Life with my sister

Hello all!!! Because I'm sure there are those of you that read this that are like me and want to know all the little details of peoples lives, I will share with you what I've been up to. At the end of November I was thrown for a loop, (there is a story there but I won't tell it) which put my December into sort of a funk. Don't you just hate it when that happens? We went to a few Christmas parties, went Christmas shopping as much as the kiddos would allow, and decorated the house with the sights and smells of Christmas. We watched Christmas movies on tv and even movies that really weren't Christmasy at all (like Cars and the Incredibles-what is Christmasy about those?) The boys sang in our church's Singing Christmas Tree. Samuel had a solo and did a great job all 4 nights. I think we had something like 1400 people come see the tree. It was a beautiful service all 4 nights, the music was wonderful, the singers did great and Stephen did a terrific, God-honoring job...

" You take the good, you take the bad..." I got Facts of Life...YEA. She knew I loved Facts and got me the first 3 seasons. My beautiful mother-in-law wanted a picture of us. How sweet of her...how vain of us! Lindsey took these pictures in front of our house when she visited in November . We used a couple on our Christmas card this year. Molly has helped us so much on our house that we thought it was most fitting to give her a photo of us in front of the house. My father-in-law opening his new Craftsman drill. He needed a new drill because he had worked his to death. He is so funny about this tools. I wish you could all see his shed full of tools. It is amazing. The hubs with his new GPS....he has named her "Ruby Route". Thank you Ben & Molly. We loved our visit and our gifts. Abby

I always wrap his presents so pretty...he of course forgets to put bows and name tags on mine. I love him anyway! He posed liked this on purpose in order to look "sexy" as he showed of his new wedding ring. Not sure he achieved his goal with this one...he is still cute though. This is a Willow Tree Christmas and it excites me. These are the 2 he got me. One is for our new home and the other is for the happiness I attempt to bring into our home. He is super thoughtful. We always go eat somewhere nice and exchange our gifts to each other before we head to the Fort each year. It makes our gift giving more personal and we are able to enjoy our gifts for a bit, before we have to pack up and leave. I hated doing it this way the first couple of years (it was all Rand's idea), but I have grown to look forward to it. Abby

I found some random pictures and thought I would post a few. I love Christmas memories and these pictures flood my heart and mind with lots of good times. Christmas Morning at Granny's 1985 I love this picture for lots of reasons. One is that Granny's hands and sweet little lap are in the corner of this picture. It melts my heart to see those hands. She was our great-grandmother. She died when I was in the 8th grade. Then, my sister who was super cool and in high school, is sitting in the other corner. I love Mama in this picture. She is passing out the presents. This is how she is pictured in my heart. Then there is Uncle Mike with the beard. My most favorite part is Sarah, Zach and me sitting on the organ bench in deep thought about the presents in our laps. Something that really catches my eye for the first time is the cards taped to the wall. Would you look at all those cards Granny got in the mail? She was loved big time! What a precious picture. Christmas 1996 with Mel...

Christmas. It evokes the same feelings in most everyone. It reminds those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus that it is indeed His birthday (and it is our earthly Daddy's b-day also)! We are reminded of the hope, the sacrifice and the joy that goes along with the birth of our Savior. It is a time to rejoice in the best gift ever given to all of us. I love that...we all share the same gift....we are all equal. For many of us it also reminds us of the added, fun and extra part of Christmas - Santa Claus. Growing up we always had Santa at our house. We knew the reason for Christmas was Jesus, and Santa was just a nice fat man who kept us on our toes all year. I loved Santa and the mystery of him. I still believe in some ways. It is most fun that way. For all of us it reminds us of gifts. Some of us give big, some of us give little, some of us give all we have and some of us are greedy with what we give. Yet, we all give. We grew up in a house that gave what was reasonab...

I do not understand why men desire getting up at 4:30 in the morning to go wade around in water to kills birds, especially when it is freezing outside. Then, they try to be so quiet that they are actually loud. When they pull out of the drive the rest of the house is wide awake and not appreciating the birds, nor the hunter. I love my hunter and the excitement he gets over a flying peasant, yet the love of the hunt baffles my mind...my very tired mind. Abby

Make a Smilebox greeting

Randall and me with the St. B banner. Again, HE carried it in the parade. And yes, he wore those antlers. Our humble float. The "Boob Bus" always appears in the parade. (I could so get fired for calling it that) This is our mammography mobile unit. Abby

My first Newcomer friends - Melissa and Stacee. I feel like I have known them forever. My friend Paula. She makes me laugh outloud. I love my new friends I have meet through the Newcomers Club. I am the VP for the Newcomers in 2009. I am a sucker, I reckon. Anyway, I wore my purple jacket again and feel like I got my wear out of it this season. I shall retire it to the closet or let my sister borrow it for the rest of the season. Only family parties left for me and that excites me. I can wear a sweatshirt and be in-style...now, that is my kind of party! Abby

I saw this on another blog, and it was too fun. I won't tag anyone but please do this for yourselves. It is most fun and sometimes correct! Instructions: 1.Put your music collection on shuffle 2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. #. You must write that song name down NO MATTER WHAT!! IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY,” YOU SAY? “Carry you to Jesus” WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? “Whatever” One of the correct ones! WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? " Jesus speaks to me" WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? " On my knees" Oh, I desire this to be correct WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? "All I have to do is dream" WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Where there is faith" Another one I desire WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? "Walking her home" Who is her? WHAT IS 2+2? " Awake my soul" WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? " I will be here" Really, how sweet is that? WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? "The ...

I hosted my annual cookie & ornament swap today in my new home with a new group of friends. It was great fun! I invited 18 and 9 came. I had several who could not make it due to other events. We managed well without them but hope to see them at the Swap in 2009! Tad (Newcomer friend), Mama Sue (family friend), Callie (Newcomer friend), Linda (Newcomer friend) Linda, Pam (I work with her hubby), Laura (my boss), Deania (work friend), Melissa (Newcomer friend) Cookie Gangster - he melted the chocolate for my cookies. Cookie Taste Tester - he ate the broken ones Abby

I never post pics of us from our social functions and I get harassed about it from several of you. So, I thought I would post the pics from the outing on Friday night. I plan to wear this to my Newcomers party on Tuesday because I was not photographed in this on Friday night. Really, how funny is that?! I am most excited to wear this cute jacket again! ( Jules, you can borrow it when you come in 2 weeks...I know you will want to.) Rand in his new black velour or corduroy sports coat (not sure which one it is). Anyway...what a dude! Abby

Hey everyone! I just found this neat site www.emailsanta.com . Your child can fill out information telling Santa what they want for Christmas and you get an immediate reply from Santa, personalized just for your child. All 4 of my kids wrote letters and each reply was different. It was a lot of fun for them. So, go try it out, you can even print the letter (that is if you have ink in your printer, if you don't have ink, you'll just have to do it all over again sometime when the kids aren't around!) and put it in your scrapbook! HO!HO!HO! Julie

If you click on this, it will enlarge. I blacked my last name out for all the stalkers out there. I wish them not to hunt me down and kill me, rob me or ask for my John Hancock. This is me in the December issue of the Jonesboro Occasions Magazine. I was one of the 2 newcomers highlighted, this month. This picture was taken at my desk. I am mad because they edited my motto and it looks like I do not know my scripture real well. I said "Count it all joy" and they added "as" in there. Great stuff. Oh well, means the same thing, I reckon. I guess Randall and I have reached the top of the heap. We are in both "who's drinking now" (the slang name for the social mags in J-Town) magazines more than once this month. I realized today, I truly can't wear my new Burgundy velvet jacket to both Christmas parties this week, as I had planned, for fear of being documented at 2 events in the same outfit. Heavens. Yes, it is like social club days at OBU, all over a...

Yea!! It's officially Christmas on our blog. Abby has had her Christmas tree up for a couple of weeks and mine is bought and lying in the back of Stephen's truck waiting to be put in a stand and decorated. Our houses are looking like Christmas, and thanks to holiday tea and mulled cider candles, smelling like Christmas. We just love this time of year, no matter what I might say that would lead you to think otherwise. SO,I asked Abby to make the blog look and sound Christmas(y) and she did it! She even got up an hour early and sat in a cold room to do it. What a girl! I say that to say this: Not all of the music that you will be hearing through your speakers and playing in your head is Sisters approved. There are a few songs that I like, but not ALL of them. The Dolly Parton song would not have been on my list of favorite Christmas songs and neither would the Alan Jackson song. BUT, since I don't know how to make any changes on this blog of ours I will not complain any lo...

This is the elf suit I have to wear to our employee childrens Christmas party at the Malco on Saturday morning. Those without children wear costumes...I need to get me a baby, I tell ya! I am helping with the Santa photos, so of course, I am an elf. I am dreading those tights and the shoes...should be a good 4 hours of total humiliation and fun! Abby