Days and Blocks Shared

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old.

~Mary H. Waldrip

We had such a wondrous, fun, and busy four days and now it seems like it happened a month ago.  With the grandsons in the house for Christmas it was like we were all children again.  So much happiness, surprise, and noise!  We all received a bundle of presents, ate too much food (many times over the four days) and shared our love with immediate family and extended family as well.  Our house emptied out yesterday morning and it was if I had suddenly gone deaf.  No noise.  Even the dogs ended up pouting because there was no one to throw the ball for them, scratch their bellies, and give them that extra hug - I was still home but it's just not the same as when a little boy does those things.  Then I spent the day doing mounds of wash, vacuuming pet hair, and cleaning sticky floors.  But I wouldn't trade it all in just to have a clean house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Our gift from GS#1, Nate

This is the best gift my DH and I received - a hand drawn picture by our 4 year old grandson.  My DD#1 wrote down exactly what he said when he told her about the picture.  If you can't read it because the picture is small, the writing about the character on the left (in orange) says "grandma Linda with a happy face because she's happy to see me".  And the one on the right (in blue) says "Beba with blue glasses and hair".  Beba is what the boys call my DH.  This will hold a special spot in our living room!  I know it's not my typical kind of picture for this spot - but it's the picture that means a lot to me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a little collage of our Christmas.......

Many memories were made!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It seems like I have been gone forever when in all reality I only missed two regular days of posting.  I tried to keep up with some of my reading but sadly fell behind in that department too.  Now I am at the point of what to share first.  Well, since today is Wednesday it is officially One Flower Wednesday.  Yesterday I created this little hexie.........

In celebration of the coming new year, I did a little stitchery for the center of the flower.  I'm not real happy with it but I do like the confetti look of the petals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In my mail today was an envelope from NSW, Australia.  Julie was my swap partner for the month of December for the Quilting Block Swaps Australia. 

Julie made this wonderful deep green Blazing Arrow block in combination with white on white.  She did a beautiful job.  She also included a very nice Christmas card with the block. 

I don't remember if I shared the block I made for Julie so here it is......

She had requested any block made in blue and yellow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAYS

Brown Paper Packages is giving away a Silhouette machine.  You must enter for this great little machine before midnight January 1, 2011 EST.

Qubee Quilts is having a birthday giveaway.  To help Charlie celebrate his birthday and a chance to win a Fandango layer cake you must enter this giveaway by Thursday, December 30th!

Vignette In Stitches Blog is giving away 10 copies of their new magazine.  Check this out before January 6th at 10:00 AM Qld time, Australia.

Dawn's Quilt Corner is having a super giveaway!!  She is giving away 7 yards of Dr Seuss fabric!!  Can you believe that?  You must enter by 6:00 PM on New Year's Day PST.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FINAL THOUGHT

It's hard for me to believe that a new year is arriving in just 3 short days!  Where has the time gone.  It seems like it was just the big celebration of 2000 - and now that was over a decade ago.  Right now I feel as though I could sleep until the new year arrives but I also have so many things I would like to do/start that I don't think that would be very practical.  At least I'm not under the pressure that I put myself under during this last month.  How many of you have big plans for ringing in the new year?  Our big celebration will be having dinner delivered for just the two of us, a movie to watch, and in all likelihood, in bed way before midnight.  But then we will be up in time to watch the Rose Parade on TV.  I don't think that I've ever missed watching the parade live on TV since we were married.

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.
~Bill Vaughn

Have a wonderful, wacky and woven Wednesday!!!!