Happy 2010

Wishing everyone a blessed, joyous and peaceful New Year. 

We are spending this afternoon and evening together as a family (against my 15 year old daughter's wishes).  Her boyfriend is going to come over in the evening and his parents will be picking him up after the "ball drops." 

We have spent every New Year's Day, except once, with good friends.  They get the odd years, we get the even years so they will be coming to our home tomorrow.  We will be enjoying Chicken Satay, sauerkraut balls, potstickers, cocktail meatballs, pineapple and kielbasi, fresh vegetable, cheese/crackers, wine, coffee, cheesecake, and whatever Betty and Dean bring to the table.  LOL.  The guys usually go for a long walk after dinner. 

In 2009, I got a lot more knitting finished than I had in the past.  I embraced the joy of making knitted cloths (go figure), finished a shawl for me, several pairs of "fetching," a scarf for Lindsey, a beaded scarf for my friend, Wendy, another small scarf (again for me), hmmmm, slippers for a variety of individuals, hats/scarves for Kyle's daughters, and that might be it.  Most of it was made from my stash (not that you can tell) or from gifted yarns.  For 2010, my first goal is to make a sweater for Caity and Erich's baby girl.  The baby shower is January 9.  I think I need to get started.  I didn't have any yarn suitable in the stash so I stopped at Joann's yesterday and got some Bernat Baby Jacquards Yarn in Spearmint Candy

I think it will make up a very pretty little sweater.  I also got some yellow for the cuffs and bindings. 

2009 brought changes to our extended family with three weddings (Amy and Ron in June, Michael and Kary in July and Erich and Caity in December).  2010 will be bringing changes to our immediate family with Sarah and Kyle's wedding on May 22.  Kyle is a wonderful guy and brings three darling little girls to the family.  The girls are 8, 6 and 5.   His family owns a huge working farm west of our home.  Right now, they work 3,200 acres and have two pig barns which produce about 10,000 pigs per year.  Sarah and Kyle want a country/western themed wedding with a little bit of sparkle.  It will be challenge.  The fun part is that we are having it at the Huron County Fairgrounds and we get to do all the decorating.  Leaves us wide open for a variety of options.  We bought lots of blue/white LED lights and blue/silver ornaments right after Christmas. 

Anyway, I wish everyone a beautiful and safe New Year!

Erich and Caity.

My nephew Erich and his bride Caity. 

He proposed to her at an Indians game the summer of 2008. 

He wanted his brothers to be there for his wedding.  His oldest brother. Tommy, is in the Navy, stationed in Pensacola.

His younger brother, Ryan, is in the Air Force, stationed in Oklahoma City, but recently in Venezuela. 

All the plans were in place, leaves were approved, Tommy got home on Thursday, December 17, in time for the wedding on Friday, December 18.

Unfortunately, Ryan's leave was post-poned until Monday, December 21.

Erich and Caity were married on Friday, December 18.

They are beautiful.  Young.  In love . . . . and exceptionally happy.

Oh, and the baby is due on February 18. 

Erich is also scheduled to ship out to Afghanistan in May.  Sigh. 

Pray, pray, pray that this ends.


oh, yes, and if anyone is counting, this is the third wedding in our family since the end of June!

Swim team Christmas celebration

The swim team . . . over Christmas break, they are doing two a days . . . morning practice from 9:00 to 11:00 and afternoon practice from 4:00 to 6:00.  On Monday, they (most of the team . . . 22 girls in all), came to my house for breakfast/lunch/Christmas celebration.  They also did a "sock" exchange.  Not hand-knit socks, but they had a blast nevertheless. 

At one point, my family room looked like a "mosh pit."

This is my daughter, Lindsey, with her best friend, Jessica.  They are both Juniors.  She and Jessica are perfect counterparts.  They both have great senses of humor, don't take themselves too seriously and are natural leaders.  They care alot about the underclasswomen and make sure that everyone is included.  Plus, they are both good, solid swimmers.

Some of the freshmen . . . About fifteen minutes later, they were all sleeping.  I had to wake them up to get them to their afternoon practice.

Arghhh.

Swimming, swimmers and other fun stuff

Okay, so if you haven't ever had a swimmer, runner, jogger, ice skater, dancer, hockey player, etc., you wouldn't probably understand this post. 

My darling 15 year old has upped the ante on her swimming this year.  She made a commitment early in the summer and asked if she would be able to do some more serious training for swim team.  This commitment meant that every morning, six days a week, from the beginning of July until school started in mid-August, Lindsey swam from 6:00 a.m. until 8:30 a.m., followed by upwards of 45 minutes of "dry land" workouts.  Once school started, she did workouts from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., followed by upwards of 45 minutes of dry land workouts. 

As they say, the proof is in the pudding.  Last week, she won two firsts and two seconds.  On Friday, the 400 Free Relay team that she is on broke the school's record at 4:06.87.  Today, she won a first in her 500 and two seconds in the 100 free style and 200 free relay.  Totally awesome.  The 500 is her "thing."  Her goal is to get under 6 minutes and, actually, she wants to break the school record this year, which means she needs to get it under 5:25.20.  Totally doable.

I have to tell you, however, I was timing during the meet tonight.  I was not timing her lane which was a good thing.  She was lapping the other swimmers.  She started strong and stayed strong.  And, after hugging her bestest swimming buddy, she fell into my arms.  You know there are just some times when it is good to be on the deck and not in the stands.

Message from Santa

Check this out:

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/691c9269a6498b53246d63666c7e2816

I need my Mom

Okay, so there I am driving Lindsey around as we had to hit a variety of stores.  One of which was Joann's.  And it struck me.  I need my Mom.  She would be able to tell me to not stress, everything would be fine, and I could bring the dress and beads and fabric and we would just sit down and get it done . . . just like that. 

Instead, my daughter thinks I'm nuts.  Because, being the totally insane person that I am, I got all teary eyed.  Seriously.  I looked at her and said "I don't think I can do magical things to Sarah's dress" and she, being the kind and considerate and incredibly normal 15 year old looked at me and laughed.  She laughed.  Out loud.

The reason she laughed is because I made her dress for homecoming.  It was a Vogue pattern.  But she wanted it sort of almost like the pattern, but a little different, please mom, you can do it for me . . . And the end result was that the dress is about 12 inches (seriously) less full than the pattern called for, it wasn't supposed to be a halter and because she is a swimming fiend, I waited until the Sunday before to put it all together.  She is solid muscle which is a strange combination for swimmers.  She and her swimming buddies (and these are serious swimmers) have the most strangest of complaints.  Their waists get bigger during the swim season . . . I have explained to her that it isn't that their waists get bigger but their waist to hip ratio changes, and, of course, they end up with the buff arms and shapely legs.

The end result, however, was this: 

So, after pulling this off, I guess I can do the beading and fabric replacement and hemming for Sarah's dress.  Does anyone want to come over for the day and we can hang out and get it done?

so much to do so little time

I am going to a fundraiser this evening.

I want to take my knitting.

My daughter will frown.

Do I care?