New Year ...New Hopes...New Dreams....

Its hard to believe 2008 is slowly coming to a end and we will welcome a new year of hopes & dreams. I love new years -to me its a time to start over. I am a person who makes new year resolutions, do I keep them all year? Yes and No! But I believe if we think of things we would like to change or accomplish. then we remember them all year long and strive to do them. Every New Years I look back at the year past - this year I want to say WHEWWWW! What a year! I survived!!!

I have my top 5 list just like David Letterman....
5. Weekend spent in Ft. Worth buying a wedding dress for Sarah and seeing Mama Mia - Fun
time spent with family.
4.Trips to the Canton flea market with family and friends.
3. The success of my little store - what a blessing it has been to me.
2.Sarah and Joes Wedding -I'll never forget it.
and
#1 The Birth of my darling grandson - Drew- it doesn't get any better than that!!!

I will never forget 2008. This year more than any year in my life I have been to the deepest valley and the highest mountain, I am always amazed that God leads us through EVERY journey. What a friend I have in Jesus.....

I want to thank each of you - family and friends - even the ones who I never know read my thoughts for sharing this year with me. I have sooooo enjoyed sharing my little mundane life with you. I just can't wait to see what God has planned for me in 2009!!

BLESSINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR FRIENDS !!!

Christmas at home.....

Christmas has come and gone for another year....I hope yours was blessed and time spent with family.... Heres from my Home to yours....

The 12 days of Christmas....

Christmas this year was celebrated in about 12 days or so it seemed.... I celebrated with ALL my family over a 5 day period- and it was a delight. Just wanted to share a few visions of sugar plums with each of you. My #1 visitor was my precious grandson -Drew-celebrating his first Christmas.

My snowman really tried to melt in the heat this year.. I am still dreaming of a

white Christmas....

I got my wing chair recovered just in time for Santa to rest in.....

We spent a fewwwwwww hours on these puzzle pieces.....

The Aggie Uncles were so proud of their great nephews aggie jersey given to

him by his aggie Grandfather....

We decorated lots of cookies and ate lots too -HEHEHE

Bella even got into the celebrating with her ribbon collar I made her. She is sorry she is not smiling.... she was nervous about the red suited strange man coming into the house....

As I pack up the boxes and put Christmas away for a year I pray each of you made some wonderful memories this year.... I know I will hold my memories close to my heart......

We'll be Home for Christmas.....

For the first time in about 3 years my family will all be Home for Christmas,(which is not a easy task with 16 of us) none of our soldiers are over seas but will be around our tree. I can't help but hold the families that are not so lucky close to my heart and surround them with prayers this time of year. This song has always meant so much to me, I remember hearing this song when I lived in Germany and was so homesick to see my family and be with them at Christmas. Last year I wouldn't let Brenda or Sarah listen to this song because it would make them sad - but they listened anyway.I pray that all your family will be HOME for Christmas....

3 recipes that mean Christmas....

Nothing conjures up Christmas memories like doing a little cooking in the kitchen. My 3 favorite eats for the Christmas season are - Puppy Chow, Cranberry salsa and Black eye pea dip. We use to make puppy chow every Christmas when our children were little and my Brother Danny would take us all caroling in a horse drawn wagon through the Tanglewood area of Big A. We would put lights on the wheels and horses and cover with lots of blankets and of course each child had a baggie full of puppy chow and hot chocolate. It is a precious memory for us all. We have sent puppy chow all the way to Wyatt in Afghanistan and Iraq and up the ski slopes of Santa Fe. It is truly a family favorite or maybe its the memories that make it so sweet!

Puppy Chow

1 box of Crispix Cereal
12oz pkg Choc Chips
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar or till covered good

Melt choc chips in microwave - stir in peanut butter. Pour on top of cereal and mix well.Pour powered sugar on top and cover well. Mix in larger bowl and have containers ready to fill- Enjoy

Black-eyed Pea Dip

2 cans Black eye Peas with jalapenos - drain
1 med purple onion thinly sliced
1/2 clove garlic or garlic powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
salt and cracked black pepper
Mix all together and serve with tostitos.

Cranberry Salsa

1 pkg cranberries
1 small purple onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Chop cranberries in food processor and add all other ingredients after chopping. Serve over Cream cheese block. A great Christmas addition to every party!

Make some of your own Christmas memories with these wonderful snacks...Have a sweet Christmas......

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas....

Christmas is always complete each year by watching "White Christmas". definitely in my top 10 movie favorites of all time. I made a cup of Hot chocolate and drank in my darling new red mugs - a gift from my friend Jan and my evening was complete.
A girl can always dream of a White Christmas........

Please Santa......

Guess what comes out today? Please Santa - I've been good- define good......

Waving for a King....

Tonight I was driving down South 14th , one of the busiest streets in Abilene and something caught my eye- a group of shepherds, Wise Men and Angels waving at me. No it was not a late Halloween party but a Church performing a Live Nativity . It made me laugh seeing the Shepard, Wise Men and Angels waving at me - I had never seen a Nativity animated at all! Think about it - they are all very still and reverent. When I was in High School I was in a live nativity on Christmas Eve at my church, what I remember about it most- it was freezing( started snowing) and we COULD NOT MOVE! As I drove on down the street I started thinking how silly it is to think a Nativity has to be just one way - perfectly still. Last September when my Grandson was born we were definitely not still when we got the news of his birth, We jumped up and down, clapped and danced. All of a sudden I realized the Shepherds, Wise men and Angels I am sure did the same thing. They were welcoming a KING. What a joyous celebration that had to be.

From now on I will always welcome seeing a Live Nativity - animated - waving and dancing and rejoicing for the Saviour of the world was born for Me.

Seeing RED....

It doesn't take much to make my home merry. It is already RED so all I need to do is add a little green and white and it says MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ready for Santa....

Got to hang the stockings on my mantle.... so Santa will fill them....

Happy Holidays.....

A visit with Santa....

Let me just show you how darling little Drew was when we visited Santa over Thanksgiving. We were ready for tears -no smiles- fussy- all the stuff you don't want to show in your first Christmas with Santa picture. Fear not our Drew was the most precious of all! Doesn't he just look like he is saying"I am getting to see Santa - I am sooo excited" My heart was very happy seeing this!

Christmas came early to this grandma....

Its Beginning to look like Christmas.....

25 days till Christmas..... Check back often I will be sharing everyday from my heart and Home....I love Christmas....

One of my favorite things every Christmas is my little cardboard house village. It reminds me of my childhood... wouldn't it be fun to live in a darling village like this?
Happy decorating....