Busy Time

Today finds me finishing up some orders for my Etsy shop, waiting on a call about the possible birth of our newest Great Grandson and putting together the menu for our upcoming family party.  With so many grandkids and such busy schedules a few years back we decided to hold a Summer Birthday Bash. Carsen has chosen the theme again this year. A FIESTA !

Decorations have been gathered, the yard work is done nd now presents and food.   With any luck all three of this year's new babies will attend. That gives this Gramma lots of chances to snuggle with them.
 This is also the final week of school so as of Wednesday, I will no longer have those hours of silence to grt my things done.  How long before "I'm bored" sets in?  My bet is for Friday, Tab does not know how to amuse herself.

Our littlest guy , as of right now finally came home after 6 weeks in the NICU and has discovered his best friend, also his Mom's. My oldest Grandson Joe. He is always there for her and now AJ.

With so much going on I still have time to find new items for the shop and unwind while I crochet.

I forgot o mention that during our Fiesta we are having a baby shower for our final by of the year. I am jut about babied out, I think since January I ve bought at leat NE if everything in the baby department. 

Can you blame me with aces like these?

Life is busy, but oh so good here in Gramma land !

Miracles Happen Everyday

Our family has been blessed with an abundance of happy healthy babies. In April we welcomed little AJ , he shook things up a bit. During moms pregnancy they were able to see he would be born with gastrosesis, part of his intestines outside of his body.  I am still amazed at the miracles that happen at American Family Childrens Hospital. With in two days of being born, needing to be #resuscitated his abdominal opening was closed and he was on the road to recovery. The dark mass in the bottom corner of the top picture is his intestines in what they call a silo.

He was born on April 19th and is going home today. No tubes, monitors or problems. He is now just like every other baby, but has a special belly button, custom made.

During his almost 6 week stay we were fortunate enough to stay at #Ronald Mc Donald House in Madison, because of the kindness shown to us there I am running a special in my Etsy shop, for each hat purchase I will donate two dollars to the Madison House.  Another way you can help locally is to save all your #pulltabs and drop them off at your RMH. They are turned into cash to help make families stays there just a little bit better.

They Grow So Fast

It seems like only yesterday I became a Grandma. Very exciting, and I had a good teacher......my Gram was the best.  Now #1 Grandson will soon turn 26, where does the time go. He is the Dad to two wonderful boys with another one due in a few weeks.

My third Grandchild Elizabeth gave me yet another adorable great Grandson in January.

Number 5 grandchild Christina blessed with the latest Great Grandson 

Before September  will will have one more Great  Grandson  and our first Great Granddaughter.   How exciting.

Last summer at our analysis summer birthday bash we took a group photo for my Mom in Florida who is a huge Cubs fan, this time we will have 3 new babies in it .

Here is my gang, we were only mixing one Granddaughter. 

They keep me busy and very happy, especially when I get those calls to make them something. Like a monkey hat or a kindergarten show.  CARSEN will be adorable, Ps I had to dye shorts and thirty brown and make a tail to match.

I love being a Great Gramma even more than Gramma, who knew that was possible.

Coming Up For Air

I have been away from my blog for far too long.  Let me see if I can get you caught up. My great grandson JJ has aspergers, we are all learning with him. My niece who lives with us has been diagnosed with ADHD.
  A little over two years ago my Mom was diagnosed with COLON CANCER, I was terrified.  The months of chemo were met with a good outlook and lots of positive vibes.  Just 6 months later, we found out the cancer was back and now in the colon, liver and lungs.  The emotion hit you all at the same time. Fear, anger, and constant worry for what would come next.  We recieved a call in August,  that my husbands younger brother was very ill, he wanted me to come. I had no idea those few wekks would be his last. COPD and emphazema would take him from us. In early November we found that my sister in law was also in the final stages of cancer. So much senseless pain.  With news of a new Grandbaby es coming in 2015, Mom faced the chemo again. After a few session she was too weak and I'll to continue.  About this same time my sister in law lost her battle. We were numb.
     December brought us all together for our annual Family  Christmas  party, although Mom had been in an assisted living home since right before Thanksgiving,  she came. Exhausted from the hour long car ride, she wanted to be sure to see everyone, including her older sister from Florida.  The visit was heart breaking to watch. We all thought the worst but we're afraid to speak it out loud. W posed for the 5 generation photo and she hugged her little guys as much as she could.

January brought my 4th Great Grandson Jacob, another blessing!

My granddaughter Elizabeth and her baby Jacob. Luckily Mom got to see photos and ooh and ah over this little one.

February had us fooled, Mom was having no pain and seemed to be eating and doing well, until I got the phone call to come. She had taken a turn and was unresponsive. I was terrified. I have two sisters who were far away in Tulsa, there was no time to come and honestly I am glad only I had to witness the end. One moment Mom was there and the next she had slipped quietly away. She had never asked for pain meds. 

Our next family battle would be awaiting the birth of the next great grandson,  he would need medical care because og gastoschisis.  Two doctors visits per week, many ultrasounds and non stress tests later and he arrived 4 weeks early.

Aiden with my Grandaughter, his Mom Christina.  We were warned there would be months ahead of him for recovery, yet in about a week he has come so far.

I think that has you about caught up.  We are awaiting the birth of 2 more great grand babies in June nd August. We are truly blessed.

My Gram used to tell us , God never gives us more than we can handle, and that God always has a plan. Are we stronger as a family?  I would say yes, did each child learn from watching Mom, yes, they learned o show love and compassion.  I am so proud of all of them.

Fall is Here

Finally Fall my favorite season. With that said it is my busiest time as people get ready for Halloween, and then holiday shopping. My life is pretty busy and I am crocheting between school visits, Dr. visits and family stuff. But, let me share some of the fun stuff I have gotten done.

Now onto hats and cowls and fun items for the few shows that I do before the holidays!

 Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GrammasGifts  or our Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrammasGifts

Life in general

In one of my last posts I had stated I was going to get organized.  Laughable,  me , not now and maybe never.  I have many reason or as my daughter says excuses.  I am the oldest daughter to my Mom who is battling cancer and lives nearby. ( about 1 1/2 hours away)  My sisters live in Tulsa so that is about 15 hours away. I have 5 grown kids, 11 grandkids and 3 great grandsons. I am a control freak, or so I have been told and try to oversee their problems whenever I can. Right now my Mom is in the hospital with an UTI and JJ one of the great grandsons is in the process of being tested for Aspergers and has SPD. I also just found out my Granddaughter will be having her first baby in January. I am raising a 6 year old niece who has ODD and have a hubby who we are driving crazy. With all this I crochet to keep sane and make some extra spending money as I can always find something one of them might need or want. All that said the announcement of a new baby had me wanting to make teddy bears. What color I was not sure so I tried my hand at these two and then did get them listed on etsy.

I have also started to get my Christmas list going. I can crochet in the car on our long rides to and from Montello.  Yes, I worry alot, but would not change any of them one bit.   I am truly blessed.

Organizing

Somewhere I read that artistic people are very disorganized. I believe it, because I am.  I also have not enough hours in the day.  With all of this in mind I am making an attempt to get organized so I can make the most of the time before the holidays. I have a daughter who is so organized she has a houseful of belongings neatly tucked away in a 3 room apartment and knows where everything is and can find it.  Not so for me.
This is going to sound like excuses but I just want to give you a little insight into my life.

1. I have a husband ( married over 40 years)
2. I have a 6 year old niece ( she lives with us)
3. 2 dogs
4. My Mother is undergoing chemo for a second time
5. I have 5 grown kids
6. 11 grandkids
7. 3 great grandsons
8. am learning about SPD and aspergers
9. have an etsy shop
10. working on a garden
11. love to paint
12. have a decorating wish list
13. have MG and a pace maker

Now if these things come at me a few at a time I am good. But some days it seems like all of it needs my attention right now and I get scattered and not very productive.

I have decided to schedule my day and set aside time for each of the days projects. Of course I have to be flexible in case I get that urgent call.

I have found a picture of my perfect work room, hubby was not impressed and I would have to build onto the house to get it , but a girl can dream, can't she?

I found this at http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2011/04/sewingcraft-room-ideas-and-updates.html

I would not have to leave this room much at all.  Right now I will have to settle for making a plan and sticking to it. I am adding about a dozen new items to my shop and enjoying the designing part of that. Can a person like me become organized , I will let you know!

Gift sets

I spend quite alot of time trying to figure out just what people type in when they are shopping on Etsy .

I notice some people have cute names for their items , while others are very simple and straight forward. I myself stop and think if I was looking for something what words would I use. With this in mind over the next week or so I will be revamping my shop. I am adding a section for gift sets.  Now that can be a sweater , hat and booties ( which by the way makes a great sgower gift) or maybe a Boston Terrier hat with matching lovey blanket. Maybe a spa set with cotton slippers, washcloth and face scrubbies. I am getting all this worked out. There will also be some new items added to the fox and a new dalmation. I am hoping the dalmation gets as much attention as the Boston Terrier has.

I will also begin gearing up for Halloween ( yes, I know it is only June) Think sensible costume alternatives. Match an animal hat with a pair of sweats and think of all the wear they can get out of both. The hat can be worn all winter and the sweats will keep them snug on those chilly days. 

watch for the new additions and changes to Grammas Gifts on Etsy and facebook