A New Year is approaching...

Our Christmas was great! A bit hectic and chaotic but as I always say, I'll get started earlier next year.

I was blessed with some wonderful, heartfelt gifts. I got some exercise bands. Some really GOOD bands and I'm excited because the 21 Day Fix Extreme that Paul got me, uses bands! Yay!
I got a beautiful...and I mean BEAUTIFUL cue stick..

I think it makes me play better. A Coach wristlet, an electric wine bottle opener, The Minions on Blue Ray and I've watched it twice already...I know, I'm weird. LOL! A beautiful Lenox Butterfly Meadow tea set and a train set! Now this is how Paul rolls. Back in October or so, I mentioned how cool it would be to have a train under the tree along with the village we have set up. He says, no way are we getting a train! So, low and behold!! He got a steam engine train and we decided we'd like a Christmas themed train, so the place he bought it from is ordering us one. Should be here in a day or two and I'll post pics as soon as I get it set up.
Another heartfelt gift was from my niece Nicole. When I opened this yarn bowl I couldn't believe my eyes!

It's nice and heavy too. I've been using it since Christmas day and it works beautifully! Now mind you, she lives almost 500 miles away! Does she know her aunt or what? And those are just a few of the gifts I received. How lucky am I?

I've been dying to post my Christmas present "project" I'd been working on for months for the kids. It's a Pictorial Family Tree. First I went to Michael's and bought the chalkboard frames. I then had Paul ask his dad for some pictures. We got a family tree book from him that I scanned a couple of pictures from and then I talked to Paul's aunt Donna, who is Paul's moms sister in law. She's been working on her and her husband's family trees for years. So, I went over to her house and got some nice old pictures of Paul's grandparents and great grandparents from his moms side.
As for my family, most of my family photos came from either my brother Chris years and years ago, which I have saved on my computer, or a family album Wendy borrowed from our cousin Stephanie. I'm so proud of this family tree I created! So proud and happy with the way it turned out. Half way through the process, I decided to make one for us, Paul and myself.

To make the letters and leaves, I used my Cricut and the cartridge Chalkboard Fonts

They're so awesome I can't get over it! I LOVE how they turned out. Now the frame is not yellow at all and you'll see what I mean in the photo below. It's a distressed white actually. Each of the kids trees have their names on theirs instead of "Our Family Tree" they say "Eric's Family Tree" etc.

I certainly can't take all the credit. I'm not THAT creative. I found the original on Pinterest and here's a link to her beautiful pictorial tree she made; original family tree. I think Eric, Steve and Jenn liked them.

Steve and Brandy came over Christmas Eve. I talked everyone into driving around and looking at some Christmas lights...

I love the roof on this one! 

I also worked on knitting a Twiddle Muff for my mother in law, Dory. She has Alzheimer's/dementia and I hope this helps her keep her hands busy.

Paul says, no wonder the holidays are so hectic...you have all these projects going on! It's okay though. I love creating and sharing my creations. Isn't that kind of what Christmas is all about?

We then picked up Dory and her 93 year old sister Aunt Gert for Christmas dinner.

Aunt Gert and Dory

We had a Honey Baked Ham, Paul's sweet potatoes, cheesy potatoes and a green bean casserole.

Like my sister in law Sue says; we don't know how to cook for just a couple of people

I can't believe 2015 went by so fast!! I have A LOT of fond memories and I'm really looking forward to the new year and creating new ones.

I'll post my goals and hopefully some pics of our new Christmas train in a couple of days. As always...