Happy New Year!

Well only a few hours left of 2009 and then onto 2010. We are going to a friends house tonight to help ring in the new year.  I have been enjoying my time off school so far and find myself less motivated to get things done knowing that I have more time to get it done. Does that make sense? I seem to be more motivated knowing I have less time available. Well they do say that if you want to get something done quickly give it to someone who is busy! I have been busy knitting in the last week or so. I have made about three baby sweaters and plan to make many more. I will post pictures of what I have made so far this weekend sometime. I am enjoying looking up free knitting patterns on the web. These sweaters will be donated to various organizations for layettes for newborns. I am sure some will even make their way overseas at some point.

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Years! Stay Safe!

Done with the Semester!

Well I am officially done with the semester as of yesterday. Took my last final and now I can relax. I have decided to go for the Social Work bachelor's degree so have off school until September 2010. Maybe in a few weeks after I have unwound from the last 1 1/2 years of school and work I can start sewing again. Right now the most creative energy I have is to knit prayer shawls. Wow, that schooling really absorbs all that creative energy I use to have. I don't know maybe it is because I am getting older? I hope not.

I think I need to concentrate on getting all my affairs in order this winter in preparation for how busy I will be once I start school again. This could mean that I need to use up all that fabric that has been propagating in my fabric closet of my sewing room. It is bursting at the seams and if I open the door it will explode all over me. You may not be able to find me for days under the pile!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.....

I feel for kids that go straight to college after high school not knowing what they want to do when they grow up. Even as an adult I am currently struggling with this. Tomorrow night I am going to go to the school where the social work degree is for a preview night. I can sit in on one of the classes with the other social work students and see what it is they are learning. I guess they are going to have some special speakers in class, one a graduate from their program.

I was trying to fill out the admissions essay for the business administration degree and it just does not feel right. I can't seem to get excited about attending business classes. I guess I have changed so much that I would rather study about people than numbers!

Everyone keeps telling me to go with my heart and my head just seems to get in the way all the time. I am way to sensible and also have a husband who is the same. I have never been a risk taker and this is causing a great amount of stress for me right now. I need to take that leap of faith and for some reason I don't want to take my foot off the edge! Being sensible does have its advantages at times but in this case it is very frustrating!

Well three more tests away from my Associates Degree and then it looks like I will get a break from school. It will be good for my family as I have been going pretty strong for about a year and a half now. Well back to studying....I have been wasting my day off on the computer. Can't lose my momentum now...I am almost done.

Light at the end of the tunnel.....

Well if I look up from my homework I can start to see the light at the end of this semester's tunnel. I have three weeks left and only about 6 more tests/finals left to complete. I am studying like a mad woman and can't wait until this semester is over.

I have been having a slight breakdown in my future plans with schooling. I am not sure I want to pursue the Social Work degree anymore. I am looking at going to Northwestern College to their Evening degree program called Focus. I am really impressed with the school and lately have been leaning towards getting a business administration degree which was where I was headed before being derailed many years ago. This area seems to be where I am the strongest. My thoughts is that I can use this degree to work in the non-profit industry to further a cause of some sort. After my social work intro class I am not so sure I am up to working with people on a one-to-one ratio. I can not even seem to motivate my own children to do things I am having a hard time seeing myself as a motivator for others in need. I know I will always volunteer and do what I can to advocate for those less fortunate just doubting whether I want to make it my job. They say that when you do something you love and start to get paid for it that your enjoyment goes away. Kind of like making quilts for money for me. When I made a few that were for someone else for pay the enjoyment went away.

Well that is it for now. After this semester, depending on what I decide I will either have 3 months off (Busn. Admin degree, unless I start that speech class I still need) or have 8 months off (social work degree).

What a dilema!

School, School and more School

No time for anything these days except school. I have Statistics, Psychology and Intro to Social Work and it is keeping me busy 24/7 when I am not working or being with family. I did pick up my knitting needles just the other day and started knitting a scarf. Must be the snow we got in the last week. I am feeling like keeping warm! I will probably donate this scarf I am sure, if it ever gets done.

I started volunteering at a Day Center for Homeless and other needy people. We make referrals for all the services in our local area but mostly focus on housing issues. They have a social worker employed there from West CAP which is a non-profit group that helps with housing.

I am enjoying school despite the hectic schedule. This semester is just especially challenging with the fast paced statistics class. I must spend at least 20 hours a week just doing homework for that class.

Summer is almost over!

It has been a crazy and hectic summer. I had two online college classes over the summer and I now get a whole 2 weeks off before starting up again. I was going to try to get some sewing in but that has taken a backseat to putting together a DVD of pictures for my Dad for his 70th Birthday. I have scanned over 115 pictures already and I have about 10 more years of pictures to go through. Although not all those years will need to be scanned as I converted to digital camera sometime in the last 4 years I think. Those pictures will already be on my computer so I will need to just choose which ones. I am hoping that he will like the DVD as it will take me the next two weeks to finish it up in my free time. I have until 19th, as I look at the calendar that is only one week away. Yikes! This next semester I will have three classes, Statistics, Psychology and Intro to Social Work. Upon completion of the Statistics class I will have completed my Associates degree. That will be a good feeling even though I still have about 3 years of school left going part time for my major of social work. Things are crazy at work as our Associate Pastor left and the church now has to go through the process of finding a new pastor. Our senior pastor will be busy. We are working on getting an interim pt pastor and hopefully he/she will start in September! Fall is a busy time in a church office with everything starting back up. Lots of paperwork for us office ladies.

Well I really need to try to get better at posting in the future. Life seems to be a runaway train these days and I need to make better efforts in doing some of the things I like to do rather than all the things I don't!

Summer has begun

Summer is here if I gauge that on my summer classes. I have two classes this semester and one began last week. My son is not out of school yet until next Tuesday but I am looking forward to the summer schedule! We bought a pop up camper and am planning on going camping throughout the summer. We are going this weekend just locally but we are going to do some fishing also. Looking forward to spending time with family this summer in addition to school work. I am going to try my best to balance the fun of summer, family and school work!

Long last few weeks....

Well I thought I had come home from Mexico having not gotten sick. I was excited about that and then, bang, last Wednesday night I felt miserable. Luckily it did not last too long but Thursday at work was a really rough day. I had so many things that I had to get done for Sunday services and my co-worker is out on vacation so I had no backup plan. So, being the responsible person that God made me, I worked until I got everything done. It was a good thing too because I basically worked until I could not manage any longer. This week has been much better and I am getting back to normal (if I ever could be considered normal!)

Today they are expecting a big snow storm and I just heard they are going to close school early. It has yet to start snowing. Oh well the kids will be excited about being done early. I wish I could have a snow day and still get paid!

Pictures of Mexico mission trip

http://community.webshots.com/user/tjgrayfamily

Here are some of my pictures from my mission trip to the orphanage in Mexico. It is in an album labeled Morelia, Mexico 2009

Amigo's in Mexico

(upper left; All the kids at the mission with the staff) (upper right; Tonio and I) (Lower left; Fernando(left) and his younger brother Jorge(right) and I)

Here are some more pictures of some special friends in Mexico. Got home Saturday about noon and having gotten hardly any sleep the night before was so tired I just crashed for several hours. We took a 2:00 am flight and it is hard functioning on so little sleep. I should be recovered by tomorrow and then I can start in on homework. It is hard to think about that right now.

More Photos'

More fun in Mexico. Don't you just love this little boy on the swing. This is Oscar and I asked him if I could take his picture and as you can see he thought it was a great idea. He is such a ham! I was showing Fernando (on left) my pictures from home along with a few other boys. I have sponsored Fernando for the last 3 1/2 years so I am really enjoying spending time with him this week. The last picture is of one of the babies with a quilt that someone from the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild donated to the home 3 1/2 years ago when I came. I am so sad that I have to leave tomorrow night. I am so glad that I was able to make it here this year. Gotta turn this computer off now and go play a game of spoons with the older kids.

Sunshine Quilts still in use!

Here is a sunshine quilt still in use at the home. Thought that Sunshine members would enjoy seeing that they are still using the quilts we donated 3 1/2 years ago.

I am here!

I am in Mexico at the orphanage. We have wireless internet and I decided to bring my computer to stay in touch with my classes, although it is very hard to even think about homework while here. I am having too much fun playing with the kids and relating with the people. I don't have the correct camera cable with me so only have a few pictures that others here emailed me. The wonders of computers and internet! Here are a few of the kids. I will post more photos when I get done with my trip. Just thought I would give you a taste of Mexico for now.

Leaving shortly....

Well I am flying out on Sat. Feb. 7th for the orphanage in Mexico. I have been working hard the last few weeks trying to get everything done at home, school and at work. It seems whenever you want to go somewhere you always have to work extra hard before and then after! That is okay this will be well worth it! I will be unplugged for a week. Not because we have to (I could bring my laptop computer) but I am choosing to! It will be nice to be able to just concentrate on what I am doing there. I will have some homework I can work on without my computer but for the most part I worked ahead and can concentrate on helping the kids. I will post plenty of pictures after I get back! I am definitely bringing my digital camera.

Orphanage in Mexico

This is where I will be going for my trip to the orphanage in Mexico. This is not the complete building but it gives you an idea of what it looks like. The home is really clean and the rooms we stay in are very comfortable. Two weeks from today is when I fly out. I have all my homework and plans for how I will get it done figured out. I will need to work on some biology when I am there but I think things should go well. It will be crazy until then but I just have to tackle one thing at a time and I will get through it. I am excited to be going back as I was there 3 1/2 years ago and most of the same kids are there only 3 years older! It will be nice to be someplace where I do not have to bundle up. There was an addition put on the backside of the building and we are going to finish up the space by decorating and such. Don't know if that involves painting or not but I am ready for whatever it may be. I wanted to brush up on the little bit of spanish I learned but I just won't have time to do that with all the homework this semester. I have a biology class along with a lab and they really load on the work! Fun, Fun.....

Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby

My Son had his pinewood derby at Cub Scouts yesterday. He did a great job and came in 4th place in speed out of 17 cars racing. But the big thing is that he came in First Place for Design and that is what this very large trophy is for. He was very proud of himself and had a great time at the race. He can now go to the District races to race against the top people in the district. He is excited about it.

1 week down 15 to go!

Well school started this week and my computer decided to accept some nasty malware on it. I spent the whole week seeing if I could get my computer going and finally decided to buy a new one and deal with the old one at a later date. So here is my new lap top that I can use to do my online college classes with. I thought it smarter to get the lap top as it would have more uses in the future. If my old one gets running then the kids can use it to play games or whatever. Now here is an important warning. The computer manufacturers are not selling computers with the discs to restore onto your computer if something bad happens (like what happened to me). I did not make my own restore discs as I was suppose to(I really do know better than this!). So now I have to purchase the Windows XP software in order to restore my old computer and get it running. The fix would have been so much easier if I had had these discs. So, if you have not made these discs yet DO IT NOW!!!!!!! That is my gentle warning to everyone reading this so that you do not have to go through what I have gone through in the last week. Now luckily I was able to save all my documents and pictures so I did not lose those but this was also a reminder that I need to back these up on a regular basis.

I like my new laptop and will get used to it but I really did not want to have to buy a new computer when mine served its purpose just fine. A definite lesson learned this week.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Receipe

Someone asked me for my chocolate chip receipe if I wanted to share. I have used the same receipe for years and I would love to share my receipe as they make us really soft and chewy cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup Shortening(I use butter flavor crisco)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/1 tsp vanilla
1 12 oz. chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I don't use the nuts)

Stir together flour, soda, and salt. In a mixer bowl beat butter and shortening on medium speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugars and beat till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture., beating till well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop from a teaspoon 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 min. Remove; cool.

There you have it. These are the best, softest cookies and I get alot of compliments when I share them.

Baby Quilt

Yesterday I worked on a baby quilt for a friend. It is for her grandson. She had her family design and color in quilt blocks and sign them for the new baby. The baby is actually about 6 months old by now but she was not in a hurry to get the project done. I figured with college classes starting up again tomorrow that I should probably get it done for her as the next four months will be very busy. It feels good to be done with it. I still have to call her and let her know that it is done. I hope she likes the work I did. I think it came out pretty good and I did not have problems sewing or quilting it.

I got some reading assignments early so I am working on homework today. And so begins the next semester's journey.....Biology of Women, Intro to Theatre, Wilderness Survival (in one weekend) and a Human biology lab class on Friday's. So this should be interesting to say the least!

Quilting progress

I decided to spend some time in the sewing room seeing what I had in my orphan blocks and to try to clean up some of my unfinished projects. School starts on Monday so this is some of my last few days off. (Actually one of my teachers posted her stuff online early so I may start working on that this afternoon. I have the day off today and have been enjoying my morning at home with all the family gone immensely. All of these quilts will be sent to a quilting angel at Sunshine quilt guild and then will be forwarded to Wrap them in Love for the orphanages.
Most of these blocks came from members from the Sunshine guild over the last year or so. So this is what I came up with. My creative energy is very low right now so I was going more for speed sewing and getting things completed. Needless to say I still have tons of blocks waiting to be sewn into quilt tops. They are the disappearing nine patch blocks that I rec'd at least 1,000 of from the Sunshine quilt guild.

Sunrise

This is a picture out my bedroom window looking to the east. My window faces south but standing at an angle I can see to the east. I thought this view was nice this particular morning. Not much quilting getting done at my place. I have a few more days off until school starts but will be gone Friday evening into Saturday afternoon. I did start working on a top with some blocks from the Sunshine guild that I still have to finish putting together. I have the rows done and just need to sew them together. I think I need to start getting realistic and try to make blocks only. I need to start thinking smaller, I guess. I do have Friday off during the day and I think maybe this will be my goal for tomorrow, to get some tops together and to sort through what I have in my sewing room to get forwarded on to someone that will be able to finish them up and get them to the kids! They are not doing any good sitting in my sewing room. Well off to work for today!

Short term Mission Trip

I am going to the orphanage in Morelia, Mexico in February. The last time I was there was in summer of 2005. I have been looking for the opportunity to go back ever since. I visited the orphanage in the Baja in Oct. of 2007 but it was not the same as being in Morelia. They have about 30 kids currently. They have added an addition that is just about complete. I believe one of the goals is to decorate the finished areas to get ready for them to be used. It is going to be hectic with school and work but I am so looking forward to going for a week. The dates are Feb. 7 - 14th. I am not sure which airlines we are flying out on yet so I don't know how many bags I can take with me. My initial plan is to collect twin size sheet sets to bring with me as they always have a need for sheets. I guess the quality of sheets in Mexico is not as good as ours here in the USA. I also think I am going to make some chocolate chip cookies to take with me. They don't bake much in Mexico so the kids will really enjoy homemade cookies. Last time we went down we baked them there but the ingredients are different in Mexico so they did not turn out as good as when I make them at home. (I have a really good recipe for chocolate chip cookies)