Merry Christmas

Had a wonderful Christmas with family!! I did have to work Christmas Eve though, hadn't worked on in about 8 years so I guess it was due. We always have our Christmas with our kids and grandkids on the 23rd, so it still worked out good. The new babies were so cute with their toys and Aidan who is 2 now had a blast. I never did get my cookies iced this year, not many cards sent, but did make some really good fudge!!  Such is the life of working 12 hour shifts.  Gonna post more this year. Really!!

Bad Blogger

And I was gonna try to be so much better!!  Been very busy, but did get my first 2011 calendar done today.  Here is the top and bottom of June

They were alot of fun to do. This one is kind of whimsical. I think I'm going to give it to my mother. I'll try to post more pics of it later. I really haven't got this blogger thing down yet. I wanted the pics side by side in the middle of my posting, but as you can see it didn't turn out that way and I'm too tired right now to mess with it any longer. 






My daughter and her baby daughter are moving in very soon. So we have spent the last week switching guest rooms so they will have the bigger room. This of course, is not a perfect situation for her, or for us, but will be so happy to see the baby more often.  The 2 new babies are really growing and changing. Here they are with grandpa on labor day!

Aren't they just too too precious. And here is a shot of my son and his 2 children. They were here last weekend.    They are all the joy of my life..... 

Thats all till next time!

Perfect Timing

Well I just posted on an idea of making recipe books, so today I stopped at my moms and has laundry basket full of old cookbooks. But what was really amazing was my grandmother's recipe album was in there.  One my siblings and I had given her in 1974. It's filled with recipes all written out in her own handwriting. So the recipe books for Christmas gifts looks like it may just happen. I'm going to make copies of the recipe cards, which will mean more since it's her own writing. I'm thinking digital on this because I want them to be very special. (Also less work for me than a hybrid album)  Probably the most time consuming part of this project will be going through all the recipes, but the nights are getting cooler and it will be fun to do in front of a good movie and warm fire.

What Started Good Doesn't Always End Good

Yeah, as in this holiday weekend. Didn't turn out as planned, I'm pretty bummed out about it, won't go into all the DRAMATIC details, I'll spare you of that.

But it is my favorite time of year. Fall is always like a new beginning to me, I guess because of school starting. Now it's my grandkids going back to school.  But it's always been like a new beginning for me also.  Maybe I should say changes. Need to end my summer "holiday" and go back to work!  I was dreading it, but maybe it'll be a good change. I love when the color of the leaaves change,  That last bit of  Indian Summer right around the corner.

If anyone has been following this blog, (probably got tired of no updates), I will be updating more often, in fact going to try to do a little side business of my cards, calendars, albums, etc. See if I have enough time.  Wish I could do that instead of going back to a job job. I bought a Zutter Binding System the other day at target, half-price, yoo hoo. I'm thinking of doing a recipe book first for family with some of my grandmother's old recipes we came across. And there's a few mini albums I'd like to do. I can make my own covers now thanks to my Zutter!!  I'll post them when finished.  Of course, I have no idea how to go about promoting my stuff.  Facebook, word of mouth, advertising, blogspot???? 

Anyone out there in blogger land have any ideas.  I think I'll post more tomorrow on fall CHANGES......

ANOTHER NEW BABY

This is a recent picture of Judah. She is 3 months old now

Treyson Isaiah Christopher Sleeth came into the world on May 15th weighing 8lbs, 1oz and was 21 inches long.  He is so beautiful and precious!! This makes our 17th grandchild, and each one of them is my "Favorite". 

The New Baby is Here..

Beautiful baby Judah Day came a week early, on February 21, weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz. AND she is just adorable and a really good baby.  She loves to cuddle with her GiGi (thats me).  They are staying with us a while and I'm am loving having her here!

And Sunday was our other daughter Jennifer's baby shower, she's having a boy in May. She got lots of nice things. Now wouldn't it be great if they could all stay here for a while.  Grandpa would probably have to move out to the garage!!!!

Waiting for the Babies

My little Valentine babies, Rebecca's little girl is due February 27th!!! and Jennifer's little boy is due the end of May.... We're having fun watching their growing bellies and all the new baby stuff!!  Family gatherings are getting larger and larger.....

It's snowing lightly outside and the fireplace is on and I'm watching Jack (24). Greg ran to the store. We've had a quiet day (unusual).  Going to bed early, up at 5 for work ho hum....

Happy Valentines all!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Here it is the day before Valentines and I didn't get any cards sent out, really bad!!  But I'm sending this out to everyone and also posted it on my facebook.  Today is also Greg's daughter, Stacey's birthday!! Hope she reads this and knows how much I care about her.... 

I am just loving my new job and my new little client.  She is 7 and I've already fallen in love with her. She is like no other 7 year old I've ever known.  From working with cancer patients I have found out that the terminally ill usually are very positive people. They go through their stages, but for the most part are very upbeat.  This little girl can do all her procedures herself and give herself her own medicine if we let her.  I told her she won't even need us in a few years.  She has had full time nurses since birth.  I will be with her 2-3 days a week.  And that's all I can tell  you to respect her and her family's privacy.

Leaving you with some LOVE.....

Just an Ordinary Day

Here's my year in review. Unfortunately couldn't get everybody on it!!  Just an ordinary day here in the COLD Midwest. We're suppose to get more snow tomorrow, Yikes!!  I love it but I don't like driving in it.  Monday I start my new job Monday, actually was suppose to start today, but clients changed.  Will be in Champaign now, which is closer. I'm doing pediatric home health. I have the same child, don't go place to place, which I will really like.  I even go to school with her during the day, she needs a nurse with her at all times. Now what I do while she is in class, I don't know, but I guess I'll find out.  It's really a change for me from the hospital, but I'm excited about it.

I really am going to get some quickpages on my site to give away or sell very cheaply.  I promise!!  Took me longer than I thought to do my review layout. LOL...

Yikes, he saw his shadow!!

The official word is the groundhog saw his shadow...but he didn't see it here, so maybe we'll get luck here in good ole Illinois. We could use a break in the weather.  The baby shower for my daughter was fantastic, everyone had a good time, good food, and she got lots of great gifts. She was really blessed. Today I bought her a pack n play, which she really wanted and my mom got her a stroller/car seat combo.  All she really needs now is a swing.  Of course, the precious little baby girl also.  She is due February 27th, and I don't think she'll go that long.  We're all very excited!!

opening a gift....

with her Grandma.....

                             

Those Damn Beetles

I thought I was the only one pestered by these annoying beetles. But I guess everyone in these here parts are swarming with them.  They look similar to ladybugs, but they are NOT!. They don't bite or sting, they fly around and land on everything. You can kill them and sweep up a dozen a day.  I guess they'll be here till April, then come back in October.  Their good for the farmers because they kill aphids, but oh are they nasty to the rest of us!!  I am up to my eyeballs in baby shower preparations today. Tonight I'm making the cake and decorating it in the am. Shower is tomorrow at 3pm. I have to run out today, pick up a gift for my mom, she's under the weather, stuff for punch and last minute stuff. Yesterday I was going to take my white Easter tree and put decorations on it for a centerpiece.  Well, I forgot we had gotten rid of it, so my sweet husband and I went out, in the snow, and cut the perfect branch from one of our trees, and he spray painted it white.  What a guy!!  Will post more later, with some pics.

Football vs Jack

No, we did not watch the football playoffs. We're not big football fans, but will be watching the Superbowl next Sunday. rah rah!!  I was watching the 2nd season of 24. Greg got me all 7 discs so we've been pretty much clued to the couch. He's getting into it also!!  Is the sun ever going to shine?? I know it's been over a week and it's getting real depressing. It really brings out the worst in people. Ho Hum....

I've decided since I've got thousands of digital kits, papers, elements etc. stored in my computer and most of them have been freebies from some really talented and generous people, that I would start by making some quickpages with them and giving them away as freebies.  Hopefully will start some time this week, hopefully you understand, cause it's a busy week for us.  We're going to Champaign one day and Springfield another and I've got baby shower stuff to get done, and my house needs cleaned, so on and so on.  Anyway here's a little layout I made in honor of the game next week.  Paper and elements from my stash and little football player is from PC Crafters.      Pray for the people in Haiti....

                                                                          

National Popcorn Day

This has got to be my Favorite National Day!!  Since I love Popcorn. We have it just about every night. Last night we had it and watched Paranormal Activity!!  Don't waste your time, it was definitely a B- movie at best.  Tonight we're going to watch Always, that 80's movie with Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. One of my favorites, along with popcorn of course.  By the way, my first shift of orientation on the night shift....well lets just say for from 10:30 to 4am we did about 15 minutes worth of work. Then you've got until 4am to 6am to pass pills to 50 old folks and you know what that means at 6 in the morning. They all want to get up and go to the bathroom, or get a shower, or eat, or whatever.  Needless to say this is not what I was hoping for. The day shift was much better, but the position was for nights...so I guess I don't have to tell you that was my first and last night there.  I really hated to quit on them, but better while I was on orientation than after, when they really would have been counting on me.  I did have an interview somewhere else this week.  We shall see.  Of course, what I'd rather do is stay home and scrap and make cards, but no retirement in the near future for me.                                                                                                                                     

Stay warm and have some popcorn!!!

My Cute Grandsons

Greg got back okay from Virginia and brought 177 pictures back with him. No, he didn't take that many in 2 days!!  He took a few and then brought Daniel's memory card from his camera, so I print out the pictures and send them back to Dan, and I have them loaded in my computer.  Works out real well!!  Anyway these are just a few of my son and his 3 boys... I really miss them!

This is definitely my grandchild, sleeping anywhere and anytime he can!!

OK, It wasn't as bad as I thought!!!

No, it wasn't that bad, I wanted a slower pace and I got it. I'm just worried about the night shift, I mean how slow do I want it?  I definitely don't want to be bored!! The only negative thing today was the fact that Reubens was the lunch choice today and believe me the smell of sauerkraut and old people just doesn't mix!!  We get free hot meals, but I just couldn't sit and eat with that smell, so I jumped in the car and went through the drive-thru at mickey d's (calorie count.com forgive me !)  I'll be leaving in a couple of hours to pick up hubby at the airport. He said he got lots of pictures, so I'll probably be showing them off here tomorrow. Four grandkids in Virginia, 5 in Minnesota, 1 in Florida.  It's just not fair.  We do have 4 here in Illinois though, and 2 more on the way.  The traveling nurse thing may be calling me again, soon. That was a really great way to spend time with the kids out of state.

Though I'd leave you with a little example of my day!!

Soup and a Movie

Here it is Sunday night I'm watching Titantic and eating some potato soup. Greg doesn't really care for it so I made some while he's gone. It's gooood, I don't add the sour cream to mine. When I was a kid my mother made it with just potatoes milk and butter.  We were always allowed to have hot tea the nights we had potato soup.  Go figure!! Which remind me, I never had to drink milk when we had chilli either. Now I wonder what that was all about??  OMG, the Titantic just spyed the iceberg, I bet it's too late!!  I should be going to bed I have to get up at 0500, unthinkable hour for me, but I have to orientate on the day shift for 1 day, then it's on to the night shift. I do like working nights. You don't have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn and if you've got something you need to do during the day you can do it and then sleep later before you go back in to work. I think I've mentioned I'm not crazy about starting there, but will and keep looking in the meantime. I just need a slower pace than the hospital, the stress was starting to be too much and literally making me ill.

I pick Greg up tomorrow night at the airport, I MISS HIM really really bad! 

Till the next time, go fix some soup....

Brrrrr it's cold!!

Boy it's cold out here!  And by the sounds of it everywhere else too.  Adam came over and plowed our driveway for us, the roads are all clear.  I don't think it got as bad as it was suppose to.  Very little drifting snow thank goodness. Greg's on his way to Virginia with the car for Daniel.  They can really use it now, 3 boys, 9, 2 and 1.  So they really need the bigger car.  I really wanted to go also, but I start a new job Monday morning, so the timing just wasn't good. I really miss all of them and don't like it when Greg and I are apart either. Anywho I'm watching some more of 24 and making potato soup. I think I'll call my sister and watch some chick flicks. I'm also starting on two new scrapbooks for the new baby grandaughter and baby grandson, except I'm just putting in pages and letting the moms put in the pictures.  I haven't scrapped in a while except for some mini albums I did as gifts and a really cool cookbook for my son and his wife in Virginia.   Stay warm everybody!!

It's Cold Outside!!!!!

I haven't been outside today except to peek out and grab the newspaper!  I'm snug as a bug here inside with the fireplace on and hot coffee.  We are suppose to get some snow tonight, 3-6 inches and blowing winds.  I'm watching the first season of 24 now with that hunk-a-roo Jack Bauer!!  Here's a not so good picture of the baby shower invitations I'm making for my daughter Rebecca's shower.  Her baby girl is due Feb. 28th. So we're busy busy!   I used small blank cards, cut an round oval with a small nestibilities for the neck and then half of the round oval for the leg openings.  Another nestibility for the collars, and then the scalloped oval circle for the trim on collars and around leg openings. They turned out really cute and once I got the first pattern done, they didn't take that much time, one evening and they were done!!

Hope everyone is staying warm and having a great day!!

A new blog design, a new year!!

I haven't blogged since halloween anyway, so thought I might as well start all over this winter. I love winter and today I'm taking it easy, have been on the lap top all morning, facebook, etc. just catchin up!! I've got baby shower invitations I'm working on for daughter, Rebecca's shower. Her baby girl is due the end of  February. And our other daughter Jennifer's baby boy is due the end of May! I can't wait, like my grandpa use to say, "there should always be a baby in the family at all times."  Here's a couple of layouts from Christmas. One of my grandaughter, Mya and one of me..