2025 Wrap Up

 Happy New Year's Eve!  This was our Christmas Eve photo from church in Marshall.

This was the photo Sarah and Aaron took at their church Christmas Eve service (on December 18th).

I prepped Sarah's room for her week long stay over Christmas.  Harry and Mabel helped smooth out the Christmas quilt.  They were allowed to sleep with her while she was here.  

We stopped at McDonalds on our way up to Bethany the weekend before Christmas.  Aaron posed with The Wolf!  He's not the huge Chief's fan that we are, but he humors us.

Pictures were taken at Bethany, but not on my phone, so I don't have any photos to share from there.  When we returned home, it was to find that an earthquake had hit Bethlehem.  

Sarah got the opportunity to reconnect with Charlie who made an appearance in the shed.  He's such a sweet, soft, and beautiful cat.

At the Bentley Christmas on Christmas Day, Sarah demonstrated that she could still fit in the child rocker.  Flynn wasn't too thrilled that she was sitting in "his" chair.  She tried to explain that it was her chair before it was his.

And, the group photo was taken on my phone.  I also took the portable photo printer over that I got for Christmas and printed a photo for Rosie so she wouldn't have to wait 2 days for me to get it from Walmart.

Not a lot of sewing got done in December.  I did piece this baby quilt for our friends in Florida who come up here to hunt every November.  It's on the longarm now awaiting quilting.  I need to get working on it since I can send it down with someone (and avoid it getting lost in the mail) who is traveling down on the 10th.  

I have made this baby quilt before.  It's call Lookout and is an Elizabeth Hartman pattern.  I did it all from my scrap stash.

I also made some baskets and gifted them at Bethany.

And I received these hand made and beaded ornaments from an online quilters group gift exchange.

David made some cows.  One was gifted to Aunt Judy for her birthday.

I finished this cross stitch and another one that I still have to press and then get a photo of.

Well, that's a wrap for 2025.  I'm going to spend the New Year's working up my list of UFO's and things I want to work on in 2026.  I am also starting to put away the Christmas decs.  The tree was taken down yesterday, so now it's just the other stuff.

Happy New Year!

Christi

Creative Juices

Not a lot has been happening in the sewing room.  I did get this top together and the borders on.  It's hanging in the TBQ closet.  It still need backing and binding.

And a former piano student texted to see if I could make a pillow case for her little boy who just moved into his toddler bed and has a toddler size pillow.  I have no idea what purpose I had when I purchased this reindeer fabric several years ago, but it was wonderful to put it to good use.  The white accent strip and red cuff fabrics both have snowflakes on them and were already languishing on the cutting table as leftovers from another project.  It was quick and fun to make.  I love a project with only 3 seams!

I convinced the hubs that leaving all of his cute projects just sitting on the bench on the porch was not a good use of his efforts.  I asked for some display and lights and this is what I got.  I have an old wreath that I want to add to the base of the deer.

This stainless steel milk can was my anniversary gift.  I asked for some lights for it as well, but it's staying inside for now.

Esme and Mabel have been taking it in turns to guard the nativity.  Esme especially tries to fit her bulk into the stable.  Maybe she's just trying to keep baby Jesus warm.  

Baby Jesus has had an interesting life.  When Sarah was a toddler, I used to find him all over the house.  She would sneak up to the back of the stable and reach in and take the baby to play with whatever she was playing with at the time.  It's truly a Christmas Miracle he's still with us.  

Christi

Hallmark Movie

Don't you just love a street that could be from a Hallmark Movie!

 My cousins, Pam and Susie moved to Marshall this fall and when we went with them to tour this house, I said, "Just pay attention, there will be a pile of gallon milk jugs in this house somewhere."  I was right.  This particular street is known for its milk jug luminaries and nativity scene at the end of the street.

I went over one evening when the snow was still on to take some pictures...........

Above is their house with the nativity scene my dad made for us several years ago.  We figured it would get a lot more viewing than at our house.

Some more of the neighborhood...........

Our snow has melted now.  It's still pretty cold though.  My hubby is predicting a white Christmas, so we shall see.

Christi

Thanksgiving and Christmas Lights!

 We had THREE Thanksgiving meals!  The first was the Friday before Thanksgiving with some Missouri Valley College foreign students.  It was a very interesting meal as we visited with students from Spain, France, and Brazil.

On the actual Thanksgiving, we went to my cousins' Pam and Susie's house along with my parents and had a delicious meal and played cards.  The day before, we helped them set up luminaries in their yard.  It is a tradition on their street that every yard is lined with luminaries.  I will get some pictures to put in a future post, but it is gorgeous.

My parents were sporting their Chief's sweatshirts.  We listened to the game as we drove to Sarah's.  Another loss. 😭

Sarah and I were up early to shop on Black Friday.  We made it to Penney's for their opening at 5 AM and then picked up the guys and went to Bass Pro, Menards, and Kohls.  After that, we were back at Sarah's where we helped her with some decorating and outside lights and had our third Thanksgiving meal.

She has a piano now, so had a nice place to put the nativity set her grandpa made for her.  And all 50 of her nutcrackers made it to the fireplace along with her stockings and pawkings.

And another round of photos..........

Friday evening we went to The Hill to eat.  There are some truly amazing lights in the Hill district.  We parked right by some............

We also went to Garden Glow at the Botanical Gardens.  It was beautiful but cold!

And when we got back to Sarah's several of her neighbors had lights on.

And Sarah had the nativity that grandpa made for her last year out and added some lights on the front of her house this year.

We got up to a snow storm in St. Peters on Saturday, but were able to make it home, slowly.  We had snow all day Monday with schools closing early.  Winter is definitely here!

Christi