Christmas 2012

Christmas is our favorite holiday because we are surrounded by people we love.  This Christmas it was no different.  We started our festivities with a tour of Ward Hall, Southern Lights, and a visit to Santa. 

• Then our extended family activities starts out at Michael's mom's house for Christmas Eve,
• back to our house to get ready for Santa the next morning,
• after gifts are opened then we head over to Michael's brother's house for a big family breakfast. 
• Finally, we load up and go to my parents house where we help prepare our Christmas dinner.                                                                                                                                          We are so blessed to have such a supprtive group of people around us all the time. 

Family picture -Christmas Eve night is always spent at Michael's mom and dads.   Joining us are his brothers and thier  families and  also his aunt and uncle and their kids and grandkids.

All of Nanny's great grandkids.  The new arrival is in a picture below.

Christian waiting patiently while Chloe opens her gifts. 
He wanted me to watch him open his presents, so .he waited

My TWO favorite guys!

Chloe is overloaded with gifts galore!

Me and my sister-in-law Kenna with Joyce.

Love this picture of my nephew and Joyce.

Michael and the kids with his mom and dad.

Opening up my gifts from Joyce.

Presents?  What Presents?

Our yearly game of Right Left Center.  This year Seth went home with the winnings.

Of course food was involved.



Joshua showing off his new baby girl!  What a beauty!



What a handsome little man!

Chloe loves to aggravate her uncle Robbie.

This is Santa's gifts the next morning.  They do not hold comparison to
MeeMaw and PeePaw's gifts from the night before but fun just the same.

My princess for the day.  I can tell she is starting to look a little sick in this picture:-(  She ended up throwing up on the way to my parent's house after we leave Kenna's house.  However she rested with her daddy while my parents and I cooked.  I wish they would have felt better but they still made the most of it that evening:-)



Next stop is Jeff and Kenna's house for Christmas day breakfast.  Eenaw (Kenna's mom)
makes an incredible spread for us all to share.  This is such wonderful family time for us all.



Watching A Christmas Story as everyone is recovering
from all the food we have consumed.

Christian loves his I-Pad mini.  Chloe doesn't understand
why he does not want to share.

After breakfast we head to my parents house where
 I find my dad making my Mamaw's famous apple pies. She would be pleased with his work.
We miss her but find a way to have her with us at each of our holiday meals.

YUM-Good job DAD  Although 18 was probably way too many:-)

Chloe still in princess attire is opening gifts yet again! Starting to regain her strength:-)

Mom likes her purse we got her and the gift cards:-)

My sister and Logan enjoying the day.

My niece Jillian,  opening her gifts that she
had been begging to open since she walked in the door!

OK, MOM  Aren't we a little too old for you to
be buying us all matching outfits!??

Kareoke after dinner is a must!  Jillian and Christian fight over who will sing the chorus.

I think that would be my mom dancing in the background.

This is me making Mamaw's famous dumplings!

My two sweet kids- I adore you .  Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving this year was beautiful.  The weather was perfect, the food delicious, and the family enjoyable.  Due to the weather being so nice, we decided to give horse back riding a go this year.  The kids loved it, especially mine.  We are not exactly a farm family but it definitely is nice to get to pertend for a day.  Chloe and Christian played out almost the entire day.  Christian was in his element with the boys-outside in the dirt, playing with sticks, and chasing each other around the farm.  Chloe did her best to hang out with the boys also.  We enjoyed our day at the Fleckinstein's horse farm. 

Michael's Uncle gathering the horses.

The kids playing on the wagon.

A quick family picture.

Chloe and I being pulled by Michael.  I teally thought he would dump me out, he was going so fast.

Caleb leading his sister around the barn.

What a nice time we all had that day.

Uncorked - 2nd Annual

Last year Michael had been out of the country for a week.  He flew into Miami as the last leg of his trip.  We decided that I would fly down and meet him in Clearwater for a nice relaxing couples weekend.  While we were there we happened upon an event on the beach--UNCORKED!  For $50 dollars a person, you would attend a wine event under big white tents ON THE BEACH.   The very best restaurants served up some of their favorite entrees, desserts, and drinks.  So for 4 hours we ate, drank, and enjoyed the wonderful scenery! 
When we found out that this would be an annual event we started making plans for this years event.  We asked if Rhonda and Logan wanted to join us in our weekend event in November and so the four of us boarded a flight and headed south!  What a great weekend!

Inflatable couches---nothing better under the sun:-)

Rhonda and I waiting for Crabby Bill's to open for brunch.

Stomping grapes-this year's grapes were green. 
Last year I made a t-shirt with purple foot prints.

Rolling the green paint on my feet to make the shirt.



First in line! We have our wine glasses and we are ready!



Rhonda and Logan enjoying thier day.

Post Corner's Pizza was our first stop for eating
when we got into Clearwater on Friday.

The tent that housed all the vendors.

Michael having a cigar hand rolled for him.

His dream car--A Bentley

Talking a little buisness.

Doing what I do best.....Sampling

Talking about the tasty Sangrias from The Oyster Catcher restaurant/s vendor ( from Tampa).

What a fun time! 

Halloween 2012

We have been going to the Horse Park Campgrounds now for about three years for their Halloween festivities.  I think we have stayed in a different camper each year.  We go on the haunted trail, trick or treat camper to camper, participate in the pumpkin rolling contests and the list goes on and on.  It is great fun for the kids so even though it is a lot of work to get everything together, it is definitely worth the effort for all those cute smiles and belly laughter we hear while we are there.
This year on our Halloween adventure, Michael was in Australia so it was me and the kids.  Rhonda and her crew also joined us.  Dad had put up another camper on another site just for her and her family so it was nice to have ALMOST everyone there this year.

Christian and his friends entered the Halloween Costume Contest and took first, second, and third place---how odd is that!  Chloe decided to sit in the bleachers and watch with me.  Besides ,someone was already sporting her strawberry look AND I didn't want Chloe to take her thunder--Chloe was the best strawberry that night and we did not need a medal to prove it::-)

Our Halloween adventure starts the weekend before Halloween and then on Halloween we join others in our neigborhood trick or treating.  I always cook chili or spaghetti for anyone who stop in after for a quick meal.  We then head downtown for the Thriller dance on Main Street--Love that they shut down an entire street so Zombies can dance :-)



Horse Park Trick or Treat.



Jillian, Jaxon, and Laurel looking quiet grand.



Suited up and ready for  some CANDY. Christian, Peyton, Michael, Berk,
Malachi, Emily Sue, and last but not least Chloe Beth.



Dad and I passing our candy on Halloween night.

At Garth's Halloween Carnival-with the spooky story teller (Shoup)



Chloe at dance class dressed in her Strawberry Costume-What a Cutie!



Chloe did not like the zombies this year!



The boys down-town after the Thriller Dance!