Another Shopping cart cover

I was able to finish another shopping cart cover last night.

This is one I was making for Lyn and Hezekiah.

You kinda have to use your imagination since I didn't have a spare shopping cart lying around the house. But, I think the general idea is there. I also added the pocket this time. I think it looks weird but maybe once it is fitting to a shopping cart it will make more sense.

Was it a morning like this?

Was It A Morning Like This
By Sandi Patty

Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead

What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon.

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel you again?

Over and over like a
Trumpet underground,
Did the earth seem to pound:
“He is risen”
over and over
in a never ending round
“He is risen, alleluia, alleluia!”

Was it an morning like this,
When Peter and John from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out
On Jerusalem?
He is risen, alleluia, alleluia.

20 weeks

Well, after much bugging from friends and family here it is.

A fairly conservative "belly pic". We ain't showin no skin!

However, If you look closely you can see my battle wounds.

Ouch!! Opps, I did it again. I passed out at bible study! I was smart enough this time to walk outside so I didn't have to make a scene like I did in Junior High. I just got too hot (or overcome by the spirit), and I kept thinking, "I am going to pass out!" So, I got up and walked outside in the cool air and thought I would be okay. I sat down and tried to relax but, then I woke up on the concrete with a skinned up knee, eye and ankle. Thank the good Lord I didn't pee myself!

Can't believe I passed out again, but I was due. It had been about a year, since the last time! Uncle Tom, please don't try to pull this scab off, you know what happen the last time!

Baby Mac and all his stuff

I thought since most of my family won't get to see baby Mac's room in person I would keep you all posted with pictures along the way. His closet is getting pretty full and he is only 20 weeks gestation. Somewhere in this closet are the two uber cute diaper bags from Grandma Etta. Little shoes! I remember buying Daniel a pair of these shoes when he was born. Also, Huge HUGE thank you to Chris and Mabi who have almost single handily supplied Baby Mac with clothes up to 24 months! You have to love family and hand-me -downs!

Mom found these lambs at Goodwill. I am going to change them a little. I would like the blue to not be so dark and the grey to be black. I might make one a "black sheep", because, I love the nursery rhythm "Ba ba black sheep have you any wool?... "

This is the high chair I found in Ohio at an antique mall. I have half way stripped it down. To my surprise it was a lot harder than i thought it would be. Finally, I gave up and stopped at this stage of stripping. I need to finish it, and paint it black.

His little hats!

The side board that Gran-T gave us is going to be converted into his changing table. But, I plan to use all the drawers for his stuff too. Such as: bibs and socks!



0-3 month onesies
3-6 month onesies

Blankets, quilts and crib sheets.

Shopping cart cover

Latest project completed! This is a shopping cart cover that I made with the intention of giving to Stephanie. But, I didn't get it done in time for her shower. So now if she still doesn't have one, she gets it. But, Steph truth be told I don't sew like my Mom yet. There are some imperfections, but it shouldn't fall apart in the wash!

Hope you like it! I have the material and intentions of making another one soon.

This time for a boy.

No place to sew

I have been working on a few sewing projects and with much frustration because I felt like the house was a total disaster. In fact the only real disaster was in my dining room from my sewing projects, the rest of the house was cleaned up.

I was telling Mom about my dilemma and need for a place to sew like my sister just created for herself.

" I just don't have any extra space to make a sewing area like my sister"-me

"Well, she just took an area on her wall and made it work,"- Mom

"I don't have any wall space left." Looking around my house I spotting the chuck wagon table.

The Aw Ha moment! I knew I had to first figure out what to do with the junk inside. Although, a lot of dishes were piled up in there it didn't take long to find other places for them. Then, I got right to work and filled the chuck wagon table with all my sewing goodies.

It really makes a huge difference to have everything in one place.

And, now instead of storing all my sewing stuff in the to be baby rooms.

Baby Mac's has a closet all to himself.

A clean stove makes a happy home

The other day I realized our stove was horribly dirty.

I started scrubbing aways, and I was getting pretty tired.

It was hard work. Then I noticed the burns detach from the gas pipes.

So, I took them off and washed them in the dish washer.

It did an amazing job! I was so impressed!

Now our Magic chef is magically cleaned!!

Baby McClain

Sono Pictures9 weeks 11 weeks

13 weeks

14 weeks

14.5 weeks Baby parts!

Here are two legs and something in the middle.

Now we are not 100% sure yet.

But, this is looking very suspiciously like a boy!

Me? I should to start a book club?

Ok, so I feel totally like 3rd grade starting a "club". Should we have a secret hand shake?

Here are the thoughts behind what I would love to see for this Book club. This is an opportunity to read a great Christian inspired book at your own leisure We will have no formal meetings and all correspondents will be through email. My idea is to pick one book every two weeks or so, (depending on how long it is) and as a group read it together. If anyone has questions, insight, or anything they would like to share just email the group. This should be a non-stress and enjoyable time for all. If you wish to be involved please email me back, (lap2173@aol.com) also feel free to email other friends who you think would also enjoy a good read.

The first book: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis"Screwtape is an experienced devil. His nephew Wormwood is at the beginning of his demonic career and has been assigned to secure the damnation of a young man. Their letters are one of C. S. Lewis's most brilliant imaginative creations".

We will begin reading at the beginning of next week to give everyone a chance to find a copy.

Baby McClain 14 Weeks

Presenting Baby McClain!!

Now 14 weeks and three days!

The Laughlin Officers' Spouses' Club

Annual Charitable Auction

February 7, 2009

5 pm until midnight

Vintage Monte Carlo

Club XL LAFB, Texas

Ticket Price $15 is advance, $17

at the door

Dress: vintage formal encouraged

but not required

Family Picture

Another year and another need for an updated family portrait. We are a very professional family so we took this ourselves! You can pick out your favorite and paste it as your wallpaper!

Happy New Year!

Creation Museum

The Creation Museum presents a unique and unparalleled experience, a walk through time portraying significant, life-altering events of the past, illuminating the effects of biblical history on our present and future world.
http://www.creationmuseum.org/

Ever since the Creation Museum started advertising that they were planning to build, I have wanted to go. I was so excited this year when Mom, Erin, Beth and I finally got the chance to visit.

An idea of what the world was like before the flood and when dinosaur and people co-existing.

Beth loves the aquarium, we had to visit it more than once.

Here she is looking at the 1% scale model of Noah's Ark. Is she chewing the railing...gross!
The workers were hard at work building the Ark.

How long did they work on the Ark?
According to: http://www.gotquestions.org/Noahs-ark-questions.html

The Bible does not specifically say how long it took Noah to build the ark. When Noah is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32, he was 500 years old. When Noah entered the ark, he was 600 years old. The time it took to build the ark would depend on how much time had passed between Genesis 5:32 and the time that God commanded Noah to build the ark (Genesis 6:14-21). At the absolute most, it took 100 years.

The tour only took about 2 hours. We could have stayed longer but our tree year old company was ready to hit the road. I would recommend everyone to go visit.

Mistletoe Christmas Gifts

We recently were educated by Gran-T that Mistletoe grew along side the roads in Texas. Well, after about driving off the road looking for mistletoe in every tree we passed we finally decided to pull over a get some for ourselves. As you can see the mistletoe is the green lump in the otherwise dead tree. My brave hub climbed trees to get to this precious resource.

It may be the only "good" to come out of West Texas.

Our stash.

And just in case you were wondering: The History of Mistletoe.

The Christmas custom of kissing underneath a branch of mistletoe goes back hundreds of years, certainly to the early 17th century. But legends about the curious plant go back even farther, even to the time of Christ and earlier. One legend has it that the wood of the cross of Christ was made from mistletoe, and supposedly for that reason the mistletoe plant has been doomed to live as a parasite, and is so classified today, making it condemned to live on the goodwill of other trees. Shakespeare in Titus Andronicus called it “the baleful mistletoe,” no doubt referring to the fact that in large quantities the waxy white berries are toxic. On the other hand, ancient Druids thought the plant had healing, even magical, powers.
Back in Roman times in Britain, Pliny the Elder referred to the habit of Druid priests of cutting away mistletoe from oak trees where it attached itself, using golden sickles and spreading white cloth on the ground under the tree lest the trimmings touch the ground and risk losing their powers. The Druids elevated mistletoe to sacred powers, even using it in ceremonies of human sacrifice. Unlike other plants, mistletoe retained its fresh green color, and the evergreen therefore became a symbol of fertility. They also hung it over doorways to protect against evil.
Because of the Druids’ use of mistletoe, Christians banned its use in their churches in England. Because mistletoe grows primarily on apple, lime, poplar and hawthorn trees in the midlands and up to and around York, it was a local favorite there long after the Druids were in decline. So in the famous minster at York, its use during the holiday season has always been retained.
In the York cathedral the minister placed the branch on the High Altar and proclaimed “public and universal liberty, pardon and freedom of all sorts of inferior and wicked people at the minster gates, and the gates of the city, towards the four quarters of heaven.” In the 21st century the Dean informally hung a bunch of mistletoe and holly from the High Altar at noon on Christmas Eve, although the custom was more general good will than intended as an encouragement of kissing in its presence.
Strictly speaking, kissing under the mistletoe was never to get out of hand, and often nearly did. To prevent abuses, the custom was defined as a man might steal a kiss under the hanging branch, but when he did, one berry was to be plucked from the plant and discarded. Once the berries were gone, the kissing charm of the mistletoe branch was spent, although that aspect of the custom is rarely recalled in these days. During the 19th century abuses of the kissing custom were prevalent, according to a verse written and called “The Mistletoe Bough.” Interestingly, during uptight Victorian times, the custom came into full bloom!
Despite the mixed lore regarding Viscum album, the English mistletoe plant, its culture is a profitable business in Great Britain today. All through December mistletoe farmers carefully cut boughs from the mistletoe in their apple orchards or on other host trees. Unlike the Druids with the golden boughs, hook
the mistletoe sprays with a long pole, careful to leave some bunches behind to ensure a crop the following year. It is mostly birds who propagate the mistletoe , however. Some farmers call the birds “the professional” in promulgating mistletoe, while they themselves are the amateurs.
Each year large numbers of Druid followers came to celebrate the winter solstice in fields full of mistletoe in the orchards of Hertferdshire. Their orations and music fascinate local farmers, who often adapt bits of the folklore of this “special branch.” One farmer kept his mistletoe decoration from one Christmas to the next. When he had brought in the fresh sprays, he burned the old and ran around as many of his fields as possible with the flaming brands, in the belief that the ancient plant would bless each field with a prolific harvest. Another legend has it that a sprig of mistletoe placed over a baby’s cradle will ensure that the child will never be kidnapped. While much of the plant's history is shrouded in untold tales of the past, it is undeniably blessed with certain sacred associations and perhaps even occult powers.
When the farmers and gypsies who have been gathering wild or cultivated mistletoe are ready with their annual crop for selling at the end of November, they gather at auctions in the towns of the Midlands and thereabouts and sell. The current crop went for up to 1 Pound Sterling per pound, a decent price for a priceless branch. http://www.essortment.com/all/mistletoehistor_rljx.htm

Christmas Social

The OSC had a Christmas social this year at the Herald. The Herald may be the nicest and only place in town where I have not got food poisoning.

As Historian I am required to take pictures of all our events. A confession: I probably do not take as many pictures as last years historian, hard to believe I know, but she was a quickie sure shot camera queen.

Some amazing ladies that only you can met at Laughlin!

Student spouse Rep. and Charitable Treasurer. I like to call BA "Mrs. Money Bags!"

Perfection at it's finest with these two ladies!


I was able to capture some lively conversation too!

Christmas with the gals

Our Bible study group got together for a Christmas goodie exchange. We are not just a FAIP wives Bible study :-) We like to include anyone who would like to join us for a little Bible reading and great fellowship!

We had a relaxing evening visiting with friends and eating too many sweets!

Thank you again BA for willingly opening your house for over a year to us.

Wishing everyone a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!