Sewing with serger

While browsing on ETSY.com, I found this boutique outfit and fell in love with the design elements of it! Although it is adorable, I can not justify paying the $95 price tag when I can make the outfit myself. Obviously, the same fabrics will not be used. I cannot wait to see the final results!!! I am nervous because I will be venturing out and using my mom's serger on this one! I have never used a serger before, but for clothing it really is the best thing to use. It's to be determined if this ruling will stick!

Also, Abi has been one sewin' mama! I have fabrics that I pre-cut for another project that she has adopted. So far, she has sewed her yellow baby a pillow and a blanket. The kid machine that we got her for Christmas is cute, but I can't wait until she graduates to the real thing!

The finished product

Christmas with the Brewers

The Brewers 2009

This Christmas season has gone by so fast. I can hardly believe that today is Christmas day 2009, and we will start a new year in 6 days! This year, among the the many gifts, the memories I have made visiting family has really been with me. Most of the time I am focused on what is coming up; on such things as what classes I am taking next semester, getting my books ordered. But this year, it's almost as Christmas time has added an extra appreciation for time spent with my mom and dad, brother and sister, and more communication with my extended family. We did stick to our traditions, the biggest being serving at church for the Christmas eve services. The services on Christmas eve are always my favorites because we get to meet so many new people!

Austin and Abi in front of the preschool Christmas tree

Austin as a shepherd and Abi as an angel in the services

Abi in her Christmas dress

Austin in his Christmas get-up

Austin and Abi, don't the clean up nice!

We took the kids to look at Christmas lights the evening before Christmas eve. They really had a fun time, but were exhausted when we got home!

Maddox, Austin and Abi dancing/ looking at lights

Abi's Christmas dress

Abi's Christmas skirt and bow for the many seasonal events!

Grammy's very own forest!

This past week was a pretty busy one. Monday-Wednesday were filled with last minute Christmas shopping. Thursday,I took my last final of the semester and Friday, I went to Austin's and Abi's Christmas parties for school. Abi was in rare form and super excited. Abi's teacher asked me to help set up for the party, so I arrived a few minutes early. I was excited that I didn't have to wait in the traffic of all the other parents trying to make to their kids' classes. The kids decorated and ate sugar cookies, and had a special visit from Santa. I stayed in Abi's class halfway through the party, while Mark went to Austin's class. Half way through we switched. The parties were nice, but true excitement came when we headed home and packed up to go to Grammy's house for Christmas there. Once we made it to the last 30 minutes of driving through the woods, we hit the dirt road that my parent's live off of and Austin announced that we were close because we were driving in "Grammy's woods"! Oddly enough he was right! We spent some time visiting with Grammy and Papa and waited for Aunt Lisha to get there. We finally went to bed around 11 or so. Around 3am we heard the door opening and the dogs started barking like crazy! My brother Jimmie, and sister-in-law, Rita, had come for a surprise visit from Dallas. Of course, in my family, it is not unusual to get up at 3am Christmas morning to do the gift exchange...so, that is what we did!!! Afterwards, we put the kids back in bed and told them that we would see them in a couple of hours and headed back to bed. Then, Abi woke everyone up around 8. Grammy had to go into work, so our visit was cut short and we headed back home around noon. When we got home we all showered and got dressed for Christmas at Mark's dad's house. Mark's Grandpa and wife and his uncle would all be visiting. We snacked, did a white elephant gift exchange, watched a little football, and then headed home around 8. Each of us was very exhausted. Mark pushed himself because he wanted to see "Avatar" So badly, and joined some of his buddies at the movies for the 1030 showing. We were still all so tired this morning that we came home after a short shopping trip and all took a very LONG nap! It was so good to see all of my family, it's been since last Christmas since we have all been together like that. I know memories like these will become fewer and fewer and I just want to cherish them. Next year my mom had requested to be hers, she wants all of us to come for the holidays. I am very much looking forward to it.

Pancakes and Pajamas year two

This holiday season has flown by! It seems like yesterday I was standing in line for black Friday! We have stuck with most of our traditions this year, with the exception of the Parade of Lights last weekend. The parade went on, but it was very cold and rainy and we were exhausted; so, we opted to stay home and have hot cocoa in front of a warm fire instead! This week I took 2 of my 3 remaining finals! YAY! Also, the Friday that I took the kids out of school early for snow, Abi informed me that she missed the gingerbread man tasting day that afternoon. So, there were fresh gingerbread men waiting at home for her on Wednesday after school! She and Austin had a great time decorating them...and eating them!

Abi decorating her cookies

Austin decorating cookies

Monday, Mark's dad came over and took some family pics for us. They turned out pretty cute, so I'm posting some of my favorites.

We have been waiting patiently for a year for the Taylors' second annual Pancake and Pajama party. It was so much fun, again! This year, John read the Nativity story straight from the Bible. We made another ornament, Rudolph out of a bell, for the craft. We had yummy, sugar loaded pancakes, and of course, had a visit from Santa! It was a fun night visiting with friends and seeing the kids super happy!

Abi and Austin with Santa!

Also, a second for the kids, they sang on stage at church again. They sang 'Go Tell it on the Mountain' and 'Joy to the World'. Austin sang with his hands in his hands in his pockets, like Joe cool...and Abi was really into doing the hand motions that went along with the song. I love kid programs, they are so cute!

Just after the program

Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

me and Mark

Melinda, me and Lori

Sthefany and Abi

Austin and Alex

Christmas tree farm 2009

Today was our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. It is the 4th year to go, and each year the festivities seem to get fewer. The first year we went they had so many great things that made the experience incredibly fun! They had Santa (to take pictures with), a small gift store that carried fresh garland and cute crafts, a fire pit to roast marshmellows, a train for the kids, a hay ride, and a play area. They have slowly decreased the entertainment a little each year. This year they had only the animals to look at, the park, and the train...everything else has been taken away...very disappointing! To top it off, all of the trees to cut down had a fungus. We had to get a tree that they brought in from South Carolina. There's a good possibility that we could be purchasing a fake tree for next year. Nevertheless, we did have an awesome time with family and friends.

Winter Wonderland in Houston?

Since Monday, we're pretty much had a chance for snow...but in Houston, it's just a chance! As the kids got ready for school, they just couldn't wait to have snow to play in, just the idea made them giddy! I went to eat lunch with the kid-o's today...and with the possibility of having snow, I went ahead and let them come home...just in case. Well, it did snow quite a bit; however, it did not stick on our part of town! There were some places in Houston where it did stick, we just weren't so lucky. We did do what we could with what we had!

catching snowflakes

yummy!

snow in the flowerbed

snow snow snow

nice and toasty!

the best thing after a snow/ice ball fight!

Getting in the spirit of Christmas

I forgot to mention in my last post that another adventure of Black Friday was taking the kids to see Disney's A Christmas Carol. I must say that I was very disappointed. For a Disney movie, there were some very creepy scenes that even creeped me out!! Abi spent most of the movie with her ears or eyes covered! It seemed more like a Halloween movie than a Christmas movie...I gave it 2 thumbs down! On a brighter side, Abi got to wear her new Mr. Man Christmas shirt!

Abi loves the Mr. Man show!

Austin before the movie

This year's women's banquest was fun again. I enjoyed getting to spend some time talking to everyone, seeing the beautiful decorations, and eating some yummy food.

Centerpiece for the women's banquet- Marisa's and Brany's handiwork

The girls, left to right, Lori, Me, Tauya, Marisa, Wendy, Brandy, Lizzie, and Sarah

Me, Brandy, and Marisa

Also, after forever it seems like, I finished the carseat cover for little Pacey. Christmas Pajamas and a Christmas dress soon to come!