A December to Remember

We are still recouping from the hustle & bustle of Christmas. We had a wonderful and blessed Christmas time full of family, friends, gifts, and of course food. Oh, the food. I took around 800 photos for December (what?!) with my new super duper Canon Rebel camera (love), but I posted several to recap our festivities.

Christmas morning - Santa & I cook Christmas breakfast for our parents. A tradition I started when Ellie was 1 year old. And Santa left her new trampoline in the shop b/c it was sooo cold. Yes, those are my outdoor wreaths in the background that I didn't get put up.
Ellie roller skated for the 1st time @ her Babysitter's Christmas party. She did really well.

Ellie received an adorable tu-tu (Thanks Courtney - she loves it!) Yes, we had Christmas in a garage. Jamie's side of the family has gotten so large that his grandparents have to close in the garage for Christmas. Ellie's reaction when she sees Santa. Yep, she must have been on the "naughty list" a few times this year w/ that reaction.

It was a "Pillow Pet" Christmas (Thanks MeMe & Pepaw). That is Julia, our niece.

We ate a Christmas staple - Hummingbird Cake (Thanks "Auntie") Ellie received a new scooter - which she has been whizzing all over the house on (Thanks Gran)

And, Jamie finally made a decent picture - yes, he has me in a headlock-ha!
All & All we had a blessed Christmas ... now to reclaim my home from the Christmas havoc!

Wild for Christmas!

We went WiLd for Christmas this year - literally - by taking a trip to the Memphis Zoo for the Zoo Lights! What was I thinking ???- accompanying 10 children (13 & under), sitting butt-to-butt on a 15 passenger van, and passing out fruit drinks/food because children are basically human garbage disposals. But - it wasn't THAT bad! They all were excellent, well-behaved, and had little complaining (well except for El & her legs hurting. Such a drama queen).

We arrived late afternoon & toured the zoo b/c once the lights come on, the exhibits close and animals are put up from viewing.

After refueling on pizza, we came back & rode the "zoo tram" around to see the lights!

There were stops along the way to see a Magic show, go ice skating, and of course visit Santa! Ellie wanted no part in Santa - but she did want her photo taken w/ this toy soldier--maybe he can get her list to Santa?

During the zoo light hours, The Farm exhibit was open. And guess what? Dasher & Dancer were there visiting before their upcoming trip. A train ride later and we were D.O.N.E! But, I did try one last attempt to get a photo w/ Ellie in front of the entrance Christmas tree. Yep, that would be me waving the flag of surrender and giving up; Ellie in a full run!

From our Family to Yours....

Wishing you & your loved ones a Holly Jolly Christmas! And, to remember the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas!

Above is our 2010 Christmas Card, which I must say has been one of my personal favorites. My sweet friend, Lindsey, dedicated about a 2 hr afternoon to test her photography skills and I loved her pictures so much that they made an appearance on our Christmas card. I love the photo of Ellie - can't you see the mischief oozing from her eyes. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

So from our family to yours - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This post is brought to you by the letter "T"

Today is Hub's Birthday - Happy #32 Birthday!

Today is only Wednesday - but so much has happened this week for it to only be Wednesday.

The wonderful winter weather we received Sunday has caused a little heart-ache for us.

The water froze on Sunday night = no water for Monday morning = going to the in-law's home to get ready for work.

The Hubs, my dad & his granddad saved the day & got it fixed - no problem.

The dog's leg is broken (I may or may not have accidentally ran over it while I was on vacation)- $60 later she has a cast to chew on.

The electricity went out for approx. 2 hrs on Monday night right at bedtime.

The night-time books were read by a camp lantern.

The house feels pretty cold, pretty fast when you have no central heat.

Tuesday night = little water pressure on Wednesday morning - humm...

The well is not frozen, but we do have a busted pipe - Yippee!

The call has been placed for the plumber - hopefully he will make a service call tonight (I'll even feed him supper!)

Tomorrow is Thursday - let's hope/pray/beg for a day w/o incidents.

The weatherman is calling for winter weather - so I doubt Thursday will be uneventful.

That is a post of our week so far & did I mention it was only Wednesday!

{This post is not complaining or whining - life, as much as I love it, happens all at once at times. I am very blessed to have the life I live and am thankful for even busted pipes :)}

Knee Slapping, Loud Chackling, Laughing until your Eyes Water Night of Fun

That is probably the longest title ever! Friday night I hosted the ladies of the office at my home for a Christmas Party! On the agenda :

Starving yourself all day, so you can stuff your face on the yummy finger foods

eating 2 helpings of food

Team Christmas Trivia fun

Replaying Christmas movies in your head to come up w/ answers

Friendly Competition

Renaming the Christmas Song to 'Deck the Flippin' Halls'

Going back to eat more Cookie bars, Oreo cheese ball, or something sweet

Having to now eat something salty to get the sweet taste out of mouth

DIRTY SANTA! (my chosen gift got stolen 3x!)

Learning what is in every one's purse by playing the 'purse game'

Oddest purse item: Kitchen Knife Sharpener!

Not leaving until 8:30

Having good times & great memories!
I am one lucky girl to work w/ a great office group!
Note: most pictures were taken when lots of laughing was occurring, hence the closed eyes and funny looking faces :)

Destination: Santa's Village

Ellie's MDO preschool class took a trip to Santa's Village in Martin, TN this past week. I was fortunate enough to be able to join her. Of course I'm sure it helped that she reminded me no less than 10 times the day before. Personally, I wasn't that impressed with it, but Ellie seemed to have a good time, so that was the main thing. They had a enchanted forest w/ lots of Christmas lite trees and other winter wonderland animals, some kiddy rides and petting zoo.

'Tis Better to Give...

In the spirit of giving, our church recently made another trip to the TN Bapt Children's Home to help Santa out w/ gifts. Each time we visit, we fall in love with the house parents, directors, and children all over again. We saw lots of new faces as well as some familiar ones. It is such a humbling experience for our youth and adults alike.

Like last year, we were able to get each child a gift from their list and had enough to give each house couple a stocking full of goodies as well. Of course, before we went we had to wrap the gifts - which would best be described as controlled chaos! But when we arrived each member of the church was able to take an arm load of packages in ...

Our Hands of Praise team (H.O.P.) performed our program, we played games, gave gifts, and just fellowship w/ one another! Hopefully, we were able to make their Christmas a little brighter! Yep...God is Good!

#7

{Disclaimer: I am playing catch-up w/ blog posts. There may be an overwhelming amount of posts that may cause dizziness, headaches, or multiple views. Please seek medical attention should you feel light headed or any other abnormal health conditions during viewing.}

Our nephew, Jaxon, turned 7!

Wow! The year he was born was one of the hardest years for our family, but when he was born in Dec 2003 the beginning of some new, happier times to come. And, he certainly hasn't disappointed us. We love you Jaxon!

For his party, he decided to have a bowling party - yahoo! It was a lot of fun to watch the kiddos literally throw the heavy bowling balls in a baseball style manner. This was Ellie's 1st time bowling & she had a lot of fun. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Pappy setting you up for strikes either!
Our side of the group did really good for 1st timers. Of course they had the device that they could put the ball on & push it off & the bumpers were up. But perhaps the most fun was waiting for the bowls to come back in the return - the kids thought it was magic & were amazed!

It's The Most Busiest Time of the Year!

Wow! I can't believe it is already Dec. 8th & this is the 1st Dec. blogpost, but we have been super busy! Since I last posted we have (short list):

--taken a vacation from work to have a stay-cation at home
--babysat nephew Tripp
--Christmas shopped
--repainted entry doors
--ran over Ellie's new "Heniz" puppy named Ruby
--catched the movie "Tangled" (super cute - Ellie recommended)
--had Christmas at the TN Bapt Children's Home
--enjoyed some Business Open Houses
--prepared for Christmas parties

I'll have a slew of posts at one time - when I find the time, but I wanted to share a funny conversation that Ellie & I had yesterday that reminded me to focus on more on CHRISTmas rather than Christmas. The story goes ...

I pick up Ellie from her preschool & we are jamming to KLOVE radio on the way to the babysitters. Out of the blue she stops singing and asks:

Ellie: "Mom, what do you think the Lord looks like?"
Me: "I don't know Ellie. No one knows what he looks like. We won't see Him until we get to Heaven."
Ellie: "Humm... I think He might look like Mickey Mouse. You know, like on the Disney Channel when they draw Mickey's head in the corner of the tv w/ the magic wand."
Me: (trying not to laugh and savor the moment) "Well, I guess he could have a head shaped like Mickey. We really don't know."

Apparently (a.) the child is able to see in the future (b.) has an inquisitive, creative mind or (c.) watches waaaayyy to much Disney channel.

I have laughed so hard at the conversation and her thoughts. And, from the mouth of a Babe to put this crazy life into perspective.

It's Beginning ...

to look a lot like Christmas in the Carson house!

It may be a cardinal sin, but I'm notorious for putting up the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I have found it causes less panic & stress for me to decorate well before the holiday. This year I decided to go a little simpler than I normally do. I opted to not put on the "sit around" stuff & concentrate more on the trees and mantel. I must say - I really like the uncluttered look.

Our mantel in the dining room is decorated in the traditional red/green combo w/ a lime green twist. It's so fun! Most of the items came from the Dollar Store and Walmart on the after Christmas sales. The polka dot glittered ornaments where purchased from a Christmas specialty shop.

This is a close up shot of our main tree in the living room. It is done in coppers, bronze, and limey green. Lots of ribbons (yes, that is leopard & it's a new addition this year), tree stuffers/picks, feathers, and ornaments. The copper metal cage that you see (left side) is actually a cover for the patio lights you see in the summer. I plugged them over the lights all over the tree for a little something extra.

The top photo is the tree in all its flocking glory! It's packed - I love it! All gaudy as my Granny would say. I put it on a rotating stand so the tree spins & all ornaments can be seen.

The Hubs has his own trees as well. Decorated to a hunter/fisherman delight with feathers, hunting/fishing theme ornaments, ribbons, and even shotgun shells covering some of the lights.

Ellie also has a tree in her room w/ colored lights & all of her special ornaments. Each year, Ellie gets a new ornament (or 2) for her tree. It's a tradition that my mom started when I was younger. Now, those same ornaments from my childhood are displayed each year on our tree.

Christmas comes a early ...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had lots of food, laughs, and memories made this past weekend.

And Christmas decided to come a little early via my parents who surprised Ellie one night last week with a blast from my past - my Barbie dream house and accessories! Yippee for Ellie (me-not so much). Oh, the wonderful times my sister & I had when we were younger playing countless hours w/ Barbies. One year, Santa brought us a "Barbie Christmas" - everything we got was Barbie - house, camper, new dolls, furniture, clothes, etc. I will still say today that was the best Christmas as a child. My childhood love of Barbies has been inherited by Ellie and my parents couldn't wait to pass along all the obsessive amount of Barbie stuff. And Ellie has been in heaven ever since.
Some of the pieces are missing, but all & all it has stood the test of time & two girls that had very active imaginations. Yes, that large tube was included in the Barbie-mania ... and no, this is not all of it there is more totes full of more stuff.

To bad for my sister (lucky dog) for not having a little girl to share some of the joys of Barbie with (and all the million, bi gillion little itty bitty pieces with)

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! May we all take pause to give thanks unto the Lord for the many blessings with a grateful heart.

It's just not Thanksgiving at our home until ...

...You sleep in a little bit
...you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (it really says the Holidays to me)
...the preparation of the deviled eggs in going on & the hubby is complaining about the smell
...you are late for your 1st feast
...you stuff yourself miserably at feast #1
...miss an afternoon nap
...have to cook veggies for feast #2
...eat yourself sick at feast #2
...exchange names & Christmas wish lists w/ family
...try to decided if the Black Friday sales are worth getting up extra early before going into work
...let the kids write their letters to Santa

The Cowboy Princess & her faithful servents

I laughed so hard at the title when I found on my Facebook profile the photos that Lindsey made the other day. It describes the event perfectly! Just a preview of her lovely work - which I think is great! Just a few of my favorites for a preview - humm...our cards are going to be extra special this year!

Thanks again Lindsey - LOVE THESE!

Help Me Choose a Christmas Card!

We decided to take family photos on what perhaps might have been the windiest day in West TN! There was lots of pushing hair out of face, eating of our hair (well, Ellie & myself), and “wind-blown “hair do’s. Special “Thanks” to my pal Lindsey for taking our pictures. Now that the photo day is out of the way, the hard part of picking out the perfect Christmas card.

As I have become more familiar w/ what is referred to as “Blogland”, I kept reading blog posts of an awesome deal from Shutterfly. I must confess that I personally have never used Shutterfly, but do know family and friends that have and they give it rave reviews. I visited their website & was immediately overwhelmed with their selection and products – WOW! I was smitten w/ several of their products and blown away by their unique and eye-catching selection of Christmas cards they are offering this year. I found a few “perfect Christmas card” possibilities (believe me, narrowing these down to some of my favorites was not an easy task):

I have been eyeing the collage cards this year & I am loving this one. It is so "southern" with the monogram...

or this one - sort of retro in style and simple....

or simple and elegant like this one ...


Or this with the untraditional color combo of brown & lime ...

This going to be a tough decision. Not only does Shutterfly offer cards, but calendars, photo books, and other great ideas that would make super Christmas!

Redeem the Raincheck

This past weekend I redeemed the anniversary rain check that Hubs promised during our romantic date of hot dogs & hayrides (Ellie's bday party).

Hotel downtown - check

tickets to the Opry @ the Ryman - check (Thanks Kyle for your winnings)

Dinner @ the Wildhorse Saloon - check

Shopping @ Green Hills - check

Lunch @ the Cheesecake Factory - check

Great & much needed weekend b/f the madness of the holidays - check

So who did we see at the Opry this time...

The one & only "Little Jimmy Dickens" - who was hilarious! I was laughing so hard at times I was in tears. Yes, he really is the small & is turning 90 in December. (log that for trivia)

Oh & this guy (sorry the photo is dark)...you might have seen his wife on TV & in the movies. He is a new comer to country music - Josh Kelley (or Mr. Katherine Heigel). No, I didn't see her. Apparently she had other plans that required a plane ride at the same time of his performance. Seriously, if this was my Hubs' 1st time playing on the Opry stage with no band, I think I would rearrange my schedule to be there. And when we got home, Hubs was wanting the Christmas tree up, so he willingly got the boxes, upon boxes and even more boxes out of the attic! So, I willingly had to put up the trees - yes, that is plural.

a day in the life of ....

Due to the craziness of life, I haven't been able to post in a while. We have been busy w/ school programs, church performances/practices, and gearing up (or resting up) for the holiday season! (bring on the turkey & sweet potatoes!)

I included photos of Ellie's little world that make me smile.

Don't we all sit in the laundry basket with our pink cowboy boots playing our hand-held video games.

the lighting wasn't very good for my photos - please excuse.
Ellie standing still (miracle!) for her Thanksgiving Preschool program. Jamie & I were proud parents! Oh yeah - love her red "Olivia" tights :)
Oh and in case you are wondering - yes, I do have my Christmas trees up! I'm sure you will sleep much better knowing that ;)

it melts my heart when...

• Ellie hands me a magnet, that she color, and says "Here Mommy! This is for you because of all the things you do for me!"
• she sings along w/ KLOVE radio
• she lets me rock her to sleep (which is once in a blue moon)
• she begs to eat at home rather than go to out to eat
• she begins crying because she wants a friend/cousin to spend the night on a school night
• she actually picks up her toys, colors, or any other mess she made
• she chooses water to drink at a restaurant (btw - she doesn't drink any type of soft drink - she doesn't like them)

They Say It's Your Birthday

Happy #51 to Dad! To celebrate his special day we went to Coyote Blues in Jackson for supper. It was so nice b/c they seated us in a room all to ourselves with complete control of the remote, which was right up Jaxon's ally. ESPN w/ yummy food - no better combo with Jaxon. This was Dad's 1st trip to the restaurant, but I bet it won't be his last. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Where I Come From...

While we were trick or treating the other night, my dad was hunting for buried treasure in our family tree. As of late he has found great joy & pleasure from speaking to the older generations to get stories and looking though family Bibles and boxes of photos. I, like him, enjoy hearing the tales of grandparents growing up. Sharing some interesting (or not so much) facts about where I Come From:

1. a road named after my dad's family - Cardwell Rd.
2. a small community belonging nowhere - Bells Chapel (named after a church of course)
3. by belonging nowhere I mean - voting in R'ford; Dyer Zip code; and Y'ville phone extension - talk about major confusion growing up
4. a mom that lived amongst the spirits and dead growing up. Seriously, she grew up in a spooking looking house that has some very interesting stories to be told of premonitions (ghosts) roaming the halls. Oh - how I love to hear those stories - you will get chill bumps on your arms!
5. on my mother's side - one of my ancestors came from the Middleton family in VA-the same Middleton family that signed the Declaration of Independence. Pretty cool!
6. a great grandmother named Queen. No kidding! In fact, she wanted me to be named after her & my mother - Queen Lizabeth. Thank God my mother didn't listen!
7. a great-great grandfather that guarded a bridge @ the age of 13 in the Civil War. His name was Paris - who later built the spooky house my mother grew up in.
8. it has been said of the house I grew up in that the Union propped their guns on the front porch. Of course, the house has been redone since then, but still an interesting fact.
9. a great granddaddy that owned a dime store - a cousin has the old timey cash register.
10. my granddaddy use to own his own knife sharpening shop - watch your fingers after he gets finished!

Blast from the (way back) Past

I was on facebook the other day and I ran across a couple of old photos of my parents from the "good ole days" as they say. In their terms that would mean before children - ha! Yes, my sister & I have made fun of these photos when going through their school yearbooks. But now with modern day technology they are no longer hidden away in the back of the closet. My mom is the 1st on the left. There is lots I could have a good laugh ... but you know, Christmas is coming up & I definitely want to be on the "good list". And to be honest - it is not as a big of a laugh as the one I found of my dad...
The stories I have heard is that he resembled Clark Kent (Superman) when he was younger. All I can say it must have not been the same Superman I grew up watching. He is the back row - 1st on the left. He must have had a growth spurt that year b/c his pants hem doesn't reach the top of his boots.
Have you ever noticed when going through old photos how no one ever smiles?! I don't get it. I am not a big fan of having my photo taken, however, I do try to make sure it doesn't look as though I lost my dog that morning.

BE AFRAID...

Treating ...

Ellie decided she wanted to be a fairy this year. She walked away with a bag full of candy & goodies from treating. We began late afternoon to go visit my side of the family & ended up back at church to participate in the Trunk & Treat and fall fest. Members decorated their trunks & tailgates for the children to visit & trick or treat. Participates voted for their favorite decorated truck by placing money in designated jars - all proceeds benefiting the Tenn Bapt. Children's Home. I so enjoy this - it saves us from driving all around town to visit each home individually. The above picture is of Ms. Datrice's vehicle. She is Ellie's Sunday School teacher & faithful reader of the blog. Besides eating & treating, fun & games were had by all. Bingo for the adults and scavenger hunts for the kids & young at heart. Jamie & I were asked to be drivers of a team - and guess what?! Our team WON! (Que music - Queen "We are the Champions"). It was so much fun!

And this morning we woke up to this...

Fortunately for us, we know the culprits of the large supply of TP in our yard.

Unfortunately for them, I grew up w/ the biggest prankster of them all - my Dad. So I will be taking his philosophy to heart:

"Don't get mad & Don't get even...Get Ahead!"

Be afraid - be very afraid!