Decking the Halls can poop you out!

Greetings my friends!
I have been trying to get a little Christmas decorating done this weekend.  I started before Thanksgiving by decorating the top of my old pie hutch.  Since I have my little grand-daughter most of the week while her Mommy works, I need to do a lot on the days she is not here.

Then I went to work on the top of this very tall armour that my hubby built for me.

I have to use a ladder to reach it!  But the more things up high the better for me with a toddler's busy hands always checking things out.  Plus she is so crazy about Santa this year that she wants to hug every Santa she sees!

I also made this wreath for my daughter this weekend.
I followed the tutorial on Kristens' blog and improvised a lot. Meaning I used what I had on hand and made it on the cheap!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at my brother Matt's home.

Pictured are my niece Chloe age 3 and a half and my grand-daughter Addison age 2.  They love hanging out together and are becoming good buddies.  We had beautiful 62 degree weather that day but by evening it was freezing!  A cold front came through and we had temps in the 30's with wind chills in the teens.  Needless to say it was a drastic change.

And here is Addison's very kind and patient Grandpa building Lego towers with the girls!  My brother and his wife have this beautiful screened in porch and how unusual that the girls were able to play out there.  Normally it's too darned cold in November for that to happen.
Off for a little Christmas shopping today.
How was your Thanksgiving?
Cindy
Joining
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
Between Naps on the Porch for Met. Monday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

For Ceekay

Hi Friends,
A fellow blogger and friend of mine needs your help.  

It hasn't even been a month since I had lunch with my blogger friends in Arizona.  Ceekay (Thinkin of Home) and 3rd from the left has been battling ovarian cancer for many years.  We knew she would be starting a new treatment shortly after our luncheon.
However this treatment has not gone well and Ceekay has been hospitalized and very ill.

I met the lovely Ceekay 4 years ago at the first blogger luncheon I ever attended.  Since that time we have gotten together many times while I was visiting my son in Arizona.  Ceekay is bubbly, outgoing, fun-loving and oh so sweet!

Laura (Decor to Adore) and third from the right has come up with a smashing idea!  One of Ceekay's fondest wishes is that her whole family could spend a day at Disneyland.   Laura (Decor to Adore) has handcrafted and designed the cutest little elves and all the proceeds will go to help Ceekay realize this dream.
Please friends if you can, check out Laura's blog.   She has all the details and please say a prayer for our friend Ceekay.
Thanks and I will be back with a new post soon,
Cindy

The Blessings of Blogging

When I started blogging over 4 years ago little did I know that so many wonderful gals would come into my life!
Hubby and I were in Arizona last week visiting my son, dil and grand-baby.  And one of the blessings of blogging is that I also get to meet up with these wonderful gals!  They have become my friends, first through blogging and now in real person life as well!  We always meet for lunch and sometimes for shopping too.  
From left to right...Marty @ A Stroll thru Life, Jamie @ Mimi's Corner, Ceekay @ Thinking of Home, Laura @ Decor to Adore, Me, and Linda @ Reminisce and This and That.
Linda and I have know each other since we were 4-H gals in high school.  We grew up in the same little county in Wisconsin and competed at the same little county fair.  She even went to high school with my hubby!  Years later, Linda had moved to Arizona....  married, raised her children and had become a Grandma.  One day as Linda was reading blogs she came across mine.  And she knew, just knew, that it was written by the same girl that she knew back in 4-H many years ago.  Well the rest is history and I am so glad to have Linda back in my life!!

While in Arizona, I got to spend a lot of time bonding and cuddling with this little gal!
Calista is such a low key, easy baby.  And hubby and I got to have her all to ourselves one day while her Mommy and Daddy were working.
After some initial crying, she settled right in with us and even let me rock her to sleep!  Oh bliss, I was so happy to get this special time with her!

Little Addison dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween!
We headed to a lunch at McD's and of course she was a hit with all the older folks dining there.

And one more blessing of blogging is that once in a blue moon I still win a give-away!
And this is one of my fave's!
An LL Bean bag that I got to pick out and design myself.
A big thanks to Linda @ More fun, less laundry for this!!

Happy Weekend all!   And don't forget to count your blessings and keep those who have suffered so much in the wake of this hurricane in your thoughts, prayer's and donations to Red Cross.
Cindy