~ Looking Forward to a NEW YEAR!! ~

Here are a few pictures of this Christmas... it was a good one, now let the New Year Begin!!!


Ash and I with her quilt I made for her. She loves wolves and the was so excited that it had them all over one side. The other side is 5" squares of different fabrics she has picked out every time we hit the fabric store!!

My kids with their gifts from Santa!! They were so excited!! Oh to be a kids again!!

My Family
~ Joe, me Brandon & Ash on Christmas at my mom and dad's house.~

MY FAMILY
My Mom & Dad my brothers & sisters, their spouses and all the grand kids and Augie the Dog!!
What a crew!!

This year is quickly coming to a close and it can't come soon enough for me!! We have had a very trying year and our hopes for the New Year are that things will get better one way or the other. But I'll have to refer back to a post I did a few months ago about counting my blessings...those of which I do have many, my kids are the blessings that I can always count on, they keep me grounded and remind me everyday that they love me and they will always be here for me!!! I love you Brandon and Ashie Jo!!! I am blessed with a DH that works hard and tries very hard to keep us going and the wolves from knocking at the door!! Thanks Joe for your steadfast effort to keep us afloat. I'm blessed with a family that is always there for me, they have my back and I know that and am reminded everyday how lucky I am to have them on my side. I am blessed the friends that are my rock!!! They know who they are and if it weren't for them I would have been lost for sure. We have had some rough spots this year but with the love of my friends I have made it through. I am sorry for all the phone calls that may have ended up with me crying on your shoulder,or anything I may have done or said to hurt anyone I have come across this year. Bear with me, I'm trying to become the person I know I can be and become happier and find so peace in my life. Things don't always go as planned and my heart is showing that this year, but I think I am on my way to being happier and making those around me that way too!!! I have to start with ME, you know the saying, If MOMMA AIN'T HAPPY AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY!!! LOL... So here's to a great NEW YEAR for all of us. I hope it brings to you and your family all the hopes and dreams you wanted and fewer heartaches and hardships along the way!!!

~ HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!! ~

Giveaway...giveaway!!! Hurry you only have a few days left!!

My, my I about forgot to do this!!! Sorry Karen!!! I have my head in the clouds most of the time anymore!! lol.
I have meant so many great friends blogging here, and Karen of thebarelythereprimtivebear, has been a gem.. She is giving away this great sifter lamp and hand painted Santa egg!!! Sooo stinking cute!!... go check out her blog, thebarelythereprimitivebear for "THE RULES" for this giveaway.. You only have until the 15th at midnight so hurry on over and tell her I sent you. She is a doll and I am glad to have meant her, she checks in on me when I've been gone to long!!! lol.. Thanks Karen for being a great friend and I hope you get lots of entries but mine is the only one that counts!!! tee hee!!!

Love ya!! NOW GO LOOK!!!

Getting ready for Christmas

The kids are so excited for Christmas and getting to see Santa and tell him what they want made it even more magical for them, but now they think time is standing still until the 25th!! The city rec dept hosts a "Santa at the Center" each year, and they do a great job of having lots for the kids to do while they wait their turn to sit on Santa's lap and tell them their wishes. They got to decorate ornaments, do coloring pages and have cooking and cocoa and watch movies. The center has an indoor pool and I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. They had penguins on surfboards floating in the pool and lots of lights and blow up trees snowmen and Santa's all around it. It was pretty cool!!! Kind of a blurry picture, I had to use my phone so it isn't the best but they look pretty happy to be by Santa. Brandon thought he was too old for all this fuss until we got there, then he was just as excited as Ash!!

This is an antique fire truck that is all decked out with lights and music, the kids love it. It gets lots of use during Christmas. The Santa delivers toys to needy families on Christmas Eve with it!! Pretty neat!!

The pool full of snow. It was pretty cold waiting in line but thinking of the hot summer in the pool made it even colder!!!!

Me on my birthday!! Poor Brandon only had the energy to lay on the couch!! Not the bucket by the couch!! lol. He was pretty sick but he tired to help me celebrate!!! Of course Ash had to "help me" open my gift from them. Her dad did the shopping and she wasn't happy that he got me a candle, she wanted to get me the "Santa Buddies" movie..more for her than me I think!! lol :0)

DH took the picture, hence cutting off Brandon's head!!! It was a pretty good birthday despite being up all night with Brandon being sick!! We were both very tired all day, but it was a good day because all the people I love the most where there with me!!

I hope you are feeling the magic of Christmas and family as it gets closer with the passing days. It's the gift of family and friends that I find makes me the happiest. No gift that goes under a tree will ever replace that!!
Have a great day and don't sweat the small stuff!! It's just stuff!!!

BRRRRR IT'S REALLY COLD HERE!!!

Hello from the deep freeze!!! It has been brutal cold here and I know most of the US has been very cold this week. We had a BIG snow storm yesterday and just bitter cold today!!! I haven't been here for awhile AGAIN!! I have gremlins in my house I swear!!! My computer crashed but thank goodness for a good friend of mine that used to work with, I got it fixed free of charge. People still do good deeds!!! Thanks Larry!!! I had a birthday while I was gone!!! I had a pretty good day. With gifts from my DH and kiddos and an ice cream cake and yes I ate some!!! I'm still doing well on my weight loss 59.2 lbs down this morning!!
Christmas is sneaking up on my fast and my kids are so excited and counting the days!! Ash brought home a bell from school with a paper chain hanging from it with the days left until Christmas on it and every morning she takes a link off until it is all gone. She said tonight, "Mom I really like this Christmas week, meaning month, it is really fun!". Both the kids helped decorate the tree so I have lots of ornaments in the same spot but I left them right where they put them!!! It is perfect that way!!
We have had a run in with the flu.. Brandon got it on my birthday, so he and I were up every hour on the hour dealing with that and then the next day Ash got it and DH and I thought we had avoided it... wrong!!! So far DH is okay but I got hit yesterday afternoon and still feeling pretty puny today!!! But am starting to feel human again so I hope I'm over it by tomorrow!! And I hope DH doesn't get it. He isn't working much because of the snow and doesn't need any down time for the flu.
I hope this finds you all well and enjoying the magic and wonderment of the Christmas season!!! Until next time, peace on earth and good will to men!!!