Isabella & Blogging Break

The highlight of our Thanksgiving this year and we can't wait for Christmas.

We are having the time of our lives helping to care for Isabella and I will be taking a blogging break until January 1. There is so much to do and so little time. From our family to yours we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Happy Thanksgiving

From Our Family to Yours

We wish everyone a very special Thanksgiving

Late Night Visitor

These food and water bowls belong to Wild Cat and he doesn't always clean his plate. This is just one of our late night visitors that come to finish off his food when we have been lazy about bringing the bowl in the house at night. The funniest thing of all is watching them take turns eating left overs from the kitchen window. We have managed to have a possum, skunk and then a raccoon finish off the food all in one night. The only bad thing is that the food bowl is right outside the back door and after being scared to death by a skunk (that didn't spray Thank God) we now look before going out at night.

Four Generations Strong

1979

Great Grandma Mabel Belcher

Grandma June Haley

Mom Sandy Hilliard

Baby Jennifer

2010

Great Grandma June Haley

Grandma Sandy Hilliard

Mom Jennifer Clemente

Baby Isabella

Halloween

Isabella's First Halloween

her "going shopping" outfit

her "at home" lounging outfit

her "let's go get candy" outfit

she was getting fed up with us by this time

her tiny treat bag

Lil Pumpkin by StitchX

stitched on 14 ct yellow aida, DMC floss

Mom made a lining from marbled orange flannel

her new kitty

We spend the afternoon shopping at our favorite TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Marshalls along with a few other stops. We thought it was time to get Isabella in the shopping mood since the weather was so good Sunday in Middle Tennessee. She definitely came out the winner with goodies.

Cross Stitch Quilt Block

For Aaron - LDI

Sports that Count - Baseball #2

14 ct White Aida, DMC Floss

Signs of Fall

mums by the back door

oak leaf hydrangea turning bronze

yellow roses still blooming

maple tree in front yard

pink roses still blooming

Alan cut down the dead red tip photinia bush

now we are ready for a new rose bed

autumn clementis spreading their seeds

pink geraniums still blooming good

thank goodness for these and the roses

or there would be no blooms in the garden

Velvet standing guard

one last mowing of the field next to our garden

We are sure having a dry fall this year, very hot and dusty when mowing. Hopefully we will get some much needed rain in the next few weeks.

Think Christmas

Mom has baby afghans and full size pineapple afghans ready to go for that one of a kind, unique present for your special someone to treasure always.

Baby Afghans

32" x 32"

available in

light pink, mint green, soft yellow,

light blue, antique white, lavender

All colors are currently in stock.

Price is $25 each plus actual shipping costs.

These will make beautiful baby gifts.

Adult Afghans

52" x 70"

12 block pineapple pattern

available in

white, aran (light beige),

pink, burgundy, claret, hunter green,

light coral, light raspberry, ranch red,

royal blue and soft white

All colors currently in stock.

Check out colors here.

Price is $65 each plus actual shipping costs.

These are perfect to cover up with on a

cold winters night or a rainy afternoon.

Think Christmas, Birthdays, Retirements.

These will make a perfect gift for any occasion.

I Won & Birthday Present

I won one of Cyndi's fabulous give-a-ways from Blue Bird Swing. Along with the Snowman Wall Hanging from Pumpkin Berries Stitchery she included note cards, a note pad and post-it notes. All very much needed and a wonderful Cadbury chocolate bar. Love it all and thanks so much for the extras.

I also treated myself to some of Donna's art work from Morning Dove Cottage with my birthday money. Got this gorgeous peony tray and note cards. I've always admired her art work and now have a piece for myself. Love it, love it, love it.

First Pictures

Boy have things changed when you are having a baby. Mom and I learned so much we didn't need to know when Isabella joined our family. haha.

The hospitals now take baby portraits the day after the baby is born and showed up in Jennifer's room bright and early Sunday morning. Isabella did not appreciate being woke up and dressed in her finery. She cried and we consoled her, the photo lady took her and she cried so we consoled her, the photo lady took her and she cried some more. We quit! Told her to come back the next day and we would try again.

Monday morning we dressed her in her finery an hour before the photo lady was to show up just in case she was unhappy again. All went well and she did not cry once and pretty much ignored the photo lady the entire time. Yippee!

Hospital Portraits

2 days old

her dress matched the afghan

Mom crocheted for her perfectly

Happy Momma & Isabella

Proud Daddy & Isabella

Great Grandma June & Isabella

Grandma Sandy & Isabella

Life as we have known it has come and gone. Our lives for the moment now revolve around Isabella and what she needs and/or wants. I see many many more days of rocking. Mom takes the day shift and I take the evening shift while the proud daddy is at work. Doesn't get any better than this!

Isabella Jasmin Clemente

My Granddaughter

Isabella Jasmin Clemente

September 25, 2010 -- 4:10 am

8 lbs. 9 ozs.

20 1/2"

Isabella's Baby Quilt

When I got home yesterday I had this gorgeous baby quilt for Jennifer's Isabella waiting for me from my friends in my stitching group LDI. Here are pics of their blocks and the finished masterpiece that Deb created. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. The pictures are beautiful but the quilt is even more so.

center of quilt

so cute baby animal material

with prairie point edging (my favorite)

Spotted Leopards

from Beth - Maryland

Bald Eagle Chicks

from Carroll - Wisconsin

Red Foxes

from Deb - Kansas

Mountain Zebras

another from Deb - Kansas

Ocelot Kittens

from Debbie - New York

Tigers

from Great Grandma June - Tennessee

Lions

from Grandma Sandy - Tennessee

Brown Bears

from Joan - Arizona

Chimpanzees

from Mariann - New Mexico

Cheetahs

from Sandy - Missouri

Bobcat Kittens

another from Sandy - Missouri

Wolves

Vicki - South Carolina

The Masterpiece

All patterns came from the Endangered Young'uns Book by Gloria & Pat.

Jennifer and Isabella will always treasure this quilt. Thank you ladies.