clitnon's birthday and survivor finale!

this is a long one, folks!

today is officially clinton's birthday, but sunday was his diego party at his gg's house. he's 4 now...it's hard to believe he's getting so big!!

i tried to take this shot about 4 times....the child would not smile!!

here's the birthday boy with his tina turner, uh, i mean diego cake.

mister max enjoyed the birthday fun, too!

the star gift was the cap guns....everyone there got shot (and died appropriately)!! great fun!!


later sunday night was the survivor gabon fianle. for the past three seasons we have had a little pool going...we just put in $5 per name, and we all draw two names. whoever's person wins gets the pot...sounds fun, right?

well, in the beginning it was...you know you root for whoever you draw, even if you don't like them. the first season john won...the second season janna and i came pretty close, but janna won. and then again this year, mine, mrs. morel's , and janna's people all made it to the final three...and guess what...janna won again!!! i'm not sure how, but i think the mcgregor's have fixed this whole thing....it was janna's idea... hmmmmmmmm!!

janna loves to point out that her dad's people always get voted out early on.alana and ava, sweet cousins!
mrs. morel made congo bars to go along with the african theme of the show...yum!

miss alana in her christmas pj's....she was having lots of fun dancing around for everyone!

Christmas addictions

over at buzzingsofaqueenbee carrie listed her addictions of the holiday season and challenged her readers to do the same, so here goes (in no particular order):

• Christmas music - seriously, i listen to Christmas music from Thanksgiving night straight though to Christmas. i pretty much like it all (the that darn Christmas shoes song...i really don't like that song!), but some of my favorites are: the bing crosby white Christmas cd, dominic the donkey, and joy to the world.


• baking - i just feel the need to bake at Christmas. last year i made two peppermint ice cream cakes.
  
• taking off of work - again, i just feel the need for this. i always take off a few days around Christmas. this year i am taking the whole week of Christmas and am scrapbooking as much as i can....WAHOO!!!

• Christmas lights - i don't usually go out just to look at the lights, but i thoroughly enjoy the ones that i see while i am out and about.
  
• Christmas eve - besides visiting family on Christmas day, this is my favorite tradition....every Christmas eve we go to Christmas eve service at church, then head over to the morel homestead for lots of great food and wonderful times with friends!! it just feels right!!

• treats - i am all about the food and drink that only comes at the holidays. my grandmother used to always make haystacks and peanut butter balls and yum yum....and I always enjoy a bit of egg nog and apple cider!!

what are your Christmas addicitons?

a gift for me?

so last night i got home and it was all dark and rainy, and i see a huge box sitting on my front porch. now, i have ordered a few things for Christmas, but i always have that stuff shipped to my office, besides that, i know i have not ordered anything big enough to require such a large box. so as i get out of the car and go up to the porch i see the oranges on the outside of the box, and remember that last year i got the same thing...a big box of oranges and grapefruits addressed to the people who lived in my condo before i bought it.

this is the huge box...half oranges and half red grapefruit.

here's my question...knowing that they were not addressed to me, was it wrong for me to have opened them? my thought is that i don't have anyway of getting in touch with the folks the fruit is addressed to, and if i send them back wouldn't they go bad soon (not to mention with the weather we've had the box probably would not have made it outside much longer).

i plan to give a lot of the fruit away...there's about 35 oranges and 20 grapfruits (which i am not a huge fan of anyway). and today i thought i might make some orange marmalade. i love orange marmalade!! what else can i do with oranges?

hanging of the greens

every year our church has a "hanging of the greens" service where we decorate the sanctuary in preparation of the celebration of Christmas. the past couple of years they have had us take part and actually hang the wreaths and put some of the chrismons on the tree...it is always a special service!

alana is looking through what she called her camera at the hymnal (which is upside down, btw)

the garland is hung over the balcony

the advent candles and poinsettias (and if you look very close you can see the nativity and the toys underneath the other tree for the nashville toy store)

a Christmas cutie, indeed =)

Christmas at my house!

welcome friends!!

i got these urns at a yard sale, $5 for both, and just added some small trees and a fun little bow!

this is right inside the door, i will put Christmas cards in that little tin when i start getting them!

my little baker's rack in the kitchen

this is on my kitchen table. i just put some fresh cranberries in the bottom and poured sugar on top, then more cranberries on top of that.

Christmas tree...got it on sale at target.com last january...great deal, and much better than the charlie brown tree i had last year!

mantle, with my awesome nativity (that stays out all year long), candlesticks (just changed the candles), and stockings.


this is one shelf on my built-in bookcase...those little bowls have Christmas light ornaments in them, the old kind of lights...i love those!!

now for some gifts
a couple of message boards and a book mark, and a close-up of the book mark.

~deck the halls~

have you decked your halls yet? we have a short decorating season this year, if you waited until after Thanksgiving, that is =) i decorated last weekend and keep making small small changes every day...i am going to take pictures of my decorations and some of the gifts i have done so far. i will up load them tonight or in the morning.

when do you decorate? leave me a comment!!

it's the most wonderful time of the year

i always love this time of year! it's getting cold, plans for thanksgiving and Christmas are being made, and people are talking about making soups and chili and curling up by the fire. it is just so cozy!! this year i have decided to craft most of the Christmas gifts i am giving, so i have already started on those. i've ordered christmas cards, and am completing my address list.

as i get older, i cherish the holiday season more and more each year. i don't have the same excitement and anticipation (mostly of what santa was bringing) that i did when i was a child, but i do have a warmth in my heart and look forward to it just the same. one thing that i am trying to do is remember the times and things that i am thankful for each day. i have started writing one or two things in my planner each day that i am thankful for. whether it is something very simple or more complex, i am just trying to think of something each day to be thankful for. i think as the holiday season approaches and i continue to do this, it will give me a chance to reflect on each day, and then i will be able to look back and not just remember the hustle and bustle (which i also love), but also the sweet times with friends and family, the awesome traditions, and the God moments.

so take time in the next couple of months to slow down now and then to cherish the things that matter most...

being single

this is a blog that janna introduced me to, and it's pretty interesting. she has guests post once a week on different things (being a mother of multiples, adoption, etc.), but this week is on being single...i pretty much agree with everything the girl says...it's some good stuff!! click here to check it out.
and have a great rest of the week!!

a little bit of chicken fried

i love this song right now!! it's just one of those songs that makes you feel good, ya know? anyway, here are the lyrics and you can go to cmt and check out the video. the band just seems like they are having a great time!

You know I like my chicken fried

Cold beer on a Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just right

And the radio up

Well I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia pine

And that`s home you know

Sweet tea pecan pie and homemade wine

Where the peaches grow

And my house it`s not much to talk about

But it`s filled with love that`s grown in southern ground

And a little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just right

And the radio up

Well I`ve seen the sunrise

See the love in my woman`s eyes

Feel the touch of a precious child

And know a mother`s love
Well its funny how it`s the little things in life that mean the most

Not where you live or the car you drive or the price tag on your clothes

There`s no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I`ve come to know

So if you agree have a drink with me

Raise you glasses for a toast

To a little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just rightAnd the radio up

Well I`ve seen the sunriseSee the love in my woman`s eyes

Feel the touch of a precious child

And know a mother`s love

I thank god for my life

And for the stars and stripes

May freedom forever fly, let it ring.

Salute the ones who died

The ones that give their lives so we don`t have to sacrifice

All the things we loveLike our chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just right

And the radio up

my cube redo!!

last friday i moved cubes (we have a temp that started this week, so she got my cube), anyway, i was glad to move....i love new spaces =) so, i put my decorating hat on and made my new cube more homey!! below are the overhead bins...i just cut scrapbook paper and stuck it on with double stick tape, then covered it with clear contact paper.

here's some photos and my favorite jack memorabilia (my bobble head and magic 8-ball)
i got this wire thingy from tj maxx when i moved into my condo, and i love it, i just didn't have anywhere to hang it at home, but it works great here!!

i have had this plant longer than any plant ever...the long vines actually go to the top of the cube wall.

my inbox, i just added a bunch of ribbons and yarn.
here's a closeup of my pencil holder (the small hemingway hurricane from southern living =) and other stuff i use a lot.

a close up of the lights strung up underneath my overhead bins. i put little bunches of ribbon all along there.

i brought this little table from home, my cube sweet cube sign from before, and an old southern living candlestick...i am taking a candle for it tomorrow.

maria gave me this super cute sign a couple of weeks ago, and i just added some ribbon to it!!

display boards

i am part of the nashville baptist association's women's missionary union leadership team. each year on the first monday in november we host a world day of prayer for all the women in nashville area baptist churches. this a worldwide event. for the past three years i have helped with this, and it's always a nice time to remember and pray for women and missionaries all around the world. this year i volunteered to "re-vamp" the display boards that we use, and i just finished them last night. i am very excited about how they turned out.

each board represents one of 7 continental unions, and on each board you will see hands that have the countries in the union printed on them, a map highlighting the area, and two icons that represent the area...that's what was the most fun!!

this is north america (my least favorite, because i couldn't think of anything to put on it, and with only three countries, it looks a bit bare!)

this is for the carribbean

asia (that's a fan and the taj mahal)

latin america (soccer ball and maracas!!)

the southwest pacific (includes australia, hence the kangaroo sign =))

this is europe with lots of countries!! and a closeup of st. basil's cathedral.

and last but not least, africa...and a closeup of mr. zebra

i pray that the world day of prayer is an awesome event for all those who are involved in planning one and all those attend, and that all the people prayed for on monday feel God's love!

a giveaway

a blog that i read daily is hosting a giveaway of a great decorating book...go over to southernhospitality and check it out! rhoda has a great style, and is always posting great ideas!!

tagged

janna tagged me to answer 7 things you never knew about me. i'm pretty open, so this is hard, but here goes:

1. i do not regret getting my first tattoo (yet!).
2. i like to listen to classical music sometimes.
3. one day i'd like to own a shop that sells custom invites, fun gifts, and crafty home decor items.
4. i love the tv show monk...i watch it every morning before work.
5. i google EVERYTHING...really, EVERYTHING!!
6. i have always challenged myself to be orderly in random things (coloring the pictures in coloring books in order, eating pudding cups in very small, methodical layers, walking the same route to get my mail every time)
7. i have dreams that seem like soap operas, where i dream about the same thing for weeks, but i can usually only remember a few vague things about them.

i tag anyone who reads this and has a blog =)

a sweet sunday, and a teaser!!

what a blessing it is to hear loud and clear God's voice. in worship this morning the focus was colossians 3:1-17. the heading for this section is "rules for holy living"....sometimes we just need a reminder of what God expects from us. this morning i was very worshipful during the music, and felt God's prescence more than i have in a great while.

this afternoon was great, too...melissa came in for the afternoon, and i was able to meet her, janna, john, and alana for a quick lunch. when i got home i worked on laundry, and lots of it, and worked on some display boards i have been needing to get done...i will have pictures when i get them done, i'm excited with how they are turning out.

i also made this little ditty this afternoon....i moved cubicles at work last week, so i am redecorating my new one...going all out. this is just little preview=) more pictures when i get done!!
these flowers have been on my table for two weeks!! there were a lot more when i first got them, but these few are still going strong...i love fresh flowers =)