I'm not sure when I started this project, but I know it was a long time ago. For some crazy reason I have not been interested in doing any counted cross stitch for the longest time. Then last week I got in the mood and finally finished this Christmas stitchery. I have three or four more projects waiting to be done. I need to get going on them. I have to decide which one I will start next. I'll keep my decision posted as soon as I decide.
Update picture from Mindy of baby Logan who was born October 31st. He is now 2 weeks old. Boy, he sure has Ryan and Jeffrey's look!
This past Saturday was a Super Saturday in Lynda Ann's ward. She is in charge of these craft Saturdays twice a year. Mallory and I decided to go out and support her. It was fun to watch her in her element. Creating is what she loves and does expertly. It was special for a mother to watch her daughter giving service to others. She was at every table helping every sister every step of the way in creating their particular craft. Here are some of the crafts she had. I wish I had taken a picture of her creating the bows. It was genius to say the least.
Last Friday Lynda Ann and I drove to Heber to meet Susan for lunch. When we walked in the restaurant, Susan was there at the table and sitting on the table were two fir trees with a note in them that said, "Merry Christmas in remembrance of Lila Mae. There were two pictures inside the red truck envelope.
I seriously keep thinking that I'm getting too old to be singing in groups. Voices lose their clear and intense sound as we grow older. But, I keep getting asked to sing, which I love. Music is such a huge part of my life. We had an evening of Abundantly Blessed. We found a song in the new hymns that we thought would work perfectly. The song is "I Can't Count Them All". These are the words:
The Lords loving mercies surround me, so many I can't count them all.
Like dew drops they sparkle around me, like treasures from Heaven they fall.
The Lords loving mercies surround me, so many I can't count them all.
Like stars without number above me, his mercies shine bright through the years
These blessings from one who so loves me, dispel the world 's darkness and fears
Like stars without number above me, his mercies shine bright through the years.
The Lord's loving gifts are unceasing, and thanks ever more will I give.
My gratitude ever increasing, I'll offer so long as I live.
The Lord's loving gifts are unceasing, and thanks ever more will I give.
From left to right: Diana Alvarez, Paige Janzen, me, Tree Curtis and our pianist - Sally Curtis.
I was invited to a play at Rice Eccles. The play is called SUFF and is about the suffragettes, women working for the right to vote. The play was a musical and if I were to rate it, I would probably give it a 4 out of 10. Just not my kind of play. But it was fun to be with Sally and her daughter Brenda for the evening. We went to dinner and then the theater.
Left to right: Brenda Curtis, Janet Barton, Sally Curtis and little old me! Very fun evening.
I bought two large acrylic deer at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant a few weeks ago. I really didn't know how I would display it. I just thought the deer were gorgeous. Lynda Ann stepped up and said that she would create a decoration for them and that could be my Christmas present. I was elated. Annie has such an eye for decorating and how to decorate. She came by on her way to work and this is what she created.
This is looking down from the balcony.
She also created this decoration to go in the entrance hall.
We are all set for Christmas. Even been playing Christmas music!!
I'm always looking for a new dish for Christmas. Neal and I were at Modern Display picking up some more white decorations for the Christmas tree and I spotted this platter and Neal and I fell in love with it.
A few weeks ago I bought some gorgeous deer. One standing and one laying down. Not sure what I would do with them or how I would decorate around them, but fell in love with them. As I usually do, I turned the project over to Lynda Ann. As always, her talents shine and she comes through with another amazing Christmas decoration. My house is beautiful and mostly because of Lynda Ann. She came by tonight on her way to work and brought her creative ideas and this is what she did. This decoration (that she made) sits on the at the entrance to our home. She has lights in the glass. So gorgeous.
Maren, Boston and Tucker came over to the house this evening and under Neal's supervision, put all the lights on the tree outside the front porch. They worked on them from about 3:30 until around 6:00. Boston and Maren were up the ladders and also up in the tree. Tucker was also climbing all over stringing lights.
Andrew and I have been trying for weeks to get together so he could take me for a ride in his new convertible. We finally settled on Friday. What an amazing day we had. I made reservations at the Cheesecake Factory. Andrew said he had never eaten there. The funny thing is that Andrew had never been to Fashion Place Mall and had no idea where the Cheesecake Factory was located at the mall. He ended up parking down by Nordstroms and then walked into the mall and circled the wrong way. He finally asked someone where it was and met up with me. When we left the restaurant and went to his car, we had a good laugh. He was actually steps away from the restaurant but the route he had taken took him in the opposite direction. About the time we got to his car we got a call from the groomers that Sprout was done being groomed and ready to be picked up. So we put the top down on the car and drove over to get Sprout. Picked up Sprout and drove him home and then drove back to the mall. We sat in the parking lot and I shared a very personal story with him about a time in my life that was very dark. A story I've only shared with Annie. The point of my sharing with Andrew was that I wanted him to know that we all have a journey and struggles in this life. But we also have been blessed with guardian angels and ministering angels to help us along our journey. We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. We both shed tears and hugs and love. Thank you Andrew for an amazing day and for a fun ride in your new convertible that total screams Andrew!!
I like to put up my Christmas tree the first week of November. Thanksgiving and Christmas come and go so quickly and I do love the decorations. I have to combine my Fall decor with my Christmas decor and it seems to work just fine. I now have a little Thanksgiving, a little Fall and a little Christmas. The house looks very nice. This year was a bit of a challenge as I just don't have the room I've had in the past. The new furniture and placement of the piano and furniture have eliminated some areas for decorating. And I needed a change this year on the tree. I decided that I would like to try all white decor on the tree. So Neal and I drove to Modern Display to get some ideas and ended up spending - well, let's just say a lot - on white decor for the tree. We didn't buy as much as we really need because we wanted to make sure it is what we really wanted. When we got home we put what we had purchased on the tree and we love it. Nice change from the all red and gold. We may do this for the next few years. I will have to go back and buy some more large white balls and a couple more white leaves. There was also a wreath at Modern Display that I want to hang off the balcony but will have to wait for pay day to purchase that. Everything is so expensive. Here is a picture of the tree that isn't quite finished but close.
For the past three weeks Neal had been experiencing back, hip and leg pain. He said he just got out of bed one morning and the pain hit. I was in Hawaii at the time. He finally went to doctor Sikora and had an MRI and they found that he had a pinched nerve in his back and that was causing the sciatic nerve pain down his lower back, hip and leg.
The x-ray shows that the spine is pinched between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. Dr. Sikora suggested that we make an appointment with the Spine Clinic to get steroid shots in his back and hopefully that will relieve the pain. We were able to go this last Friday afternoon for the shots. We are praying the steroids will do the trick so we don't have to look at the possibility of surgery.
Neal and I became great grandparents on Halloween. Ryan and Izzy became parents to a beautiful baby boy on Friday morning, October 31st. He was born at 2:15 a.m. coming in at 9 lbs and they named him Logan. Could not believe how much he looks like his grandpa, Jeffrey. Here are some fun pictures that Ryan sent:
Congratulations to Ryan and Izzy. Sure love you both!
