper last night (chicken kabobs with corn on the cob and fresh garden salad, followed by fresh Blackberry Cobbler) then the rest of then night was spent playing Phase 10. This morning....back up early, walked the dogs, now to get ready for church and maybe clean up the garage and 'shave' the dog this afternoon, then another great evening planned at a friends coronation ceremony.

So here is the card that was given to the birthday boy :)

Zach @ 30

So here is the latest picture. Zach at 30 yrs and 1 day. Isn't he the most handsome guy? :) I could be a bit prejudice but he is very good looking.

Happy Birthday ZACH

Ok! So Joyce, sweet sil that she is, has always done these terrific birthday blogs for family and friends. Well, I figured there's no reason why I can't too.

This is to Zachery, our 1st born, our son who we love dearly and are extremely proud of. He was born at 2:22 on May 21, 1980, after approx 10 hours of hard labor. My first moments after he was born that I remember; I cried. 30 years ago, finding out if you were having a boy or girl was not routine, and even though I wanted a boy really, really bad, I didn't know...until he was born. So I cried because I was so overwhelmingly happy. Then of course there were the few minutes (probably seconds, in real life) that I was not hearing him cry and was scared. Just minor stuff. I also remember Brad calling him a 'conehead' baby, which he was. He only got away with it that first time in the hospital though. The next time he said it the nurse jumped all over him, saying he better not be calling that precious little boy a conehead no more. :) The doctor said he would be fine, it was just the way he came through the birth canal that cause his head to appear cone shaped, and he is just fine.
Other momentous occasions that he may or may not appreciate me remembering. Like the time, he decided to pee off the front porch, in the middle of the day in a subdivision in downtown Bossier City, La., or sitting buttnaked on the white German Shepherd in the back yard, or when he grabbed the hot wire at the top of the fence and instead of turning the power to the fence off, I ran out and grabbed him off of it, shocking us both. Then there was the time in Germany when he 'forgot' to catch the bus and go to school because he was sledding. And sometimes we would send him into the bakery because he spoke better German than we did....and he was only 5. Then he started growing up and did things like Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and he always looked so sharp. Of course that was also when he told his Cub Scout Leader that 'Mom sneaks drinks'...so she asked me if I needed help, like AA :) don't ya just love it. Or when he was in Karate and would show us his moves.
There are lots of things I've left out but I just want to add what a wonderful man and a loving husband to Leslie he has become.

I love you very much Zach and hope you had a wonderful 30th birthday.

Mom

cards I've made

Just made a couple of cards I thought I'd share. The 'shirt' card is for a hs graduate with money inside. The other is for a couple that's getting married.

Mother's Day Card

Couldn't post this last week but, here is a picture of one of the cards I made for our Mom's for Mother's Day. The other was only slightly different. You can't see all the details but it has pearl accents and stickles.

Week in Review

I'm sitting here trying to think if I've actually done anything worth writing about this past week......No :) Had most of the mornings off all week and still didn't get my house cleaned or laundry done but, did pull a few weeds from the flower beds and made a birthday card and our Mother's Day cards. Fixed Brad a Chocolate Pie with Cool Whip topping for his birthday plus homemade tacos with all the fixin's for his special dinner. Worked Sat morning, came home mowed the grass and pulled more weeds (they grow so much faster than the flowers), then went to our Mother/Daughter Banquet with my Mom (Brad and the other men from church cooked the meal and served it and cleaned up. Plus they sang to us also). Then had lunch at Mom's today, (sandwiches so no one had to cook) and cut some limbs at her house...didn't pull any of her weeds though. Now to rest up for the coming week...should be interesting.





The men singing



Mom & Kelly

Just wanted everyone to see the kind of messes I sometimes make when I'm making a card or layout. See the mess, then see the tiny hummingbird cut from paper that isn't much bigger than a brad. It's been somewhere on my worktable for 3 weeks now without getting lost, and yet I have a hard time finding my adhesive cartridge when it's right in front of me :)

Happy Birthday Brad

Just want to wish my hubby a Happy Birthday!!! Click

This is where the ducks hang around during the day. At night they have there own little suite upstairs on the 2nd floor.

The ducks, going to bed via the elevator, at the Peabody.

Few More Pictures

Here are a few of the pictures from our Anniversary Dinner celebration and some from our get-a-way weekend to Hot Springs and Little Rock.