No Resolutions

I didn't make any resolutions this year, I never keep them. My cousin emailed this to me and I thought it was pretty neat. I have alot to work on!!

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
> 1. Drink plenty of water.
> 2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
> 3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
> 4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
> 5. Make time to pray.
> 6. Play more games
> 7. Read more books than you did in 2009
> 8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
> 9. Sleep for 7 hours.
> 10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others... You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
> 13. Don't over do.. Keep your limits.
> 14. Don't take yourself so seriously.. No one else does.
> 15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
> 16. Dream more while you are awake
> 17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
> 18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
> 19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
> 20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
> 21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
> 22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
> 23. Smile and laugh more.
> 24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
> 25. Call your family often.
> 26. Each day give something good to others.
> 27. Forgive everyone for everything.
> 28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
> 29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
> 30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
> 31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
> 32. Do the right thing!
> 33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
> 34. GOD heals everything.
> 35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
> 36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
> 37. The best is yet to come..
> 38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
> 39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

BAH HUMBUG!

After being off work for 2 weeks really made it difficult going back to work Monday. I've moaned and groaned all week. I am thankful I have a job though! I loved having that time to spend time with the grandaughters and just relax time. We finally took the decorations down New Years Day. Now we are having very very cold weather! Below is a recap of the things I loved about Christmas this year!

It's been a Jammies day!

Christmas was just the greatest! The kids were all here and the food was good and we ate way too much for several days. The little grandaughters must have been very good girls because they got a large loot! Today I have crashed. I have stayed in my jammies/no makeup/ combed hair, didn't fix. I did a few things. Then I snuggled under a Christmas throw and read and drank hot cider, I napped, I read, I napped again, enjoyed my Christmas decorations that are still up, had great conversations with my husband, watched him nap and work in the yard a bit. I love it when I can stay in my jammies all day. I may have gotten to do that 3 times in my life! Tonight I showered and put on fresh jammies, we had to keep the little grandaughter for awhile tonight while her parents took her big sister to see the Chipmunk movie. She came back singing and mocking everything the chipmonks did. They loved it. We had a fun time with the little one. I always enjoy getting to keep one of them by theirself, it's a treat! Tomorrow we are going out of town with friends to shop and browse around and eat out. We need this! Need to break the mode!!

Silent Night

I had the best day today. We kept the little grandaughters for a couple of hours this morning. My oldest son from out of town is in for the rest of the week. A dear friend brought by the best rum cake. Tonight we were all at church for the candlelight service. It is always tradition that our family goes to the Candlelight Service at our church on Christmas Eve. I don't think we have ever missed one. Each year it becomes even more special. Tonight was special because my daughter in law sung one of the specials. She sang "A Baby Changes Everything" and I must say it was as good if not maybe better than Faith Hill. The words are sooooo beautiful. It's great to see kids that you saw grow up in the church come home with kids of their own. My own 2 kids grew up in the church and now they are seeing these two little girls grow up. Even saw our youngest one get taken OUT of church tonight screaming no no no....oh well. Priceless. At the end we all hold our candles up and sing Silent Night. It brings me such joy and peace and I am so grateful to God for my family and for HIS gift to us. We came home and devoured a huge pot of gumbo and exchanged gifts. It's much more fun having the grandkids to share Christmas with. It got kind of boring for awhile just having 2 grown sons to share it with. ha! It was busy and wild for awhile tonight opening gifts. Now the little ones are at their own home waiting for Santa to come in the morning. I am sitting here at the computer eating rum cake and thinking how blessed I am. A friend called and said it was snowing at her house, 2 miles away. I have yet to see it at my house. It would be wonderful to wake up in the morning to a white Christmas. I don't think it will happen. I've enjoyed sitting tonight and thinking about my day and the evening. It's very silent at the moment. I love it. I am grateful, thankful and feel so blessed. Tomorrow they will all be back for Christmas dinner. I cannot wait! Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

Entertaining Angels....

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Small act of kindness speaks volumes....

Several days ago I was in line at the grocery store and chatting with the gentleman in front of me. I've known him for a long time and he is a very kind older gentleman. It seemed like we had been there forever and finally we realized there was a problem with the customer in front of him. I heard her say more than once, "I just put money in the bank this morning, I don't know why it won't take my check". The checker was trying to get it to slide and it wouldn't so the customer asked her to get the manager to try it. This customer I believe I have seen her working at one of our fast food restaurants here in town. The manager came and it still wouldn't work. I am not sure what the exact problem was but this little lady was getting very emotional about it. She needed the groceries and she seemed confused as to what the problem was. This gentleman looked at her and said, "Let me take care of that for you" and handed the cashier the money. The little lady said no but he said, "This is the least I can do for someone that serves me breakfast every morning". Apparently he eats breakfast at the fast food restaurant. He paid for her groceries, almost $50. The little lady tried to ask him how she could repay him and he just shook his head no and said it was taken care of. After she left I looked at him and I said, "You are a very kind man". He hung his head low like I was emabarrassing him and said "Everyone needs a little help sometimes". He paid for his groceries and walked out. This man has had many many health issues in the last few years and is still dealing with them. I was quite touched that I had witnessed this. The checker was even more touched. She was a young girl and said to me, "Can you believe he did that? It was $50". I said yes I can, he is a good person. Regardless of why that happen or why I was privileged to see it, the cashier will not ever forget it nor the customer who had her groceries paid for that day. This is the season of giving, but I believe people like him give all year.

Christmas Tour 2009

Hope I am not too late for the Christmas tour. I've had my house ready but no time to take pictures. December is a busy month. My grandaughter's birthday, then I gave a party for my daughter in law that graduated from nursing school and tonight I had a party here for my sunday school class. It's all been soo much fun and too much eating! I finally got pictures for the tour. I just realized I didn't get any outside pictures. Oh well, welcome to my home! I can never do the link correct so visit The Nester's Christmas tour here: http://www.thenester.com/


The tree in my dining room is decorated in Angels.







These are 2 of my favorite angels!

This is the mantel in the dining room.



Lots of memories are made in this dining room.


This is the little girls tree in the playroom. They decorate it themselves. Then Riley rearranges it many times! The treeskirt is their baby blanket.



These are my Christmas plates on the hutch.





I collect the Dept 56 "New England" village. Below is our mantel in the playroom.





These are pictures from Christmas past. I enjoy looking at them and now the grandchildren are enjoying seeing them.


This tree is in our den. It's covered in balls and lights with lighted gifts under the tree. Below is the mantel in the den.



Below are scenes of Christmas, hope you have enjoyed it!













Of course this is what I absolutely love love love about Christmas!

Never ever grow up!

We celebrated my oldest grandaughters birthday this week! She was 5 yrs old. Where did the time go. We anxiously awaited her birth to be first time grandparents and we have never been disappointed! It's wonderful having a baby back in your life and the fact that it was a girl after raising 2 sweet boys! 5 yrs old is very grown up! I told Jayda I didn't want her to grow anymore! She says, "I am Grami, I am!" And I am afraid she is! She is so much fun and she enjoys spending time with Grami, I know there will come a time it won't be so much fun! She has turned out to be a good older sister to her little sister. She's fun, she's funny, she's silly and she's smart! In one second she can be singing a Taylor Swift song, whom she luvs, and then hop over to Jesus Loves me and then This Old Man! She can do almost perfect cartwheels, cheer, gymnastics and hop on one foot! She thinks it's fun and silly when me and Poppa jump up and start dancing! She says the sweetest prayers. She will be singing Sunday night with her little choir at church. I love her dearly and cannot imagine my life without her or the fact that God blessed me so dearly!

I am Bowed up!

I took a little class last night at the college on how to make bows! I've always wanted to learn how to make beautiful bows and maybe adapt to making cute little girl hair bows! After last night, I think with a little practice I might can do it! The class was fun and I was pleased with my bows. We were suppose to bring gifts to wrap which I never got that message. One girl had just come from shopping so we wrapped all her gifts for her, but she didn't get to take our bows home! So now I have a few nice bows to go on my gifts. Actually over 30 yrs ago a friend of mine that owned a florist tried to teach me and a friend to make bows. I didn't learn but my friend did and could make the most gorgeous bows! But she is a good friend and she went to the class with me last night...ha! I have finally completed decorating the house for Christmas, hope to get pictures posted soon! Looks like we might get snow tonight!! Would love it, East Texas doesn't get much snow ever!

Merry December..what happen to November?

Thanksgiving came fast like a blur. We were so busy cooking, eating and enjoying family, it went too fast! I've been busy decorating the house for Christmas and have it almost done. I have the little grandaughters tree up but they will come decorate it soon. I am taking them this weekend to see a play a church is putting on called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". If you have not read the book, try it. It's a very funny little book about a family of misfits that want to be in the church Christmas Pageant. It's a small book and you will totally enjoy it!