Merry Christmas

During our Christmas Eve service I had the privilege to paint a large painting on stage. It was a beautiful service.
So, Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

Christmas Orchestra and the Clark's

This past weekend Bryan played in the orchestra for the services. Afterward a man came up to him and said "Even though I know you were just playing air up there, good for you for being up there." Now, we have all sorts of questions about this comment...
1. Did he sit next to Bryan and not hear him actually play?
2. Who says that kind of thing anyway?
3. Why? ...and
4. Does this man realize how hard we have laughed at this?
Then, a man came up to Bryan and said "Did you notice the male cello player? He looked just like you. I asked my wife if she thought so and she said he sort of did. Did you think so?" Bryan, being Bryan, said "yeah he kind of did." Never told him it was him. We have laughed even harder at this one. Two people said it was great to see both Bryan and I in the orchestra. So cool that he plays cello and I play violin...I don't even play a rain stick! So...not me, folks! Much laughter over that too!
By the way, the guy who looked just like Bryan did an amazing job playing the cello.

Just to catch up...

I realize I am almost a month behind! wow. ok so...
We had Thanksgiving here. Two of Bobbi's friends, Mindee and Jenna, joined us and also Ferne. It was probably one of the funniest Thanksgivings I have ever had the honor to host. The girls all kept us laughing the entire meal. Suffice it to say, we probably all lost weight that day from laughing.

 A game of Candyland

a nap...

It was a nice day.

Then the next day was what we, in the Bryan Clark family, call "Tree Day". The day we put up the Christmas tree. It has become a holiday in our house over the years. We make appetizers, watch a Christmas movie and decorate. Always a fun time. This year I decided to do a tasting party with all my little dishes that I have. I won't bore you with all the pictures of food but just a few...

Snow day cake. 

7 layer dip and cornchips

While the prep for all this food was going on in the kitchen...

Bryan was out in the shop with Ashley giving her a forging lesson. They made copper ladles.

It was such a fun day for all of us.

Wow...

I've been getting sick, sick and hopefully, now, getting better, for 3 weeks. I will catch up on here soon. This has been my life. The couch, Kleenex and a book to read. Ok, well, we had Bobbi's birthday party, Thanksgiving and Tree Day in those weeks too.

Happy Thanksgiving (prep)

I had some help...
i did have actual help from Amiah. She made the pumpkin pie filling.

70 degrees of decorating-

Time to light the tree. Take off the old lights...an hour and 20 removed branches later...put on the new...easier said than done.

Ivy's here...

Mae and Oliver choose the basement rather than deal with her exuberance.

Remember this?

At Halloween I mentioned these street signs and how I wanted one... yesterday some friends of ours gave me this! I'm pretty excited about it. Not sure where I will put it yet but I'll figure it out.

Not to old for Halloween...

Jayme and her friend, Rachel wanted to be half skeleton ballerinas for the night. So I made them each a tattered tutu, Bobbi did their hair and I did their make-up. They look creepily adorable.

Last weekend

Bobbi ran the Des Moines 1/2 Marathon with her friend, Melissa. So proud of this girl!
(I had to screen shot these from the Internet so they are a bit fuzzy)

Weekend-

Friday evening Ashley came out and we cooked out down at the fire. It was a lovely, chilly, fun time.
Saturday I had lunch with Bobbi and she bought Oliver some shirts...we had a great time. Then I headed to their house and helped Jayme get started on painting in the basement. Since I was in town I went to service that night.
Sunday I stayed home and did the projects I didn't get done on Saturday.

3rd time's a charm...

When we bought our table and chairs I wasn't wild about the goldish material with small fruit on it but I left it for 9 years. Then I found some black and white paisley I just knew would be perfect. Recovered all 6 chairs and immediately didn't like it that well. But I left it for 3 years. Today I said to myself, "WHY do I do this? Change it to something you like and be done!" So I did and I like it.

I'm a great starter...

But sometimes I just don't finish a project for one reason or another. When I cleaned the basement I found lots if "quilt starts" so I used them to make 3 little quilts.
One for Piper, a sweet soon to be mom. She is a good friend of Bobbi's.
One to put on the crib we have here.
And one for Jon and Alicia's sweet little Navy.
I cleaned out some fabric and feel like they were a fun use of what got started but never finished as intended.

Moving day...

For the 4 little Barred Plymouth Rocks. Fluffy, Tiny Jr., Emo and Puppet Jack for those of you who keep track. Not sure I shared this but...Rebecca Hulk crowed the other day...so he's gone...my luck with chickens is a broken mirror! So I moved the girls (I say that with fingers crossed) into the fortress on Tuesday. They seem content there.

Signs that make me smile...

Lincoln puts little signs up every once in awhile and yesterday, about town, they appeared. I saw the group of 4 in the neighborhood where I babysit. And Ashley saw the Lincoln one downtown. I think it's my favorite.

Perhaps I need a break from myself...

Because while making my smoothie I knocked over the blender...indication of how the week will go? I hope not.

This day!...

It started with a dropped bowl of oatmeal while I was downstairs.
Me: "Hudson, what happened?"
Hudson: "I didn't meant to. I did it on purpose."
Me: "You mean you did on accident."
Hudson: "No, I did it on purpose. I just didn't mean to."
*sigh*
Went downstairs with Boden, realized he wasn't behind me. Go back up, he has unrolled all the toilet paper and was "washing" the floor and walls.
*sigh to the second degree*
It was only 10:25 a.m. So we went to the park...and they played to exhaustion.

Just to catch up...

I have numbered the photos because no matter what I do in this app it still puts them where it wants them...
#1- we went to Broken Bow for a funeral and went by our old house, 642 Cherry Ave. so many memories.
#2- finished the pillow case to go with Ashley's baby quilt.
#3 - started on blocks for a Jayme quilt when it is needed.
#4 - It's coffee by the fire season! I love it!
#5 - a poor little elderly lady accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes and drove through the wall at the church...
#6 - I made another baby quilt (for a friend) out of some scraps I had laying around in my stash.
#7 - woke up on a Saturday to this. People fishing and I have no idea who they are, typical.
#8 - I'm trying to drink a green smoothie everyday. So far so good.
#9 - got Oliver a Halloween costume.
#10 - the kids were out and named the chickens. The big red one is Rebecca Hulk, then Fluffy, Tiny Jr, Emo and Puppet Jack.
There I believe I'm caught up for now.

The Chick's Moved Out...

Of the basement bathroom that is. Safe and secure in the shop side of the barn. Safe and secure in the repaired screen cage. I haven't named them yet. Maybe a subconscious fear of dog attack...

A Baby Quilt...

I made Ashley a baby quilt for using when she gets her foster babies. The process is a long, through one and she is almost done. We're all pretty excited to see how God will use her in these babies lives.

everything free...except the ingredients...

Because of some health issues, that women have, Bobbi is trying an eating plan that is gluten, sugar, preservative, dairy and egg free. I admire her for this. I sincerely hope she begins to feel better as a result of being careful. Anyway...baked goods being such a wonderful part of fall, she is missing a pumpkin bread, muffin or anything like that. She mentioned it and I thought I would give it a try. Well first I had to go stand in the organic, gluten free, sugar free, egg free, dairy free aisle and try to make sense of things like fava flour and all that. But after much label reading and recipe searching I found one that is all free. I made them yesterday for her and I think they were a success. Of course, being me, I couldn't just follow that recipe to the letter I had to say to myself, "These would be better with this and that" all the while making sure I wasn't adding any restricted stuff. All that to say it is not an easy path to eat on when one is used to just eating an egg, or throwing milk and wheat flour or sugar into something. She has my admiration.

Sorted and cleaned -

My craft room was an unqualified disaster. So I started yesterday afternoon and finished this evening. What a relief.