Getting Out and Enjoying the Farm Life!!

Our Thanksgiving week start off with a bit of activity, but when it came to Thanksgiving Day, we were blessed with calm and quiet. We spent the morning at home with my husband showing the Lil Monkey how to play a few kid-friendly games on the xBox, then Monkey really had a blast with his new Human Body game on his LeapPad when the hubby had to start studying for law school finals which started today (yikes). Meanwhile, I relaxed with a cup of Community Coffee (yum!) and some Pumpkin English Muffins while I watched a few Christmas movies. 

About lunchtime, we dropped off the rental car and headed over to my husband's aunt's house for a great meal and family time with her and her family as well as a few closer-than-family friends (those are the best). While our Lil Monkey decided to be difficult and as picky about what he would eat, hubby and I filled our bellies with a variety of dishes leaving only enough room for a small amount of guilt.

The next day was not so quiet. We aren't even tempted to try Black Friday, so as usual we loaded up and headed to the local Christmas Tree Farm. 

We had quite the adventure. First we trekked out to the trees with the measuring pole and saw, then walked around for a bit looking for the perfect one.  There were some that we small, some that were big. There were even some with birds nests or pinecones in them!! Eventually, we found one that we all agreed was the best and Dear Hubby cut it down. Then we began the walk back to the front of the farm.

Once we had the tree, we had to wait to have it measured and "shaken" (they shake the tree to get rid of all the loose needles and any critters who hitched a ride.) While my hubby stood in line, the Lil Monkey and I decided to go for a hayride. The tree farm is actually two neighboring farms with different trees that work together during the holiday season. The hayride actually takes you out to tree sections and will bring you and your tree back, but we like to walk. We decided to take the ride to see all the different areas in the farm, some that we haven't been to yet. It was lots of fun!

Once the tree was measured and loaded onto our truck, we headed home. Later that night we turned on the Christmas music, pulled all the decorations out of the attic, and got to work decorating the tree.

It's always such a treat to remember the memories and activites that led to each of the Christmas ornaments joining our collection. I can't wait for the Lil Monkey to have the same experience. 

I am really happy that he is finally at an age where we can make lots of ornaments. Look out family, you're getting some for Christmas!!

I'll share photos of some of ur favorite ornaments later.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Travel Back Home, Travel Back in Time

These two photos make my heart melt. The first is when my patnernal grandmother met Jamie for the first time at 4 months old. We were living in Florida at the time and had come to Texas for a month to visit family while George was on a trip for the Army. We also made a trip to Lousiana during this time for a week or so where we met my new niece who was a month old at the time.

This second photgraph is from this weekend. George had some studying to do before he could start our weekend activities and so Jamie and I decided to visit my Dad and his side of the family for a few days so he could get it done without interruption. 

Within an hour of arriving, I also learned that one of my grandmother's dearest friends had passed away that morning, it was definitely eye-opening to realize that she is not the young grandmother I still remember from when I was Jamie''s age. It's hard to face the fact that we are all aging and time is not on our side.

Yesterday, we spent quite a bit of time at my grandmother's house, where Jamie played in the same area I did as a child. 

Just like when I was a child, he walked with her to the mailbox to check the mail, something my 11 siblings, 4 cousins and I used to race each other to do when we visited. Of course, we all had the luxury of growing up next door to her, three houses in a row. All together on almost a daily basis.

We also picked acorns, which were HUGE! And she pushed him a little on the old tire swing. We walked around looking at her trees and flowers, inspected the birdhouses and sat on the porch. 

It was truly a memory-making day for him. I'm glad we are taking the time to do this.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Life and Crafts: A Balancing Act

What a busy weekend we had! It's been a few days since my last post because we really ran around a lot this weekend. Lunch with my parents, trip to a quilt shop where Grammie got to show off the No. 1 Grandchild to her friends, a trip to the store to start our first ever holiday village, with A LOT of input and advice from the littlest among us. Who knew he was such an expert!?!

I was able to get some work started on a variety of projects this weekend, including some work on the next border row for my Lone Robin which is Quiltsmart inspired this year. I can't show you what I am doing, but I can tell you that I am excited about the technique that I am using for this border.

I actually spent a little time throughout the past few days conversing with Mattie and Quiltsmart Mandy about project notes and ideas. So inspirational when you find friends who share the same interests and passions.

There was so much going on event through yesterday and this morning that I am only now getting to sit down and write it all down. In fact, I am sitting here with a fireside seat at La Madeleine, ready to write a book, but I only have time for a blog post or two. Mmm, this tomoato soup is amazing ... Oh, right. I'm on a time limit!!

I also made some Christmas ornaments this weekend and will post as soon as I take photos.

This time of year is filled with so much inspiration everywhere! The past few weeks I have been out delivering the Winter Issue of TEAinTEXAS and I have visited about 5-7 antique shops a week. Just this morning, I visited an antique shop and found a lost treasure that will eventually find a home at my mom's house, but I'll tell you all about it before then.

My list of Quiltsmart projects is growing, but still manageable. There are some quick projects that I will be showing finished soon, and some that will take a little bit more time as my calendar fills with holiday activities. 

Until our next cup of tea ...

Woody Woodpecker Lives in Our Trees

We have some pretty big holes in our trees made by woodpeckers ... Jamie is intrigued by them because he hears them but never sees them.

They are sneaky little buggers, I rarely see them myself but they are always out there just knocking on wood!!

I've made references to Woody Woodpecker but he's too young so maybe we will have to find some old cartoons for him to watch. The holes and lines are pretty artistic but sadly they bugs are killing our poor tree. We've had a few yard maintenance days where we had to trim it back so the dead parts don't affect the healthy parts.

Just another random adventure in our own backyard!

Until our next cup of tea ...