It's a Labor of Love

Due to tradition and desire, I made these six stockings. They are the same style as Travis's mom made for all of her kids, and many if not all of the daughter and daughter-in-laws have carried it on. They are gorgeous, really they are. And they aren't hard really - numbered felt, sequins, beads and some basic stitching/sewing technique. But these things do take a ton of time. And since I never work on them until after Halloween, I finally finished them all just before Christmas this past year. Just two years after I bought them. Don't you love them? I do.  And the finished product our fireplace mantel.  Each of the kids picked their design and even that is telling as to my children's personalities. 

Severely Taken Out of Context

When people ask me how I've been, I often think,

Big wheels keep on turning
Proud Mary keep on burning
And we're rolling, rolling
Rolling down the river.

Although lyrically not a perfect quote, it's what comes to me.  Life keeps moving, I keep being the driving force, and our family just keeps pushing forward.

But if you're the type who likes details we had:

a Beaver son (he likes to take paper and turn himself into animals)

 the Merry Mohawk

 One bout of stomach flu right before Christmas - we kept it contained to 1 child

 my sous pastry chef - layman's terms cookie helper

 the teachers sang christmas carols to the kids on the last day of school - love Manheim Central

ward christmas party - bishopric dressed up as elves and skipped about

 the "original" pastry chef

 what travis does with a camera - takes pictures of my butt and boobs, i spared you the other

christmas eve party: aka Shepard's dinner

 happy cousins

 the mom's chatting

6 Christmas stockings sewn, take that, doubting Thomas(s) - you know who you are

 trolley ride - downtown Manheim - new year's eve

a happy wyatt

dancing in the square

Myself - I prefer the details.