December

Hazel's 1st Birthday ~~ December 17

Prairie Schooler Ornaments ~~ Stitched Gifts Given to Family

 Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year

Oh my, it has been a long time...

Hello, dear friends, it's been a while.  We've been so very busy these past weeks.  

After DD's surprise visit in September, she wasn't able to come home in October like she had planned.  Instead, I was able to take a long weekend to visit her in Texas.  We won't get to have her here for Thanksgiving, but she is planning on coming home for Christmas.  Since she will be deployed the beginning of May, I'm going to try to visit her several times between January and May.  

My oldest DD is feeling better and has actually gained a few pounds, but still weighs less than 100 pounds.  She went back to the doctor a few weeks ago and has been instructed to wean off the medication to see how she does.  So far, she's been doing well with less medication.

It's been pretty rough for my mom as she has been having many medical issues resulting in emergency room visits, doctor appointments, tests, procedures and even a couple of surgeries.  

In early November, we got to celebrate some birthdays.

Mom turned 77 and her brother, Uncle D, turned 75.  We gathered at a local Italian restaurant for a wonderful dinner.

My niece and her husband announced that they are expecting again.  After several failed IVF attempts and 2 miscarriages, they were blessed with a successful pregnancy and had Baby Daniel a year ago.  They decided to try IVF one more time and found out they are having TRIPLETS!  Last week's ultrasound shows they are having 3 identical boys.  We are so excited and, yet, anxious at the same time.  We already know she will be going on bedrest around Christmas time for the remainder of her pregnancy hoping to make it as close to her May due date as possible.

Somehow with everything going on, I did find some time to stitch 6 ornaments for gifts.  I will share those pics when I have them completely finished.

My friend asked me to paint the wooden butterflies he's been making and I was glad to help. 

These are just a few of the 20+ butterflies I've painted this fall.  

 

Hazel is 11 months old!  

Dottie Dog, Hazel and Hollie think it's treat time, lol.

WISHING YOU & YOURS

A VERY 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

September...

How is that September is almost over with?  Wasn't it just Labor Day?

I love it when fall weather is summer-like and ours has been quite hot recently.  We haven't had any rain since August 27 though.

Found this little tree frog while cleaning up after the tree trimmers topped the maple trees in front of our house.  I enjoy hearing the tree frogs and we have many around here.

 
Hazel(nut) turned 9 months old on September 17.  She is such a sweet girl and so playful.  I took this photo after she had been playing in the outside water bowl.  She plays in water whenever and wherever she can.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Had a surprise weekend visit from DD!  It was so good to see my girl and hug her.  Hollie was one super excited dog when she saw her momma!

Dottie Dog was also happy to see DD and DD got to meet Hazel for the first time.

DD took selfies with my mom and had fun showing her how Snapchat filters work.  I haven't heard my mom laugh that much in a long time.

We decided to leave for the airport early so we could go shopping at a new fashion outlet mall near the airport.  My daughters enjoyed some sister time while purchasing their new fall wardrobes.  I kept asking "do people really wear this?" and the girls would laugh at me.  It was so much fun and reminded me of when they were younger.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you all for your comments and prayers for my oldest DD.  She had more tests done and saw the doctor again last week.  All the tests and labs came back normal.  The medication has helped a little and DD has been feeling some better.  The doctor thinks that an antibiotic DD took way back in March may have caused some of the stomach problems.  The doctor instructed DD to continue the medication and return in a few weeks for follow up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nothing crafty to show since I haven't been crafting, stitching or crocheting much.  I did manage to crochet a couple pairs of slippers for my sister, but forgot to take pics.

Until next time,

STAY SAFE!

August

My Dearest Readers, you are so special to me!  It is heartwarming to have so many caring friends.  Thank you for your comments, prayers and private emails regarding DD.  It means so much to us!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I just finished my first ever crochet shawl and haven't even blocked it yet.  This was also my first time using this gorgeous yarn.  I love the color gradients from the light green to the dark gray-green all on one large skein.  This will be a birthday gift for DD.  I hope she likes it.

Pattern:  Nerida Shawl

Designer:   Anna Nikipirowicz

Yarn:  Scheepjes Whirl

Colorway:  Pistachi Oh So Nice

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Delivery came for Hollie last week.

Hollie's mom (our youngest DD that is the Army Officer) sent a box of 60 tennis balls with instructions that the box had to be dumped from the upstairs deck and a video taken of the dogs in the raining tennis balls. I was also instructed to call our oldest DD and have her bring Skye over too.  

Even though Skye didn't run after the balls, all the dogs loved it!

It was fun and now I've got tennis balls everywhere, lol.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

DD Update:

The liver ultrasound was normal and DD was referred to a specialist for further treatment.  The specialist ordered more labs and a test to see how the stomach moves foods.  The labs all came back normal, including the liver enzymes, which were previously elevated.  The test to see how the stomach moves foods showed that her stomach movement is extremely delayed (gastroparesis).  The specialist ordered an endoscopy, which was done last week.  The endoscopy showed no blockage or abnormalities.  So, while we have some answers, we still don't know what is causing the gastroparesis.  DD goes back for a follow up next week and will referred to a different specialist for further treatment.  Meanwhile, she is still not feeling well and losing even more weight.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Resurrections Lilies made their early August appearance.  I always marvel at how they show up almost overnight.

Trying to get pics of Hollie smiling for Hollie's mom...

Bribery with treats didn't work...

Different treats didn't work either (but Hazel is smiling)

At least Hazel is happy

Finally!

Wishing you a day filled with smiles!

I'm Still Here

I had planned on posting in June, but life got in the way.

The end of May through June 10th, we had a house full of dogs when Grand-dogger Skye stayed with us while DD & SIL were in Alaska.

Clockwise Bottom Left to Right:  Skye, Hollie, Dottie & Hazel 

It is really difficult to get 4 dogs to sit still for a photo, even when holding a treat over their heads, lol. They all got along really well and played together nearly all day long.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

June 14 brought severe storms to our area and our little town was hit the hardest.  I took a few photos of some of the damage.

This is what's left of the oldest barn in town.  It was over 100 years old.

We were lucky that the only damage we had was the TV tower being twisted and blown over.

Our neighbor was not so lucky.  She had just returned home during the worst of the storm, when the tree fell on her house. Remarkably, she was not injured.

Almost all of the homes on my side of town suffered some kind of damage from wind or broken trees and several garages and sheds were blown apart.  The other side of town had only a few homes that had minor damage even though many trees were damaged in the storm.  DD lives on the other side of town and had no damage other than a few small branches in her yard.  Just on the edge of town, a machine shed was blown apart and pieces of the building were found in a field almost 2 miles away.  We were without power for 28 hours during some of the hottest and most humid weather we've had.

I've never seen so many people in our tiny town as there were the night of the storm and the days after. Besides the power crews and tree crews, people were showing up just to drive around and see the damage. Too bad none of them stopped to help with the clean up.

Two days later, more severe storms came through in the late afternoon and we were rewarded with a double rainbow.   The house in the background is my neighbor's house and a tree crew had just finished removing the tree and tarping the roof an hour earlier.  Half of that huge tree in the front yard fell on her house.  The remainder of that tree is scheduled to be removed later this summer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Our oldest DD still has not been feeling well.  She had her gallbladder removed last November, but is still having digestive issues along with pain in the abdomen.  She had surgery again on June 23 for female problems.  The doctor also examined other organs during the surgery.  The liver appeared a little off color and not as smooth as it should be.  Her liver enzymes are mildly elevated and DD had a liver ultrasound last week, which we are still awaiting the results of.

My sister was telling me that my niece had elevated liver enzymes when she was diagnosed with gluten intolerance.  My niece had been very ill and once she was diagnosed and changed her diet to omit gluten, she began to feel better and her liver enzymes returned to normal.  I am hoping that whatever is going on with DD can be easily fixed and controlled by diet too.

I've done some research and DD has most of the symptoms of gluten intolerance, but we haven't heard from the doctor with the results of the liver ultrasound, so we don't know anything yet.  I have been so worried and the waiting is the hardest!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I have no stitching or crafting to share, so how about a few flower pics?

Pink Wave Petunias

Pink Zinias, Vanilla Marigolds & Mixed Flowers

Pink Poppy

Until next time,

STAY SAFE 

& 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Lately...

It's been a little chaotic around here!

Hollie is back with us for the summer.  Her mom will be at a different base for the summer and since she'll be living in tents, she couldn't take Hollie with her.   Hollie, Hazel and Dottie are all getting along really well.

Hollie and Hazel are two peas in a pod.

Hazel turned 5 months old this week.  She is so sweet and learning so much.  Hollie is very tolerant of Hazel and all the puppy things she does.

DD (Hollie's mom) also had a birthday this week.  I can't believe how fast 24 years went by.

DD got to spend her 24th birthday in Italy visiting her boyfriend, Michael.  He is also an Army Officer and stationed in Italy.  They met last summer during their first Army assignment after college graduation and then were in officer training together last fall.

Since we took the large maple tree down in February, we've had many birds flying into one dining room window.  

Hubby read that soap could be used to draw a grid on the window and that would help the birds avoid the window.  So we're trying it and the neighbors think it looks strange, but so far, no birds have flown into the window.


I HAVE A FINISH!

Ode to Ort Basket

Design by With Thy Needle and Thread

Unknown Fabric and GAST threads from my stash

Wishing all the Moms

Have an awesome weekend!

Happy Spring!

It happens every year.  We have spring-like weather early and then when spring officially arrives, it's gray, chilly, damp and rainy -- or in some cases, snowy.

Hazel experienced her first snow when we had a 6 inch snowfall on March 13.  She had fun trying to find the grass and she loved running around in the snow.

Hazel is now 15 weeks old and we're working on manners and housetraining.  I love watching her figure things out and the way she tilts her head from side to side when she's listening.

Haven't been doing much stitching, crocheting or crafting, although I have started another project.

I saw this design from With Thy Needle and HAD to order it.  I've selected my fabric and threads and put in about a dozen stitches.  Hazel doesn't understand that she can't play with my fabric, thread, pattern, scissors or needle, so I haven't been able to sit and stitch unless she's napping.  I can tell you one thing, she doesn't nap much or long at all, lol.

Hubby has been really sick with a severe respiratory infection.  When he's sick, the whole household comes screeching to a complete stop.  Hubby was so sick that he actually asked me to take him to the doctor.  He has returned to work, but he's still not feeling well.  He barely makes it through dinner and then goes to bed.  In our 28 years of marriage, I have never seen him this sick and it worries me.

I was given a little 2 inch pot of mini Daffodils last spring and planted them in my garden last summer.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that they came up and bloomed last week.

Until next time,

Have a great week!

LHN Summer Garden

I've been looking for this pattern/kit for several years.  There were a couple traveling patterns that were going around, but I was never lucky enough to be selected as the next stitcher.

I'd given up on finding the pattern after the traveling patterns disappeared.  Out of the blue, I decided to look on eBay and actually found an active auction for the LHN Summer Garden kit!

I'm so excited to finally have this kit.  The kit contains the pattern and Crescent Colours thread pack.   Now I just need to go through my fabric stash to find the perfect fabric.

Until next time,

Keep Stitchin'

Hazel

Thank you for all the name suggestions!  We've named her Hazel.

When Hazel was with her litter mates, she was described as shy and would often go lay down away from her siblings.  Since she's been in our house, there have been no signs of her being shy.   She is curious about everything around her and doesn't seem to be afraid of anything.

Hazel knows her name, comes when we call her, chases the tennis ball and brings it back, goes to the back door when she needs to go "potty" and sits to get a treat.

Dottie and Hazel are getting to know each other and getting closer every day.

Spring must be coming...

...the Resurrection Lilies are coming up!  I've been hearing robins for several weeks, but I haven't actually seen them yet.

It was beautiful here on Saturday so we went for a drive.  We saw HUGE flocks of migrating birds in the sky.  I have never seen so many birds.  Even as we drove under one flock, ahead of us there would be another and another and another.  They looked like some kind of duck, but they were so high in the sky it was hard to tell for sure.  We saw one flock coming down in a distant field.  There had to have been thousands of birds landing in that field and the large white birds made the field look like it was covered in deep snow.  

Since we were driving on the interstate, we couldn't pull over to take photos.  I searched the internet when we got home and discovered that we saw migrating Snow Geese.

Here's a great video I found on Snow Geese migration.  It was awesome seeing a small part of the Snow Geese migration!

Hope your week is going well

&

Be Safe