Another project finished and another started.

This finished project is hard to take a picture of because it is so long.  This is one of my favorites.

This next project isn’t something I would ordinarily do.  My co-worker, Ashley, started this over a year ago and just wasn’t making any progress so I volunteered to finish it for her.  I’ll do all the cross stitching and she can do all the outlining.  I want to get it done and get back to doing my own projects that are waiting on the wing!  When I go this from her, she had the one reindeer done and a little bit of the teddy bear. I started this today and have the bottom of the sleigh and runners close to being done.   I’d like to finish this by the end of February.  That is my goal.

How do your cookies rate with your kids?

I just have to give Lyndsy a bad time.  Neal and I tended River on Saturday and while he was here we made cookies.  He asked me what kind I was making and I told him chocolate chip.  He didn’t say much for a minute and then looked up at me and said, “I don’t like my mom’s healthy cookies.  I like your cookies best!”  I had to smile.  I asked River why he didn’t like them and he said they didn’t taste good and they were made out of coconut flour.  I assured him that my cookies were not made out of coconut flour.  When they were done he asked me if he could take some home for himself and extra ones for his dad.  Sorry, Lyndsy, I win for best “unhealthy” cookies. 

While he was here he noticed the huge ice cycle growing off our roof.  We went outside and took a picture.  I told him how excited Jordyn Lyn, Lexi and Peyton were to see ice cycles so he wanted me to take a picture of him standing by the biggest one coming from the roof.

Another fun weekend in St. George

We didn’t arrive at the condo until after midnight on Friday.  We woke up Saturday morning in anticipation of warmer weather than what we were experiencing in Salt Lake.  Well, the sun was shinning and the sky was blue and the ground was green so we were grateful for that.  The temperature was in the low forties so the men had to wait until about 1:00 to go golfing.  The temperatures got to the low fifties and Neal said it was a little chilly but not bad.  While Ron and Neal golfed, Judy and I did our usual shopping.  The best find for me was that Pendleton clothing opened up an outlet store!  We finished shopping about the time that the men were through golfing so we picked them up and decided eating out was more interesting than cooking.  We had dinner at the Pizza Factory and then home to play bridge. 

Sunday we just relaxed, watched two football games, had a great dinner and in between, napped and/or played bridge.  Nice quiet Sunday.

Monday the skies were blue again and the temperature in the high fifties.  Perfect temp for golf.  Judy and I dropped the men off and ran a couple of errands then back to clean the condo.  About the time we were through, the men called so Judy and I packed the car, picked up Neal and Ron and headed to In and Out Burger before heading home.  On the way home we stopped by the hospital to see our friend Midge who had a hip replacement. 

It was a great weekend.  We love spending time with the Stanfields.

The storms are rolling in

We’ve had three days of nothing but one storm after another.  Someone at work was being very clever and went out in the parking lot and decorated the windshields of the employees cars.  I loved mine and had to take a picture of it.

Because of the major storm warnings and because most Salt Lake people travel by freeway, the county issued a ‘go home early’ ticket two days in a row!  Unheard of!  One day we went home at 4 p.m. and the next day they had us leave at 3:30 p.m. Jordan, Lexi and Petyon,  if you look closely you can see the ice cycles hanging off the front fender.  When the girls were here in December they were fascinated with the ice cycles on the trees and roofs. 

I don’t often set New Years resolutions because I don’t believe they are necessary but this year there are a couple of things I have set my mind to continue to do.  One is read the scriptures every morning, which I’ve already been doing, the second is to be sure and say prayers before leaving the house each morning, which I have also been doing and the third is to continue with my exercising at the gym at least 5 times a week, which I’ve also been doing.  They are three good things to continue with.  Of course I always have projects lined up and waiting.  I don’t think that will ever change.

Happy New Year to all my posterity.  Love you all.  Mom

Yes, another Gam moment.

I had addressed all the Christmas card and put stamps on them, went to work and put them in the out going mail basket.  Nice to have that project done.  One of our co-workers came through the office and put something to be mailed in the basket, picked up one of my cards and said, “Who is the idiot that put all their stamps on the wrong side and didn’t even put a return address on their cards.?”  I was the one who had to confess.  I had stamped every single envelope with the stamp in the left hand corner.  Yes, my children, you’d better be prepared for the future.  I’m only 68 and already putting stamps in the wrong corner.  I very carefully peeled everyone of those stamps off and put them in the right corner and had them back in the basket just before the mailman came.  I’m such a ‘wing-nut’!!!

This is the card for 2012 that Tucker created for us.  I can’t remember if I posted it and so will post it again, just in case.

A sad/happy find this New Year morning!

This was a gentle reminder that the Maxfields were on their way back to California.  I went downstairs to put the freshly washed and folded towels away and, as usual, discovered the basement was spotless.  Everything back in it’s place and clean as a whistle.  This sign greeted me, made me smile at their love and at the same time cry because they were gone.

We brought in the New Year by going to the bridge center and playing bridge with our best friends, Judy and Ron.  We got home about midnight.

New Years Day is the day of putting away the Christmas decorations.  We spent the morning taking down the tree, boxing everything up and hauling it out to the garage to be stored for another year.  We also took all the Christmas dishes out of the china hutch and replaced them with Annette’s china to bring in a little spring color.  We also swept, vacuumed and polished up the floors.  The rest of the day was spent watching all the football games. 

This was the little ornament hanging on our tree that Peyton picked out to give Neal for Christmas.  It shall be treasured forever.  It was packed very carefully with all the other Christmas bulbs.

Sunday was another busy day

We all decided to go to Neal’s ward for Sacrament Meeting.  Very different to attend a young adult ward as Lexi pointed out to her mom.  She told Jamie that “this church is really different from ours at home.”  She noticed that there were no kids and it was extremely quiet.

After sacrament meeting we came home and got dinner ready.  James, Lyndsy and River came over to join us for dinner and then we played Six-Handed Rook for about three hours.  I think it was Jamie who decided that we needed a break!

Peyton wanted to play a game of Old Maid with me.  She picked out the card game and gave it to me for Christmas.  I believe she won both games.  I’m destined to be an ‘Old Maid’!  The Goss’s decided it was time to go so, of course, we took a picture.  Tucker jumped just as I snapped the picture and that is why his head is half cut off.  Not a poor camera woman but too high a jump!

To finish off the evening the girls wanted to play What Were You Thinking – a favorite game of the family.  We each read one question and then the kids were off to bed.  I had to take a picture of Peyton’s paper because she wrote all the answers herself. 

It seems that our phones are constantly attached to each one of us.  Whenever there is a break in the action, out the phones comes.

Gertson’s drop by to say “goodbye” :-(

Annie and the kids were at Jeff and Mindy’s for the evening and on their way home dropped by to say their final goodbyes to Tucker, Jamie and the girls.  Lyndsy and James dropped in hoping to play games which we did after the Gertsons left.

If you look carefully at Andrew’s face you will see some bruises.  He had a sleepover with Grayson at Jeff and Mindy’s and when they were at Crown Burger Andrew fell from one of the climbing apparatus.