Special Delivery

        This grandma is very excited to share the holidays with all our little munchkins!  There are several reasons why...it's always fun to just watch all the grandkids together and see the fun they have with each other.  This year is our first Christmas with 3 little granddaughters....and I think the gifts and the little girls' outfits...might add a little bit of ruffles, bows and girlie stuff to the occasion. 

Jillian is the oldest...

then Monica...

and Miss Tate is the youngest of the crew!

This year I get to buy these for my girlies....

         3 little Bitty Babies with eyes the same color as the little girl who's getting each one.  I have inspected each baby to make sure they're ready for their new homes...they will each have a new blankie to cuddle in...and I think even the mommys will ooh and aah when Jillian, Monica and Tate get to open this present.  I have been a doll lover for my whole life, and I always remember the smell of a new doll on Christmas morning...it's heavenly to me!  I have most of Jen's dolls from her childhood...except for those we have been able to sneak home with Jill...I love having babies at my house for the little ones to play with, but also can't wait to share stories with these little girls about my love of dolls...and encourage that love in each of them.
         I know that my granddaughters love me, but there's a certain guy that they're all crazy about...he lives with me...and he's totally smitten with these little girls...

Jillian, 21 months, lives the closest and hardly leaves Papa's side when she's here to visit.

Monica, 17 months, figured out this summer that her and Papa had something in common...they both like ice cream!!

Tate, 10 months, loves Papa, too, and already knows that he is the resident "book" guy...you can bring him

a book anytime and he is always ready to read...and all the grandkids love that!

Here's our wall of blessings...

It's newly created, so the pictures need tweaking and they're a little crooked and I'm sure we'll change out the pictures as we get new ones...and these little ones grow another year older...but we feel as the verse states...we "give thanks" for these 9 blessings in our lives and we get to spend the holidays with all of them....and their parents(our kids).

Merry Christmas...may you all have dollies to buy...and trucks...and dinosaurs...and Star Wars guys...or whatever your little ones are dreaming of.

And don't forget to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!  He's the most important reason for this season!

 

December musings...

       Oh boy, this month is flying by and still lots to do before Christmas!  Does everyone feel this way?  I'm really not stressing.  I start the season with lots of ideas and projects I'd like to get done...then I reach a point where what got done is it...and no need to worry about what didn't get done!  Every year I have this vision of making a lap quilt for all my kids and a fun new blankie for all the grandkids...who am I kidding!!  I'd have to go somewhere for 2 weeks with no phone and no family...it's not worth it!  Christmas will come and everyone will have gifts to open...and the reason for the season is Jesus...not presents...or unfinished quilts!  Thank goodness!  But...I did get some cute little blankies made...3 for my little granddaughters' new baby dolls and 1 for a grandniece(wow, that makes me old)...here's the little blanket for Rowan Elise Swigart.

It's a quilt made with 2 fabrics and is a self-binding quilt.  I found the link here for the instructions.

 Her directions are very easy for a beginner or a seasoned sewer.  It goes together fast and you can use

any flannels or fleece fabrics.

       Continuing with December news...we had visitors this weekend.  Sam came up with Ben, 5, and Lucien, 3, and left mommy at home with Monica, 1.  John & Alicia also came up...the big kids played in an alumni basketball tournament in Blackduck...and the little kids got to play with Papa & Nana.  We went outside and the boys tried the winter sports...let's call it hockey/golf...you decide...

Lucien setting up the ball/puck

He could hit it further on brick rather than snow!

       On Saturday afternoon, 3 more cousins added to the fun and the 4 boys took some quiet time to watch a movie...

Calvin, 6, Ben, 5, Lucien, 3, and Nathan, 4....a rare moment of no one in motion!

This Nana loves spending time with all these little guys...they grow up too fast!  Christmases will come and go, but the memories of our time with grandchildren is so precious!

I hope all the grandmas and grandpas get lots of cuddle time during the holidays with their little ones!

Merry Christmas!

More December stories to come...

Cabin Update....and Christmas Decor at Nana's...

        Cabin #7 is progressing beautifully!  Steve says the work is ahead of schedule.  All the windows are in and the cabin is all insulated inside, ready for plastic covering and then the drywall and pine walls can begin.  The cooler temps have slowed everyone down a little.  The propane heaters help keep the inside warm, but the outside log siding will wait until warmer temps.

Here's cabin #7 with windows, soffetts and green shingles...covered with snow!

Here's the upstairs room/window...all insulated and ready for pine walls.

Here's the view out that window to the lake...frozen with one fishhouse out there

so far.  It'll be a beautiful view of the sunsets next summer!

Inside our house...Christmas is brewing.  The tree is decorated, the window is filled with

all things musical...

And this munchkin is one of 9 frequent visitors who make sure they're all singing at the same time!

This is a sleigh & reindeer that Steve made in 8th grade...our kids and

now the grandkids, love playing with it and re-arranging everything...wait...

Santa seems to be missing...

Oh...there he is, in the cradle next to Linus...hmmm, wonder who did that?

Could it be this short person?  She seems to rearrange the Snoopy

display every chance she gets!

Here's what it looks like on a good day....who am I kidding...

a good day is whenever there's short people playing with the decorations!

Oh...looks like the "rearranger" visited the nativity scene too!

And aren't the little ones who touch and play and rearrange the magic

of Christmas??  We certainly think so!

Happy Holidays at your house...and hope there's someone to move things around for you too!