When I began Blogging

about  three years ago, I had no idea what to expect.  I did it all on the encouragement of my daughters who were already blogging.  I jumped in with both feet and began running with it.  In the process I have made many good bloggy friends.  A few, I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting and others I have plans to meet.  Some, I will always love even if we never meet.  It is an amazing world this blog world.  You can cry with people and you can laugh with them. You can pray for special needs of people you will never meet, but you feel you know them like they were your next door neighbor.  There are bloggers that if you were close enough to you would call to go out to lunch or shopping with. 

Gramma and Frizzy. December 2010

One blogger that fits the description is "Frizzy", whose blog is called Heaven's Gift. She blogs about her very special daughter YaYa and her family life in general.  She takes us on her adoption journey, we get to share her ups and downs while she travels this road.  We get to cry when things go wrong and rejoice when they rejoice.  I even have my yarn picked out for when we know who her next child will be.  We are all anxiously awaiting her "Phone call".
Gina and I had the pleasure of  meeting Frizzy when we made a trip to Disney Land in 2008.  In 2009 she and her husband and YaYa made a trip to Washington State.  (They come often because his family lives up here.)  Gina and I and my daughter Karyn had the fun of meeting them  for lunch!!  It was a really long lunch, we sat in the restaurant laughing and talking until we realized the lunch crowd had left and the dinner crowd were coming in. This year they were up again for their Christmas Celebration with his family.  Frizzy, Bird and YaYa were actually able to set aside one entire day to come to my home and spend it with ME!!!  What an amazing fun day I had!!  She is the friend who could live next door!  I know if she did we would be sharing as much time together as we could.  The age difference doesn't even seem to matter.
They arrived at my home at about 11AM, we had a lunch of Papa Murphy's pizza, talked, and talked and talked.  Suddenly it was 5 PM and time to start dinner.  Gina and her children were here as well as others who bopped in and out during the day.  Gina made a fine salad and I prepared a delicious Chicken Alfredo.
Sadly, they had to leave right after dinner as they had a ferry to catch, and a very long drive to get to Bird's family's home.
Bird, I really did enjoy your company too.  You are a great sport to come visit and spend the day with us.  The kids all enjoyed playing with YaYa. For not having met before, I really think the kids did quite well together.  They were all very tired by the time the day had ended. I am still looking forward to having the pleasure of meeting Therese and her family.  We both have a real desire to meet.  I hope that someday, I will have the honor of meeting Karin and Kate and Katie and Maria and Angel and Ros. Hoping that I will be able to meet Sarah next year when I get to return to Hawaii.  Remember Sarah, I am expecting dinner;)  ( I'm thinking Sarah is spending more time on Face Book than her blogs though.) Yes, blogging has been fun and good.  I would jump at a chance to meet any of the people I share with here in cyber space, so if ever you are in my neck of the woods, let me know.  My door is always open!

Latest knitting project

Not finished yet, but want to post it so my friend can see where I am with it.

It has not been blocked yet.  This is a close up of the stitch detail of the yoke.

I will cut the sweater up the center, where the valley is.  Then I will knit on the front band and put the buttons on.

Close up of the stitch detail of the body of the sweater.

Normally, I knock out a baby sweater in less than a week.  I have been working on this one for more than a month.  It is a new pattern, but not only that, the charts were all off and I had to rework them in order to make the pattern work.
I am pretty sure I will throw the pattern away as soon as I am finished with this ONE sweater:)

Wordless Wednesday. In the throes of decorating.

12-12-10 Pineapple Express floods South Fork Stillaguamish River

12-12-10 Pineapple Express floods South Fork Stillaguamish River

North Fork of the Stillaguamish River

South Fork of the Stillaguamish River

Confluence of the two rivers.

Highway 530.  South Fork of the Stillaguamish.  The road Angie takes to go home.

West side of Highway 530

Directly across the Highway on the East side.  Note the Jersey Barriers being pushed over.

Huge tree floating down river

Summer time swimming hole.
We live about three miles from the river and atop a hill so we were never in any danger from the flooding.

Middle of December, Guess it is time to post my November birthdays:)

Andrew Kelton's  #4209 14th birthday was on November 27.  Here he is detailing his grandpa's car this summer. He had the opportunity to go to Alaska with his Uncle.  In our family if you want to do something like that, you must earn the money yourself, or at least make a honest effort to do so.  Andrew is not in the least bit afraid to get dirty or to work.  He did earn the money he needed to make the trip with his Uncle too.  Yep, this Gramma is very proud of this hard working boy.

Cooper Daniel's, #5216, 7th birthday was on November 26th.  Cooper is the boy that is afraid of nothing at all.  This summer he went on a river raft trip with the family and had a great time jumping from a huge rock into the river. His great sense of adventure is always a delight to see.  Nothing stops this boy.

Johah Sebastian #6518 had his 6th birthday on November 23.  As is usual with the younger member of a large family, Jonah is proving to be the family clown.  We love his antics.   As Grandpa says, Jonah is a party waiting to happen.

 

Three of the greatest boys in my life.  Each one so special to me in his own way.  Andrew and Cooper are not in the neighborhood, so I do not get to spend as much time with them as the others.  When I do, I truly relish every minute.  Actually, I relish every moment I spend with each of the 19 Grands in my life and I am so proud of each of them for their unique attributes.  I praise God daily that he has trusted our family with each of these precious souls.  Next birthday post will begin with our January birthdays.

Tricia

left her bag in her car today while she ran into Ben's school.  The car was not locked.  She lives in Bethel Alaska for heavens sake!!  Someone stole her bag, which she loved.  It had my little hat (shown below) in it.  She had put it there so she could show it to the lady who had bought the dress.  The boys birth certificates, keys to her safe, checkbook, keys to her car down here in Washington, the mail she had just picked up and whatever else you keep in a bag.  She had taken her wallet out when she ran into the school so they did not get her cards or license.  I told her to walk around the school area tomorrow and see if it was discarded someplace.  I am sure it will probably be thrown aside.  I also suggested that if the little hat shows up on some baby, maybe she walk up to them and ask where they got it.  Then tell them that she knows it was stolen because her mother had made it and it was stolen from her car.  It is a small village, so there is a chance she will see it at some point.  If not, I truly pray whom ever has it enjoys it and their baby looks very cute in it.

It is the same hat

in both pictures.  Just added an interchangeable flower.  I made this for the lady who bought my sweet little green dress.  She asked for a hat to go with it.  She can unbutton one flower and add the other if she wishes. I am so in love with the dress I am very tempted to knit it again.
My goal was to sell $1000.00 in knits this year.  I am right at $900.00.  I am trusting God to help me fulfill this goal.  I am also thinking I may have to raise my goal.  My all over goal is to raise $5000.00.  At the rate of $1000.00 per year, I will be closing in on 70 once I make it.  I want to still be able to go back to Africa to help with the building, so therefore, I will be raising my mark.  Stan thinks I knit a lot now, let's see what he thinks in the coming year:)

"Christmas with a Capital C" with full lyrics