Happy December Everyone!

It is hard to believe that it is December already...but I guess we need to...BELIEVE that is. It is that time of the year to "believe in" and have "faith". The holiday time can be a good time for some and a difficult time for others. I hope that many of you can find a little bit of magic during this month to BELIEVE. For me, as mentioned many times, Holiday=Hockey tournaments, so while we do put up some holiday decoration (for both Chanukkah and Christmas...we are a dual holiday family) and enjoy the traditions & celebrations (8-days of Chanukkah due to the generocity of my side of the family and Christmas due to our own family traditions and DH's side of the family) much of the end of December will  be spent in a hockey rink.

 Well...last night I got to do a couple of Happy Dances!!! 

I finished the 2 ornaments I was struggling to finish. Unfortunately I cannot show them to you as they are for some personal exchanges.I plan on making a trip to the post office today after work so that I can get the ornaments and the RR in the mail before the Christmas rush starts to affect travel time.

Well...that is all for today! Have a good Tuesday and remember:

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa

Don't forget to sign up for my Blogoversary Give-away...go to the bottom of the November 28th post to read about it and enter if you are interested in a $20 gift certificate to www.123stitch.com.

Thanksgiving break over....Championship Hockey games sadly ends in tears

Monday is here and the long Thanksgiving break is over. As my older son, Robert, said "when you have things to do and have fun doing them, time off from school goes by fast." Just wait until he gets even older, for time just seems to fly all the time!

Looking back, the break was fast. It was a very good one...there was time for relaxing (the boys got to enjoy a couple of sleep-in and pj-days), a time to get some things done (like the dentist and haircuts), a time for the family to be together (enjoyed the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox and a nice family-sit-down meal on Thanksgiving), it was a time for dad-son bonding and mother "me" time (having the house to myself a couple to times to exercise and stitch) and, of course, it was a time for hockey.

Speaking of hockey...you knew I had to work that in, right?...Matthew's (younger son) team made it to the Championship yesterday and it was a nail biter! At the end of the regulation time the score was 3-3 (Matthew got the first goal for his team in this game); because it was a Championship game it couldn't stay with a tie, so we went to the first Overtime. In the 1st OT, the teams play 4 on 4 (during regulation the teams play 5 on 5) for a 5 minute period. Matthew's team played hard & strong and got many chances to score, but the goalie for the opposing team just got in the way (LOL). In fact, both goalies continued to stop pucks from going in for both teams. After the 5 minute OT, the score was still tied 3-3...so we went to a 2nd OT. Not only was the excitement building, but you could see a lot of proud parent faces as all the kids played tough. This was the second game for both teams (they each had to wake up around 4 in the morning to play in the semis which started at 6:15am and this Championship game was at 11:30...so not a lot of time in between for rest).

For the 2nd OT, the teams only had 3 players out for a 3 on 3. Matthew was out and had 2 awesome breakaway chances, but just couldn't get the puck around the goalie...and just when he was going to the bench to allow another teammate go out for a shift, the other team had the puck...skated around our defense...and scored. In the last 53.7 seconds of the 2nd OT, the other team scored and won 4-3.  It was a heartbreaker for our boys. DH and I could tell that there were tears in Matthew's eyes. We knew that he would be upset about not being able to score during the OTs with his many breakaways.

During the ride home, we did let him feel his saddness, his anger...but after awhile, it was time to let him know how proud we were of him. Matthew played awesome for the whole tournament! He was consistent in the amount of energy, drive and passion for every game (in the past there were games that he was strong and then there were those games he would look like he was still at home in bed...but not this weekend). He really has stepped up to a new level in his hockey play and in a leadership role with the team. Yea, it would have been nice for him to have sunk one of those attempts during the OTs...yes, it would have been cool to be the "hero" of them game as Matthew said he wanted to be...but it didn't happen. He worked hard...the team worked hard...the game could have gone either way, but the other team won. Congratulation to the Santa Clara Blackhawks (the other team)...and congrats to the Tri-Valley Blue Devils - both teams played well and were great examples of what youth sports should be like!

The best way to get over a loss is to rake a pile of leaves and jump in!

(Matthew with Flat Lizzie - from cousin Lizzie in Minnesota)

Ok...proud momma done talking hockey! Now for a little update on MW. While I started MW on Saturday and stitched one thread's worth, I had a visit from Mr. Frog. My start was with 2 strands over 2 on a 40ct Lakeside Linen Maple Syrup. For a while I was enjoying the thickness of the design, but then it started to get a little complicated to see the holes and then the stitches just started to look "junky". I was getting that gut feeling that meant "I hate this project....this is not fun....I quit." So, Mr. Frog came...rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. I started over with 1 strand over 2 and the results are much better.

 So there is my 2nd MW start with 1 strand of Rhubarb over 2. Now I am on a roll, right?

Well, time to get going. Take care everyone and have a nice Monday and a good week. And Remember:

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa

Don't forget to sign up for my Blogoversary Give-away...go to the bottom of the November 28th post to read about it and enter if you are interested in a $20 gift certificate to www.123stitch.com.

An apology...A Finish...An Weekend Hockey Update and a Blogoversary Giveaway

The title says it all, so let me start off with the apology! This goes out to Valerie of FogcityDweller...

"Valerie, my dear MW SAL partner, I didn't get a start on my MW as planned yesterday. I did spend Thursday evening, after our T-giving grilled meal, and got everything organized...just felt that I needed to get Sara's Friendship RR stitched so that I could get that in the mail in order to keep the RR's moving (as we are getting close to finishing it up)."

A Finish...Sara's Friendship RR
This week the mailperson delivered Sara's RR, and since many group members are getting antsy to finish this RR (as per "original" plan all the RR's should have been home by now).  I don't blame them, for I am anxious to get mine home and finished too (especially since I had to start over mid-way through) but life seems to get in the way of "orignial" plans most of the time. After getting all my MW supplies set up, I pulled out Sara's RR, picked my color and started to stitch my heart. I chose Threadworx Overdyed Floss #10342, which reminded me of the Fall colors on the trees outside right now (sorry about the blurry photo).

And here is the status of Sara's RR...

Now that it is completed I will be able to get it in the mail on Monday to the next person (Karen in AZ). Oh, yah...I have also finished stitching all the Christmas Ornaments for the couple of exchanges, but for some reason I have been fighting with my sewing machine during the finishing process...so I have taken a break from those; but will get back to them tomorrow evening probably (depending on what I need to do in preparation for back to school and work).

Weekend Hockey and Thanksgiving

As in some of my earlier posts, Thanksgiving holiday means hockey (the Regional Silver Sticks in San Jose, CA). Only Matthew's (youngest son) team is playing in this tournament. They have played 3 games as of this posting and have won all three. They have a game this evening and then probably the Semi-Finals & Champs (we hope) tomorrow. While most of the team families haven't been too keen on the schedule, due to having 3 very early morning games, it actually worked out nice for Thanksgiving. With a game at 8am, we were able to be back home for a noon Thanksgiving meal. Ours wasn't the traditional meal, for I each member of my family of 4 picked the protein of their choice out of the freezer (I had ordered a combo meat package from Omaha Steaks last month...pork steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, sole) and we fired up the grill. Aside from the proteins we had the mashed potatoes/gravy, Durst noodles, steamed green beans, mashed butternut squash and salad. Perfect size without any leftovers.

After awhile, with only us here in town, we have become grateful whenever we all are in town as we travel so much with both boys' travel hockey teams. It is a priceless moment when we can all sit down as a family at the table and have a meal - so even if we don't have a "traditional" turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, we have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal as a family. (Hopefully that all makes sense).

A Blogoversary Celebration and Giveaway

Happy Blog-o-versay to me...Happy Blog-o-versary to me!

Sorry, I just had to toot my own horn...LOL.

Today is my 1 year Blogoversary! Last October I found the blog community; spent a little over a month reading and commenting and finally on November 28, 2008 decided to start my own. Since then I have posted 179 times and have a following of 32 people. I have joined an RR with a group of wonderful women who I have come to know through their mailings and emailings. I have participated in the Year-Long Prairie Schooler Exchange and the Lizzie Kate Exchange, as well as several personal exchanges. I have met so many wonderful people by blogging and reading their blogs...now I cannot imagine my life without!

To celebrate and to show my appreciation, I have decided to host a Give-a-way....

And the Give-away prize is...

Drum Roll Please...

A $20 Gift Certificate to www.123stitch.com  

 To enter, just leave your name and email address in the comment section of this post only. If you want, you can spread the news, but it is not a requirement. I will let the sign ups go from now until Saturday, December 5. I will have one of my hockey playing sons pick the winner on Sunday, December 6 before they go to hockey practice.

Take care all...thank you for your support over the year and I am looking forward to our jouney together in the years to come!

Remember...Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often! Lisa

On our way to the Windy City for Hockey...

Look out Chicago, we are on our way. This weekend my older son and I will be in Chicago for the Bauer Invitational Hockey Tournament. This is the third year he and his hockey team will be playing in the tournament (just to clarify...this is the first year that he is here with his Bantam team; the last two years he was with his PeeWee team). Since he had a 1/2 day of school, I have decided that I would let him miss today so that we could leave early, getting us into the Windy City early to check the team into the tournament, check into the hotel and get a bit to eat...this also lets him acclimate to the 2 hour difference between here and there.

However, the opening night and the "check-in" for this tournament are are staged at the "main" rink (fyi...we play at 3 different rinks through out the weekend) and it is WILD. On the top floor of this rink, is where I have to go and check in the team. Last year they had a huge food buffet, a cash bar, music and several hockey oriented vendors marketing their products. In addition, in the lobby they are displaying all of the famous NHL trophies which you can get your picture taken with, there usually are several retired NHL players on hand to sign autographs and so on. It makes for a fun beginning to the weekend.

In addition, I looked through my list of the Friendship Samper RR members to see if there was anyone who lived in Illinois...and there was: April. She and I have emailed back and forth making plans to meet eachother. It looks like we were able to plan something for Saturday (I am not planning to bring my "big" camera, but will have my camera phone with me, so I will try hard to remember to get photos!). And speaking of stitching...yes, I know I haven't really shown anything or had a posting dedicated to stitching in a long time...I took some time to kit up 2 Christmas ornament patterns for the ornament exchanges I have signed up for. I look forward to stitching them, just as soon as I finish my last model for Cindy (I am so close!!).

Which reminds me, the Needle Show "Retail" opens today at 2pm EST...so, I guess I will have to wait until later tonight or tomorrow (between hockey games) to go through all the designers who have signed up to be apart of the first "retail" show. I already spent my birthday money on a new purse and wallet (since my favorite bag was stolen last week)...but maybe I can find a little extra $$$ just incase I find something I "need".

Anyway...I have ramble on enough for today. I hope Thursday finds everyone well. Oh, yah, one more thing and then I will conclude this posting. My 1st blog-o-versary is coming up and I am in the process of putting together a giveaway...so stay tuned.

Remember...Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often! Lisa