Another Great Christmas

We had Christmas day at my house and we took a family photo of Mini Me’s blended family on my front porch with my new lens that Santa brought me.

We had Christmas Eve at Mini Me’s house.  Jude wore his elf jammies. 

Christmas morning with presents from Santa.

Jude all dressed up for Christmas dinner. 

Santa brought Gus a new bed but he still likes to hang out (literally) on the ottoman.

It was a wonderful Christmas full of love and family and I’m feeling especially blessed to have a healthy beautiful family.  They bring me happiness each and every day. 

Baking Day and Other Ramblings

This is Mini Me and her cousin along with Nana’s oldest Granddaughter, Angel.  We made cookies on Monday.  I’m not sure the cookies are edible but the kids had fun making them.  It’s just something we started doing every year when we moved to this house.  It’s really just a way to get everyone together for a girls day.

Granny was able to attend this year because she doesn’t have to work anymore.

Jude decided to hang out on girls day because Pa was at work and they couldn’t go fishing  He doesn’t look too interested in cooking, does he?


Gus wouldn’t stay out of the kitchen.  He was on cleanup detail.

Aubrey aka. Chubs with her cousin.

The Rae Rae contemplating what to decorate next.  She really loves baking, so she says.


Jude decided to go with the neon green icing for his cookie.  First Born was here but she wouldn’t let me take her picture.  Something about no makeup…

Isn’t he a cutie?  My little man.

Cousins, Aubrey and Jude.  They will be the best of buddies some day.
It’s been a strange Holiday season for us.  My dad passed away last week and there were many things to handle so Christmas was put on the back burner for a week.  At this point I feel like I’m just going through the motions.  I’ll be doing some cooking today in preparations for Christmas Eve and Day.  The Elvis Christmas CD will be playing in the background.  Hillbilly is headed out to do his annual last minute shopping.  I hope he survives it.  I’ve told him to limit the coffee intake and leave the gun at home.  It’s going to be crazy out there.
My wish to all of you is that you have a Texas sized Christmas!  Merry Christmas, Y’all!!!

I’m a Hero in Her Eyes

On Wednesday night while trying to watch the season finale of American Idol, the weather man interrupted the show to let us know that we were under a tornado warning.  The storm hit us shortly after, bringing with it golf ball sized or bigger hail and heavy rain.  A tornado had been spotted just west of here and we were in the projected path.  Being the drama queen that she is, First Born ran into the other room announcing that a tornado was headed right for us.   She didn’t think about shielding The Rae Rae from the truth and ultimately scared my sweet baby.  I wonder about that child sometimes…

Mini Me scooped the kids up and along with First Born went to take cover in the bathroom.  Mini Me played games with Rae to keep her from being too scared.   By this time the sirens had been activated so Hillbilly and I began looking out the windows to see if we could see anything headed our way.  I realize this is NOT what you are supposed to do but we are Texans and we don’t take cover until the last possible second because we might miss something. 

During the storm Rae was really nervous.  She had already asked me if a tornado was going to get us and I told her that First Born had been mistaken that all we were going to get was a little hail and that’s why she had to stay in the bathroom.  She comes to me when she wants the truth.  She knows Nana is a no nonsense kind of gal.   I explained that she needed to be in there away from the windows.  This made her feel a little better but as she heard the hail hitting the house she told her Mom that Nana needed to come in the bathroom because she could make it stop.  Right after she had said that I had decided that it was time for me to hang out in the bathroom too, just in case.  Mini Me told me what she had said and just like that the hail stopped hitting the house and the rain stopped.  Nana had done it!  She made the hail and wind stop!!!  I’m a hero…at least in her eyes.

As Good as it Gets

It’s been increasingly crazy around my house lately.  Why with children running in and out, Gus constantly into anything he can get in his mouth, trying to look for a job and doing my taxes, I can barely think!  I’ve barely had time to work in the yard, clean house or buy the hundreds of dollars of groceries we are going through. 

We made red velvet cake balls.  It was a bad idea and I won’t be attempting that again, EVER!  It was a complete and total MESS and I won’t be posting that recipe.  I didn’t like them.

I did manage to work in the yard long enough to plant these Lavender Fern bushes on Saturday.  Lavender Fern is an evergreen bush unless the temps get below 20 degrees.  I’ll have to cover them if we get another freak winter like the last one.  I couldn’t resist them though because they bloom almost year round, attract butterflies, they are wonderfully scented and they are beautiful blowing in the wind.  It took me a half day to plant them but I had fun.  I had to dig large holes in our wonderful clay soil.  It was hard because I’m an out of shape middle aged Nana.  OMG, that still freaks me out.  Mentally, I still feel about 30  but my mirror is telling me otherwise.  I loved being 30, it was a great age (that’s when I met Hillbilly and I was still thin).

Gus sunbathed with First Born while I worked in the yard. 

We’re planning a trip to Kentucky to visit Hillbilly’s family in June.  I’ll go unless I happen to land a job between now and then.

Life is busy and beautiful and stressful and I’m guessing this as good as it gets.

Sweet Cheeks

Pa calls her “Worm” because she wiggles all the time.  I’m thinking she needs a better nickname than that but I haven’t came up with anything fitting yet.  We have to nickname everyone in this family.  We can’t help ourselves.  It’s just what we do.  You don’t even want to know what we call the people we don’t like.  It might not be very nice.

Just look how round that little face is getting.  I just want to pinch those sweet cheeks.  Hey…Sweet Cheeks…that could work.

Angelic

[an-jel-ik]
–adjective
1.of or belonging to angels: the angelic host.
2.like or befitting an angel, esp. in virtue, beauty, etc.: angelic sweetness.
Nana hasn’t been able to get to Mini Me’s house because of the ice.  I’m really missing this little dumplin.  Mini Me has a friend that does newborn photos.  They did her photo shoot at 13 days old and they are just precious.   I’ll be posting one every once in awhile.  Y’all don’t mind, do ya?

It’s Fun to Be Me

Could she be any sweeter?

Aubrey Ann

Welcome Aubrey Ann, our little early bird. 

Whoever says babies can’t see when they are born is wrong.  She turned her head and  looked right at me when as I was talking to her.

That’s a Wrap

Another Christmas has come and gone and a good time was had by all here in Cowtown.  Rae Rae said   “ I love it” every time she opened something, whether she knew what it was or not.  So sweet and appreciative she is.  She awoke on Christmas morning and asked for a drink of water, acknowledged that Santa had came and went back to sleep (weird).  She woke up again at 10:00 am and insisted that her Momma open her present that she had bought her before she would open her own.  How sweet is that?  Gracie girl didn’t want Christmas to end and was absolutely lovable.  Nana’s Angel is such a big girl now and appreciates family before gifts.   I am a firm believer that Christmas is for kids and our Christmas would  not be nearly as fun without our little ones. 

Mini Me will be blessing us with another sweet girl sometime in the next month and a half and I will be hosting her baby shower on the 8th. I’ve already started preparations for the event an I’m looking forward to the out of town company. 

Hillbilly will have 5 days off next week and we are really looking forward to the time together…alone.  Time alone may be a bit hard to achieve with First Born living with us again but such is life. 

I’ve decided that I won’t be making ANY New Year Resolutions this year but will continue working on last years list.  It seems I’ve only accomplished one of last year’s resolutions….Bring on the New Year because I am going to make it MINE!

Now That Is Talent

Rae's Concert from Deb on Vimeo.

Sweet Summertime

Sweet Angel.