Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!

(a closeup of the pumpkin wall hanging that I photo-shopped the scripture verse on to: 1Chronicles).

Family and friends throughout the years have blessed us...

We have gathered together with family and/or friends during Thanksgiving.

...places like...

the Philippines, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Japan, Texas, Taiwan, New Mexico, Hawaii, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia...

& there are many different recipes that we are sure to have for Thanksgiving,

...but my hubby's favorite Thanksgiving treat is his mom's Pumpkin Pie Bars.

(This pumpkin wall hanging is the first "fully completed" quilt that I had done years ago.

Instead of the other words that were to be embroidered on it, 

I decided to print out the ingredients from his mom's pumpkin pie bars.)

I made the bars today to share with dear friends tomorrow.  They are so sweet to open their home & hospitality to us tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with them this year.

Although this year, my hubby and I will be the only ones of our family that will be in Georgia for Thanksgiving, we are so thankful that our children will be in great company.

Girly~Twirly and Dr Awesome will be spending Thanksgiving in their home with his parents. (His dear parents have had all of us to spend a Thanksgiving meal with for the past 2 years!)

Girly~Whirly and her fiance' Dr. Amazing will be spending Thanksgiving at his parent's home.

Heartbreaker and his girlfriend Sweetie will be spending Thanksgiving at her family's home.

We are so thankful also that we were able to spend Thanksgiving with my dad last year.  He had just had heart surgeries for 5 bypasses. This Thanksgiving, he will be at my sister's.

Joining

...with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday's "We Gather Together"

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Still working on more art orders...but will not post them, since they are to be given as Christmas gifts. I have also completed an order for calligraphy on wedding envelopes for a sweet sorority sister of our daughters. I love doing these too! :o)

Close up, but with the address and personal info blocked out.

Thank you Lauren, for your email:

"...We received them.. They are Magnificent!!! Thank you so much for all of 

Your work! I love them! ....  I can't wait to send them out!"

Thanks again!

Lauren

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What special family treat or dish do you have at Thanksgiving or other family gathering?

Wishing all a day of Thanksgiving today and every day!

Celebrate

...& sharing more wonderful family news...

Our younger daughter, Girly~Whirly...

 a sweet princess...

Top photo: 2007 University of Lousiville Homecoming Queen

Bottom Left photo: 2008 Kentucky Derby Princess

Bottom Right photo: taken this spring 2011 @ the Kentucky Derby tea party for "those future princesses" :o)

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...had met her Prince Charming...

A sweet couple

  ...in every season...

Clockwise: Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg snow!

Keeneland Races, Keeneland again

...in sunshiny days...

...in stunning sunsets...

...while out and about...

...while in Savannah...

Clockwise: after church, lunch at an old Savannah restaurant, at Forsythe Park

...visiting at our other daughter (Girly~Twirly) 

& son-in-law (Dr. Awesome)'s beautiful new home...

...at numerous weddings of friends...

...at a special occasion...

Dr Amazing's dental school graduation

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This sweet couple

on 11/11/11

 ...at a surprise beach picnic planned by Dr. Amazing...

 

...at the Outerbanks...

& after a ride on the beach...

 ...the proposal!

...engaged!

From when our three were very little, we have always prayed for their future spouses...My husband would pray for them to have Chrisitan spouses, whose whole heart is given to Jesus Christ, strong in their faith and walk, who would love, honor, cherish, support, care for them...

When our girls were older, they interjected one night with..."Dad, don't forget "good-looking" too :o)

We look forward to the many blessings ahead as our family grows!

Happy to be joining in again...

...with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday's "C"

 

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Here are a few art orders completed:

I have more, but will wait until I know that they were already given.

 Thank you Linda, for sending this photo of one of your Eiffel Towers. I love the matting and framing that you chose!

 

Thank you also for your feedback at my Etsy shop:

"We asked Maria to sketch the Eiffel Tower with our son, Zachary's name. He will be serving a mission for our church for the next two years and we wanted something in our home (and in his one day) to remind us of the selfless work he will be doing and how proud we are of our son, Zach. Maria captured our idea perfectly and made this beautiful sketch for us. We couldn't be happier with her artwork or her customer service. Thank you, Maria! "

Here are two orders from Tracie. I'll post her other order later, since it has not been given yet.

She chose this sweet pose from her sweet pup's photo. ...who had passed away not too long ago.

 & this one is of Lady Justice, as a gift for her boss, who is a lawyer.

Thank you very much for your email:

"...The package arrived yesterday (safe and sound!).  I knew the sketches would be amazing, but they are AAAMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGG!!!!  You are so talented!  I can't wait to pick out frames for them, and I will send you pictures once they're framed and ready.  I will definitely pass along your information to all my friends and family!

And I'm sure I will be ordering again -- I'm already thinking of more things for you to sketch :)"

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Thank you all for your lovely visits and comments! I still need to catch up with last week's post!

Bedtime Buddies

I have lots of photos of our children snuggling up or laid out flat in our bed with their dad.

So, I thought I'd share a few

Bedtime Buddies 

when our three were snuggling with their dad...

My Handsome Hubby & our Girly-Twirly

 

New Mexico

1983

She just woke up, but Dad is still asleep. This is in our king-size waterbed...the kind that was filled only with water...not with the support that waterbeds evolved into.

This time with Girly~Whirly

Florida

1986

 She was only about 19 days old...and we were visiting some family.

& here with our son Heartbreaker...

 

Hawaii

1992

He was about 23 months old. We still had our same waterbed. I was the only one that loved turning the heat up in the waterbed.

Joining

...with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday's "B"

...with Alicia for Friday Photo Flashback.

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For now,  here are two completed art pieces drawn. (I have so many more to share, but have to get them scanned on the computer first).

This first Zebra shown in black and white and the second image after a little color was added.

This next one was just received today, so will share it now:

Thank you so very, very much Kara for your comment:

"Omg!!! The monogram turned out perfectly!!!! I can't wait to give this to them!!! I'll be sure to comment on your pics to give you more exposure!!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!"

Thank you for stopping, visiting and for your lovely comments.

Announcing...

...Alphabe-Thursday!!! And the letter A...

And Also Announcing... We are excited for the upcoming March birth of our first grandbaby...
(I actually posted about this here: V is for Very... )

And recently...we found out that they are having...

...An Adorable, little girl!

 Here is her cute little profile pic :o)

 &

Our daughter ~ Girly~Twirly taking a picture of her cute little baby bump at about 20 weeks. :o)

She took this in the mirror of their downstairs guest bathroom. ...

 

The painting of the island scene, behind her is one that she painted herself about 7 years ago...it was her first painting. 

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If you are new to my blog, I usually try to also post some past art orders. Each one is drawn entirely with the name of the individuals.

Thank you Jen for another order:

"Hi I wanted to order another wedding monogram, please."

 

Thanks Girly~Twirly for this request for a wedding gift:

 

Thank you Diki, for your order of this:

"It's getting close to Christmas again. Can you do this sketch?.....Thank you!" 

Happy to be joining in again...

...with Jenny's Awesome  Alphabe-Thursday's "A"

 

I truly appreciate all those that stop by and leave a comment. I have not been able to do a lot of blog reading this past month....but hope to catch up soon.