EARLY HAPPY NEW YEAR





Would like to take this opportunity early to wish you all a Happy New Year, and the best in 2008.

Grandchildren Kyleigh and Jaeger are coming over this afternoon, and will be spending the night, as Kristen and Jeff are having a party tonight. So we will have our own fun.







I am not one for resolutions, but I do have some goals for 2008:

1. I have joined a group Susan Nixon introduced me to, called Stash 4 Pounds, and it involves winning CQ stash for your weight loss. This sounded like a great incentive for me to lose much needed weight.
2. Another goal I have is of getting back into my artistic side. I recently took a class from Patricia Dibona on the Joggles website called Pollage, which I highly enjoyed, which involved painting a canvas, and adding various collage elements. I plan to start another blog for my artwork shortly. I made 3 canvases, which right now can be seen on my http://karrinscrazyworld.blogspot.com/ blog, a French-themed one for my sister, a fairy one for Kristen, and a frog one for Katie.
3. I plan to take part in Sharon B's Take it Further Challenge.
   
4. I plan on finishing up some of my WISPs (Works in Slow Progress).
5. I plan on getting more of my scrapbooks/albums in order.
   
   
   
   

Wishing you and your families the best of Holidays!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY JAEGER!

Today is Jaeger's 5th birthday. There is a big day planned, with a party with his little friend's at John's Incredible Pizza, and later on in the afternoon, a get together with family members at Leatherby's ice cream parlor.

This is my good buddy who is always ready to come to Gramma's house, and very disappointed if they drive by my street, and he doesn't get to stop, and upset if I am spending time with Kyleigh and he doesn't get a chance.

I have always told him he is my very special boy (especially before Keaton was born). When he was around 2-3 he kept telling Kristen "Gramma is my special boy", (getting the words messed up).

When taking pictures, he is always a poser, he will keep striking poses like this one and as if he is a model.



Jaeger is always ready to come to my house, and always ready to play with my pirate Lego ship, and island,
or games, or puzzles. He is a cookie monster, and a lover of root beer.

Saturday night, I watched him and Keaton while Kristen was attending Kyleigh's gymnastics competition, and we had a great time watching Home Alone and some great laughs. I always enjoy my time with him.

And he is always ready to visit with Papa John, can sit entranced while John plays one of his video games, and tells everyone that his Papa is building him a sailboat. John has the roof on the sailboat now, the hatch cover done. Jaeger always is interested in the sailboat's progress when he comes over.

And he is my Very Special Boy (#1)! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAEGER!

You Are Christmas

More than most people, you are able to find magic in life's small moments. Traditions mean a lot to you, and you tend to be quite nostalgic. You are a giving, kind person who really understands the true meaning of holidays. You inspire others to be as altruistic and caring as you are. What makes you celebrate: Tradition and a generous spirit At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The storyteller. You like to recount memories with everyone. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Give a gift to everyone you know

What Holiday Are You?

TWAS 22 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS


This nativity scene, my mother in law over 30 years ago painted for us. The pride of my Christmas collection.








I actually had most all of my Christmas decorations up last weekend, I wanted to have it done before Kyleigh and Jaeger got home from Disneyland. This was actually one of my very first quilts, I love the primitive quilts and I love applique. This was from a book called Christmas or Not by Gerry Kimmel, Linda Brannock, and Jan Patel. I had to do the feathers over twice I think.















The bit of the angel quilt you can see, is from the same book and is called Joy. The wreath below that I painted in a watercolor class one year. The Christmas bottle quilt, my secret sister a long time ago, Susan Nixon made for me. The deacon's bench to the left side John made, and also the one you can barely see on the right side.

































The Santa sitting under the piano, and the one in the background, I painted both of those. On the piano are a angel doll holding a wreath, and a little elf guy, and I made those. There is also a snowman sitting where the keys would be on the piano, and I made that guy too.












Here is another quilt I made, plus I made the Grandma and Grandpa porcelain dolls in the background, and some little cloth angel dolls sitting on the pillows.













This is another one of the primitive quilts and also one of the first I made. It was from a book by Gerry Kimmel called Plaza Trees.



















This is part of my little village, and my seaside village. I had to put the rocks in the ocean back from the edge because Keaton saw them and tried to pop them in his mouth.











The stockings were hung, and the nutcrackers out...












More of the Christmas seaside village on another table. Since John sold the pool table this year, where I usually placed my villages, I have had to scramble around to find tables. The stained glass in the background window John commissioned for me one Christmas, it is a whale diving under the water. The buffet at the right hand side John made for me.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We had a rather quiet Thanksgiving this year, as Kristen, Jeff, Kyleigh, Jaeger and Keaton are in Southern California. They have been to visit my sister Mary, and Legoland. They spent Thanksgiving with John's mother, Ada Hurd, and visited Seaworld, the San Diego Zoo, and took a 4 vesssel tour of San Diego Bay, touring the Star of India, an aircraft carrier, a Russian submarine, and the ship from Master and Commander. Jaeger was in his prime on that tour, and had to call Papa John and told him everything he had seen. Jaeger was also impressed with all that Grammy has had to shown him, and was particularly entranced with the tool she uses to pick things up off the floor.


The family next heads up to Disneyland to spend a few days before heading home on Wednesday.

Gramma Karrin is really missing her favorite little people, and we have a gingerbread house to make when they get back.

So Thanksgiving this year was spent with just the four of us, John, Karrin, Katie, and John Centers. Katie and John got an engagement ring almost 2 weeks ago, so that is exciting news!

FINALLY, MY BIRTHDAY PICTURES!

My birthday falls in October, and my daughters wondered what I would like. Kristen found a wonderful photographer that did her wedding, and also around Father's Day had taken some wonderful pictures of her and the children for Jeff's gift. The photographer, Cindy Sullivan, lives about 10 minutes from me, and takes some wonderful pictures in areas around on her property. I told Kristen, that was what I would like a photo session of the entire family.

The few days before our Saturday photo session had been raining, and had even rained the day before, and I was worried we would have to postpone our session. But even though it was overcast in the morning, we turned out to have a wonderful day to take pictures. Cindy ended up taking 307 pictures! She puts them all on a CD so you can print up your own, or take it to someone. She also gives you 6x4 inch copies of all of them. John brought his guitar along as a "prop". We all love hearing him play, and it is part of our life. The ones where Keaton appears to be clapping a lot, we were having to sing "If You're Happy and You Know It" to get him to cooperate. Jaeger is a ham, and is making funny faces or expressions in a lot of them. I am thrilled with the results,even most of my pictures I don't look too bad. Right before we went to take the ones of me and the grandkids, I apparently stepped in some dog droppings, so Cindy's husband went off to clean my shoes off, the only bad part of the day. Cindy had these pictures back to us in less than a week, I have just not had time to post them. So these beautiful pictures are thanks to my 2 daughters.

Karrin, Kristen and Katie


















Keaton, Kyleigh and Jaeger
















Jeff, Kristen and family











Kristen and Jeff



















Kyleigh 7 years















Jaeger 4-1/2 years




















Keaton 1 year, had just turned 1, 11 days before this session.











Katie and John


































Papa John, Gramma Karrin and Kids





John and Karrin

POZOLE SUNDAY, KYLEIGH'S FIRST QUILT

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty wonderful day for me. For one thing, I got my transcription commitment finished by 9:30 a.m, which was the way I like to do it. I knew Kyleigh was coming for our "SPECIAL DAY" after 12:30, and wanted to be done by then.

Earlier in the morning, while working away, I thought it would be a good day for carnitas, it is a Mexican dish of roasted pork, used to make tacos, buritos, etc. I usually boil the pork with some spices until it is done, then take it out and roast it for about 45 minutes. I always throw out the liquid I boiled it in. Yesterday, while browsing the 2 cookbooks I use for the carnitas (I use a combination of 2 recipes), I realized that pozole was a soup with pork, chicken, in a chicken-based broth and hominy, using essentially the same spices I use in the carnitas. I decided since my pork was such a large piece of meat, I could cook the carnitas as usual, split the meat, and use part for the pozole and part for the carnitas. The pozole soup is served with a variety of garnishes, such as cheese, radishes, tomatoes, pico de gallo salsa, tortilla strips, sliced avocado, and we added them all. I have fallen in love with pozole, and in fact had some for breakfast.

Kristen brought Kyleigh over for our SPECIAL DAY, and I served them some of the soup too. Kristen and Katie I knew love hominy too.

After Kristen and the 2 boys left, Kyleigh and I embarked on our project. My friend Candi, had given us a small Janome sewing machine just Kyleigh's size and we had been waiting for the opportunity to use it. I explained the machine, and showed her how to use it. I started her out practicing stitching on muslin, on which I had drawn lines. From the very first, she did pretty remarkable for a 7-year-old, she pretty much totally followed the lines. Then I showed her how to turn corners, leaving the needle in the fabric and pivoting the fabric for the corner. The second practice, below shows that. She had one zig-zaggy part where something caught, and she was not advancing, but basically pretty remarkable I thought.


I was also amazed, that when I showed her how to thread the machine, how to thread the needle she remembered, and after the second time of me rethreading the needle, she insisted on doing it herself, and where it would take me 3-4 attempts, she could get it in the needle by the second time!








Next, I had a bunch of 3 inch blocks, I used to get as samples from some quilt club. She sewed a bunch of these together and made a quilt for her American Girl Doll, Briana. I still need to quilt this little mini-quilt, but she was so excited, as was her proud gramma, for her to have done this. She kept saying "this is so much fun". We had my small TV/DVD player in the sewing room and watched West Side Story. I forgot how sad it is...

Later, Katie, and her boyfriend John came by, and stayed for some pozole, and carnitas for dinner. Kyleigh had an appetite, and ate 3 carnitas tacos herself.

Cruisin'

The week of September 26, 2007, to October 1, 2007, John and I went on a short cruise from Vancouver to San Diego.

We almost thought we were not going to make the ship the first day, as the flights from Sacramento to Seattle were fogged in and delayed. We were told that our connecting flight from Seattle to Vancouver would wait for us, because all flights were delayed. (WRONG). We arrived in Seattle and our connecting flight had taken off 5 minutes before.


We were told that the next connecting flight was at 6 p.m. (Our ship took off at 5). This is about 1:30 p.m.. It was suggested that we rent a car and drive to Vancouver. When we asked how long that would take we were informed about 4 hours. Finally they arranged for us a flight on a different airline, Air Canada and we arrived about 3:30. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the ship's crew were still waiting for us, and 2 other Sacramento couples at the airport. They whisked us into taxi's and away to the port where the ship was getting ready to leave. We arrived at the ship about 4:30, right as they had finished the lifeboat drill.

Thursday we arrived in Victoria, and while John took a city tour, and a tour of Craigdarroch Castle, I took a whale watching tour, which was my birthday present.

This is the blog of the Five Star Whale Watching boat I went on, and if you check out the September 27th, that was the day I went. http://5starwhales.blogspot.com

We were having a good time, seeing whales in the distance. I was standing on the back of the boat, when a killer whale started coming straight towards our boat. It came right up to where I was standing, and got the picture above, and then it just swam off. This was the highlight of my trip!

On Friday, September 28th, John and I took a shore excursion in Astoria, Oregon, to 2 seaside towns, Cannon Beach and Seaside. In Cannon Beach I found a great yarn store called Costal Yarns, and got some beautiful hand-dyed yarn, a knitted purse book, and crochet caps, and whale tale cap instructions.

The rest of the cruise was just getting to San Diego. Every morning, I would get up early (4 to 5 a.m. and late for me) , and head down to the Lido where they have the buffet meals. It was not open yet, the crew was busy getting breakfast ready, but it was well-lit and they had generally good music going. I had my backpack full of stitchery, and would just sit and embroider until John came down for breakfast.

I was working on this Woolly Flower Sampler, the basket block, which I started and finished on the cruise. All of a sudden, I realized that this was probably the last block, and I had all the others done. I could hardly wait to get home to check. (And I was right, I put it together the weekend I got home).

Monday, October 1, 2007, we arrived in San Diego, and reluctantly left the ship. It's hard to go from being so pampered, and having to get back to reality.

We had a nice visit in San Diego with John's mother for 2 days, and were able to take her to our favorite Mexican restaurant as an added bonus.

She gave me an album of old pictures of John, and I got to the airport and one of my suitcases was 5 pounds overweight which I had to pay extra for.

But this little mini cruise was exactly what we needed, and we came back home to celebrate Keaton's 1st birthday, and my birthday this week.

KYLEIGH'S 7TH BIRTHDAY

On Kyleigh's 7th birthday, August 17, 2007, we gathered at Leatherby's a local ice cream parlor to celebrate with family. She had her birthday celebration with her friends 2 nights later at a roller rink, and earlier that day, on August 19, 2007, we had a lunch celebration for Kyleigh's and Katie's birthday at Gramma Karrin's and Papa John's.



Gramma Karrin had been busy making doll clothes for Kyleigh's American Girl Doll, Brianna. Brianna was a gift from Gramma Karrin last year, and still a favorite. The orange dress used the same fabric from a dress Gramma Karrin made for Kyleigh last year. The white background/rainbow shirt with the jumper was from scraps of fabric that had probably been made into a dress for Aunt Katie when she was young girl. Gramma Karrin also made some special headbands, and a tote bag that incorporated a crazy patch ocean round robin.

ANNIE

Early this year, Kristen called me to ask that I get online that morning at exactly 10 a.m. to purchase tickets for Annie, at the Music Circus in Sacramento. I got online and purchased tickets at 10 a.m. on the dot. We were not really sure what sort of tickets we got, were just happy to be going. Each summer, Kristen and I take Kyleigh, sometimes Jaeger, usually her friend Robin, and sometimes Kyleigh's cousin Sarah, to a production.

Kristen, Robin, Kyleigh, Sarah and I arrived with about 5 minutes to spare to find our seats. Kristen had handed me the tickets and we went looking for our seats. Well the tickets I purchased this year were in Row B, the second row from the stage. I think we normally end up in Row L or something like that We were thrilled with our tickets and they were just perfect, as was the show. We loved Annie, it was just fantastic. This was our favorite in the 5 years we have been going. We thought we loved Beauty and the Beast, and Wizard of Oz, Joseph's Magic Technicolor Coat, and Music Man, but this was the best. Kristen said she will have me get tickets every year.

Kelsey Smith who plays Annie and Mark Zimmerman who plays Daddy Warbucks were both phenomenal, as were the rest of the cast. We had a wonderful afternoon.

Kyleigh and her cousin Sarah

CLEANING UP OUR ACT

The month of June was busy for us. We have been talking about redoing our master closet for years, had talked about redoing it in the winter, when we didn't have anything else to do, but it never happened until last month. The disorganization kept getting worse and worse, there wasn't much we could do until we took everything out and started from scratch. In the back of the closet we had sort of a bookcase structure on which we stacked our shorts, jeans,my capri's, and on the bottom shelf there we stacked collapsible luggage and bags. I am embarrassed to show what the closet looked like before.


We began by John starting to build a dresser unit that was going to replace the bookcase. I removed all the stuff form the closet and he dismantled the existing shelves and brackets. He also removed the hated popcorn ceiling,
and I repainted the entire closet for the first time in 28 years.




This is the new closet, with the dresser unit that goes floor to ceiling.

You can't see it, but on either side of the dresser are adjustable shelves,
sort of cubbies that we can store items too. In addition, you cannot really see it from the before picture, but the lighting in the closet was atrocious. John also installed a new light fixture and we no longer have to take clothes out of the closet to see the colors.







This is John's side And my side.










In reorganizing our closet, we went through and sorted out clothing and shoes we can no longer wear, and had 6 bags for donation to the American Veterans charity.

But we did not stop here. We hired a 6 cubic yard dumpster to take away the old closet pieces, and some old chairs, tree branches from the backyard. We emptied it once, and started on the garage. The garage is John's work shop, we have never parked in it. But over the years, in redoing portions of the house, he has taken the wood, and objects and placed them in the garage, we have at times gotten rid of items, but for the most part
the last few years, he has had about 1/4 of a 2 car garage to work in. Well after the second dumpster load,
and his reorganization of a closet area, and his wood, he now probably has 2/3 of the garage to work in. We are amazed every time we walk out there. So we got rid of 12 cubic yards of "stuff" and feel pretty good about it.

MRS. STENKLYFT'S DOLPHIN QUILT


Before Christmas 2006 I was talking to Kyleigh about making her a crazy quilt fish vest. She asked if I had any dolphin fabric, and we looked and I did. She said that her teacher, Mrs. Stenkylft really needed a quilt for the classroom, as their class was called The Dolphins. I asked her if she wanted me to do the quilt or the vest first, and she wanted the quilt made first. Kyleigh and I delivered it on May 14, 2006, and Mrs. Stenklyft was thrilled, almost to tears. She is going to hang it above the marine fish tank the class has. I really didn't want to cut all the dolphin fabric up into so they were not recognizable, so it is just very simple pieces of fabric sewn together, and then I made the letters.








Kyleigh designed the label for me and I printed it onto fabric.

BAPTISM DAY


Sunday, April 29, 2007 was baptism day for both boys, and they did so good through the baptism and the service. Jaeger was 4 years, 4 months, and Keaton was 6 months old. I was going to get a picture of them in their outfits, but they arrived just right before the service was starting. Then I thought I would get one at the BBQ luncheon later, but that was not possible either. Kristen promised to get pictures later in their outfits at the church.
















This was a picture of the boys taken probably about 6 weeks to 2 months prior to the baptism.

GRAMMA' S FUN DAY

Monday, April 2, 2007, I went over to Kristen's house to watch the 3 grandchildren while Kristen did some Easter shopping. Before I got there, Kyleigh had a made a list of what we could do.

Jaeger's apparently told her "I do not no"



Kyleigh's list as you can see was detailed, the spelling was her sounding things out, part of the things I cannot read myself, and even she when pressed forgot what she wrote, but included:
1. Hlethey snack.
2. Play Dowy (doh)
3. ?
4. Pichr time (drawing)
5. Art
6. Go out siede
7. Cat.
8. Mall
9. Ticktacktow
10. Play grond
11. Rid biks
12. Flower time

Due to both her brothers napping when I got there, she elected to play with the Play Doh, which Jaeger wanted to do too when he got up, and they did that until Kristen got home.

Little Keaton I think woke up too soon, was not feeling well, and it took all my attempts to
keep him happy until Kristen got home. In changing his diaper now, it is like trying to change

a monkey he is so quick in rolling over.

Last week John finished the toy cabinet he had built for our house to store the toys and games in.