12-31-2011 Happy New Year Indeed!

It will be a happy New Year indeed!

This past autumn, our two children informed us

that we will be grandparents

for the very first time

next summer...

twice!

So, thought I would end the year 

with baby pictures!  :*)

Above is our son's baby now at 12 weeks,

Below is our daughter's baby now at 22 weeks.

12-30-2011 Moving Back Home

After living in our guest room for the past 6 months

while doing 4th year pharmacy school rotations here in the QC,

our DD is moving back to Iowa City today

to finish up her last several rotations

before graduation with her doctorate in May 2012.

We will miss her smiling face around here

but I know her husband in Iowa City

will be happy to have her back home!

Also... finished the Hello Kitty doll

by deciphering a Japanese pattern!

I'm proud of myself!  :*)

12-28-2011 Studying

Because I don't know or read Japanese

I have spent HOURS studying

the pages of this Japanese book

to decipher the pattern

for making a Hello Kitty doll.

I think I've figured out 

most of what I need...

and for the rest... I can just 'wing it!'

(The only English words in the entire book

are the ones on the front cover!)

Wish me luck!

12-25-2011 Alpaca Cowl

...finished knitting this alpaca cowl for my DD today...

12-23-2011 Baby Bump

DD & I went shopping for a few maternity clothes...

you can definitely see the baby bump now!

12-22-2011 A Stitch In Time

DD wanted to try sewing a top...

Pinning...

cutting...

sewing...

She plans to add the neck facing 

and sleeve/bottom hems this weekend.

It's a fun project for BOTH of us!

Other than quilts,

I have not sewn anything for... 20 years?!?!?

The clothing patterns have changed quite a bit 

since I last used one!

12-21-2011 Green Bay Packers BSJ

Finished knitting a Green Bay Packers BSJ

for my grandmother's hope chest.

Now all I need to do is

sew on the buttons and patch! :*)

12-20-2011 Game of Shadows

DH & I went to the movie theatre this afternoon

to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie.

It was awesome!

12-19-2011 The Sound of Music

The sound of music

can be heard vibrating the air waves

in our home almost daily now.

Inspired by all the beautiful Christmas music concerts

that we have attended recently,

DH & I have picked up our recorders

and begun playing duets on them again.

:*)

Me likee!!!

12-18-2011 First Presbyterian Christmas Concert

Tonight DH & I attended our final Christmas Concert of this season.

It was breath-taking... as usual!

Here is a video of one of their songs from 2007

so you can get an idea... :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlF8XYWsNmQ

12-17-2011 Avanti's

While DH & I were in E.Peoria, IL last night

to see the Winter Wonderland Festival of Lights

we also tried a new (to us) restaurant for dinner:  

Avanti's Italian Restaurant.

Everything was DELICIOUS

and reasonably priced.  :*)

12-16-2011 Winter Wonderland Festival of Lights

Tonight DH & I drove to East Peoria, IL

to drive through their

Winter Wonderland Festival of Lights...

 I was amazed at the gigantic, 3-D sculptures of lights!!!

It was soooooo beautiful!!!

Here is a small sampling of some of the displays:

12-14-2011 Turks & Armenians

Tonight's cooking class with Chef Monika

featured dishes with Turkish and Armenian flare...

an eggplant, roasted peppers &pine nuts salad...

a lamb stew...

spinach and eggs...

and a rice/almond pudding with pistachios... Mmmmm!!!!

12-13-2011 PB & Kisses

Peanut Butter Blossoms 

with Hershey Kisses...

are what come to mind

when my S-I-L thinks of Christmas Cookies

so I made him some for his Dec. birthday

so he can enjoy them

from now until Christmas.  :*)

12-11-2011 Cantata

Today DH & I are attending several

Christmas cantatas

at area churches.

(OSL & OLOL)

I find Christmas music

the most inspired

and inspiring!

12-10-2011 T.G.I.F.

DH & I went out to dinner last night...

toasted the weekend with Margaritas!

12-9-2011 Progress Report

...on my Green Bay Packers BSJ in Stockinette Stitch:

12-7-2011 Breaking Dawn

Last night, DD (and baby) & I 

went to see the next movie in the Twilight Saga:

Breaking Dawn.

It's the best of all the Twilight movies, IMHO...

they have matured into their roles.

(above image from public domain on www.)

12-6-2011 New Projects

A Green Bay Packers sweater for future grandbabies...

...and an alpaca cowl for my daughter.

12-5-2011 Light Shines in the Darkness

DH replaced both of the headlights

on my 10-year-old Subaru this morning...

thanks, sweetie!

You're my hero!

12-4-2011 Glissando

Glissando...

or what I like to call...

'angel music'

was heard on the harp

at last night's QC Symphony Orchestra performance.

12-3-2011 Duality

My latest Amigurumi...

12-2-2011 Taizé

Blessed

by music

and meditation

this evening...

which is another thing

I love about the QC!!!

12-1-2011 Vaccines

Today DH & I had our DD give us some vaccines...

DH got the TdaP (what we used to call the DPT)vaccine

so he can safely be around our new grandbabies next summer

and I got the shingles vaccine (Zostavax).