Sewing Challenge: November/December

Well, this is my last sewing challenge.  I think I did well.  Only missed a couple months during the summer when we were getting ready for and having the family reunion.  It was nice to have a goal this year.  Next year Crazy Little Projects is doing things differently next year, so no monthly sewing project.  Instead, she set up the Crazy New You contest.  Here is the information if you are interested.

The sewing challenge for November and December was to sew something for the holidays, a gift, or pretty much whatever you want.  I started working on P's quiet book, hoping I could actually get it put together for Christmas.  I had high hopes.  But, I did need to get all the parts together for the advent calendar.  My mom made this calendar when we were kids.  I tried to clean the sticky spray off the backs of the pieces last year, and they kinda fell apart.  I had to re-make all the pieces!  I didn't get everything made, but since P is still young enough to not realize a day was missed....it worked out just fine.  Plus, he's not going to know that Mary and Joseph are missing hands, that I used the sheep from my mom's calendar, or that baby Jesus might not be done 100%.  He still had fun pulling out the pieces each day and reading a scripture to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.  Maybe the quiet book can be my goal for next year....

Christmas Gladness

We had some fun times over Christmas.  Here is Christmas: Video style.


P got a train table.  The kids at the library will be happy P will no longer be taking over the table there.


B got some Pub Mix and P told him what it really was.....

He's saying "Tera food".  Tera....the cat....

For FHE, we went to look at Christmas lights.  That's a hard thing to do here in Newport.  We found a few places - including the home of B's co-worker.  If you look real close, you can see P grooving to Jingle Bells as we watch their light show.

Speaking of Jingle Bells....  At the ward Christmas dinner, someone sang Jingle Bells.  P immediately started saying "jingle bell. jingle bell. Jingle ah way."  He asks me to sing Jingle Bells at bedtime.  Every time Jingle Bells came on P dances.


Just last night I caught this.....


Grandma Hines brought P a gingerbread train kit when she visited a week before Christmas.  We decided to relax as a family after the stress of the ward sacrament Christmas program was over, and made the train.  Here is P being sneaky...


And after our first two tries left blurry photos....

...we figured out our camera went bad and got a last minute clear family photo.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Not Your Normal Christmas Post

Last year, Christmas was not fun for me.  I didn't enjoy one part of the Christmas season.  I had gone off

Last Christmas

medication that, while it was supposed to help depression and anxiety, it actually made it worse.  I didn't realize that the side effects would last months afterward, so I thought I was going crazy.  I was having panic attacks.  My heart would skip beats, causing my anxiety to rise.  I had daily massive migraines that lead me to believe I had a brain tumor or had had a stroke.  I thought that if I went to sleep I wouldn't wake.  Once I was asleep I would wake from nightmares. Then I started getting dizzy spells, tightness in my chest, and shortness of breath.  And I was paranoid - thinking I had an ailment that wouldn't be found until it was too late to save my life.  The worst part - I felt that I would never be back to my normal self.  It really stunk.  I feel so horrible for B and P....I was not nice, and had constant mood swings.  And I felt so alone.

But things change.       

Things got better.  It wasn't instant.  It took a lot of prayer.  This Christmas I was able to look back on last year and see how Heavenly Father has blessed me.  While I thought things would never get back to normal, Heavenly Father was actually healing my mind and body - it was just very, very slowly.  It wasn't until July-ish that I realized that I wasn't have panic attacks or any of the other medication side effects.  I was still dizzy, which actually got worse.  In October, I realized my anxiety was causing my dizziness, and that was a somewhat easy fix.  The thing is that I didn't realize that I was getting better - or that I was better.  It wasn't until I looked back and saw that I wasn't having my issues that I was able to see that I was better.  It takes time and perspective.

So, here are my thoughts.  We mostly think about using the atonement for fixing the mistakes we make (repenting).  But we can use the atonement to take away any pain.  As I have used the atonement I have noticed other changes too.  I perceive everything differently.  Mostly, I am more grateful than normal (it's kind of sad that I'm not normally more grateful) because I can see where I was last year and compare it to this year.  I see how blessed my family and I are.  I know that I have so much more than many people on Earth.  This Christmas I was extremely grateful that Jesus Christ came to Earth, and offered to be our Savior.  I know that without Him, I would never have been able to overcome my pain.  It was through His atonement that my mind and body were healed.  The gift HE gave - the atonement - is available to all.  Not everyone will use this gift.  Sometimes we don't even realize it is available to take away pain.  But it is.  And we have the opportunity to use the atonement in order to heal pain so we can enjoy life, like our Heavenly Father wants us to do.  This Christmas, I am grateful Jesus Christ came to Earth because He gave us all the greatest gift - He is the gift!

P's Life

Since I am a slacker, here are a few fun photos/videos of P from the summer, and fall, and winter.  I guess it's easier to say, from 2014.  He was quite busy having fun.

P didn't like his summer haircut.

P discovered the best thing ever - french fries dipped in a milkshake.
He did this on his own - no coercion.

P learned to enjoy the wind here on the Coast.

Don't worry - it wasn't hurricane force winds...yet.


P went to the aquarium multiple times to see lots of 'ishies'.

Look!  That's a fish!

P helped Papa with the cars.


P decided to help Mama with a painting project.

Yup - it got on the carpet too.


P and Tera became good friends...

P found his favorite book - ever.

No, really.  We borrowed it from the library - already well 'loved' - and P tore a page out of it.  Then, we borrowed it from Grandma's library and ripped a page out of their book too.  *sigh*  P would have received this book for Christmas if Powell's Books still had the book available.  (We think our library bought the copy Powell's had since they replaced the copy P destroyed.)

And some funny photos of P.

BBQ chicken is the best

He's a real Ladies Man already....

'can you push me into town?'

P got his first kiss shortly before this photo....they grow up so fast.