This One Closed The Deal

This is the video I watched that actually closed the deal on Roger and I deciding to adopt from China. And, seriously, grab a Kleenex! We still have a long wait ahead of us, but every couple of months I watch this again just to remind myself what I felt the first time I watched it.

A Christmas Visit to Granny's

This morning our whole tribe (18) converged on my granny's house for our annual Christmas visit. My Aunt Sues and Uncle Gary along with their two grown boys, Justin and Bryan, also came over, and of course Justin brought his sweet little daughter Lilly Mae with him {this visit was conditional on him bringing her I might add}, which brought the grand total at granny's house to 24. You may remember Lilly Mae from my 8-18-08 post about her arrival into this world weighing a little over 4 lbs. Well, she has grown and at four and a half months is getting to be quite the chunk, but she's adorable of course, and such a sweet baby. My Aunt Sues and Uncle Gary can hardly stand being grandparents to her :)

Here's our family's whole next generation sitting together enjoying pizza at one table. I pray it's always like this with these seven. The youngest member of our extended family, Lilly Mae My oldest brother Jeff enjoying some quality holding time with LillyLike father (Chris) like son (Christopher), both playing video gamesGorgeous Lyndsey (Jeff's daughter) with Lilly McKayla getting the ole classic pit job from her cousins.The whole tribe!Lilly is packed up and ready to go homeMy neice Lyndsey, nephew Shane, brother Jeff and sister-in-law KathyAnd the day wouldn't be complete without a final shot of Logan May

Santa's Elf

I don't believe anything needs to be said, except....THAT'S MY DADDY!

REMEMBER TO SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK

I've noticed recently that I've had a few repeat "customers" to my blog, and I'm assuming you're enjoying reading it. Please, please, please sign our guestbook so that I know who you are, if for no other reason just my own curiosity. I can guess a lot of you by your location, but others......well, I just wanna know who you are and see your smiling faces, lol. So sign our guestbook at the bottom of this page, please, it's very easy to do.

A Star Is Born

The sound on this didn't come out real well, but if you put headphones on, you should be able to hear it. At first she starts out with "I'm not a failure," (which she got from one of the movies she watches), lol, and then she switches to a little bit from "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," and then just some random musings of her own.

It's Christmas, It's Christmas!

After getting to bed at 4 AM this morning, I was hoping for at least maybe five hrs. of sleep since Logan didn't get to bed last night until 10:45 PM, but I guess it was wishful thinking 'cause she was up bright and early at 7:30. We actually didn't go downstairs until about 9 AM and she did soooo good patiently waiting for her Pappy to get done doing chores so that he could be here when she opened her presents. After her joyous entry into her playroom and the half hour it took to look everything over, and after the four of us exchanged our non Santa gifts, Leyna made homemade blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon for all of us and we sat down for our Christmas breakfast feast, and feast we did. It was fantastic. Santa was very good to all of us this year. Each one of us had a few terrific surprises from the others.

I can't believe it, a recliner just for me?Future folk singer? A girl can never have too many shoes!Roger putting together some games. Pappy and Logie enjoying their recliners together Leyna modeling her new robe The chef making us breakfastThe little princess pondering life Leyna's new aroma therapy slippers, lolOn a side note, the morning started out with what I thought was a disaster. I've been watching this chubby little grey squirrel outside all summer, fall and now winter. When I went to call out our bedroom window for Roger down at the barn (for you city folk we yell in these parts), there on the road was a chubby little grey squirrel that had been hit sometime after 11 PM last night. I was a little bummed, but imagine my surprise when I looked out our kitchen door later today and saw this... MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

A Very Early Merry Christmas!

It's 2:45 a.m. and everyone in my house is sound asleep; that is, except me. I just finished wrapping and setting out the last gift and I just couldn't go to sleep without sharing my Christmas Eve with you all. First of all, I grew up with three younger brothers and let me tell you they haven't changed a bit as you'll see from the pictures I TRIED to take. I can't even show you a few of them for reasons I won't go into, but any of you that have brothers know exactly the kind of pictures I'm referring to. In fact, the only nice pictures were those taken of the ladies and my Roger, who doesn't behave like that either, lol, he takes wonderful pictures (Sharon, that was for you and no, I didn't get the picture you wanted either!). All 18 of us once again gathered at Shawn and Shelley's house for Christmas Eve to eat, open gifts, to eat......what else? Oh, yeah, we ate, and then of course the picture taking, and then we ate some more. This first one is Logan earlier before we left to attend Bible Study. McKayla, Shane, Lyndsey and Josh All the grandkids, except Leyna who refused, lol
Leyna and Logan
Shawn and ShelleyMy sister-in-law Kathy with my mom My oldest brother Jeff and wife Kathy. Are you noticing a pattern with the faces my brothers are making? This went on all night long. Me and my good, well-mannered husband.Chris and Amanda. He's laughing because of the faces he made in the previous three attempts. Gee, do these two look anything alike? Amanda and Logie Some of the guys, the others were edited out, lol This time ALL the girls!Amanda and Christopher Even Walter had the decency to smile for the camera!
Beautiful McKaylaThe pre morning frenzy booty. I hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

IT TOOK ALL DAY, BUT...

Well, finally, with just two days before Christmas, I have finished decorating. Yep, I'm done, no more. And I must say I'm quite pleased with the way things turned out, and I am trying very, very hard not to think about all the stuff I have to put away, yet again, after the New Year. Leyna and Logan just finished minutes ago watching "The Polar Express," and now Logan and Roger are putting the train together that goes around the tree. See, I told you I was done! When asked what she wants for Christmas, for the last month Logan has been telling us about this horsey she's seen on TV {which I'm about to throw out the window}. You can ride it, feed it a carrot and its head moves to nuzzle you. It's what she THINKS she's getting, lol, but that sucker is $200 and it ain't happenin with this Santa. So at the table tonight, she once again "mentioned" about this horse. I told her that Santa may not bring her that horsey 'cause she has three real ones she can visit any time she wants at her Pappap and Granny's house. I really don't want to see her disappointed. She kinda worked it through that highly intelligent brain of hers - gratuitous nanny compliment - and just when we thought it had worked in our favor, she puts her little finger up and says, "Well, then he better bring me lots of other stuff." Yeah, like that's gonna happen! {wink wink}

Oh, no, I couldn't help myself...I got this one in Italy, hence the gondola.Yes, it's a dragon and there are six of them on my tree. I love dragons and I do believe they were real (ask me about it). We have an awesome God who created the whole universe, dragons were a piece of cake. Notice the ears. A young secret sister from Indiana, PA got this for me about 12 years ago. Like I said, doesn't everyone have a cow in their tree? This is one of the wooden ornaments my mom repainted for me. FELIZ NAVIDAD!