Xmas.. Came and Went..... Wow..

Happy Holidays everyone...hope yours was as great as mine...
As usual I spend it with family and this year it was no different...only change was that instead of my daughter's place they wanted to come here..bigger place....(mom's dream). I always want them to come over but due to family obligations, school and work they are not here as often as I would like so this was awesome for dh and me...
We had so much fun...we have laughed til tears were sliding down my face... everyone was in great spirits ( well my daughter was starting a cold) we watched a movie, played games and opened presents!!!!! yay... we did not go out and spend lots of money...there wasn't any really... but what we did was think of cute and imaginative gifts...things we refurbished etc... for example my computer only has two usb hookups- I always complain cause I have to do a few things and then I have to wait.. for example to recharge my IPOD and download any pics, hook up my external drive etc.. so guest what I got yay... a HUB in shape of a whale... my son and his girl got us each one, put them all in a grab bag and eyes closed we picked one...I got a red one...yay..dh a purple and so forth...my daughter picked a white one... and creative one that she is came back next day and showed us what she did...she used her alcohol inks and painted it...it's gorgeous... my daughter got a new computer from her dh and her dad and I gave her a new computer bag (this new comp was wider so old bag did not have space for all..) we always give the kids socks and for the boys belts and everyone sweats/hoodies... they always look out for them hahaha I wonder what will happen the year we don't... We have a "Old Navy" store close by and they had a great sale so we just stocked up... I made "6x6" picture albums for the girls (and club girls too) and they came out cute.... everyone seemed to like them. My honey gave me an adorable Penguin speaker for my comp and IPOD (well I think I can use it anywhere since it came with several cords/hookups..but what do I know... I also got a great gift from my daughter and fam... I lost my mini printer cable and have tried to find it online but couldn't (it comes with the printer only...special I guess) my daughter beg and beg the manufacture and they sent her one... yay. there is a Santa Claus at that place...lol ... My son received a new (refurbished) laptop from us... here is what I mean.. My dh had a 2nd laptop he got in July super sale and what we did was just remove any personal stuff and re-boxed it... It was really a few months old..new.., my husband takes care of his electronics like they were his babies! lol.. my son was ecstatic...his had gotten so messed up a few months ago..cable and screen case trashed (he dropped it I think...) then he got a major virus mess and lost so much data, project school videos etc... anyway with his studying all the time he needed it... Oh my I forgot to mention ( bad mommy) he just graduated from "Paramedics" so now he is EMT, Fireman and a Paramedic... so he deserved it..
There were so many other gifts pasted along, lots of funnies and practical things GPS, perfume, telephone, a cool e-book machine, regular books (got the Lost Symbol -by Dan Brown) sports cups and pj's, hand held games, watch, what my daughter calls gadgets ( swiss army knives, camera, (yes I got a new camera-red) etc..and of course the FOOD... yummy, great Xmas and great weekend... the best gift I can honestly say is the love we all shared and the closeness we all felt....

So sorry did not realize how long winded I was...happy I guess....so how was your Xmas..?

Thank you for stopping by.. took lots of pictures and will download them later today.. got to get the camera ready for NEW YEAR!
Have a great time and please above all be SAFE..

hugs

Nana

The Smell of Xmas is in the air...

Holidays are really flying by.. Halloween gone, Thanksgiving gone and now Xmas is almost upon us... How has it been for you?...feel like it's just too quick?...
Considering the economy around here... I could use more time...*sigh* oh well..

I don't even know what my family wants or needs... they seem to be tight lip this year.
That is probably due to....not wanting anything? maybe they like me can't believe it's here already? whatever I am clueless.. but that's not new...lol.

The club is easier since we always give each other something handmade and are always talking about what we will make for ourselves when we get the chance... so I am working on some albums in their colores which are easy... gotta go into my craftroom and keep at it.. when I get some pictures I will post them but everything is still not put together...

Off to get the creative juices flowing...will make a stop by the kitchen and take a slice of homemade pumpkin pie and enjoy while crafting... yummy..

As always, thank you for stopping by and please leave your comments, really love them.

Hugs

Here he is, Rudolph, a gift that I am working on for my kids (I always call them that even though they are all grown up with kids of their own). I am working on another small pattern x2.. oh gosh at this rate will I ever finish?
I did not post earlier due to more things heaped on my days.. My daughter surprised me with a Xmas tree ( I actually wasn't planning on decorating this year) and I was chosen by my dh to decorate..he always does I think.lol.. He figures his job is to take out the boxes and boxes of decorations from the attic and I decorate..lol.. fair I guess. Oh but what a task.
Just the untangling and checking of lights is a 2 hour job... I could have sworn we made nice orderly bundles of them when we put them a way..*sigh* I think the elves came in to help but got confused.
I finally got them put on the tree, they look so pretty and now comes the fun part I guess.. Since I love bears I have so many that choosing is difficult, I have ceramic, glass, paper, plush silver etc you get it right? I have them all over the house all year round.. it is my collection fetish though I have stopped adding new ones for the last 2 years.. too expensive and no space..lol.. Now you see why I wasn't planning on decorating this year? but my daughter would not have it! I do love the colores, smell of he tree and pine cones sprinkled with cinnamon oil..humm yummy.
Imagine when I finally get to the kitchen and bake some cookies and bake the pumpkin pies and banana bread.. oh, my tummy is growling...lol.. Ok I am hooked..again.. guess my daughter was right when she said I would regret it if I did get in decorating spirit..wise girl she is...

Anyway I did not have time to stitch the weekend so I am glad I got this much done.. now to make another.. still haven't decided if it will be a decoration or a ??? any ideas?
Well today is Tuesday and I have no plans until tonight so off to stitch for a while and continue decorating around the house.. Happy decorating and baking to all of you who do. When I am finished I will post a picture of the tree..if you all wish to see it..

As always, thank you for stopping by and please leave your comments since they are the only way I will know you have stopped and shared with me...after all they are the footprints of where you have been and ...I really love them..

A great family day.

I sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day /Thursday whether you celebrated it or not.. :)

I sure did..my kids came over with their spouses and my grandson (my daughters son... It was wonderful.. My son-in-law always likes to cook the Turkey ( who am I to argue?) and my daughter does the rest, yams, hot green bean salad, yams, pumpkin pie... my dh makes awesome stuffing, my daughter -in-law a spinach dip we love and I did a banana bread that my grandson loves (no nuts-he and I agree on that) lol... everything was so good, so delicious that I over did it and I will be rolling tonight and all of tomorrow...ugh where is the alka seltzer... I need to do some serious Happy Dancing to take this off...lol

Everyone left by 10pm since everyone works tomorrow and my wonderful son-in-law actually cleaned the kitchen for me this year... usually that is my job since I don't cook and I like that just fine... but he was just so good to me... he let me relax and enjoy time with the kids (they are all adults I know but they are kids to me) and he just took over the kitchen.. left overs put away and sink clean..I was in heaven.
Any time with the family just makes my day.. I am so happy..
I miss my oldest son, he and his family live in update NY so he could not be here...*sigh* maybe some day..

Well I hope your day was as wonderful if not more than mine.. no stitching for me today.. but I don't regret it..

Thanks for stopping by...


Nana