I Need Four More of ME

Although I’ve been planning and dreaming about (as in, June I started planning) the amazing, hand-made, lovingly toiled over Christmas presents I was going to create for my nearest and dearest this year…Although I spent the money on allllllllll the materials…I realized about a month ago that they simply were not going to come to fruition this Christmas. SO, I dreamed a new HANDMADE dream, bought allllllllllll the materials, and started afresh. Until I realized on Monday night (with tears in my eyes) that the eight hours it took me to make ONE was going to be hard to complete for all seven female family members. I didn’t let it go though (even when I had to fight Jeremiah to keep him from prying the needle from my fingers), until I pulled my one masterpiece out of the dryer and saw that my super-cool “textured” fabric was UNRAVELING.

And now, it’s 12:45 in the morning, 8 days before Christmas, and I have a lot of good intentions with only one partially defunked product in my basement/craft area–that now looks like a field of broken dreams. Excuse me while I rub this large knot in my neck so that I can type again…….

Can I please just show you a few happy pictures and maybe a few crafts that have turned out right? And you can pat yourselves on the back as you look at my measly cookies and know that all your presents are wrapped snugly and awaiting nothing but your loved-ones eager hands on Christmas morning. I know you’re all ready. Don’t you lie in those comments to make me feel better.
I was in charge of the favor for Pace’s class’ Christmas party (I wish you could follow that ‘lil arrow at the bottom of the page and see the back is even more CRAMMED full with writing than the front. It’s my own fault. I mean, I do it to myself. USE YOUR PRINTER DO-DO BRAIN!) My Lucy also got baptized this weekend…Isn’t she beautiful?!!!!
And isn’t she really theirs and not mine 🙂 Not this week she isn’t! Ha, HA! (I sound crazed don’t I? This is why I shouldn’t blog in the middle of the night)We have also had a lot of really fun Christmas parties. And, at some of them I had the opportunity to be “that inappropriate woman with children.”And at some of them, I got to be a grown-up, without my little chicken wings!Like here, at my book-club Christmas party in Bryan’s loft. (This picture, and the group shot below, were taken by Stephen Fitts. Hey Stephen, if the lawyering doesn’t work out…you’re a pretty awesome photographer :))
Does it make anyone else’s heart leap for joy that Stephanie took the time, not only to make mini-cake bites, but to place a flag for every book we’ve read over the past year in each one??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love these women. I seriously do not know how I am going to move to Seattle and leave them behind…And I’ll end with one last shot of a project I did complete. “cold noses…”

“warm hearts.”