A brown polka-dotted dress

Today was the day!!!!  The day I FINALLY sewed up this yummy french terry into a dress for Callie.  I'm in love with this dress.  The fabric feels so comfy, I wish I had more to make myself a matching hoodie. :)

After I completely made the dress, we decided it needed some pockets.....

 A view of the hood.  I added a small piece of elastic on the inside hem of the hood to help it stay up.  Works like a charm!!

 I promise.....I DO do things other than sewing and taking pictures!!!!

 It also needed a flower to go along with the pockets.

Doll Clothes!!

I've discovered something new to sew.....Doll Clothes!!!  Oh my....they are so much fun to make.  I spent today making 4 shirts and 4 skirts.  Duane came home to his wife playing dress-up with dolls and taking pictures of each new outfit. :)  This is Callie's Christmas doll, Jenny modeling for me.

Cool in Camo

 Stripes and Dots....she's ready for 4th. of July

 Spring is in the air!

 Hip in tie-dye duds.

 Now this is a favorite of mine.  I'm in love with this sueded jacket.  I want one for myself!!

 Callie wanted a scarf, so I knitted her one.  She wants gloves and a hat next. 

 All the clothes together that were made today.  I still need to make a tank shirt to wear under these shirts. for a layered look.  That will happen another day.  The sewing stuff has all been cleaned up and put away!!

 Please excuse the sideways picture. :(  Callie picked out the fabric and buttons for this outfit. I made this for her doll a few nights ago.

Schooling & Sewing

This morning while Callie worked her homeschooling, I worked on sewing her a new winter outfit.  (I love that she can sit beside my sewing maching and I can listen to her read while sewing.) She's growing like a weed and is running out of warm options for winter.  She had a solid gray hooded zip up jumper that I loved.  I took that outfit, layed it out of the fabric and started cutting away!!  I love how it turned out and have a couple more pieces of fabric waiting to make more for her.  Sorry for the sideways picture, but her expression was just too ornery not to share!!! Blogger rotates my pictures this way sometimes and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get them back the other way.  Any suggestions would be most helpful. :)

 Awwwww.....look at that sweet smile.  Can't you just feel her excitement on getting a new outfit!!!

 And a view from the back....

 I love that this has a hood.  One of her coats doesn't have an attached hood and sometimes we just don't grab a hat before leaving.  This will help keep her head just a bit warmer when that happens.

 And just one more....'cause I just can't help myself this morning!!!

Videos from our Family Celebration Service

Callie & Samuel sang Jesus Loves Me for the Family Celebration service at church.

A solo by Mike Terrian.

Jaleesa sings...

A poem and song by the Peters.


Now this one....I'd strongly suggest NOT watching...oh my....I really debated as to post this...but oh well...here goes....It's hysterical. And, YES, it's me....the girl in the bright pink sweater that squawks out a note all by herself while everyone laughs!!! Don't know WHAT happened!!! I totally lost my voice....

New Year's Eve

We spent a relatively quiet evening at home bringing in the New Year.  Our New Year Eve meal, homemade chicken tenders, corn & potatoes.  We used some New Year's party goods that I found when cleaning out my cabinets several weeks ago.  The kids thought the paper tablecloth was pretty neat.  We each used 2 plates 'cause they were the tiny dessert plates. :)  Now I don't have to store all that stuff for another year!!!

The kids each wanted a picture taken separately.

~Callie~

 Simon, of course, had  to do a pose!!!

 Seth, looks as if he's trying soooo hard NOT to laugh!!  He's actually trying for a serious pose.  I don't think it quite worked....looks likes he's laughing. :)

 Samuel, my sweet and cuddly, 5 year old.

 Callie shows off her tubby hands......translation.....wrinkled up hands from too much playtime in the tub.

 Proof that one CAN stop biting their fingernails.  Callie finally determined that she was going to let her fingernails grow.  She has stopped biting her nails and has long nails now.  I have been giving her home manicures.  She loves that!!!  Please ignore the 2 short nails....she didn't bite them off.  They grew too long and broke off....I tried to talk her into letting me trim them down......she was NOT for that......they broke off shortly thereafter.  Oh well.....I'm happy that she was determined enough to grow them out.  She would bite them sooooo short there was practically no nail at all left on her hands.....it was very painful to look at.

 Simon gets the U-build monopoly game ready.  This was one of his Christmas presents from his grandparents.  Next time, we'll read the directions BEFORE starting to play!!! :)

 Callie's tubby hair-style.  Both of us had our hair up in buns in the very tip-top of our head....NO picture of me....it's just NOT as cute on me. lol

 Just being silly...........

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't wait for the surprises that 2011 will bring!!!  I'm praying that this year will be the best one yet!

Christmas Program 2010

The kid's Christmas program was last Sunday night.  Callie said a welcome poem.  She was sooooo nervous, but did a wonderful job!!  My camera didn't record the first couple of words. :( 

Simon says a small part...

The older kids and teen choir.

A very happy Callie!!

Seth, still not able to open his mouth all the way, but sang his best.

Poor Samuel, this was the best shot I got of him.....one eye peeks out between the angels!!! :)

Simon

The younger class singing Away in a Manger.

A beautiful solo....

Chocolate Chips on the floor....I think NOT!!

A short story.........

Mommy goes into the kitchen and a 10 year old boy comes running out of the music room.  His mouth is STUFFED full of something.  She asks what it is….the boy holds up a finger suggesting she wait until he has finished chewing up his food.  This makes the mommy slightly perturbed.  He can talk with his mouth full of food any other time.  She is suspicious of WHAT is in her son's mouth.  She demands that he tell her NOW!!! 

“It’s just a few chocolate chips.” The boy tells his mommy. 

“WHERE, did you find them?” asks the mom. 

The guilty looking boy replies, “I found them on the floor.”  

Hmmmmm…..methinks the boy did NOT find them on the floor!!  Finally the truth comes out.  The boy had been hiding a bag of chocolate chips in the attic stairwell.  This makes mommy mad and sad!!!  Punishment follows and the sneaky boy is sent to his room.  Apparently he worked on this sweet card of apology and placed it in his mommy’s kitchen where he was so sure she would find it later that evening.  She did not.  This made the boy very sad. 

He thought to himself, "What kind of mom doesn't find the apology note from her son?" 

For you see, the VERY sorry boy put it right outside her music studio where she would see it the minute she finished teaching lessons.

The mommy found the sweet card during the day while the boy was at school.  It made her smile.  She thanked her son on the way home from school later.  He was glad she finally found it and has no more plans to hide chocolate chips EVER again!!

 This was ALL the money he had leftover after Christmas shopping for his brothers, sister & Daddy!

The same evening the chocolate chips went missing(and before I knew he had made me such a sweet card), Simon sewed his sister a nightgown for her doll.  He did a great job!!  Although I'll have to admit, I was just a bit scared when he used my serger for the first time!!!  Callie was beside herself with excitement for she knew that Simon was making her a Christmas gift and she wasn't allowed in the room! :) 

Here is Simon, with the Christmas gift he made for his sister.  She's going to LOVE it!!!