The City Museum in St. Louis

..Greetings..I hope that you all are doing well. I had my sugeory on the 15th...and boy oh boy..You know when they said it was "OUT PATIENT" I figured I would be up and going the next day. WRONG! I am just now starting to feel "recovered" Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes, Very much appreciated indeed.

On Valentines day we hit the City Museum in St. Louis. Oh my, wanna talk about a playground for your eyes, hands plus the 5 story slide inside to make you feel like a kid again!

We had so much fun, wish we could have stayed just a wee bit longer to take it all in. I snapped several pictures and also made a new You Tube Video.

Here are some of my favortive Photos...it was really hard to choose*****please be sure to mute the music on the music bar on the left of the page if you are going to watch the video here ;)*******

Shroom'in It...(in hiding)

Welp, I have been Shroom'in..in hide out mode sorta I guess you could say. Just have not gotten on the computer lately....It seems family, cooking and cleaning is more of a priority right now. here lately just to make a doll takes so much energy..I feel creatively zapped! I love making dolls too, don't get me wrong. Just the kids are growing so fast, everyday really is amazing with Sophia She is just the cutest little her she can be. Christopher and I have really had an open line of communication too and Gabby is a chatter bug of course who wants to tell me about her friends and the boy who likes her ( I think she may like him too...) All of this just makes me want to freeze time. I can't even comprhend that one day they will leave the nest.

On a down note...I have been having pain in my Upper right Quadrant for nearly a year and a half. I knew it was gallbladder pains. I tried some natural flushes with no success. I changed my diet (No dairy, fried foods or refined carbs..~~or very limited amounts anyway..) but was still having pain. So, made an appt and the DR had me do an ultrasound. They found no stones..so I had a HIDA scan done. (they basiclly inject you with radioactive dye and a chemical that your brain secretes to make your gallbladder function) all the while lying flat on your back in a scan machine for nearly 2 hours.

When I got the results back they said MY GALLBLADDER WAS ONLY Functioning at 24%. Went to the Surgeon today..made an appt..in short my gallbladder is coming out next week. I hope I get much needed releif. my last gallbladder attack this week lasted 26 hours with pain so bad I just about went to the ER. And I had very little fat in my diet the day before..

well..thanks for letting me ramble...

Ole Stomping Grounds...

Grandma and I visited my ole south city stomping grounds the other day ..she was familar with the scene since she had been up many times to visit before we moved away from the city.

Our first stop was to Pho Grand Vietnamese restaurant .


Off of Grand and Arsenal (on the good ole south side. ) Hubby use to work right there at a store called Street Side records when we met. He took Me to Pho Grand for our first date. Back then it was a hole in the wall with about 12 tables inside the restaraunt and maybe 3 outside. An average dish at the would cost around $3.00 ! and you could get a carafe of wine for around $5.00
Now it has grown to be extreamly popular, has totaly been upscaled with a new and improved bigger location and has had a major shi shi artistic overhaul in decor, going from the gaudy polyester asian disco feel to the creme dela creme french influence, and uptown ambiance.

At any rate Grandma and I had lunch...so yummy, love the yumminess of the fresh cilantro, lemon basil and lemon grass, mixed with some bean sprouts and a twist of lime~life is good!


( I had vietmanese beef stew with egg noodle, the first refined carb in 2 weeks!)

Sophia had onion with baby ginger chicken noodle! love the fish sauce(Nuoc mam)!



But what makes St. Louis so great is the DIVERSITY!! Right next door is an Afgan Restaraunt...





and across the street a Martinii bar(ok, not diverse, but fun right?)


loved the play on names!

We finished or day at the German Meat Market
G&W~ only 5 min from the Hill, (the next field trip!~hubbys fam)


they are so popular they even sell the Bratwurst for Grants farm.
I get all of my Andouille from here (the best around) for my Gumbo and Etouffe and such. They have a variety of imported German goods as well

They have many fresh made lunch meats that they produce(they will even process your deer..but won't sell it...).


I remember eating these as a kid when I was in Germany, little chocalate eggs with Toys inside!


home again, home again,Heidi

Relisted..

I have got this gal relisted again on Ebay..she is very sweet and in need of a good home.

I promise you will be very happy with her. I had so much joy while I was working on her, and I know that infectious JOY would trickle over ....

She is getting very sad sitting here seeing her sisters (other dollies I made come to life) leave her side.....

Please consider giving her a home.

E PATTERNS AT LAST!! AND of course AMERICAN IDOL

Well, I finally did it...I made e-patterns. I currently only have four available and will be adding some of my older patterns into e-patterns and some new designs will get made into e-patterns too..so keep checking my ebay autions.


I am going to keep this short tonight BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW American Idol will be on soon!!

Have a great night and thank you for your continued support
Warmly


https://www.etsy.com/shop/CraBByGaBByDolls

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIA & Elvis too

Happy Birthday Sophia~(and Elvis too!!)

I snapped these pics after I brought Sophia home from the hospital. My how she has grown. I have had the "CrabbyGabby" biz since before Sophia, so alot of you have seen her sprout like a weed. I am so blessed to have her in my life, I remember when I was pregnant with her I would call her Grace because I felt like she saved my life and she was my saving grace. Now these days she is very chitty chatty and full of Energy like a little "sprite fairy" she does not sit still for long and has a constant song singing forth from her mouth.

For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:13-14

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Jeremiah 1:5

Baby IT WAS Cold outside

huh, It was cold outside~Now we have record breaking high temps! lol

Baby It is COLD OUTSIDE!!

Well, The truth is WINTER JUST GOT HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO, and boy did old man winter decide to send some frigid air our way.

These two enchanting chilly Men can be found On Ebay. I am still in Snowman mode when most people have all ready started to list spring! I am sure it will be here before I know it.

I hope all had a great first few days of '08. Our shower is suppose to be put in tomorrow, I am so excited. Things are starting to look up.

I was really having a hard time yesterday, we have so many things going on/wrong at once it seems. I wrote a fellow dollmaker/friend. After reading her email I felt some peace. Then I talked to my husband about all that is going on. He begin to proceed to tell me "Heidi, These are things we can not control" I replied with "You are right, I just need to hand it over to God" Ever since then I felt as if a load had been lifted. I honestly can not describe to you what are family is going through, but I do know when 2008 Got here I looked at is as a Baptisim...out with the old and in with the new, However just because it was a new year did not mean problems vanished.

It is the same way with our walk with God.

~Wishing you a wonderful Weekend ahead.

Warmest

heidi

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I just wanted to wish you a Very Happy New Year, From my family to yours.
May you have an over abundance of love peace and joy in 2008!!

~Heidi

I have my Commerative 2008 Party Girl Doll on Ebay now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110209228868&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=001

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

Luke 2 (New King James Version)

7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Snow Days!!

Here in the midwest we briefly got blasted with snow~~and the kids did not have school on Monday, they were just thrilled. Kosmo really loved the snow and Sophia got a chilly nose. Unfortunately the snow is melting now and it is just getting muddy out..ugh...but what a serene moment while it lasted. Patiently waiting for more snow, I am dreaming of a white Christmas!

Heidi

The TRUTH about Santa

Well, The Cat is outta the bag, the truth about Santa is...HE SHOPS AT WAL-MART!! My Daughter drew this picture a few weeks back, I hung it on the fridge. Well, the other day I stopped and admired her art work, THEN I SAW SANTA'S BAG...A BLUE BAG WITH A YELLOW SMILEY FACE!! I gave a good chuckle and just had to share!

Have a great weeked folks! and if you have a chance take a peak at my new listings on ebay..http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZcrabby_gabby_dolls

Not A failure as a parent

Greetings,
And Happy Thanksgiving...
Welcome as always to the rollcoaster of my life!
I hope you had lots of turkey, and bellies are content and overflowing with the yumminess of life.

As I was pondering today what I am thankful for I beginn to look around. Not to long ago I decided it was best to surrend myself with things that made me smile. So, I went to wally world and bought lots of frames. Took Everything off my walls and proceeded to print out pictures of the kids, pets, and various other things. So, Therefore I was looking at things Today and that brought a constant tear and smile to my eye at the same time (ok got side tracked) ~I can't help it though, I look at my kids and wonder what I did so right to deserve them!

before eating our dinner, I wanted to ask the kids "What are you Thankful for"

Christopher went first. If any of you know me, you may know that our son has slight Autisum and is very hard to communicate with. But his response was " I am Greatful that Jesus died on the Cross so we can go to Heaven."

My heart melted, tears welled up, just as they are now as I type this.

You have no idea How I feel as a parent. I ask God, I thank God For things we do not even have. I feel like I have failed my children because I can not provide what they need in life, yet there eternal souls are taken care of and my Son knows it. For once I felt as if I did something right. and here I am so side tracked from doing what I know is right. Again if you know me I go in "spurts" where I go to church and reading the word. Well, I find myself when one of those spurts (because I am so stubborn) where I feel like I am not doing what is right.

This is the real me, Telling you how I really feel

Heidi

Knocked DOWN BUT NOT knocked OUT

Well, just in case any of you are wondering, I AM ALIVE!!
Things just went plum crazy. My 83 year old grandma is now living with us. This makes our very small house only seem smaller. But I am so happy that she is here and what a joy it is to hear the stories of the old country and how things were when she was growing up and how things were when she first came to the United States over 50 years ago. (she is from Germany)

Why not post in so long? Well, I tend to go in "recluse" mode when I am feeling in the dumps.

But I must remember I maybe knocked down, BUT NEVER KNOCKED OUT.

I would also take the time right now to thank every and each one of you who has ever lifted me up in prayer, thought and been very kind and considerate through the midst of my crazziness.

It is my "cyberfrinds" who keep going with the dollies when alot of days I am ready to sell of the whole biz.

No gesture to small goes unnoticed. Thank you Thank you Thank you

Wishing you and yours a most Joyous Blessed Thanksgiving. May you and yours really remember the important things in life, may we always be thankful for what we have.

Warmest Regards,
heidi

Me and 28 THOUSAND of my new Friends~~

Well, I am just ON FIRE RIGHT NOW, full of Passion for my purpose, To serve the Lord my God with my whole heart! My ministry starts here with my husband, kids, then the biz...after that it is where ever I am.

The conference was just AWESOME. There was a record number of 28 thousand WOMEN there.

Delirios ROCKED BIG TIME! And CeCe just has the love of Jesus shining right through her, and her voice will give you goosebumps!

Joyce was bold and told it like it was. I am so excited to blog in the coming days all of the awesome revelations and teachings!