Looking a little like Christmas...

We got started with the Christmas decorating:)  I pulled out some of my favorites and placed them exactly where they were last year!

My Sister Barbara gave me this Santa MANY years ago!  On the bottom it says 1996!  It had broken off his stand and he couldn't stand up anymore:(  OH I was sad!  I didn't ever want a Christmas without him!  I did surgery on him!  Unscrewed the bottom, used a bunch of zip ties trying to get him back to his special spot!

OH YES!  Just like last year!  HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!

My little glass tree, shining brightly on the mantel...

AND just like last year, the frosty fellas!

Still no tree yet, we will put it up this afternoon:)  BUT, I am happy looking around and seeing signs that Christmas is coming!  As soon as the tree goes up, the Nutcrackers will be marching down the stairs:)

25 days until Christmas

My husband's stocking hanging on the mantel!  His team won yesterday after many years of losses!  He was one HAPPY fella!  I guess you could say he got a win in his stocking:)  I felt bad for all of the UGA fans but happy for him!

Hot cup of coffee and a few sore muscles... it is supposed to be great weather today for decorating outside!  I hope you enjoy your day!  HUGS!

Up and down the attic steps...

Here we go... our decorating for Christmas starts out with the HAUL from the attic!  Up and down the attic steps!  Wonder what we will do when we can't get up those steps anymore... hmmm, oh well, I think we are good for a few more years:)

We started pulling out some of the decorations last night!  We'll be steady at it for the next few days!  Christmas is quickly approaching!  

26 days until Christmas

YIKES!

Better get busy:)  Have a blessed day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

Family Gathering for Thanksgiving...

It was a great Thanksgiving Family Gathering!

We had a big crowd!  So many loved ones had sickness and stayed home, we missed y'all!

SO much good food!  I was proud of everyone for bringing LOTS of yummy dishes!  
I enjoyed ALL of it!

My Friend Celene and her sweet Mama joined us!  It was great to sit beside Henrietta and watch her enjoy the yummy Thanksgiving dinner!

TWO Sisters and their pans of dressing:)  Both were SO good!  Everyone was talking about the dressing!

Cindy's Family ALL together:)

My Sister Barbara's family!  Not sure why it cropped people out:(  I hope Kelly took this picture too!

And my Siblings minus Leon!  Leon usually spends Thanksgiving with his kids and their families!

Let us give thanks, today and every day for the time spent with Family and Friends!

I hope your Thanksgiving was SPECIAL!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way this morning!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I pray that you enjoy your time together with Family and Friends!

Sending HUGS and THANKSGIVING PRAYERS your way this morning!

I won, I won, couldn't wait to share...

I won a giveaway from Anne's blog over HERE!  Among my Christmas orders that arrived yesterday was a package just for ME:)  I was SO excited to see all of the goodies in it!

Each item was wrapped in sparkly paper...

A Christmas mug which I will start using the day after Thanksgiving:)

A package of special coffee, she wrote that she knows how much I love coffee:)

SWEETEST little salt and pepper shakers!  AREN'T they PRECIOUS?

A calendar for next year!

But the sweetest part of this package was this little card and a personal note inside!  Thank you SO much Anne for this sweet package and your friendship!  I appreciate you and hope you all have an extra special Thanksgiving!

AND the DWTS winner is...  Well deserved!  I am sad that it is over:(

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and I am ready to enjoy the time with my Family!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Wait your turn Fat Boy...

It's almost Thanksgiving!  I am excited to see everyone and eat some of the yumilicious dishes made with love!  We will all sit around the table and be thankful to be sitting around the table with the ones we love the most!

Yes, Christmas is ONE MONTH from today!  While I have been steady shopping, mostly on-line... I am waiting until Thanksgiving is behind me to do any decorating:)  It is hard, when you see SO many pretty decorations but I will wait until the Turkey is gone!  I thought this was a cute cartoon:)

I am making my grocery list and heading to the store this morning!  I pray that you and yours are safe and warm!  

Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Sunday singing and tornado warnings...

Rainy Sunday but beautiful this morning!  I went to Church and we had wonderful singing and a great message!  One of the highlights of my day was when my Nephew Justin, put down his guitar and sat down at the piano!  Let me just say that he can not only play the guitar, banjo but also can play the hound out of a piano... ALL self taught!  Love him, what a blessing you are to me Justin!  I had to load the video to YouTube to get it to play... I hope it works:)  Click on the picture...

We had the threat of really bad weather last night!  Tornado warnings all around us!  I got our safe place ready, flashlights and candles ready to light, computer and phone... waited for the all clear!  Texting with Cindy and Tracy to make sure we were all safe:)  AND WE WERE!  Thank you Lord for keeping us all safe!

I am enjoying my morning!  The weather looks picture perfect today!  I have a mess to clean up from clearing out my safe place last night and more chores to prepare for the week ahead!  Have a blessed day dear friends, sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Dinner, cheesecake and love...

Tracy, Derek and the kids invited us for dinner to celebrate Marc's Birthday!  After a delicious bowl of homemade chili, we watched some football and sang Happy Birthday:)

Tracy knows how much Pa LOVES cheesecake, she made him a beauty!

AND he sure enjoyed it!

Wait... did someone say cheesecake?  The pups are always around when the food is smelling good!

Surrounded by the grandkids, a delicious cheesecake for dessert and lots of love!

Thanks Tracy for having us:)  It is a mighty rainy morning around here!  Hope you all are staying warm and dry!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Whistling a happy tune...

After many days of WAY TOO cold weather, yesterday was PERFECT!  I got out and did some Christmas shopping and didn't even need a coat!  I am getting a jump on the shopping and it feels really good!  I am doing MOST of the shopping on-line, packages are starting to arrive!

I spent the afternoon visiting with my Brother and Sister-in-law!  My Sister Brenda was there visiting, so I got to visit with her too:)  In case you were wondering, I spent the morning working on my closet project:)  Much more to do, but if I peck away at it every day... eventually it will get done!

I hope you are enjoying your Saturday morning!  I am!  Have a blessed and beautiful Saturday!  HUGS!

Up to my neck...

Since I usually tell what I am up to on my blog... I am up to my neck in OLD clothes and closet cleaning!  I spent much of yesterday cleaning out one of my closets that has been stuffed with clothes that I haven't worn in years and will never wear again!  I am proud to say that I really got somewhere with it but still not finished!

My sweet Husband, the Birthday boy chose to stay in for his birthday dinner!  I picked up his favorite Greek salad and pizza, he wanted to just eat dinner and watch football... so that's what he did:)  Both of his girls called him with birthday wishes and the Parrish family Skyped with a birthday song and entertainment last night:)  I would say he enjoyed his birthday, running 15 miles on his 67th birthday... he continues to amaze me!

SO... I am enjoying my morning coffee and gonna get back at that mound of clothes upstairs shortly!  Have a blessed day dear friends, BIG HUGS!

The Men in my life...

First I want to talk about my Daddy!  He left this world 8 years ago today!  I miss him terribly and every time I think about his last days on earth, it just hurts my heart!  I know that he is all better now and enjoying being healthy while strolling those streets of gold!  This picture was when he received his 50 year Masonic pin!  He was SO happy to have all of his kids there to celebrate with him!

Then there's my Hunny!  It's his 67th birthday!  He is the best Husband I could only have dreamed of having!  He and I were made for each other!  We enjoy doing things together OR doing nothing together!  We love our lives that we share and adore watching our Grandchildren grow up and shine!  I love you Marc and hope you have a wonderful Birthday!

And... last but certainly not least, my oldest Grandson Austin!  I am SO proud of him!  We attended his Football banquet last night!  He is tall and handsome and gives 100% at whatever he is doing!  He isn't ashamed to give me a hug and tell me he loves me!  What a special fella he is and I love him to pieces!

Today... a day to remember, some happy, some sad!  I am SO thankful for the Men in my life!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

In Everything Give Thanks...

There's a roof up above me, 
And I've a good place to sleep,
There's food on my table,
And shoes on my feet,
You gave me Your Love Lord,
And a fine family,
Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me!

It is 19 degrees outside and because I didn't go to the grocery store yesterday, you got it... gotta go today!  Tonight is Austin's Football banquet and we take a dish!  I am taking the Doritos Taco Salad that everyone looks forward to!  I pray everyone is staying warm and toasty and looking forward to the week ahead leading up to Thanksgiving!  

Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Looking back and looking forward...

I have Thanksgiving on my mind these days!  This cake was SO delicious last year and I hope we have one again this year!

This was the group pic from last year!  I love doing this every time we are all together!

I always know that we will have some GREAT food!  YUMMILICIOUS!

Everyone will be talking about getting ready for Christmas, who is shopping on Black Friday etc...

My Sister Cindy and my daughter Tracy... bestest of friends:)

And my Grandchildren and their Parents, heading out for another dinner!

November 2012... I ran across this picture and just had to post it!  Alex has grown 2 feet since then!  She is an awesome artist and loves to draw!

That's it!  REALLY cold outside!  I must run out to the Grocery Store at some point today and I am not looking forward to getting out of the house!  I stayed in ALL day yesterday, cooked soup for dinner and watched DWTS!  Tommy left last night and while he was a fan favorite, he definitely wasn't good enough to make it to the finals!  If you watch, who is your favorite?

Enjoy your day dear friends!  SO many are buried in snow and cold!  Stay warm!  Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!

Fun weekend...

Full weekend, lots of hugs and tons of smiles:)  These little ones came for a visit and we sure enjoyed having them:)

We had their favorite for dinner, Mexican fiesta... taco ring, cheese dip and Mexican rice:)  After dinner, they got into the treasure box and played and played and played!

Sunday morning, up early, cooked breakfast, made two casseroles for Church Thanksgiving lunch and off we went!

It was nice to have these two cutie-pies with me at Church:)

AND... Cindy was especially HAPPY to see them, it was her Birthday:)

My little ones are growing up!  Sweet, thoughtful, thankful!

My Baby Sister and me on her Birthday!  Hope you had a great Birthday Sis!  I love you!

After Church, lunch and home to REST!  I watched football all afternoon and headed up after a long day!  My little granddaughters gave me one last smile:)  When I went upstairs last night, my granddaughters had been playing with my dolls and there they were!  Just had to smile:)

Busy weekend but lots of fun!  It is a rainy morning here where I am!  Not much going on and that feels pretty good!  Enjoy your day dear friends, BIG HUGS!