Beginning a new year and endings

It is a quiet New Year's Day. Once again, it is the sabbath and we have enjoyed a wonderful 3 hours of church meetings. Now we're at home, just Glen and I, and I've been thinking and pondering in my very quiet house.

It was such a blessing to have so many family members come through our home during the month of December. I can hardly get my heart around the loveliness of being able to hug so many of the ones I love most. Now that same heart is feeling a bit sad, might I say, even lonely.

The big guy, Nate, moved his little family to Utah this past week. Shortly after this picture was taken I found myself in tears in front of the house as I watched him drive away on Wednesday morning. I know I'll see him often, but there won't be all the little impromptu visits from Nate, Nichelle, and Oscar that I've become accustomed to the last two years. Better stop, the tears are back!

Why is Raymond wearing that sling around his neck? Tuesday night he broke his right arm from just a little fall in the hall while rounding the corner quickly. It is the same bone he broke last summer falling off a trampoline in California. Luckily, the emergency room doctor here quickly fixed him right up until he could get back to his orthopedic doctor in California.

He and his family pulled out on Thursday evening. They opted for a night drive.

Their hope was that the boys would be asleep by the time they hit the 202 freeway. Their almost two week visit was a joy. These little boys make me so happy with the funny things they say and do.

My beautiful sister, Lynette, left this morning for Kansas. I love hanging out with her so much. We did our own little quilt shop hop yesterday and then dined and shopped at Ikea (have you seen their red checked area rugs?)

Her son, Gary, and my other sister, Jolene, and her son, Ric, joined Lynette on the drive from Albuquerque to here on Wednesday. It was so good to see them all. It felt so good to have all my sisters in town. Earlier in the month we enjoyed a long weekend visit with my son, Ryan, and his wife, Emilia. So you see, Glen and I really haven't been home alone for a month!

Speaking of endings and beginnings, the Civil War Quilts block of the week ended on Saturday. I still have the December blocks to make and three more to make the 56 total needed for a 7 X 8 block quilt top. I had my fabric out auditioning combinations for the final blocks last night.

Saturday I found the border fabric for the outside edge at Zoe's Quilt Trunk at their end of the year inventory reduction sale. I plan to sash the blocks in red with fussy cut red stars blocks at the corners. I can't wait to begin to finally put it all together.

We ended the Arizona year with autumn.

The deciduous trees are losing their leaves. The other trees are hoping that there are no hard freezes in their future.

Our seasons are so mixed up. The arbor roses are blooming and the flower beds are beautiful. In just a month, those front yard deciduous trees will have new buds. That's how it's done in low desert Arizona. This week will be our "Indian Summer." High temperatures will be in the high 70's and low 80's. Happy New Year!