brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

so we went out to franklinville today to have a day of fun in the snow... good gravy it was cold out there! carter and i played outside for MAYBE 13 minutes. it was really chilly! i was trying not to be a weenie about it, but when i asked him if he was cold he said "yeah." and then i asked him if he wanted to go back inside he said "yeah!" i was SO glad! the radio out there said that the temperature was 13 with a wind chill of -4!now clay and gerry on the other hand... they did a little sledding. the driveway out there is 1/2 mile long... they made it REALLY far!

for some reason, after the kids were really overtired and trying to thaw out, we then attempted to take our annual christmas pictures. this is always an incredibly torturous event. there is always 1 kid that won't cooperate... today it was carter. we had clay carter and david in their matching (adorable) sweaters, and grace had on her cute red dress. carter would NOT stop sticking his fingers in his mouth, fish hooking his cheeks and sticking his tongue out... it was really pretty funny. but we didn't get any good pictures. we will give it another try this week... but this just might have to be another year of separate pictures. oh well... my question is this- how do families with numerous children pull off the group photos where everyone is not only looking at the camera, but are sitting nicely and looking adorable? HOW DO THEY DO IT? WHAT IS THE SECRET? anyone???

i've been tagged...

so tina tagged me... am i'm not happy about it. what happens when you get tagged??? first you are supposed to take a picture to post just like you normally would. next, you are supposed to take a step back and get a picture of the full surroundings. how embarrassing!!! my LIFE is a big enough mess... you can only imagine my sewing area! it's ok though... i can take it... and i WILL get tina back for this!
here is my first picture... 3 new traveling art studios that i was able to get done tonight. i have 3 more cut out... perhaps tomorrow???

and here you go tina... my mess! i will point out a few key items... see that iron? i NEVER iron my clothes (or gerry's for that matter... that is his job!) but i need it to make my checkbook covers. uh, what else... there is the obvious stack of fabric to the right of the iron. that would be a stack of new bags that i cut out tonight. the pink gift bag holds the scrap pieces of fabric that i just can not throw out. to the left of the pink bag is my ribbon container (you can't really see it). oh yeah, and on the right of that pink bag is ANOTHER stack of cut out bags that need to be put together. then there is my good ole sewing machine... it was a cheap-o, but it rocks! i can sew through so many layers of fabric that it's crazy!

so folks, those are my pictures... now i must tag 2 people. i'm going to tag josie from whom i bought this traveling art studio pattern, and the new girl. the new girl is a blog that (i'm not sure how) i happened upon a while back. it cracks me up! i feel as though i unknowingly write it in my sleep or something... we think A LOT alike! :)

well girls, it's your turn now! let's see some mess please!!!

bring on the redneck comments...

so i did something new tonight that never in my life would i have ever thought i would do... (get your mind out of the gutter you sickos!) i helped gerry cut up his deer.

now don't misunderstand me... i had no part in the skinning or quartering or anything like that. where i stepped in was once it came into the house looking like something you would buy from a butcher, i helped cut it up. as gross as i thought it would be, it actually was quite interesting... i felt like a surgeon or something.

now don't panic people... i will not pick up a new hobby of butchering. i promise! actually i have a plan to get a TON of sewing done this weekend before the buffalo for africa show at my alma mater... oh yeah, it's next sunday the 14th at frontier high school from 12-4. just in case you're feeling the need to shop!

birthdays, thanksgiving, surprise party and just plain ole chaos!!!

so i had quite the busy week/weekend... last saturday the whole family went out for dinner to celebrate all of our birthdays... spike's, christiane's, gerry's and mine. here is nanny with carter and grace... poor woman couldn't even eat! the kids would NOT get off her lap! clay thinks he's super cool taking care of little baby dave...

then carter had to follow in his big brother's footsteps...

then we had thanksgiving dinner at my house... and not to toot my own horn (i said toot) i must admit that everything was delish! friday morning my sister and i decided to brave the stores and do a little black friday shopping... ok, so we went out at noon and missed most of the crazies. i have to say, we got some REALLY good deals, and for once in my life, i'm pretty darn close to being done shopping! :)

saturday was the long awaited surprise party for my girls... my sister hollie is turning 40, and my sister in law christiane just turned 30! old ladies... ha! it was a LOT of fun... although i am glad it's over. jen and i have been trying to plan this party since august... and it has been REALLY difficult to not mention it to either of them. i can't even tell you how many times i almost slipped!

well, the buffalo for africa show is next weekend and i have a LOT to get done between now and then... i guess i have a busy weekend ahead of me!

oh yeah, and gerry got another doe... yep, another dead deer decorating the tree in my side yard. eew!!!

it's been a while...

so i have been m.i.a. for a bit here... i wish i could say that my absences has been because i have been making so many things... or because i have been busy xmas shopping... or pruning my money tree. actually, i'm not exactly sure WHAT i have been so busy with. i have THOROUGHLY cleaned my entire house (which took 2 days). i cleaned the fridge, the cupboards, reorganized the kids toys... i was really on a roll. now, my mom is in town and staying at our house... and i have been thanksgiving shopping... and recipe searching. i will be making my very first thanksgiving dinner tomorrow! i just need to realize that although i have WATCHED a bunch of shows on the food network, i am not an actual CHEF from food network. i hope i don't get carried away! well, i will update and let you know how it all worked out... in the meantime, it's my birthday (not as fun anymore) and i have to get ready for work (boo!!!)... happy turkey day ya'll! and don't forget the TRUE meaning of thanksgiving... EAT TIL YOU EXPLODE!!! ;)

UPDATE

so, just a productivity update for ya'll... since friday i have made 100 hair bows, 8 wallets, 6 checkbook covers, and 2 traveling art shows... all while watching both boys and running the house alone. i have a bunch more art shows and 2 more wallets cut out... but a sudden, and TERRIBLE cold has halted my productivity :(

my goodness have i been productive!

so i have been unusually productive today... my sister in law and i packed my in law's house for a few hours, while the kids ran around terrorizing the place. we each had our ipods on (to tune the kids and my mother in law out a little) and just went to town. i'm happy to say that other than clothes and kitchen dishes, they are completely packed and ready to move!
once i got home, and got chippy in bed, i started sewing.
this is the traveling art show pattern that i got from mr monkeysuit. i am SO happy with how it turned out! it is supposed to have a pack of crayons on the left side, and an activity book on the right... i will be buying those to fill these soon. it was super easy and fast to make... i just think it's damn adorable! and then i finished off some more checkbook covers and coordinating wallets...

yeah, i made 8 wallets and 6 checkbook covers tonight. i'm a little obsessed... now that i have finished all of the checkbook covers and wallets that i had cut out, now i will obsess on the traveling art shows for a while.

on another note, for those of you who care... carter was up AGAIN last night! he woke up and came down to my bed at 2am... and was up until 4 something. once he went back to sleep, it was only until 7:30. needless to say, i'm going to bed. zzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!