Christmas here, Christmas there, and AN ENGAGEMENT!

Hoping you and your family had a very blessed Christmas!

Here are a few snapshots of our family Christmas this year:

With family in Starkville...

NA, Henry, and Jones.  Love it.

Sisters and cousin, Jake.



My dear cousin Jake



Me and J.

H and me.

Me and that sweet baby girl...

Jones and Mom.

Dad and NA--her first Christmas!

Kristen and her sweet family...

...and Heather and hers...

Christmas with family in Collinsville...

First cousins!

My cousin Brian opening the gifts I gave him!  He loves the bulldogs!



I'm also super pumped about my cousin Jake getting engaged on Christmas!  I love his sweet fiance, and am so very excited about an upcoming wedding in the family!

Congrats Mary Kate and Jake!

Merry Merry!



Max and I hope you have the merriest of all Christmases!!



traditions...

Growing up (as children AND well into our teenage years!), my sisters and I decorated cookies for "Santa".  And everything was homemade.  Mom made the cookie dough and the icing.  I still remember the bowls we used for the icing and how I would stick my fingers in them when no one was looking!  Her icing is the best.  Cookie making and decorating is one of my most vivid and precious Christmas traditions with my family. 

This is the first Christmas in--ummm--I'm not sure how many years-- that my sisters and I have all lived in the same town.  I love it so much. 

We all got together tonight so the boys could decorate their Santa cookies (a continued tradition perhaps?).

My heart was so happy tonight seeing this:

It was so neat for me to sit and watch them decorate and see their sweet personalities shine.  While each of them is so much like their daddies, I clearly saw my sisters in each of them tonight.  Henry (the older of the 2 and son to my older sister, Kristen) was in such charge.  He's a leader and he's very vocal!  He wants everything "just so" and gets flustered when things don't go his way!  It's just so Kristen.

Jones (the sweet "little"one and son to the little sister, Heather), is the entertainer.  He's just hilarious.  He's so chill, and everything he says and does is precious and funny.  It's so Heather.

I love the simple reminders that God gives me when I'm with these sweet ones. 

I used to think that if I never get married or have children of my own, I'll never feel happy or complete.  Or that I'll spend my entire life being completely lonely.

Obviously God only knows the plans of my future--but right now I know that my life is happy and complete.  I'm complete because I have the most amazing parents in the world, 2 sisters who are my best friends in life, a BAZILLION other best friends, and 2 nephews and a niece that I truly love as if they were my very own. 

I AM BLESSED and particularly thankful for Henry and Jones for reminding me tonight that my life is full of love and happiness.



...and it'll be oh-so-fun when this little princess gets to join her brother and cousin in Christmas decorating in a year or 2!

So...on the topic of Christmas traditions--what are some of your favorites? 

Please do share....

surgery, friends, and GIVING.

First off, I had surgery last Friday, and for those of you who were aware and said prayers, thank you!  It wasn't anything serious, but I do appreciate the cards, calls, texts, etc.  I felt very loved and taken care of!  I had to take medical leave from school, so I missed the last 4 days with my kiddos.  It's now officially Christmas break so I won't be seeing them until January 9 (YAY FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK!), but I know I'm gonna miss their little faces. 

My surgery went well, and recovery has been so much easier than I anticipated.  The first couple of days were tough, but truly nothing like I expected. I'm thankful that it's over, that my recovery is going smoothly,  and that I can now enjoy the holidays!

You all know about my dear friends Meredith and Claire.  It's been a year since the last time the 3 of us were together so I've been counting down the days to when we could be together again.  It's just never often enough. They were both in town for Christmas, and the only night we were all able to get together was Tuesday (only 4 days after my surgery), so I honestly didn't think I'd even feel like doing much at all.  Fortunately, I felt just well enough to have Mexican with these two!  Maybe I pushed myself a little too soon, but it was totally worth it.  And I haven't done much except relax since then (just in case you care...).

ANYWAY---

Here we are--you know--just being all cute and stuff.... ;)



Since Meredith lives in Texas, I don't get to see this sweet little face much either. 

Sweet Madeleine!  Still sometimes hard for me to believe that Mere has a child!:)  She's just beautiful.

 Now...I leave you with this. 

If you're anything like me, you get tired of all of the depressing news you see on TV and read about online and in the newspaper--especially this time of the year!

How refreshing it was to read this article about someone's selfless act of giving this Christmas. 

Read it and be encouraged. 

I sure was.

'Tis the season for giving.

Merry Christmas!  That is, if you don't hear from me before.

xoxo

a prayer, gift ideas, and DSP...

First of all, Hi.

My posts seem to be few and far between these days, but hoping that'll all change SOON.  I'm having a minor surgical procedure done next Friday, and blogging is on my to-do-list while I'm recovering!

Anyway...

Some of you fellow Mississippians may have heard about the tragic shooting that took place in New Albany last night.  A high school coach and his wife were shot (his wife was killed) in what seemed to be a random shooting.  I understand that the wife was about 30, and she and her husband have a little girl.  It's hard to make sense of any crime, but murdering an innocent woman?  I just don't get it. 

I can't imagine what this family is experiencing right now--especially since it's Christmas. 

Please join me in praying for the Price family!

Now...on to a much happier topic...
If you're stuck on what to get certain people for Christmas this year, I have a couple of great ideas for you!:

Perfect for hanging my necklaces!

I love displaying my Christmas cards on this one!

No...you can't have these actual pieces, but I'll tell you where you can get some like them! 

My friend Brad makes fun pieces like these and sells them!  I actually ordered this thinking that just maybe I'd give them away as gifts, but...well....I kinda decided to keep them for myself.  Selfish?  Maybe.  But I just had to have them.

I can always order more for myself somebody else, right?

If you like these and want to check out some of the other things Brad makes, find him on facebook: (Bradley Clay Barksdale) or email him at: bbarksdale13@gmail.com

His items are very reasonably priced!

Another idea:

COFFEE.

But not just any coffee.

You may remember reading this post (feel free to re-read if you need to be refreshed!).  You can order coffee from this site, and a portion of the money you spend will go to the G.I.R.L.S. Ranch (founded by my dear friend Shannon!).  So, go ahead and order some coffee for yourself, or other coffee lovers, and know that you're also helping hurting girls in Middle Tennesee! 

And finally...

I'm pretty sure you could get any female in your life something from Deep South Pout! Check out their new arrivals on facebook. You'll just love 'em.
Oh...and I just saw on twitter that if you donate new/almost new coats, blankets, or socks, you will receive 30% off any of their coats!
Awesome.

Now...please allow me to get back to my Lifetime-Christmas movie watching!

I love this time of the year...
Fa la la la la!

maybe it's a little too early...

...but...I just had to share this...

Stinking cute.

And speaking of early, has anybody decorated for Christmas yet? 

I'm itching to get it going...

a pin or two (or twenty)....

Dear Pinterest,

Where have you been all my life?

I knew that if I broke down and joined Pinterest, I'd become quickly obsessed, as I tend to have an obsessive nature (right MSKS and Claire?). 

I was right.

If you're "on" Pinterest, let me know so I can follow you, and I invite you to do the same. 

Afterall, I do have some pretty fantastic pins.

Allow me to share some of my favorites with you.  I've broken them down into mini-categories for your viewing convenience.

Yummies:

Oreo truffles.  I think I just gained 5 lbs by just looking at these...

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?  Really??? Y.U.M.

...and speaking of pumpkin, how about a pumpkin martini?  Yes, please!  Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Cranberry margarita--perfect for a Christmas party!  I love the green rims.

Quotes, verses, and such

Loved this.  I copied it and it's now hanging in my classroom!

Favorite verse.

Story of my life! ;)

Hilarious and absolutely ME.

So very wrong, but also so very funny.

I love this. Such truth to it!

Guilty.

 

It took me nearly 30 years, but I've finally learned to embrace my freckles!  Love 'em!

Right on.

 

Ha!  Sadly, that's one of my favorite things to do!

Period.  Why wouldn't you want to be southern?

hehehehehe!!!

Some fabulous Christmas ideas...

A wedding invitation cut into strips!  What a great wedding gift!

Genius!  Going to start doing this THIS year!  I never want to get rid of old Christmas cards, but have never really known what to do with them!

love LOVE.

 For the love of my great state:

A little style:

I LOVE FEATHERS.

Am I the only one who wants this fur vest?!?!  Totally in love with this outfit, but sadly, I just don't think I could pull it off.

 This and that...

Beautiful.

I'll have one of these whenever teachers start getting paid what we should get paid.

Now....I'll never get a tattoo.  It's just not my style.  But, if I were to get a tattoo, I think I'd get this one. It's simple and sweet.

Seriously, y'all... 

 I love Pinterest.