*Merry Christmas*

I want to take the opportunity to wish you ALL a *Merry Christmas* and a *Happy New Year*

A big thank you to all my loyal Customers who like my work, thank you for all the nice emails and posts I received about my dolls...I couldn't have come so far without you!

I will take a little break...I will offer my work again either in February or March...I want to spend time with my husband :)I will keep you updated...

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends :)

Kevin and I will stay at home for Christmas...we feel so blessed that we are able to spend Christmas together!

Peace on Earth
God Bless America

*We made it...*

...Kevin is HOME WOOHOO :) he was in Iraq for 14 month...long month!
He came home on the 21st at 12:30am...it was wonderful to see him and to hold him again!

We had about 8 buses coming in and it happened that the bus where my husband was in had the lights on and I could see him...I was about to flip out...that was the time when it really hit me...I was sooo excited!!!

Here are some pictures :)

*Happy Thanksgiving*

I want to wish you ALL a Happy Thanksgiving :)

I found this on the internet...

Thanksgiving, also known as Thanksgiving Day, is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is primarily a North American holiday which has generally become a national secular holiday with religious origins.
The dates and whereabouts of the first Thanksgiving celebration are a topic of modest contention. Though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida, the traditional "first Thanksgiving" is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.
Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Thanksgiving dinner is held on this day, usually as a gathering of family members.

*Holly*

This is *Holly* she will be on the TDIPT Mercantile site on the 1st of December...:)

*Veteran's Day*

...to all our men and women who served and still serving our great country!

I found this wonderful poem on the Internet...by Gerd Schroeder, Major in the United States Army...

What is the Greatest Sacrifice a Soldier Gives to us?
For the thoughtless the answer is "his life",
For the mother and wife the answer is his time,
That is taken for a year or more,
Or for eternally,
The Christian may say "no greater love..."
A whole man can say his limb, his health,
In truth it is something that no man can know unless he has served his countrymen,
How long a mortal must labor to replace this ghost little thought of,
Like virginity it can only be given once,
And God or his angles never can replace,
A wonderful, and a horrible gift paid for spiritually,
What does a Sergeant give to us when his team is all killed?
Or a friend, as dear as any brother lies in pieces in his arm?
Or the commander,
Who counts his men at the gate?
Again and again,
Who refuses to stop rather than admit the truth:
That one, some, or many, is never to return,
What does a soldier give to us when he takes another human's life?
One, two or many, what he gives took just one sure shot
But will be exacted throughout eternity,
What of the Medic, who toils for hours in vain,
To save a strange, blood covered man, woman, or child,
With a face absent a name,
But a Child of God all the same,
What of the Soldiers in hospital beds,
With no feet or with no legs,
They still yet yearn to return,
To a sand covered land,
Filled with haters, and killers, not a few,
To stand in harms way with his brothers again,
What of the Soldiers, who conceal wounds deep and unseen,
Who will struggle in secret until the years wear him thin,
And still in the end he will not win back his gift,
This thing that is lost, given,
To Americans one and all,
They bear the same burden, and yet most can hide the scars,
But no doctor can ever heal,
Nor saint could atone,
That God will not return the most precise gift these Soldiers give,
To us all unbidden,
For one cannot see, or understand what is gave,
Unless one has given the same terrible gift,
Secret, unfelt, by most of the American masses,
We oft profess awe, and feign understanding,
In grand speeches, marches, and holidays,
Yet eternity will fade and we can't comprehend,
This deepest sacrifice given, unbraden and freely,
By millions of American Soldiers,
Throughout the last fortcentury,
It rips these souls asunder,
Leaves the brave quaking,
Alone in darkness,
For the most prime part of his soul,
That no matter what joy or richness of life after,
Can never return to fill what the soul, will now, be eternally lacking,
So what is the Greatest Gift A Soldier, too you gave,
We lucky Americans?
His life, heath, time, or wealth?
No, nothing so mundane,
He creeds to us freely simply His Humanity,
Given without grudge,
Too all Americans, whether sinister or saint,
Too us all the same blessings are counted,
So today as we enjoy our families, friends and freedom,
A holiday from our short good lives,
Remember the rights,
Given unalienable by God,
Yet, exacted through brave men's sacrifice of their Humanity to you,
Thank a Soldier but don't think you can understand,
Unless you have served, his deep pain, pride and honor,
In giving his Humanity to you.
To all the American Fighting men, and women we in ignorance thank you for all that you have sacrificed and will sacrifice to protect this Great Nation.
May God grant you peace.

Gerd Schroeder is a Major in the United States Army. He is a Veteran of OIF and OEF; and when time permits is a contributor to the American Thinker

God Bless America!

* My sweet Maja...*

Today was a very hard day for me and my cat...I had to put my dear cat Maja down...she was so sick...I didn't want her to suffer any longer...

Maja is a Main Coon such a beautiful, smart, gentle and adoreable cat...she was living with us for 17 1/2 years she was my real first pet...I had no idea how hard it is to let an animal go...she was a part of my family...and will always be!

My friend Jennie went with me to the Vet for support and afterwards we buried her at a nice place on her property...I'm so thankful for that...I know we have to move again in 2 years and Jennie is planning to stay for a long time...that makes me feel better. Even her dog Tye and her cat Muffin joined in us as we put her in the ground...

Jennie thank you so very much for being there for me...you are such a sweet person...I'm glad I'm having you as my friend :)

Maybe she will sit in my Dad's lap now :)

Maja, we love you!

*Emily the Snow Queen*

Christmas

provided by: www.unclaimedmoney.net

*We reached the 1 year mark*

Today, 25th of October...it is exactly 1 year ago that I had to say Good bye to my husband Kevin...he and his fellow Soldiers are stationed in Iraq...if everything goes by plan there is a big chance that they will be home by Christmas...YIPEE!!!

That would be the best Christmas gift :) I'm already preparing his home coming...I want the house real cozy looking...Christmas lights everywhere...awww I wish it would be Christmas already :)

Please keep our brave Soldiers, Men and Women,
in your prayers...thank you.

God Bless America

*18th of October is the Sweetest Day*

Today is the *Sweetest Day* and I want to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you...family and friends and of course my husband for being there for me, caring for me and listen when I had sad days...it wasn't an easy year... Kevin in Iraq and what happened to my Dad...it is so important to have friends in our live's!

A big Thank You to all my Customers who like my dolls :)...I will have a doll for the 1st of November on TDIPT Mercantile :)

Thank you!

Hugs Ivonne :)

*Kitten on my Porch*

Look at this cute kitten...he is climbing around on my porch...he is sooo tiny...is he a Halloween cat???

*Columbus Day*

I found this on the internet, pretty interesting :)

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day) and National Day in Spain, and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various countries since the early century. Especially since the later 20th century, some organizations and individuals have criticized the celebrations as commemorating the institution of European colonization of the Americas at the expense of indigenous cultures.

*Harvest*

Ahhh...finally...fall is here :) I love fall in GA...no humidity, nice temperatures...still can wear flip flops and shorts and it cools down during the night...awesome time!

I got in the mood to decorate my front porch a little bit...here are some pictures...

I'm getting ready for Kevin to come home from Iraq...if everything goes good, he might comes home before Christmas...BUT it is not for sure :( I started to paint some rooms in our home...I had painted 4 roomes so far...I hope he likes it! I still want to paint 2 more rooms...I love painting...so relaxing!

On Friday I plan on starting to sew again...I'm excited :)

Happy Fall Yall'

*Tirol...Austria*

This was my last trip...Mom and I went to *Tirol* in Austria :)

The milk cows go in June on the Alps and come down end of September...the people in this village have a tradition...the decorate their cows with flowers and walk them from the Alps through the town...afterwards they had a big fest going on...I posted pictures of people they are showing how things were done in the old days...very interesting!

The cows were so tired...they walked for 5 hours...they looked exhausted! I hope you enjoyed my pictures :) I'm back in the States now...Mom and I had a good time...we only took day trips...we wanted to sleep in our own beds :)

*Tirol...Austria*