Wonderful

The Family Christmas party was wonderful!
It was a lot of fun.

(this was my side of the family.

We still have to do Our own family

and Harry's family on Christmas Eve.)

The little children were so excited to
see each other. It's fun to be young and have
cousins your age. We really had some
wonderful food. We have some great
cooks in our family. It was especially good to
have my mama and daddy here with us.

Everyone was here except the 2 sisters

and brother in law that live in S.L.C.

I am most excited about my

early Christmas Present!!!!!

Do you remember the Old Gray Goat??

Ta Da!!!!!

It's gone!!

Whoo Hoo!

I must say that's the best

Christmas gift ever!!

(and you can't tell me that it

doesn't look 100% better!)

Merry Christmas!

The Reason

For the season

Merry Christmas

Madness

Good luck with your last minute holiday shopping!

I still say,

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

Reagan, Santa and Shelby

December 2008

(doesn't look like Rea likes Santa to

well and it doesn't look like Santa

likes his job to much either)

Rea and Shelby last Christmas, December 2007

(look how much they have grown)

Harrison and Christon's

this years Christmas Card.

Merry Christmas!

Coming To Town

And it's not Santa.

It's my family and I'm really looking forward to hosting our family Christmas dinner and party this weekend. I've got a lot to do but it seems like I work better under a little pressure.

Busy, busy.

Merry Christmas

Wordless Wednesday

Down Home Fun!

Could we GET anymore excited?!?

I still say,

Merry Christmas!

Tasty Tuesday

Sailor of Little Girl On The Go made this Easy Homemade Fudge loafs for her teachers. It was so easy and quick, I thought I'd do the same for Shelby and Rea's teachers. I found these little tubs at the Dollar Store today, 4 for a $1.00. They were a perfect fit for the fudge.

I wrapped them up really cute.

And here they are all packed and ready for delivery!

Hope there will be some happy teachers.

Thanks, Sailor for the great and tasty idea!

Easy Homemade Fudge
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons butter
Optional add ins: 1 cup of any of the following-frozen mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, dried fruits, cut up candy bars or cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large microwaveable bowl, combine chips, milk, and butter. Heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and return to microwave for 30 seconds at a time, until everything is melted. Add any add ins and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy. Pour into 1 foil lined 8 by 8 inch dish OR 4 mini loaf pans that have been lightly coated with cooking spray. (If you don't add any thing into your fudge, you might only be able to get 3 loaf pans full.) Later you can easily pop the loaves out of the pans and wrap them in cellophane. Click here to see her's they are really cute and she has a great White Oreo Fudge that also looks yummy.

My Favorite Christmas Cake

Red Velvet Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups oil (Wesson)

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 bottle red food coloring

Mix in order of ingredients.

Bake at 350* for 25 or 30 mins.until it

passes the toothpick or fork test.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1 8oz. block of cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

3 or more cups of powdered sugar

1-1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Blend butter and cream cheese until creamy.
Add vanilla and start adding sugar and a drop or two
of milk until you get the right consistency.

Then blend in the nuts and ice completely cooled cake.

I love Red Velvet cake and it's my favorite cake to give at Christmas and Valentine's Day because of it's beautiful red color. I've already made and given away 3. Got about 4 more to go.
Merry Christmas

Small Town Shopping

I went down town Macon, Missouri

just looking around.

This is what I found.

I was excited to see a Ben Franklin

that was still opened for business.

They were finishing up decorating for Christmas. This was the 21st of November. So they were really ahead of the game. They had some awesome trees and decoration.

I was most excited to find a sewing section that had fabric. I really miss having a fabric store in Brunswick. We have to drive to Jacksonville or Savannah to find a fabric store. Our Wal-Mart has done away with the fabric section. I really miss it a lot. Because when I want to sew, I want to sew and I don't want to drive over an hour to find the things that I need. This Ben Franklin was a lot of fun. I bought 3 colors of rick rack and some ribbon for hair bows.

Merry Christmas

True Happiness

“True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service.
“It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.” President David O. McKay

Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the “Spirit of Christ.” President Thomas S. Monson

Merry Christmas!

Vintage

Or Christmas aggravation!

You choose.

Photo Story Friday

Hays Ten Mile Store

As we were looking for the hunting lodge the first day in Macon, Missouri, we were to make a right here on state road AA. But as we were coming up to the turn I spotted the store across the street. I thought it was so cute and I couldn't wait to check it out.

As Harry and Trav were getting the '4 1 1' on hunting in the club and in the state of Missouri, I went in search of the nearest town and Wal Mart. But not before I stopped to take a few pictures of the store.

I just had to get out and look in the windows. The windows were dirty but I saw all kinds of interesting stuff and a couple of tables and chairs. I just knew that they served a little breakfast or lunch. I couldn't wait to get back when they opened the next day.


I was so excited when I saw trucks and cars up at the store I just knew they were opened for breakfast and I was going to have me some. I parked the truck and grabbed my camera and headed in.

I swing the door open and step inside and to my shock this is what I find!! Sitting in the dark except for the head lamp over the middle of the table was this group of men playing cards. Oh they were friendly enough. I think the laugh was on me.

So I say, "well... who's winning??"

They start laughing again and said "the real question is who's cheating?" One of them offered to let me join them or take over his hand of cards.

I'm like, "No Thank you, I think I'll just look around if that's okay?"

"Yeah, go right ahead."

Then I ask, "Are you open for business?"

"Nope, we just meet up here to play cards. You know just get out of the house and out from under foot of the misses."

I'm now a little embarrassed about barging in on their card party. But I go ahead and ask if I can take a few pictures.

"No problem"

As I'm looking at the stuff on the shelves, I ask if any of it was for sale? They laugh again and tell me that all that's on the selves was empty boxes!

I was very surprised. He said they just put it up there to make it look better and not so empty.

Then the man that owns the store tells me that If I see something that means a whole lot to me and that I just can't live without then he might think about selling it to me.

We could talk about it.

Then see that Christmas tree at the back of this picture?

He says, "you any good at dressing up a Christmas tree?" " If you want something to do you can decorate that one."

I tell them, "No thanks, I'd rather take one down than put one up." They laughed again.

We talked a little bit about the weather and the huntin and what I was doing there.

I told them that I was there to take pictures of them.

They were a real jovial group.

It was quite a fun and entertaining morning.

And I GOT PICTURES to prove it!

My Grand Cherin

Well... let me show you!

Just growing up to fast.

Look how long that hair is getting.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes.

"I got ta what?"

This is one pale faced child.

She got this coloring from her other grandma. No one on my side of the family was ever this blond.

Reagan will be 2 years old February 26. She doesn't talk very much yet, she doesn't have to. Shelby is her mouth piece and does most of the talking for her.

Well, what are big sisters for?

My Grand Cherin continued...

Saturday evening I got to take Shelby to see her first Nutcracker. It was wonderful!! I hope that this is the first of many years to come. Can't wait to take Rea with us next year.

So I have my camera, of course, and I tell Shelby to smile and let me take her picture. This is what I get...

I have no idea where all this posing comes from.

But it drives me crazy.

Um...

But sometimes I can get some cute pictures out of her. She loves her picture taken but really doesn't like to sit still long enough for me to get very many.

When I showed her this picture I asked her what she was doing with her fingers? She tells me she is posing. What???

FINALLY a precious pose.

When I was getting her ready to go that evening she tells me that she is going to be 4 years old in January. I say I know! and Rea will be 2 years old in February. In turn she says, and I quote, "March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. That's the months of the year!" To say the least I was shocked. I mean come on, she's 3 years old! I knew she knew the days of the week. She learned them last year in pre-school. But that was the first I've heard the months. We had to go right then and tell Pop Pop.

He was surprised too and said I guess she really is learning something at school.

I can't wait until Christon shares the picture of the girls sitting on Santa's lap. It is to cute. Shelby and Reagan had on these matching dresses.

I'm sorry yall, I just love being a "gigi" to these little girls.

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday