Happy Birthday James!

Here's a long overdue post.  January was packed full with a two week trip to Malaysia and then once back home getting ready for our daughter Queena, Ethan, Dorie and James to move in with us for a couple days till we could get them settled into one of our retirement homes over at the Rest Home.

Queena's health has been on the decline for a month or so and it was decided a move back to the States would be in order for at least a year.   They as well as us covet your prayers on this unexpected turn of events.    We trust and know that our Loving Father is in control and we rest in that.

What a delight for Dorie and James to play out in the snow!   For the past two years they have been use to 100 degree weather.   While in Malaysia I overheard a prayer of Dories asking God to please send snow in Delaware over James birthday.

~ Prayer Answered ~

This morning they wanted to go out and make snow angels.   Notice they are both in Croc sandles and Dorie doesn't have any mittens so she just pulled her hands up in her sleeves.    Needless to say they didn't stay out very long.   We'll try to shop for some better winter clothes here soon.

James Birthday was on Saturday.  We had the family in for a birthday supper....but where is the birthday boy?

 

We could not get him to wake up!  Jet lag hit the children hard for the whole week.

 

Isaiah was a willing boy to don James' birthday hat.

 

 Sunday morning early James was up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for his Birthday celebration.  We just wanted to sleep in at least till 7:00.  Most mornings they were up by 5:00 or earlier.

Sunday morning breakfast:  cupcakes and milk!

 

 Playing with one of the gifts that Oma and Opa Mast sent.

 I'll leave you with these snow angels.

 I'm getting excited about a ten day vacation in Tenn.  Time again for our annual "Heatwole Sewing Retreat" with my mother and sisters.   Tomorrow I start rounding up my "stuff" to take along.

Christmas Week

Christmas Week

Clue #4 

Celtic Soltice Mystery

I'm so thankful that this week's clue was fairly easy.    Here are my completed 120 four-patch blocks displayed with my cute little antique Wilcox and Gibbs machine.  No, I didn't piece them on it even tho I could of.   My little machine is in excellent working condition and sews beautify.

As some of you know our family is going through a difficult time.  Pray for our daughter Queena who is having a Bi-polar episode.  God has been so gracious in her life and for years she has been in such good mental health.  She lives so very far away in Malaysia.   

It's hard for this momma.  Besides praying I find great therapy in sewing.  So this week I've have been sewing!

Yesterday I finished Dorie's quilt and will be taking it along to Malaysia when I go this week-end.   What a fun quilt to piece as well as machine quilt.  Each triangle was a new canvas for me to try out a new stitch.

~ Parting Shot ~

 
Here's the stacks of all the completed units so far.   I'll be spending 2 weeks with Ethan, Queena, Dorie and James in Malaysia and will take a month off from the Mystery Quilt....to be completed in Feb. when I get together with my sister's and mother  for our yearly "Heatwole Sewing Retreat".

Clue #3 of Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt

This week has been a very busy one for me.   I finally put a few Christmas touches to the house and I've been playing Christmas music every chance I get.

I was so anxious for Friday to come so I could get started on Clue #3 on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilt.  This is my third year doing the mystery and I've enjoyed this one extra much.  We have a facebook group of over 2,000 folks and I love seeing some of the other color combinations and progress from different folks.

Here are my 400 little triangles cut and ready to be sewn together.

  Here they are all sewn together!

On Friday I got to babysit for our youngest grandchild, Isaiah.   He was so good and just sat on the floor and watched me sew!

  25 pinwheel blocks and 100 half square triangles all done!.

Last week UPS brought me a little package from Michigan.   Our oldest granddaughter made me this sweet little addition of gingerbread to add to my tree. 

Thanks Misty!  It was the first ornament I hung on the tree.  

If you want to check out some of the other bloggers who are also making this quilt click on the link below.
Bonnie Hunter's Link-Up Site

Clue #2 on Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt & December Sewing Circle

I love it when Friday rolls around and we are given our next clue to the Mystery Quilt.    Mark and I were heading to upstate New York for the week-end on Saturday and I wanted to get this weeks clue all cut before leaving. 

This week we are using the green, yellow and neutral background fabrics.

~ All cut and ready to go.~

These little chevrons are so fun to sew, and they are little!

Each unit measures 3 and a half inches.

I've made 30 and have 70 more units to make before we get our next clue.

Last Wednesday we had our monthly sewing circle at church.   We had a rather small group in attendance.

Loved having Jessica and her two little ones come.  

For "Sew-and-Tell"  Linda showed us this sweet little pinwheel quilt she made for a friend.

Her daughter Kristen is so crafty and usually brings something new each month to show us.  Here she crocheted this scarf for a lady.

With so few in attendance all we got done on this comfort was a few rows knotted.

Monica does such a great job of scrapbooking and documenting our sewing circle.  I take the pictures and get them to her and she compiles them into a scrapbook.  

A New Mystery

I love a good mystery and  I'm ready again to join in the fun of Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery quilt.

We were given our first clue on Friday and here are my pieces cut.  Now I'm chomping at the bit ready to sew.

This weeks clue all finished.  180 of these units all done.   We won't get our next clue until Friday.   I have no idea what this quilt it going to look like other then it will be a scrappy one.  I changed some of the colors that Bonnie suggested.  Swapped out purple for blue and raspberry for orange.  It will be so fun seeing all  the other ladies quilts.  There are over 2,000 women in the facebook group.

One evening this month we had overnight guests.  Uncle Paul Yoder and cousin Dan.    Uncle Paul is Marks dad's brother.  Their visit was short but sweet.

Now on to our Thanksgiving day.   It didn't suit Jeremy's to join us till afternoon so we planned an evening soup supper.     Here Holly is keeping my shrimp chowder from sticking and Mark is making osyter stew.

This picture included a bribe.  When Boaz sees a camera it's hard to get a smile from him.  I told him if he smiled real big I'd give him a piece of candy.   What a wonderful smile.  I love you Bo.

Alicia making her bread into a turkey.  It's been a thanksgiving tradition she has done for years.  What a great addition to our soup supper.

Caught the pecan snitcher in the act!

Our guests included Grandma Yoder and Grandma Schultz

as well as Jerrel and Alma, Bobby's, Jeremy's, Chris's and Holly and Carmen.

These girls get a gold medal!   They cleared the table, served coffee and dessert and then cleaned up all the dishes afterwards.   Thanks Carmen and Holly!

While here Jeremy smoked up some deer jerky.  Some of the best I've had.  He was so generous and gave us each a nice bag of it.

Mark's brother Nelson and Rose stopped in later in the evening.

Football in the back room.  Wall to wall of fellows.

These moments with Ariel are so dear and precious.  Please keep her and Jeremy and Cheryl in your prayers.   Ariel has come down with a bit of a cold and it has made breathing and eating more of a struggle with her SMA.

Maxwell took these pictures.   He loves being the photographer these days and I love that!

He can capture moments that I never could.