Just had to post the kids first day of school pictures.  I am not ready for school to start, this summer has went by way to fast.  Just seems like they were getting out for the summer and we had a fun fill days ahead.

Caitlin 11th & Chase 5th

This is going to be a different year for Chase since he had to get reading glasses. 

So far we are off to a great start.  Chase has came in every evening done his homework with out me asking him to.  HE LOVES his teachers.

I am sooo behind.  When I checked my blog i couldn't believe it has been so long since i've blogged.  The last time I blogged I had tried my hand at painting.  I painted several other canvas paintings.  I even purchased the needed supplies and my kids really enjoyed painting some of the Santa Snowmen.  We entered them into our county fair and won ribbons on every one.  Now I have discovered a new hobby.  It's Rag Rug making.  Caitlin, My friend & school co-hort Becky signed up for a Saturday afternoon workshop at Sister's and Friends Shop.  I had never crocheted before but since I knew how to knit I didn't think this would be a problem.  Well starting off proved to be a little more difficult than what I thought but once the center was formed I just took off (ok thanks to Becky who helped) 

Instructor showing us how to make rag rug 

When we left the workshop we had about a 4" circle.  I was so proud of Caitlin she was interested in learning how to make a rug.  

Finished Rug 

It took a few weeks to complete but I did it.  The finished product measured 31".  Yes this will be seen in the County Fair next year.  It will also be displayed in my new office.  

I loved doing the Rag Rug so much I wanted to share with others.  Since I work at the UK Extension I am able to do just that.  The instructor agreed to come to the Carlisle Extension office and teach a class.  

Instructor showing display 

This is my favorite picture because Caitlin is showing her Aunt how to do it! 

Getting started is the hardest part! 

Yes I do believe this will be a new hobby! 

What started out as a fun turned into a little competition with a great big reward.  I am a college student at the best school.  Mid-Continent University, Mayfield, Kentucky, has a program geared toward adults returning to college to obtain their Associates or Bachelor's degree.  They had proposed a T-Shirt Contest for each class.  We received our shirts and brain stormed what was we going to do to have the best picture that would earn the most likes.  We decided to go downtown and take our picture at either the fountain or the caboose.  Ronnie was put in charge of the sign.  We knew he was artistic but we had no idea how much so. When we all arrived down town that afternoon before class Ronnie, being the great guy he is, had already set up the camera on a tri-pod, had the sign ready and all we had to do was jump in the shot.  Becky's husband Doug, came to push the button for the "award winning photo".

Ronnie was put in charge of the sign.  

We knew he was artistic but we had no idea how much so. 

After MCU posted the photo on their Face Book page we went to work trying to get the most votes.  At the end of the contest we only had 196 votes, we knew this was not enough votes to win.  Then they started announcing the winners, honorable mentions and then our picture appeared on FB with the "most votes by teachers"  We won! ok it might not of been by likes but at that point it didn't matter.  WE WON! to us that was just as important as winning.  But at the end it wasn't really about winning or losing we had had a blast doing this!

Jackie, our MCU counselor, came to visit our co-hort and let us know we could either have a meal catered or go out.  We chose going out.  We also wanted to invite a guest.  Jackie told us that would be ok (our guest had to pay for their meal).

We chose The Keg since it was in Fulton, the town we meet in to attend class.  All I can say about this evening is it was a BLAST!  Thank you MCU Advantage for putting on the Photo Contest and taking us out on the town.

We had the private room too! 

Here we are as a group along with our guest.

Here is our group photo.  

Sorry to say we was missing two of our group members.

We played Dirty Santa and this is the ornament 

I won.  Every year I will hang this on my

tree and remember the "Photo Contest Dinner"

 Doug & Becky 

We also decided to take pictures 

by the Christmas Tree

Lisa & Darrell

 

We also made it into the MCU 2013 Calendar

Winners or losers of the Photo

contest, we are already winners 

with friendships like these! 

Would love to win the giveaway

I have a funny story, i have been wanting to try my hand at painting, no i'm not talking about painting a wall, i'm talking about on canvas.  By no means i'm not an artist, i do not even like my own hand writing. If I have to hand write something I always try to get my daughter, Caitlin, to do it or maybe one of the secretaries in the office.  With all the neat whimsical paintings on Pinterest it's made me have an itch to do it, but I also knew there wouldn't be much hope for me to have anything come out of this "itch" .  Last Saturday Caitlin, Chase & I all had hair appointments, but it being Saturday we didn't have to be in a hurry.  I did my daily morning routine checking out FaceBook to see if anything exciting had happened in our little town overnight.  Scrolling down I saw a group of ladies had been to a nearby town, Murray, KY and they had done exactly what I had been wanting to do "paint on canvas" and I know some of these ladies wasn't artistic either.  So after stalking these ladies about their painting as to where they done it at, how much it cost, & etc we was almost late for our getting beautiful appointment.  So here we was sitting in the beauty salon and Jessica is talking about having some type of party in the salon on Sunday afternoon.  I thought who would want to have a party in a salon?  They continued to talk about how to arrange the tables, moving the stations, salon chairs. Well I kept on listening, since i didn't have anything else to do while Jessica worked her magic and was washing that gray right out of  my hair, as they talked back and forth among the beauticians and other customers who was there getting beautified.  I still couldn't understand what kind of party was they having, so me being me I just asked Jessica and she said that her mother was going to become a representative for Pretty In Paint Parties.  Was it true, they was going to be painting on canvas?  I couldn't believe it! Here was my chance!  So again me being me I just asked Jessica if it would be alright for me to attend.  She was more than glad to have Caitlin & I there too.  When we got to the car to leave, Caitlin said "mom I can't believe you are going to "crash" their party".  I laughed because she thought i was going to actually "crash" their party.  I explained to her that I asked if it was alright and I also explained that when someone has a party they are selling stuff and they do not care for anyone attending.  So Since Caitlin didn't want to "crash" the party I immediately called my friend Lynnitta & Becky.  They were both excited about it, but Becky didn't know if she could because she was having her grandchildren over and Lynnita didn't know what her husband's plans was for the day.  Later Becky called to say that she wouldn't be able to make it.  I thought I was going to have to give up on something that I had always wanted to do, because no one wanted to go with me.  After church Lynnita called and said she could go. . . my dream was going to get to come true after all.
Lynnita and I met at the salon along with the rest of the ladies, we did not know anyone except each other & Jessica, but they was all very nice.  Yes by now we was having doubts if we could truly do this, but the representative assured us we could do it.

We started out drawing a sketch. . . mine the one on top, as you can tell mine pencil sketch is a hot mess, how was I ever going to do this?  Lynnitta's was so neat and you could tell what it was.

Then we was instructed to fill in the back ground first with a sponge brush, then filling in closer to our pencil outline with a smaller brush.  Again Lynnitta's is so neat, I think she has done this before.

My suspicions are proving me right . . . she has done this before!

So here is my final canvas painting.  I am slightly proud of it because in my opinion it turned out WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL,  I LOVED IT! I actually done it.

Here is our group picture, I think everyone's turned out terrific   Each one is as individual as the one that painted it. Lynnita has other obligations with her church and had to leave early, one of the helpers is holding her painting on the left of me.
Now that I'm an expert I've been stalking FaceBook & Pinterest to find  other paintings to paint.  I know I don't have enough wall space to hold all the paintings i'm going to paint.

1. What are your hobbies?  I have a very unusual hobby, Geocaching it is a high tech treasure hunt using GPS.  I also enjoy sewing, knitting and reading.
2. What are your favorite colors?  Red
3. Do you collect anything? No.
4. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? No
5. Do you have any pets? Yes, Lizzie she is a Shih-tzu 
6. Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate I prefer hot chocolate.  I do not drink any types of coffee. 
7. What do you like to read? Christian Romance novels 
8. Do you prefer Cookies or Candies as a sweet? Both 
9. What is your favorite holiday treat? Having down time, not being in a rush to go here, or do that. 
10. Describe your favorite holiday tradition?  There are many holiday traditions and I love them all.  It would be hard to pick which one was my favorite.  Trimming the tree, baking cookies, watching for Christmas lights as driving down the road and going to a bigger town to view their Christmas lights.  
11. Did you believe in Santa as a child? Yes! 
12. When do you open presents?  Christmas Morning of course! 
13. Do you put up a tree and when?  Yes we always had a tree.  As a small child i can remember it being so cold and walking all over my uncles farm to find the perfect cedar tree.  Then we would bring it home and it always looked smaller in the field.  Dad would have to cut it to fit into the house.  Since the tree was real we would always have to wait one week before Christmas Day. 
14. Does your tree have a theme?  No, I enjoy using ornaments that mean something.  A lot of my ornaments my children has made. 
15. What has been your favorite gift to give? I enjoy giving the simple gifts.  to receive? Someone's time to spend doing special activities. 
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It's looking like that time of year again.  I am so looking forward to another great year of Secret Santa Swap.  I still remember a lot of the items that my secret Santa sent last year.