Ending 2011 with a crashed car!

What a great way to end the year...without a car! But I guess I would rather end a year with a totaled car than to begin a year with one!

It happened Tuesday night. It was the first snow of the year. Living in the snow belt of Ohio, this is a rare occurrence as we have usually been buried a few times by now. 

I  let my wonderful son (who is highly disguised to protect his identity!) use my car. All was well ....

UNTIL it started to snow.

Roads got covered in slippery, wet, slop

A little slipping...

a little sliding......

a little big telephone pole in the wrong place....

and car loses to telephone pole and lands in ditch. 

Bye bye 1994 Toyota Corolla. We had good times....lots of miles....little repair required....good mileage....you were awesome.  I will miss you...terribly.

Younger brother with nice shiner....

And so I happily say goodbye 2011 - hello 2012....but how will I get to work on Monday???

Our Handmade Gift Exchange Presents!

Happy Day After Christmas!

I hope you enjoy Christmas as much as I do! Several years ago our family decided to make a rule. All gifts had to be handmade! We have 11 in the family and have a secret Santa draw in November. We have enjoyed the most unusual, unique, and personal gifts one could imagine over the years. It is a day everyone looks forward to with great anticipation, not just for what you will receive, but to see the reaction of the one who receives your gift! It's the coolest thing ever! It is far removed from the commercialized version of the holiday and completely focuses on the incredibly deep love we have for one another as a family and the gift of God's Son to us which has made such love possible. We all feel so blessed!

This year I had my son-in-law. He and my daughter own a gymnastics club in the community which also employs four of the seven siblings. My husband and one of my sons also received names of members who work in the gym. So we decided to give them all dolls with a wire frame that can be posed as desired. I had never made anything like this before, so it was a great new challenge! The guys formed the frames and wrapped them with blanket strips. I finished them with socks and made clothing that matched the gym clothing they wear.  I printed their faces out on my printer by running fabric taped to paper through the printer. I was really happy with the end product!

Mr. Jim

Mr. Judah

Mr. Judah

Miss Nikki

The Trio

*****

And this is the gift I received from my 14 year old son.

A clock decoupaged with photos of my two little grandsons. I love it! 

Psalm 127 says:

3Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,

         The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

         So are the children of one’s youth.

5How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them...

I had 7 'gifts' and I have been blessed beyond measure with love. And now they are expanding with 'gifts' of their own. 

Life doesn't get any better....

I wish you the same love and joy I have been blessed with for your 2012 New Year!

Charlie Brown and The Guinea Pig

Yes - Charlie Brown and the Guinea Pig. 

You all know this tree. Sad, wimpy, a loser, if trees are classified as such. 

And yet this tree probably graces more households this year than ever before and will become one of most remembered in years to come. I know it will for me. 

I have a wonderful husband who loves me more than anything. We both knew we were going to get a Charlie Brown tree this year. I had planned on going to a local field to try to find a scrawny 2 foot something that would suffice. But he said he would go to his parents and bring one back. I said that would be fine, of course. And so in the interest of eco-friendliness, he and his dad enjoyed a moment of father-son togetherness as they picked out this dandy, dug it up, and placed it in a biodegradable pot so we could give it to someone else to plant in the hard frozen ground when we are finished with it.  

(click photo to see a larger version)

I have decided to call it Herman because "Her" (that's me) "man" (that's hubbs), got it for me. 

This is Violet, my guinea pig. Isn't she sweet looking?

Don't let that face fool you!

She can be WILD!

I have 5 guinea pigs that each have their own cage. Violet and her son share the table top where Herman now sits. So I placed her underneath my desk on the rails. 

I have had several piggies sit here with no trouble....

until NOW! This is what I came home to after running. She apparently was doing a little running of her own! But I will commend her for staying IN her cage in spite of the opportunity to run off!

***

And while I am on the subject of guinea pigs....

I received these lovely prints from my dear friend and Petsjubilee teammate, Pauline from PaulinesFashions on Etsy. I LOVE them! 

Thank you, Pauline! I love you!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas whether you have a Charlie Brown one or not! And try to stay out of trouble....

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Small Cat and Dog Art Work

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