Where did the time go?

Well, January is just whizzing by. My calendar tells me there is only one more week to go until February, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around that fact. I seem to spend too much time going to work and sleeping!!! Oh, for more hours in my day!

Alana had her tonsils removed on January 8th, and did remarkably well. She was up playing in the hallway of the hospital that evening. The nurses finally decided to unhook her IV tubes as we were having trouble keeping up with her (pushing around that lovely pole!). Amazingly, she never lost her voice, and spent only about 2 days eating soft food before resuming her normal diet! Oh to have the resilience of a three year old!!!

Gracie is ever the sweet joy she always is. She is learning a few signs along with her spoken words, and is quite proud of herself everytime she uses the sign for "more" correctly. She is getting pretty good at saying "night night" and "baa baa" (bottle).

Silas is growing rapidly, and is already one month old. He's gained quite a bit of weight and is almost 10 lbs. now. It is fun to see him spending more time awake and starting to make eye contact with us.

We have watched two more seasons of "24" since Christmas, finishing up season 4 last weekend. These shows are incredibly addicting and we have to be careful not to start watching a new season until we will have enough time to watch the whole 24 hours (actually about 20 hours of viewing time, minus the commercials) in a few days. It can get quite difficult to turn off the TV and head to bed..."just one more episode and then we will" as it gets later and later, LOL!!!!

Amy and I are in the process of layout for two more designs. One is about 99% done (Sunglow Memories) , and will go in for proof copies this weekend. I still have a lot to work on for the second one (My Child's Heart), but anticipate getting it mostly done this weekend. It feels so good to see the designs come together into a real pattern.

We bought our plane tickets for Maui last week, we will be going for a week to our timeshare on April 24th. We are taking Amy along with us this time, we are excited to introduce her to our favorite places on the island! And it will be fun for Lizzie to have a "companion" this time, freeing up John and I to have more time to ourselves.

John and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in July, so we have decided to spend 6 days in San Francisco to celebrate. It's a city that I have always wanted to visit, and tho I am tempted to go back to Hawaii instead, I think it will be fun to explore a new place. We've seen so many movies set in SF, that I know there will be many places that will be familiar even though we've never been there.

Not much stitching getting done, though I am working on a layout for a new design. I am itching to begin stitching on it...man I miss stitching when I don't get to do it for a long time!!!

Back to Normal, I hope!

Well, the holidays are over. Things are beginning to return to normal, and I hope that they stay that way for awhile. Christmas was so "off" this year. Not bad, just different. Most everyone I talked to said Christmas was good, but it just didn't really seem like Christmas. I can only attribute it (at least in our home) to the fact that two weeks of deep snow and ice really put a damper on activities that make it seem like Christmas...driving around to look at Christmas lights, leisurely shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas Eve services were cancelled at most churches, etc. Add in being stuck at home, the birth of a new grandson, work being closed down, having less money to buy gifts, and the whole season just seemed a little subdued. I am thankful that our whole family was able to get together for Christmas dinner at Mom and Dad's home (23 of us this year!). It was a very nice Christmas and the grand kids loved opening all their gifts. This was our first White Christmas in many many years.

Baby Silas is doing very well, two weeks old now, and starting to put a little weight on. Alana loves to hold him too, Gracie just gets mad if her mom (Amy) holds him...jealousy I think!!! Is there such a thing as sibling rivalry in first cousins??? LOL!!

I have been working a bit here and there when I can on another new design, one I had started some time ago, and put away because...I don't know why. I think I didn't like it anymore, but now I do...and it is coming right along. The working title of it is Beyond the Garden Gate...and has a hardanger fence in front of an embroidery garden. (see preview picture in the sidebar). No ribbon embroidery, just floss in this one, and I am pleased with the results. We have begun the process of the layout for Sunglow Memories and My Child's Heart...just have to finish writing the directions and they will be off to the printer!!!

Happy New Year everyone!