The new g-ride

Cars are not something I know a lot about, but something I enjoy being around. I have some very good childhood memories of summers spent with my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Chuck that were filled with racing and rebuilding my Uncle's race car. Almost every summer, my sister (sometimes my brother) and I, would catch a flight (pre-9/11 was so much easier to do this!), or my mom would drive us, to Odessa, Texas. I was born there, and lived there with much of my family until second grade. Odessa is not a town with much to do and is the closest I have gotten to a desert waste land, but I love going there. I love the memories that I have from there. There were many hot summer days and nights spent at the race track. The excitement of cheering on my Uncle is not something that I enjoyed as a child, but I look back now and cling to those memories of being with family and the times that we shared. I think it is these memories that have created my desire a to drive a Mustang. So, for a little over a week now, I have been a proud owner of a baby blue Mustang!

What we're workin' with!

There will be no pictures with this post, just a sweet story of my two babies that I wanted to have on record. Today while me, Austin and Abi were running an errand, Abi asked me to turn down the radio so she could tell Austin something. So, I turned the radio down and Abi said, "Austin, I just want to tell you thank you for always helping me, I wouldn't be able to do anything without you. Even though sometimes I'm mean to you, you still help me and I just want to say thank you." I love when Austin and Abi are so sweet to each other, it makes my heart melt!

Progress

Most of you know, after much encouragement, I decided to open an ETSY store and start selling some of the clothing items, etc. that I make. I really enjoy sewing, it's what I do when I am supposed to be "studying" for school! I enjoy the time to myself. Since Mark put lighting above my sewing table, I can actually see what I am doing at night! The excitement of browsing fabrics and putting them together to make that perfect blanket or outfit is worth the back and neck pain at the end of the day. My new best friend, the serger (Sergio as I call it) have become a well oiled machine and have managed to produce two outfits for my shop all in the last two days. I found some great fabric today for my project starting tomorrow after a much needed good night of sleep. Here are the finish products:

size 4T

size 13-18 Pounds

New years and I defeated the serger!

I have been looking forward to a New Year...there's just something about beginnings that excite me! On Tuesday, December 29th, Mark, me, Austin, Abi, Kenzie (Mark's little sister), Bandit and Peaches all piled into the truck and made the 6 (or so) hour trip to San Angelo, Texas. We reached our destination around 11:30pm...and even though we were exhausted...we stayed up visiting until about 4am!! Only to get up the next morning at 630 and make a 2.5 hour trip to visit my Uncle Chuck and Aunt Debbie in Odessa, Texas. We spent most of Wednesday catching up with them, then enjoyed a yummy lunch, and more chatting! I used to spend almost every summer while I was growing up with them, so it was really awesome to spend some time with them! Abi and my cousin are a few days apart, so they always have fun together. While I was away in Arkie, I missed a lot of time with them, it was so great to see them! That afternoon, we traveled back to San Angelo to watch Xavier at his basketball practice. He was so cute, one of the smallest on his team...but very good! Thursday we spent the day just hanging out. We also made one of my favorite foods, lumpia!! Then we waited until midnight and toasted to my favorite wine that Wendy introduced me to, super yummy stuff. Friday we spent the day hanging out again, same as Saturday. Then we packed up and headed back home. It was such a fun trip. Bastian and Xa are getting so big. Bastian at one point came up to the room where Mark and I were staying and informed me that he was the one responsible for making our bed for us...then he told me that he was going to by me some courage...He's a very funny little guy!!! It was nice to catch up.

We got home around 1030pm Saturday evening, unpacked and hit the hay. Sunday morning, just Mark went to church because Abi woke up with a tummy ache. Monday and Tuesday I messed around with the serger, trying to get it to work. I thought after breaking two needles before completing even one hem, that I would not be using the serger. I spent at least an hour adjusting the tensions. FINALLY, I got it to work! I finished Abi's outfit this afternoon. I also see using the serger again in my future!

I am so looking forward to a New Year. Nothing really coming up, I just like newness! I do not go back to school until the 19th but Austin and Abi go back tomorrow. That gives me a week and a half to do whatever I want!

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.