Ok, there is no such thing as NORMAL!!!

If you look at my previous post, I labeled it "Resuming Normal". Well, that hasn't happened & now we are into the Christmas season full force, so thus the reason for today's post label.
I no more than posted my previous post, and our son asked if dad could come down for several days & do home renovations for him. So, he got off early on Friday that week, and was to come home the day before Thanksgiving.
I decided on that Friday morning, to pull out a WIP that had BARELY been started back in Dec. 09. I mean barely.:>) You can see how little in the picture attached. My goal was to have all of the words stitched before he got back home on Wed. afternoon.
You see above, I said he WAS TO COME HOME on the day before Thanksgiving....????? Well, Mr. Handyman worked so fast, he was done on Monday evening. So.........he packed up & left early on Tues. morning & pulled in here Tues. about 2:30........needless to say, the lettering wasn't quite done...I thought I had 24 more hours!!
But...the lettering was done on Wed. evening, so I did meet my goal, he just got here too soon!
I also have been working on some advent pieces for one of the groups I am in. I have shown the first one, but I have 3 more stitched now. I have 52 finishes thus far for the year.
This week, my goal will be three tote bags. My grandsons have taken a love to the movie CARS & they love their little cars.(see previous post) My son said" mom....why don't you make tote bags for them, like you have done for other kids?!?!"  So....grandma has got to come thru.  I found tote bags in "their colors" & will stitch on white fabric & add it to the bags!!
Ok, with so much to do & so little time, I better get going. I need to put my house back in order! We had all 3 of our kids & their families for Thanksgiving. So...with the  boys here, my house is a mess!!!

the little bit that was started

the lettering is finished

Advent piece

another advent piece

yet another advent piece

Have a great week everyone!!!

Resuming 'normal'

We are resuming our normal(?) lives now.
We met the boys parent's half way on Sat. & gave them the boys back. It is always so hard to let them go, because they live so far away & we know not when we will see them again....normally! But, since Thanksgiving is next week..guess what?! We do know this time when we will see them again.
I wonder if they will still remember how to say GRANDMA....yes, I managed to teach at least 2 of the boys how to say grandma!!!! Made my week!
We did lots of things to create wonderful memories. They probably will not remember, but I sure will. One day, we made a new dessert called Mountain Apple Cobbler. You chunk apples & wrap them in crescent rolls. I let the boys do that part & put them in the pan. I then added the topping ingredients.
The next day, we made sugar cookies...ok, I cheated this time...I had a package of dough in the refrigerator. I let them take the chunks off of the cardboard & put them on the cookie sheets. I then let them add sprinkles to the cookies. Lastly, I turned the oven light on, so that they could 'watch' their cookies bake! And of course, they had to enjoy them as soon as they were finished cooking.
They are 'into' the cars from the movie CARS. So, one night, it was a trip to Walmart. Papa helped each boy choose a car. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars each. They were all so happy. They slept with their cars each time they were put down to sleep. (I would go get it out of the beds when they fell asleep!)
Ok, onto stitching! One of the groups I am in is doing advent stitching. We will end up with 24 little designs....just the right size for ornaments or cards, etc....
I have done one so far & hope to do one today. I am attaching a picture of the first one. I think this will be an ornament, but I am not sure yet.
I have also been working on the 12 days pieces. I have now finished day 3. This is finish #49 for the year.
In another of my groups, we are doing an ornament exchange. I received mine while the boys were here, but haven't shown a picture yet, so it is attached as well.
I think that is my update for now. I have GOT TO clean house today...Monday & Tues. are busy with babysitting & running him to &  from preschool, so today is the day!!

watching our cookies bake

ornament & card from exchange

Advent stitching, Day 1

PS 12 days......day 3

Thanks for stopping by & for your kind comments....they mean so much to me. Have a wonderful week.

On the First Day....

I finished day one of the 12 days of Christmas on Friday of last week, but didn't take time to update my blog. I was getting ready for my grandsons arrival...had to toddler proof my house!!
I finished day 2 this am, before they got up.....I have one sitting on my lap right now, as I type this....he got up a little earlier than yesterday, so I didn't quite get done what I wanted!! (wanted this update done before any of them got up.) Please excuse the wrinkles & hoop marks...didn't take time to iron them first!!!
For those of you who may be new/newer to my blog, we have triplet grandsons who are 2 1/2 years old. They come to stay with us periodically, to give our son & DIL a much needed break.

Day One

Day Two

My precious grandsons!!!

ok, I am not going to get long winded on this, just want to show that it is very possible to stitch & update with three toddler boys in the house!!!
I will show one picture of them, having fun with grandma & papa (that is what they call him!)

Let the Holiday Candy making begin!

Funny title for a post, right???
Well, I am officially done with my canning for the year, so now it is time to start on my candies that I make for the holidays..
Most of it is given as gifts for Christmas, but there is always some available at Thanksgiving as well.
This morning, I made my last batch of applesauce. I was able to get a bushel of my favorite sauce apples on Monday. I babysat M, T, and W, so I knew today was the day. I had 109 apples in the bushel.
You can see in the pictures some of the steps that take me from round, red apples to delicious pink sauce....yes, the sauce is pink. I do not add anything to my sauce....JUST APPLES....
I also have had some stitching time....I started this ornament on Monday evening & finished it last night. It was a fun stitch, except for the dreaded .............
yeah, you all know what goes in that blank....
Today, I plan to start the first of 12 ornaments I hope to stitch quickly!!! I am going to do the 12 days of Christmas by Prairie Schooler...

apples after they have been softened

sauce ready to be canned

results of my labor!

dark picture, but a soon to be ornament

Ok, I have sat here long enough......I need to keep moving.....lots to do yet this week!
Have a great week..thanks for stopping by...thanks for your kind comments...they make my day!!!