In Loving Memory of my step-dad, Kenny
He died 30 years ago today.

I'm also working on Retro Ribs from Interweave's newest sock book. I really like this pattern. I'm using one of my favorite colorways from Regia.

I also decided to join my first knitalong, Ms3. This is awesome. I've never done much lace-weight lace. It's challenging and I'm enjoying it. I chose black Merino Lace and I'm using beads, although they are not showing up very well. (If you click on the picture, it will come up bigger and you'll be able to see the beads.)

Well, despite the fact that I haven't had much time to blog, I have been getting a little knitting done! This is the first 70 rows of "Alix's Lace Prayer Shawl" from Knit Along With Debbie Macomber, Back on Blossom Street. I'm really enjoying this one! I'm using the lightweight Grandma's Flower Garden from Socks that Rock.

This week has been a good week. I was able to get my house clean and actually enjoyed doing it. I was the only one home that day and it made it go so much easier! Our knitting group met that night and we had a nice time. I'm enjoying getting to know the ladies involved. One lady (you know who you are!) brought her granddaughter to learn to knit and she picked it up like nobody's business and she's 8. I was way impressed!!

I was able to get some relaxation in for a couple of days which has just been wonderful. God began telling me on Monday that I needed to get rest and relaxtion and He drove the point home in a big way because the lesson from Breaking Free was on exactly that! She pointed out that if we don't get that rest, we are not in God's Will.

God has been tying so many things together for me lately, it's very exciting! He's using Breaking Free and the Lord's Table right now and I'm often amazed at how the lessons go together. Today's-for both-was on abiding in Christ! So cool!

God has also been educating me lately on "the least of these". He continues to open my eyes to the needs of the mentally ill, the brokenhearted, the captives, and the prisoners. Again, His timing is amazing!

I'm almost done with my sweater for myself, which is very exciting! I'm excited about my next project but I don't want to spoil it, it's a gift for a dear friend!

One more shot of the chopper! It's a nice bike, but I'm not to fond of the rear fender being all one piece with the seat mount. I'm also not to sure about the tank, but I'm looking forward to watching the show (sometime in October) to see the reasoning behind it.

I was pretty intent on the racing action-look at that gray hair!! Thankfully the weather couldn't have been better. They were calling for hot and sunny, but it only reached around 75 and was cloudy with a cool breeze.

Coming around for another green flag!

The winner was Dario Franchitti. He won the Indianapolis 500 this year, also and is Ashley Judd's husband (she was there too!)

This is the tank for the E85 chopper. The paint job was amazing!

Due to the looooonnnnnng line we had to sit in to get into the Iowa Corn Indy 250 today, we are some serious silliness going on amongst the kids! We were very excited to have this big race in our own back yard!

We got to see the unveiling of the Iowa Farm Bureau E85 chopper built by the Teutals of Orange County Choppers. I was thrilled! I love these guys!! They brought me back to my roots so to speak and helped me to understand that I can let my past be an important part of who I am!

Paul Sr took the bike for a ride around the Iowa Speedway.

We were right at the end of the 4th turn and it was exciting to see those cars coming out of that turn at around 180 miles per hour!!

The newest little one, Baby T.

Baby A's baby brother M. He's just adorable!!

Baby A at her 2nd birthday party!! I haven't given an update lately, but she is talking and growing like a weed!

The highlight of my last few weeks!! It's been a very trying, somewhat stressful, yet blessed couple of weeks, but last night was just pure fun and joy! My best friend gave her husband a hotair balloon ride for his 40th birthday. They were finally able to take it last night. We got to take part from beginning to end and really had a good time. They rode for about 50 minutes, but the whole process took about 2 hours 45 minutes.

God is truly doing amazing things in my life and in many of my friend's lives. He is teaching us so much about freedom in Him, obedience to Him, and serving Him.

I'm quite tired and sad. A friend and I were discussing how we can be on a mountaintop and in a valley at the same time. God is truly doing amazing things through the Bible studies I've been working on and the excitement is growing among all the women involved. They are so challenged and convicted and are allowing God to really break the chains that keep them from true freedom in Christ. God has led me to a new way of eating and He's blessed me with 3 pounds gone! He's helping me to come to terms with some things that are not His perfect will, but certainly not out from under His permissive will. He's breaking other women free from legalism, prejudice, judgmentalism and on and on. Oh the mountaintop!

But, the valley is sad right now. It was so hard to go to our family visitation for Grandma Betty. Grandpa Fred is so heartbroken right now. His beautiful bride no longer responds with joy when she sees him. Please pray for him.

In Loving Memory of my beautiful step-grandmother, Betty. She passed out of this world just after 4:00 am this morning. Please pray for her beloved husband of 60 years, Fred and for their children, grand-children, and on. She truly was a darling woman. When we joined their family 10 years ago, she greeted us with open arms.

Have you ever pondered just how many truly broken people there are in this world? You know, I spent many years dwelling on my own issues, my own fears, my own traumas, thinking "how could it be any worse?" Well, guess what, there is so much out there that is so much worse than our own condition.

Don't get me wrong, we are all sinners, we all start out in the fallen condition, but what is so sad is what that fallen condition can do to others. The Lord is opening my eyes to some horrible truths in this world. You know, when you turn on the news and you hear about the latest child being abused, tortured or murdered, you say a little prayer and you move on with your day. But, for those who do survive such horrific actions against their body, soul, and spirit, life is never the same.

Now, we live in a society that says "Live and let Live", "if it feels good, do it". Well, let me tell you, giving license like that to an already perverse world is insane. We've taken out the Bible, we've made morality relative and more and more people are being hurt by it. Looking back through the ages, perversions and abuse have always happened, but they weren't necessarily sanctioned by their society, now those perversions are sanctioned. Of course, many would argue that it will stop with homosexuality, but given the pedophilia out there, I'm sure they will be exherting their rights next.

Please pray for those that can't help themselves. Pray for those that are being abused in secret, carrying their shame and pain all alone. Pray for the adult survivors of horrific abuse and neglect, that they would find wholeness in Jesus Christ!

Well, my lack of posts should help you to understand just how very busy we have been for the past few weeks. It's been absolutely nuts. It's been fun, but exhausting. During the week, I've been studying-Bible study and counseling and psychology. During the weekends, we've been going from here to there!

We've had a wedding, two graduation receptions, two graduations, two birthday parties (on the same day). Things are going to slow down a bit. Next weekend is free, nothing on the calendar, but the following weekend I have my 25th High School Reunion and the following day we are going to see Jars of Clay and Third Day. The following weekend is our family reunion and the weekend after that we'll be taking in the Iowa Corn Indy 250. I'm really excited about that! Not only will we see all the Indy drivers, but Orange County Choppers is going to unveil the Farm Bureau bike. Since it's going to be our vacation for the year, I'm really looking forward to it.

I've been reading so much that I haven't gotten much knitting done, but I have been working on my jacket. It's pretty mindless knitting and that's what I'm in the mood for!

Okay, I haven't been rambling much according to a friend's comment, who shall remain nameless :) . I've been so busy reading and studying, I'm having trouble wrapping my thoughts around any one particular subject.

I'm getting so much out of the two Bible studies I'm doing, Breaking Free and Believing God, both by Beth Moore. They are awesome. I have a hunger and thirst for the Word of God that I haven't had for a long time. It's exciting.

On top of that, I'm still working with a lady on her Bible study and some other issues. This is proving to be one of the most thrilling and intense things I've done in quite some time. It has required me to be praying, seeking, studying. I'm reading books on all sorts of issues, taking notes, searching, and searching some more. I'm not sure where all this is headed, but I know it's not just to consume time. I'm excited to see where it goes.

I've been trying to finish up projects. I can work on MY sweater and read at the same time (with my handy book-mate--google it, you'll love it), so I've been doing most of my knitting on that. Mindless knitting can be such a blessing!!!

My beautiful niece ready for her senior prom. Baby C got to get all dressed up for the occasion too! We've been very blessed for all the kid's proms this year, the weather has been very nice!

J went to prom last night. I wasn't sure about the whole thing, but Dad was the final authority on the issue and I've just been praying it through. That being said, he looked great and was very gentlemanly.

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. Galatians 4:1-2

In my Believing God study today, the lesson was on Abraham, but indirectly, when applied to us, ministry. I came to saving faith in March 1993. By March of 2000, I'd taught Sunday School, done several VBS's, was in charge of Ladies Breakfast, had done several classes of Weigh Down Workship and the Exodus one, as well as doing several other things on and off. In March of 2000, I basically had a nervous breakdown. I pulled away from almost everything, except Ladies Breakfast. Even though I was in the depths of despair, deep down, I knew God had a work to do and it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Over the course of several months I learned many things about myself. I had become prideful

( 1 Timothy 3:6 (NIV) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. -- 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ).

I was doing the work myself, I wasn't relying on God, I wanted the glory. I needed to have that broken down in me. I also learned that I had to take better care of myself, that I had a lot more to learn.

So, for the last seven years, I've been slowing growing, taking my time, learning to just to trust God and His perfect timing. That's why the verse from Galatians really stuck out at me. I was a child and I needed to wait until the time set by my Father!! I'm so excited for what He is doing right now! His timing is so perfect! Waiting may seem difficult, but it is so worth the results!

Please pray for an old school-mate's family. She went home to be with the Lord this morning, just 3 months to the day of being diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. She leaves behind a husband and three children. Her testimony was awesome and she was ready and excited to go home, but concerned for her kids. Please say a prayer for them.

God is so good!!!!!

God is so good!! I wish I could put into words what I'm feeling in my heart, but they aren't there yet. God has been using books that I've been reading and studies I've been doing (particularly Beth Moore's Believing God) to really stir up my heart and teach me things about Himself and myself. Oh how I love HIM!

Partial-birth abortion has been deemed illegal. I can't believe it took this long to do what only makes sense. All types of abortion are murder, but this is particulary heinous. The "health" of the mother is also a misnomer. You have to undergo the entire labor process to have an abortion this way, so a physically ill woman could not endure it and if it were for a women's mental health (a slippery slope argument), this would be bring more harm than good. To suggest that this puts "women's rights" back is a ridiculous claim. In fact, the right to terminate a child's life puts women's rights back.

Instead of screaming about the right to terminate a child's life, maybe the "feminists" should wake up to the idea of keeping their legs together. Simplistic, I know, and the old "what about rape? what about incest?" argument then pops up, but those occasions are extremely rare and it is still not the child's fault.

I'm having trouble with feeling mercy or compassion for the misguided media, the liberal lobby, those who spout their opinions without fact or sense. I'm trying to pray for them, but it is often a difficult undertaking.

Praise God, though, the weather is taking a nice turn. We've had nice temps and sunny days this week and that always makes one feel better.

I also want to say that I went to www.abc.com today and e-mailed them about firing Rosie. It's time. She cannot continue to go on national television and lie to the american public. I'm all for free speech, but you'd better be able to back up those things you spew as fact. May God have mercy on her soul. Please pray for her.

My Lorna's Laces "Yellowstone" socks. After our trip to Yellowstone last summer (our 2nd trip there) I really wanted something to "memorialize" my feelings for the park and the western side of Wyoming. When I found this yarn at Angelika's, I had to get it. It really is pretty and I can see how the colors reflect what I feel when I'm there. I love that Yellowstone is so diverse, so calm on the surface, but boiling underneath it all is a volcano, waiting to be unleashed. One of these days, that sleeping giant will awaken and won't most people be surprised.

Our first meeting of the "Nutty Knitters" met last night. We're going to be meeting every other Tuesday evening and I'm so enjoying it! My Y group decided that they wanted to continue and we also knew of others that wanted to join us, so we were 7 strong, each knitting different things and for different reasons! K, our first gracious hostess (as we'll be traveling from home to home), surprised us with several yummies and we enjoyed nice conversation and continued our learning.

I'm so excited about our next endeavor at church. I've had Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" on my heart for several months, but something kept getting in the way, whether it was weather or health. Finally, God's timing met up with mine and we will begin the study in a couple of weeks. I've been doing "Believing God" online and it's so challenging and so wonderful.

Well, my felted bag is still sitting over there waiting to be felted. Things got in the way and now the laundry has to be done first, maybe tomorrow. I've just been working on each of my wips-a little here and a little there. I'd like to start on a new challenge-two socks on one circ. I purchased Knitting Software's book on it and I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl.

My teaching knitting at the Y has ended and we are now forming a group to just meet and knit. We start this coming Tuesday. I'm excited. It's a diverse group of women (and one teenager!) and I think we'll have a good time. I enjoyed teaching, but I like the idea of a more informal gathering to just sit, knit, and chat.

Well, I've got more magazines to get on ebay, I'd better get to it.

I feel like I'm making some progress! I've finished my felted bag, except for the felting, which I'm hoping to do this morning. I've been working on my Lorna's Laces Yellowstone socks and I've just got the foot to go on the 2nd one. I've got my baby sweater going well and I've been working on my SWS? scarf. It would be really nice to have some Christmas gifts out of the way!

One of my comments asked if I am a counselor. Not in the sense that I get paid for it. I believe that all Christians are "counselors", we are all called to minister to others. That being said, I do believe that God has gifted me with an ability to counsel others in a way that bears fruit. For as long as I can remember, people have poured out their troubles and struggles to me. I can't say that I always have the best advice-I don't really believe that advice is the purpose of counseling. Often times, just listening to a person helps the person to recognize their problem and figure out their own solution. Anyway, I've been doing a lot of studying using counseling textbooks and I'm looking at taking some courses.

I'm am very thankful that the lady I've been meeting with is feeling somewhat better. I know that God can move mountains here and bring complete healing and victory to her.

It's freezing here!! I mean that literally. It was around 20 degrees here this morning and it's only supposed to get up to just over freezing. My poor daffodils--I'm not a gardener, matter-of-fact, I consider myself to have a black thumb, but they were doing so well and now they are not feeling so well! It's supposed to be cold until next week. Oh well, spring is coming and the sun is shining!

I hope everyone has a blessed Resurrection Sunday. May we all reflect on Jesus' reason for going to the cross and humbly bow before Him in gratitude and praise!

He IS Risen!! He IS Risen Indeed!!

Okay, these pictures aren't the best, but they are documentation of some wonderful things!! The top photo is a bracelet of charms that one of my best friends sent me for my birthday. The circle on the left says "Acceptance", the one of the right says "Inspire" and the small middle one says "Friendship". The card that she sent with it explained the meaning behind each one and it is probably one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received. She sent it to be worn as a choker, but I wanted to be able to see it so that I could be reminded of it's meaning.


Now, for the bottom one. I actually knitted this i-cord from size 8 cotton in the hopes of using it for the above bracelet. I just couldn't get it to hold the charms steady, so I set it aside on my bookcase and basically forgot about it. Well, this morning, I decided to join a Beth Moore online bible study called "Believing God". Praise God for DSL! The first lesson was powerful and was really working on confirming some things that are going on in my life. (God's timing is always perfect!). At the end, she took us to Numbers 15:37-41, which says:

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.’"

She told us to tie a blue ribbon around our right wrist to remind us of the same things. Immediately, I knew what that blue i-cord was for!!

I am so often humbled by the wonder of God! He uses the tiniest things to effect us in big ways. I am so looking forward to continuing in this study and really beginning to believe God for big things!!

Today's session went pretty well. We were able to meet outside and I didn't feel so claustrophobic. She seems to be coming around, her medication is helping and she sees the need for me to keep it focused on Scripture and the aspects of her troubles that I can understand. Many of her questions are "deep", but I told her that I'm working on better understanding abuse and it's ramifications. Hopefully she'll really begin to make some breakthroughs and begin to see her purpose.

I'm not feeling nearly as anxious as I was. Maybe I just need to keep pouring it out on here!

The weather today (and yesterday) has just been amazing! It's around 80 degrees and breezy. It certainly does help my mood and ability to cope! Praise God!!

I'm counseling someone.

7 years ago, I went through my last serious bout with anxiety and depression. 7 years before that, I went through it the first time. I've always had a "depressed" personality-at least on the inside, I was once told that I'd smile at a funeral. I guess what's on the inside isn't often shown on the outside. I always seem strong and capable. Ready to face anything. Ready to help others. This time, it's really hard.

I've always wanted to counsel. My spiritual gift is exhortation with pastor/shepherd right up there. People have always come to me with their problems. I remember having kids bring me their problems way back. I was often helping people in the back seat of the bus! When I went through the instense times of anxiety and depression, I assumed God would use them to help others. His Word tells us,

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

I always knew that He would use it for His glory and to help others. I didn't realize how much it would affect me to try to put it into practice. Up to this time, I've been helping young moms or other friends and a few ladies from outside my circle. This time, my pastor put me in contact with a woman who was seeking someone to help her study her Bible and has severe anxiety.

Unfortunately, it has brought about feelings of anxiety (March is my worst month) in me. I don't feel like "me". I'm struggling with irrational fear and mistrust. I want so much to trust God in this, but I'm not sure that I know how to do that. If I can't get rid of the underlying current of anxiety about this situation, am I really trusting God?

I don't believe that I went through what I went through just to sit at home and feel better about myself. But, even though I've desired to counsel others for years (including a desire to possibly go into the ladies prison), I'm beginning to doubt that I can handle it.

The depths of this woman's sorrows and life are a bit overwhelming. I'm studying to try and understand it better, but I don't want it to consume me.

I always want to fix things. I want to make it better. I see that as my pride, for my glory. That is sin. On the other hand, I know that God can heal this woman if she is willing and will cooperate.

Lord, help to keep this all in perspective. Help me to trust you, that you will not give me more than I can handle. Help me to keep in my that you are the Healer, that I am not the Holy Spirit and that only you can bring change in the womans life. Help me to let those things go that I cannot control. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Baby J's sweater done with Lorna's Laces Swirl Dk. Love it!!

Since I have dsl now I'm going to try and do a better job of blogging. I'm absolutely loving how quickly things come up and I can get video, etc. I feel like we've finally caught up.

The weather has just been fabulous the last couple of days. It's supposed to be 75 degrees today!! It really helps to motivate a person!

I haven't been knitting much, just little bits here and there. With my flu, then no electricity for 6 days, and now a cold, I just haven't been terribly motivated. I'm hoping to get into something that challenges me a bit, but haven't found the right project yet.

YEAH!! DSL!!

Finally, praise God, we have dsl. It's wonderfully fast and I can do so much more in a much shorter amount of time. I'm looking forward to doing more things online.

What a week!!!!

Well, if this February hadn't already been a weird one, this past week certainly put it over the top.

The first couple of weeks of February were spent dealing with lots of baby lambs coming very quickly and at late hours-putting us all way behind on sleep. Then, I had to throw in a week long illness of some sort that put me out of commission (the middle day being the worst--miserable!). Things calmed down for a bit and I got caught up on laundry and groceries. Good thing. Last Saturday, at approximately 1:10, our power went out and we just got it back yesterday around 2:00 pm!

It all started with a rain/ice storm and strong winds. We'd never had our electricity go out for very long so we thought we'd be okay. We played games and got out all the candles and ate lunch meat sandwiches for supper thinking that surely by Sunday we'd have power back. We slept on the living room floor under a pile of blankets. The next morning, still no power, church was cancelled and the radio said that it would probably be a couple of days for those in rural areas. That's us. We toyed around with the idea of getting a generator, but decided we'd be okay for a couple of days.

On Monday I went to town to get a few things and meet with a lady. The damage was extensive. Pretty much everyone we know was without power or had been (these were few and far between). By that afternoon the power companies had had a chance to assess the situation. Over 1000 miles of power lines and poles were down!! At one point, there were over 200,000 without power. When we finally got ours back on, they were down to 18,000 or so.

Tuesday I went to town and did a couple of loads of towels at my mom's, took a hot shower and played on the internet. We had ended up getting a generator the night before, but it took forever to get hot water, so this was a nice treat. When I got home from teaching knitting lessons that night, the house was warm and we didn't have to sleep on the living room floor! A real blessing for this body of mine!

On Wednesday, another storm started to roll in. By Friday roads and interstates were shut down. Some places in western Iowa got over 20" of snow!! We only got about 3" and despite the blowing the power company was able to get our power back on.

The roads are still not great, but we are getting out this evening to go hang out with hubby's brother and wife and our great-nephew! They had heavy damage up where they live, it will be interesting to see.

I did get a little knitting done-I made a pair of fingerless gloves for myself!!

God is so faithful! Despite what could have been a week of grumbling and complaining-we did pretty well and just sort of went along for the ride. We are very excited to have our power back, though and very grateful that God watched over us this week (as He always does).

Oh yeah, I did a little reading-finished Joel C. Rosenberg's The Ezekiel Option. WOW!! Excellent book!

It's been just over a week since the baby's visitation. What a sad event. Please keep praying for the family.

I've spent the last week dealing with fever and then the stomach flu. I'm feeling better today, but still weak and tired. Of course, in the middle of my being sick, the washing machine went out. I finally got a shower taken this morning and we headed to Sears. The new one seems to be working much better than our previous GE. The trip to town wore me out though.

I haven't gotten much knitting done, although I do almost have A's socks done. They're really pretty.

I've been keeping up with the legislature and trying to warn others of the stealth legislation that they are getting to vote. So far, "theraputic cloning" has passed our senate and "Fair Share" legislation is pending in the house. Our local senator has denied both and I have the opportunity to confront him tomorrow during a "coffee", but I don't know that I feel up to it.

I've decided to have a spot on my leg checked. I've had it for several years and it's only about 1/2 in. in diameter, but I finally decided to have it checked out. Given my tendancy to get anxious, I'm asking for prayer. The appointment isn't until March 22, but March is my rough month. I'm trusting God that whatever the outcome, He'll give me what I need to deal with it (and I don't really think it's anything).

Sweet Baby E. Please continue to pray for her mommy and daddy.

Please pray for a friend of mine. She was one of my knitting students last fall and we were planning on starting up again to make a felted bag. Anyway, her 11-month-old daughter died Saturday. They think she had a seizure, but aren't sure. She had already lost another child. It's so sad and I've just been stunned since I heard about it. I can't imagine the pain she and her husband must be in.

It is freezing!! My little girlies are coming this weekend and we are going to be stuck in the house. It makes me nervous having to get out in the frigid air and with two 5-year-olds, I really don't like it. But, this is really only weekend that we can for awhile and it's hard to explain it to them if we have to change dates. It should be okay, I'm going to buy some snacks and I've already got them some Polly Pockets and puzzles, so with a good movie, we should be just fine.

Last night, my mom and my two daughters and I went to see "The Phantom of the Opera". Oh my goodness!!! It was absolutely wonderful! I've listened to the music, seen the movie, but had never been to the play. I would highly recommend it! By the end of the play, I was so lost in the music and the story, oh.

We're having little lambs. I'm hoping they slow down during this cold snap.

As challenging as it is, I'm trying to stay on top of the political situation. Since our state became controlled by the Democrats they are having a gleeful time rushing legislation from committee to the floor to the governor and boom, we have new laws! I'm checking the website everyday to follow what's going on and I'm letting my senator know how I feel. I need to be doing the same thing on the federal level, but I'm not sure I can stomach it. The level of hype and self-promotion is making me sick.

Well, I thought I'd finally gotten an outfit done before the baby came, but although baby E was scheduled to come at 8:00 am this morning, which would have meant that I'd done it, she decided to come early, Saturday evening. Oh well, it was almost done. It really is a pretty set. It is from Dale Baby Book 162 and is done in Baby Uhl. I love the way this pattern comes together, very little seaming to be done and the embellishments are optional.

Someone asked about Baby C's sweater pattern, it is from a Leisure Arts booklet, "Knit Layettes for little darlings". It was published in 2000 and on the back it says that it is booklet #3208. There are several adorable sweaters with matching blankets.

We've had another snow storm. At least it looks like winter! I do get a bit irritated with the media, you'd think we'd gotten 20 inches of snow overnight! They get so worked up over normal winter weather! Of course, that seems to be the way of the media-take everything to the extreme and just get everyone worked up. No wonder we have so much anxiety and depression.

As for potential presidential candidates making their aspirations known---ugh!! No one "trips my trigger". It seems like everyone's goal is simply to win, to gain power. What ever happened to being a civil servant, to serve humbly? It's on both sides of the aisle, too. Well, it should be fun to watch them all pick each other apart!

Baby C's sweater is done and just in time, the shower is this afternoon! It makes my daughter's blanket for him. We'll have a picture of that soon. Of course, the weather has been great this winter, up until this weekend! We've got ice already and snow on the way. We're still going to head out, I baked the cakes and have several of the serving dishes, etc. We'll just drive slower!!

Okay, so we've done everything possible to figure out what it wrong with our internet and after a lengthy process of elimination---IT IS NOT OUR COMPUTER!!! I have done virus scans, spyware scans, uninstalled things, reinstalled, checked security, hooked up my son's computer at home and tested it here at mom's. It didn't work at home and it did work here! I'm quite irritated with our internet provider. To top things off, the dryer died yesterday and hubby can't figure out what's wrong. It's only a few years old, so tomorrow we'll see if it's even worth the cost of the service all compared to just buying a new one. So, I've been here (at mom's) for the past two days doing laundry.

Baby C's sweater is coming along nicely.

Happy New Year!! I've been meaning to blog all week, but I've had a raging sinus/migraine headache and my internet is running extremely slow!! I've called our provider and the phone company. I finally came into my mom's to download some spyware.

We had a nice New Year's Eve. Made it to midnight! But, this week has been tough with the headache. I don't know if it's a virus or a combination of other things.

We went and bought new furniture after Christmas. We were able to get a reclining loveseat, recliner, and new tv in our budget. The chair is on order, but the loveseat is home with us and we were able to get rid of the sofa. In a small livingroom with a huge desk, something had to give.

I've almost completed baby M's sweater, she's due any day and I've begun Baby C's. His shower is next Sunday. I've still got a sock to do and I've taken on two more Christmas stockings--thankfully, they are simple ones. I'm hoping to make a scarf for myself, but since it hasn't been cold, I keep forgetting about it.

The weather is really something. It's been so warm and we've only had a skiff of snow.