Some Thoughts From Nana.....and Happy New Year!!!

Hi everybody and a very Happy New Year to one and all. I know our friends in some parts of the world are already on to 2010, and some of us are fast approaching the celebrating. Hard to believe we are to 2010.

The Xmas holidays were wonderful for our family. Little Polka Dot is so much fun and so darn cute...sorry, again, can't help myself. A while back on his own he started calling Mr. Polka Dot ..Papa. How cute. His mom and dad thought we were teaching him that and we thought they were, but he just figured that out on his own. Now he has picked my name....Nana...I LOVE IT, and the fact that he choose it makes it even better. He could frankly call me anything, but Nana it is! Here he is at our family Xmas party on Aunt Jane's carousel horse with Papa helping. Such a happy guy!! We had lots of great family time this year and feel lucky to be close enough to have time with everyone. My daughter in laws family had their annual tamale making party....SO MUCH FUN, and in the words of her mom, what is talked about at the tamale making party stays at the tamale making party!!!! Because our girl had to work on Xmas day we decided to drive out and have dinner with her and her boyfriend and his family.....FUN, and a great Italian dinner. Christmas day was spent at our house with Mr. Polka Dots family joining us and then the BIG SURPISE.........our girl drove here after work anyway. She made us cry happy tears!!! The day was perfect!!! Tamales, taquittos, chile casserole, beans, fruit salad and my daughter in laws AMAZING Brownie Balls..... totally amazing!!!! My sister in laws helping me to pull it all together...so lucky to have them both!!!

Our girl came home for a gingerbread making party the week before Christmas with her high school friends, and Little Polka Dot and his mom...again FUN, and yummy all rolled together. Years ago we were given this wonderful gingerbread house mold from Williams Sanoma and it makes the perfect size house. Fun that the girls wanted to do it again this year...just like old times. They are such good friends, and so fun they included Little Dot and his mommy. The tradition lives on :-)!!!

Miss Geranium sent me the most wonderful box of Xmas goodies. I had decided to try one of the biscuits, but the tin was filled to the brim with more wonderful Xmas goodies. She spoiled me!! Then I got this wonderful "Random Act of Christmas Cheer" from Nanette. So sweet, and the fabrics are just amazing. I can't wait to find the perfect project to use them in.

On the quilt front.......well I did get all the rows together on my camp quilt, and one of the side borders added. As you can see by the fold marks it's been tucked away for a bit of time. I'm thinking I will work on the other borders tonight while I watch the New Years Eve celebrating on TV...yes I know it sounds like a wild old time, but I'll try really hard to control myself. Mr. Polka Dot will be at the blanket show long before midnight for sure!!!! Here's some mini quilts that I put the binding on yesterday for a friend. I LOVE THESE BABIES......think they need to go on the to do list...boy that list is long!

This seems to be the time of year to make resolutions. I am not doing it this year because I don't seem to follow through. I just am going to reflect on the great year we have had as a family and we are all looking forward to our new little guy due in about 4 weeks....so exciting!!! This has been a year of change, and one think I have learned for sure is that change is good...very, very, very good!!! Thanks for a wonderful year of blogging and bloggy friendships and my best wishes for a Happy New Year to all of you!!

Merry Christmas

The elves are busy around here getting packages wrapped, and goodies made.....a fun Xmas Eve dinner with our girl and then plenty of family here Friday for Christmas. Little Polka Dot is having so much fun...going to lots of parties, having his cousin Caroline and her mommy and daddy staying at his house, and presents, presents, presents to be opened. He only has about 5 more weeks and then poof, he magically turns in to a big brother!

I borrowed this wonderful Santa from my friend Annie..hope she doesn't mind. I just couldn't resist that polka dot hat!!

Time for me to get myself tucked in bed. Wishing all of you and your families the best Christmas ever!

Hellllllllo, It's This Thing Working???

I'm back and I have really missed all the happenings....BUT, lots of binding deadlines and then a little bug that came to visit took priority. So now for some catching up!

First Thanksgiving.....WONDERFUL!!! My sister in law hosted, and the food was so good and so much visiting and talking and eating, just a really fun day. Our girl was able to come by after work and arrived just in time for dinner...perfect!!! Here's Little Polka Dot enjoying the day....honestly isn't he just the cutest??? That was a very shameless grandma comment, but I just couldn't help myself! Our niece Beth took such great photos of him, and I could show you a trillion but I won't!!! Sixteen months old, so hard to believe and we are enjoying each and every moment we get to spend with him. What a character he is and such a big boy already.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I sewed at an all day Quilt Till You Wilt event. So much fun and the food......yummmmmmy!!! There was a traveling cowboy chef that came and made the best ever beef sandwiches and again the best ever, ever, ever potato salad....oh yeah..and we quilted!!!! There were three of us that decided to use my friend Annie's pattern using a Happy Campers jelly roll.....those are the pieces to the one quilt I didn't finish, but here's the two I did! Picture in the middle is my friend Beth's quilt and mine. What a great pattern and whips up really fast.

Great mail came!!! My SSCS parcel arrived from Jo Jo in Australia....love the wool snowman
ornament and how am I ever going to resist opening this gift till Xmas day???!!! hmmmm, don't think I can do it, I am so tempted........Jo Jo came to my rescue and said I should go ahead and open it so I can use it this Christmas.....YIPEEEEEEE, love this Santa. She did such a beautiful job making him. Thanks JoJo and BIG THANKS for giving me the OK to open my parcel!

Then there's the binding deadlines....amazing so many beautiful quilts, lots of pieced quilts this year. There will be some happy people on Xmas
morning...just sayin'! Here's a few Xmas ones that I wanted to share. The trees on the left are my friend Carol's. She got the pattern when we went to Houston a few years ago and did a fine job collecting greens, black and whites...someday I'll do this one!!! Then a wonderful snowman sampler and a Lover's Knot toopper ......so beautiful!!!!

Between the Thanksgiving celebrating and the binding deadline thingie, there was this 24 hour bug that came to visit and knocked me on my keester...wow!!! Then it knocked Mr. Polka Dot on his keester except for him, a cold came right along with it. Me feeling very smug that I didn't get the cold part....MISTAKE, then the cold part knocked me on my keester again!!! Finally turning the corner just in the nick of time.....I just get these things this time of year you would think I would be use to it by now!!

Xmas decorating is happening......FINALLLLLY!!! Word has it there's a wild Gingerbread decorating party happening next week, so things better be looking festive! Nice to be back amongst the blog world......15 more days till the the big guy comes!!! Happy Friday (and Saturday in some parts) everyone!!