Wii wish you a Merry Christmas

{Santa has to be real because my mom did not buy me a video game - not the same mom who severely limits "screen-time" and keeps saying "why don't you go outside and find something to do."} {Dad and I during our first bowling game - notice the furniture had to be completely rearranged to make a big enough area to play"

{Bowling with Grandaddy -

and baseball and golf and cow racing and boxing}

{Tennis, anyone?}

Pink Christmas

Guess what came in the mail today?

How cute is this necklace and bracelet set?

I love those Fall colors!

Thank you Chelsea!

...........

Here is the box of goodies that I mailed out to fellow Pink Christmas swapper, Karli.

Karli is expecting a baby boy in a couple of weeks, so her Pink Christmas was all BLUE! A box of personalized B&W photo cards with matching address labels all with a baby boy theme!

Christmas in Silver City

{presents pulled from our tree and ready to go to Silver City}

{at Mom & Dad's

so many people and packages, furniture had to be moved}

{Carly's Aunt Kacey & Uncle Rocky gave Carly her very own iPod - later she told me "I can't belive I have an iPod. That is so awesome"} {we love to play games in my family - Carly got an updated version of the card game "Spoons" and we played a lot. She also got "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" which we all agree that we are not!}

{"stockings were hung by the chimney with care" - ok who am I kidding! These are our family stockings filled full of goodies. I wish I had photo documented what was in mine like my sister did here but a few things were a fleece pullover, 2 novels, magazines, socks, undies, specialty food mixes, Sonic card, CD, drawer liner, bath stuff, pottery, candles....it is one of our favorite family traditions}

Post #101

101 Tidbits about Me

1. My birthday is Sept 13, I will be 36.
2. My anniversary is Dec 17, we will be married 14 years.
3. I met my husband in college.
4. He is my best friend.
5. I joke that the reason I married him is that his job is to kill bugs.
6. I have a 7 year old daughter.
7. I love being a mother.
8. I constantly worry if I’m doing a good job.
9. I am a Christian - belonged to a Methodist church for 35 years.
10. I am a Southern girl.
11. I’ve lived most of my life in MS, and also AR and TN.
12. I like living in a small southern town, close to a big city.
13. I have a double first name.
14. Yes, I like sweet tea, grits, and pecan pie.
15. But not turnip greens.
16. or coffee
17. or coconut
18. Tomatoes are my favorite food.
19. We have a Weimaraner, Gabby.
20. I have one sister.
21. I have one living grandparent.
22. I’m a speech pathologist.
23. I love working with kids.
24. I work for myself.
25. I like to do things well.
26. I like taking pictures.
27. I like B&W pictures.
28. I wish I had more time to scrapbook.
29. I love traditions and making memories.
30. I love books.
31. I can spend hours in a book store or the library.
32. I like to read aloud with Carly.
33. I love magazines and subscribe to about 10.
34. I listen to books on tape.
35. I like puzzles like suduko, crossword puzzles.
36. I like to play cards and board games.
37. I want to learn to play chess.
38. I don’t talk on the phone.
39. I’m much better at email.
40. I like my iPod much more than expected.
41. My ears are not pierced.
42. I savor bathtime.
43. I love to be by myself.
44. I like to travel.
45. My list of “places to see” is VERY long.
46. I love the beach.
47. I dream of a cabin in the woods.
48. I love porch swings.
49. I like big leather chairs.
50. I like fresh, clean, soft linens.
51. I like sports.
52. I find myself too competitive.
53. I have a hard time saying no.
54. I am easily envious.
55. I tend to obsess about small stuff.
56. I am a list maker.
57. I hate feeling overwhelmed.
58. I’m a worrier.
59. I don’t like conflict.
60. I don’t like violent, scary or war movies.
61. Clowns are scary.
62. I love new school supplies.
63. I love stationery.
64. I love Christmas cards.
65. Cards and notes from my husband and child are very special.
66. Thank you notes are a must.
67. I love going out to eat.
68. I love date night.
69. I like going to the movies.
70. I love mysteries.
71. My favorite T.V. shows are CSI, Closer and Criminal Minds.
72. I do not ride roller coasters.
73. I like Hot Tamales.
74. I love diet coke.
75. I go to Sonic almost every day.
76. Styrofoam cups and pebble ice can make everything better.
77. I do not like clutter.
78. I am obsessive about cleaning off counters.
79. Laundry drives me nuts.
80. I do not iron.
81. I like closure.
82. I like grocery shopping.
83. I hate the dentist.
84. I love pedicures and facials.
85. A car starts and I can fall asleep.
86. I want others to respect “my” space.
87. I don’t accept praise well.
88. I like to be appreciated.
89. Presentation is important.
90. I love to give.
91. I wish I could give more.
92. I like good wine.
93. I worry about our country’s future.
94. Gerber daisies are my favorite flower.
95. Roses are over-rated.
96. I hate to garden.
97. I love the fall.
98. I love pumpkins.
99. I wish I could spell better.
100. I own lots of pottery.
101. I try to live one day at a time, but I often fail.

here comes Santa, here comes

CARLY

{topping our list for Santa was a hippity-hop ball -

so big smiles and lots of bouncing when she rounded the corner this morning and saw this big, green ball}

{Santa brought some things from Carly's list like a Hannah Montana Barbie, books, movie, and the hippity hop ball. And there were surprises like a Mississippi State T-shirt, chalk animals, CDs and a Wii} Carly said she needs to write Santa a BIG thank you note!

twas the night before

After church, Carly opened her 3 Christmas Eve presents....new P.J.'s, a nativity piece, and a Christmas book. Kenny read Twas the Night Before Christmas and we got Santa's treats out.

Then off to bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads.

8 point

Christmas Buck Fever

Christmas at the Lake

Last weekend was Christmas at the Lake with Kenny's family. We had a wonderful weekend. It was rainy and cold so we spent a lot of time inside together - luckily we managed to have too much fun to start to drive each other up the wall. There was lots of time for cooking, eating, drinking, visiting and playing.

{making a Gingerbread House with D - notice that it is still dark outside that is because everyone rises way too early at the Lake}

{opening presents with cousin, JC - They were both very happy after their first gifts...Carly-bulldog Webkin & JC-large stuffed Scooby}

{morning of karaoke - D got a new chip from LeadSinger}

{Aunt Libba & Uncle Beege gave Carly a nail set, so her and Aunt Libba were doing their nails. Carly chose orange on one hand green on the other}

{attempting to set up video call with Josh in Japan}

{Christmas dinner, after anti pasta there was beef tenderloin, ravioli, spinach Madeline, and rolls}

{cin cin (cheers!)- to a wonderful Christmas with family}

wrapping paper

Last weekend was Christmas at the Lake with Kenny's side of the family. (It was a wonderful weekend, check later for a post about the festivities). Here is a pictures of our presents after I pulled them from under our tree preparing to pack them for the trip. I love the way they look together - fun coordinating wrapping paper, pretty bows, matching tags. It makes me a little giddy inside.

As mentioned in previous post, I really love wrapping paper. Well actually I really love paper - wrapping paper, stationery, scrapbooking, journals. It makes me really happy that my sister has gone into the stationery business because I have an inside track to feeding my addiction. But when I wrap presents there are rolls and rolls of paper, even more rolls of ribbon (different sizes, colors, textures), coordinating tags, tissue paper, bags. There is probably something seriously wrong with me (at this time I would like to mention that it is okay for me to say this but others should not agree).

{gifts for angel tree child}

A couple months ago, my mom, sister, and I placed an order for wrapping supplies. I had more fun looking through that catalog and deciding about coordinating items. The goodies came in the first on November and I was so excited when I got them that I came home and wrapped Carly's teacher's gifts!

My MIL just shakes her head at all the hullabaloo over the presentation (along with her son who has no concept of presentation even after 13 years of trying to explain it to him - he considers the present wrapped if it is in the WalMart bag). For probably 16 years, I have been making an appearance at my MIL's, 3 years as a girlfriend and the last 13 as a daughter-in-law. For each of those years, my presents have looked like this.

This is not an exaggeration - EXACTLY- like this. I'm not talking about the fact that there are never bows (ever) and the presents are marked with black Sharpie right on the paper. I'm referring to THIS EXACT paper. This paper was in the family before I was (16 years ago). My MIL had bought (for a steal) a gigantic roll of wrapping paper like you find at department stores. My first few years in the family ALL our presents were wrapped in this paper. But then it became such a "tradition" with my MIL taking much ribbing that she started parceling it out so we all started getting a couple of presents wrapped in it. This year I only had one.

You never know where family traditions are going to come from! What are we going to talk about when that paper runs out? She says don't worry that she's never going to run out!

mark one thing off the list

{Nona and D we love our new rolling pin} {plate full of cookies and tons of icing} {finished product}

today by Carly

{Today was Carly's last day of school. 3 hours and 15 minutes as she pointed out yesterday after their Christmas Party. Since the big hoo-rah was yesterday -- crafts, party, present exchange, gifts, Christmas chapel program -- returning to school today seemed a little anticlimactic, so we played hooky. At breakfast, Carly wrote a journal entry about today (on a paper napkin).}

...

... "Wednesday: Higher ground for breakfast. Me - chocolate long john. Mommy's breakfast - turkey bagel. We are going to the library and the grocery store. I might get to play with my pottery wheel. I might get back on the computer for my webkin. Me and mommy are gong to bake Christmas cookies. Daddy went to work - pooh pooh!"

ahhhhh the craziness

I LOVE the Christmas season, but I have to remind myself frequently to take a deep breath and step back from the craziness!

Last week, Carly had her December field trip. I REALLY needed to work, so I asked REALLY, REALLY nice if Daddy would be interested in going. He begrudgingly agreed (the last time Kenny went on a field trip, 2 years ago, he said he wasn't going again, EVER).

I think this excursion went much smoother than the previous Daddy chaperoned field trip. When I met them to take Carly and a classmate back to school, they were all still smiling (a good sign)!

...

{Carly's second grade class - at the Enchanted Forrest}

{Carly with her 2 good friends at the Mall for Christmas caroling}

parade

I COULD NOT get my camera to take good pictures at the parade. I only took my small Olympus and I have not figured out how to manually change shutter speed, etc so I was stuck with the pre-set categories on the camera. None of which were right for the situation. There was night scenes, fireworks, night scene with portrait, sport, and on and on. But no "night parade" setting. So my pictures look like....

this..... or this.... or this. All of which are kind of cool in an artistic kind of way, but not really what I was looking for. So, I gave up and just went with a SPT.

Even though we look like we are bundled up for Arctic temperatures, it was only about 48 degrees but when we left home and got out of the car it was misting rain (that's what you get when you put "go to the parade" in the countdown box - no turning around now) but once we walked to a good viewing spot it stopped raining and was a beautiful night.

girlfriend's christmas

{Carly and friends...

all dressed up for the Girlfriends' Christmas Party}

{party food - make your own pizza, chip & dip, fruit, and cookies}

{having lots of girl fun making pipe cleaner & bead garlands}

{SPT of Carly and I - when it was over she told me a half-a-dozen times "thank you so much mama, it was SO much fun"}

let's do lunch

{gwyn, jan, me, julie, elizabeth, and ginny}

.....

.....for my friend Ginny, who got us together to do lunch.....

Ginny asked me a few weeks ago if I would be interested in getting together on Friday, December 7th for a cookie swap that she was thinking about trying to get one together. I told her sure that I would pencil her in on my calendar. Ginny called a week or two ago and asked me if I had plans for the 7th. I told her I was coming to her house to swap cookies. She laughed and asked how would I feel about getting together at a restaurant for lunch instead? Sound great I said, who has time to make cookies anyway?

countdown fun

[Carly's Christmas Countdown Box]

...

We LOVE our countdown box. Carly's first stop every morning is to open the next little box. Sometimes the box has a little trinket - this morning there was a flashing snowman necklace. And sometimes it has a "coupon" - like for fingernail painting or yesterday's was a "special night with dad". The little coupon's remind me not to let the season slip by. We usually have coupons for riding around to look at lights, making Christmas cookies, making a Gingerbread House, Christmas movie night, etc. Activities that we would probably do or at least should do but sometimes just don't find time for.

tagged by my sister

• Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper (I have serious issues with wrapping paper - Love it) - this year zebra print paper and lots of red and lime green.

• Real tree or artificial? artificial.. I grew up with an artificial tree so my first Christmas after I got married I was determined to have a real tree. It was a fiasco - a story that needs its very own blog. Needless to say the next year we bought an artificial tree.

• When do you put up the tree? I like to put it up the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This year it was the Monday after Thanksgiving.

• When do you take the tree down? Typically the weekend after New Years.

• Do you like eggnog? Yes - I'm glad you can only buy it during Christmas season and I wish it wasn't so very fattening.

• Favorite gift received as a child? that's tough - too many memories to choose from maybe my doll house, maybe Cabbage Patch Dolls, or a doll trunk with lots of clothes for my Baby Gilbert.

• Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, Carly has a nativity scene. She gets a new piece every Christmas Eve. She loves it. So it is a very special part of our Christmas.

• Hardest person to buy for? Uncle Wilson

• Easiest person to buy for? Carly and my sister

• Worst Christmas gift ever received? I think this might get me in trouble with someone.

• Mail or email Christmas card? mail - love to open the mailbox during December just to see whose christmas card is in the box today. Then we display them to enjoy all month. I just finished putting together an album of christmas cards we have received over the last 6 years. I have had the idea for years (wish I had started saving them since Kenny and I got married) but it has taken me this long to put it together.

• Favorite Christmas Movie? Santa Clause the Movie, Rudolph, Polar Express, or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

• When do you start shopping for Christmas? Just about all year

• Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? shhhhh

• Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? party foods/appetizers

• Clear lights or colored on the tree? white - but I am having a new found love of those vintage big colored bulbs that I am seeing on some trees in our neighborhood. I saw some in my friend Keetha's blog.

• Favorite Christmas song? Baby, it's cold outside (Love our Rat Pack CD)

• Travel at Christmas or stay home? both - we made the decision when Carly was born to be home on Christmas morning but work everyone else in around that.

• Do you have an Angel on top or a star? star

• Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning at our house

• Most annoying thing about this time of year? wanting to do so much and running out of time

let the fun begin

1. talk daddy into getting the tree out of the attic
2. turn on the Christmas music
3. fluff the branches
4. turn on the lights
5. unpack the ornaments
6. smile and tolerate the camera
7. decorate
8. reminisce

{my first ornament - it isn't dated but probably 1972)