It's been awhile...

So, so sorry...I have let myself get swept up in other things lately and my blogging, stitching, and even reading have suffered.. I know I keep saying it but I really need to set a timer when I get online. I think there is a timer on my cell phone; I need to start using it!  I'm hoping to do some stitching when I get done with this post- just have to do a bit more cleaning in the living room and I'll be ready. 

I have been stitching on "The Alamo" at least a bit each week.  I will post a pic at the end of this post, as it is on my phone.

The fall leaves are nearly gone now, but here are a few photos of them while they were here-

 

The week before Thanksgiving was kind of crazy. One night Rob and I were getting ready to go to bed and Rob's heart started beating very fast, and he started having chest and arm pain.  We took him to the ER and they tried to get his heart rate slowed down and stabilized.. it slowed down a little but was still beating fast, so they admitted him to run some more tests.  He was in for 3 days and they found out he has atrial fibrillation.. so he will have to stay on medicine now to regulate his heartbeat as well as medicine for cholesterol and high blood pressure.  He is doing well since. He is back to work and feeling better, thank the Lord.

 

Every year our town has a little celebration downtown to officially turn on all the Christmas lights on the downtown streets.  I took David(Hanna had judo) and we went for a little while. It's always so neat to see all the lights turn on at the same time. I have videotaped it before but I forgot to this year.  Here are a few pics though. Ok, well, more than a few.

The quilt shoppe in their new location- see all the fabric inside?

The magnolia tree in the traffic circle/roundabout

This gives you an idea of how big the tree is!

City Hall

 

a downtown view

 

As you can tell by my son's hat, Krispy Kreme was there. We were a little disappointed because they usually give out a doughnut to each person who wants one but this year they only gave a donut hole to each person. Sign of the economy I guess. But they did hand out coupons for $2 off a dozen doughnuts.  Which reminds me, I have to use that before it expires.

 

I had been wanting to get Ginger a "Mr. Bill" toy for quite some time.. I hit the jackpot when I found one on clearance at Target for $2.  She loved him, but as always he didn't last long.. he was made pretty sturdy overall but she still managed to get the stuffing out of a foot. And the foot was not sewn off from the rest of his body so I couldn't just take the stuffing out of the foot and let her keep playing with him.  :( But here she is with him while she had him.

 

 

We got our Christmas tree up, not as early as usual but up nonetheless.. the kids helped me decorate it. In fact they ended up doing most of it cause Rob and I ended up going grocery shopping. :/

 

 

There is an angel on top of it now, her wings were broken and I had to glue them back on.

 

I have some other big news (no I am not pregnant. lol) .We are trying to get pre-qualified to buy a house.  I had a couple of errors on my credit report that we are trying to get fixed.. I am really so impatient to get moving (no pun intended). Now that I have house fever I just can't stand waiting to get out there and find one.  We have rented our current place for probably about 15 or 16 years. It is entirely too small for our family  now and I am so anxious for some more space, and to do some of the things with our living space I have not been able to do here due to lack of room.  So please say prayers for us, that we will get approved for enough to get our family a nice home and find the perfect one for us.  It has been a long time coming.  Thank you. ♥  And that is one of the more recent reasons I have not blogged.. lunch breaks are spent making phone calls trying to get this credit issue worked out, and when I am online I am scouring realty websites looking for that perfect place. 

 

And last but not least, here is the Alamo - I think I have done a bit more since I took this, I can't remember.

 

I really appreciate you all sticking with me even though I am so sporadic in posting sometimes!! I will try (again) to post more often!

 

 

 

 

Sorry I've been absent again..

It's been busy here lately- Mom and Dad came to visit on Friday and stayed til Monday.  We had an awesome time as always! Friday night we all went out to eat, to celebrate most of our birthdays- mine of course was Oct. 27, Dad's was Nov. 2, Hanna's was yesterday, and Mom's is on the 24th. Saturday Rob had to work and the rest of us did this and that- started the day at Starbucks♥, did a little shopping.. took Mom and Dad to the Thistle Bee Quilt Shop, and out to my somewhat-LNS to pick up the beads for Summer House- which ended up being too big... so I'm back to square one.  It was my own fault, I didn't bring the piece with me and forgot I had used the petite beads. Sunday we went to church in Raleigh- Mom and Dad are Greek Orthodox and we don't have any Orthodox churches for miles- so we went to All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church.  They were dedicating their new sanctuary-which is just beautiful!

We also saw some nice fall colors on the way-

The photos really don't do them justice!

Here are a couple more I took near home-

And last but not least- some stitching progress on my Brightneedle ornament- I'm starting to think I should've put it on a slightly darker fabric, but oh well, live and learn! ;)

Oh, and my baby girl turned 13 yesterday- how time flies!!

Look- her hair matches my dad's car! hee hee..

another completion

Here is a Sampler Girl freebie finally framed- I can't believe I stitched it in 2008! I thought it was last year.  Granted I did wait a while to get the frame from my dad, but I must have put off framing it longer than I thought. Anyway- here 'tis-

I was going to frame Bent Creek's "Blackbird House" yesterday- got it out and contemplated removing the button before I ironed it- but didn't- there was some really bad creases in it and I was having a hard time getting them out so I kind of forgot about the button, and when I flipped it over the little blackbird was all broken.  So now I have to wait to frame it - will have to order another button.   I really need to start rolling my projects up instead of folding them- the creases are so hard to get out after so long a time. That or I need to start finishing all my projects into whatever I plan to do with them, right after I finish stitching them.

Well I was sitting in the Sonic drive-thru the other morning (I love their jr. breakfast burritos and they are only 1.00!) and while I was waiting at the speaker I saw this- I hope you can make out the moth/butterfly- not sure which it was-I think a dark colored butterfly-

It's on the yellow flower in the front. I was so glad I had my camera with me, even if it didn't turn out that great!  The kids and I also saw some deer not far from our house the other day- and got pretty close- but as soon as I got the camera they ran and I just got a couple of blobs. Oh well.

And last but not least- a sign of fall-even though it continues to be in the 90's (ugh) here-

Signs of fall...

Brach's Autumn Mix- LOVE this stuff.. no other candy corn will do!!

Morning glories-- they grow wild behind our house.. I look forward to them every year! They are so beautiful...

And..

A couple of weeks ago I saw some leaves that have already turned- there are a few of these trees all in a row near my church. I was so excited to see them!

On the stitching front- I have not heard from Bent Creek regarding the placement of that button.. so I am going to stitch it where I want. And tonight I picked up my UFO - Blackbird House by Bent Creek. I can't wait to see it done! I think it will be a quick stitch. I'll post my progress on Thursday or Friday after I am done with it for the week. :)