Are you going CRAZY too?

I'm too busy to blog, and feel totally stressed! I quickly looked at a few friends and family blogs and they haven't entered any new blogs recently either, so I guess that we all are in the throngs of the season right now. I hope that all of you have a very happy holiday and are safe in all your travels to and fro. love, Kelley

Chistmas Carolers

My Mom made these porcelain caroling dolls for me one Christmas when the girls where little. HOURS were spent cleaning, painting and firing these dolls. Countless more hours were spent by my Mom meticulously choosing the right color and style of wigs, eyes and so on. Each doll represents one of my daughters when they were so little and cute! They are still cute, but in a more fashionably and stylish way! Thanks Mom!!!!

Some Santas...

Here are my favorite Santas. I just bought the Cooking Santa Nutcracker and the other Cooking Santa beside the fake Christmas Treats this year. The wonderful Santa in velvet is an original Santa from the Coka-cola company. It was a display item for a Bayless grocery store in the early 60's that my Dad was a manager for. He brought him home after a Christmas and this Santa was a traditional fixture in my home growing up. My generous Mom gave him to me. I love that Santa Claus !!!! Some of the Santa mugs are old and some are new. Last year when I browsed the Antique stores, that is what I looked for.

Congratulations Graduate!

BRAVO for Chelsea! She just graduated from ASU with a degree in Music Education. WE ARE SO PROUD!!!!

Christmas Stockings

These are our family Christmas stockings. I saw similar ones that were leather in a Cowboy decorating magazine and wanted them sooooooo badly, but they were around $50 each 10 years ago. So I sort of copied them, only I used felt instead of leather. I made a pattern for the boot and different patterns for the toe, heal and top of the boot so that the stockings would all be different. I made half of these I think 8 or 9 years ago, and add to them as the girls have gotten married and as grandchildren came along. I need to make one for Sloan before this Christmas. I plan to make at least two more pinkish ones and two more blue ones since we know that Chelsea is having a girl, but it's too early to know what Kelli's baby will be. The girls didn't like the stockings too much at first because they can't hold that much stuff! But that's a good thing for Santa as we now have 20 of them!

Thanks Grandpa Fabulous!

Glampa Fabulous brought home a roll of manila paper that he found at work that apparently had been there for years, even before their company moved in. He had called to ask me if I wanted it and I did not hesitate! Here are my darlings hard at work, and everyone of the grand kids had more wonderful ideas as to what we could do with this big roll of paper. Fun, Fun, FUN !

And here is Cruz busy trying to carry around the basket of Santa hats. It's heavy and you can see his tongue is also tying to help carry the load!

I've just gotta BRAG!!!

My daughter Chelsea is student teaching at Desert Vista High School as a choir teacher. Last night she conducted several wonderful songs for multiple choir levels. She did great! But the most fantastic thing was that she had the opportunity to conduct "The Hallelujah!" chorus from "The Messiah" for the combined choirs along with the orchestra AND anyone who wanted to participate from the audience! Of course I got up onstage to sing. It was one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had! Getting to see her face and being in the midst of these wonderful singers and orchestra was..... I don't even have the word, but HEAVENLY! Chelsea was amazing, and at the end, the choir director: Andrew DeValk was so gracious in thanking her for the good job she did. (What a wonderful, generous man to let her have these opportunities) and then the choir presented her with flowers and a huge pink gift basket with baby items in it that weighed a ton! This night was a parent's dream come true, and I have been lucky enough to have many fabulously proud experiences over the years with each one of my girls, and now sons-in-laws and grandchildren. These are the moments I cherish and that make the harder "regular life" stuff worthwhile.

Thanks for letting me brag. (This photo was taken at Chelsea's senior recital. I forgot my camera last night!!!!!!! SHAME ON ME! She is now much bigger with my 9th grandchild!)