Christmas Eve 2011

Today is Christmas Eve! I am so excited about it too! I have so much planned and we should already be getting a start on our cookies but the kids and David are playing outside having so muc h fun I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a late night. I love this time of year. Everyone seems to be in a cheerful mood. Well almost everyone. I love to take my kids to the store and let them buy things for their family members. They also LOVE to make a shoe box gift for a very special child somewhere. Its their highlight of the season I think. We have been so busy with all kinds of things that I am very unorganized this year. I mean I usually am not running to the grocery store on Christmas Eve morning...But all was well. It wasn't even really packed like I thought it would  be.
This year is going to be like a NEW tradition. We are planning to start staying home every year on Christmas Day which I am very excited about that. The kids where too! We do so much driving...

Gotta run fast....till next time~Val

Christmas LOVE

It is not the best quality picture but I am not able to use my scanner at this time so it is a picture of a picture.

This is our Christmas family portrait. Also the kids picture. I loved how they came out considering I did NOTHING with my hair!

I wanted to show a little Christmas "love" on how the kids and I decorated this year. We went really light because we didn't know if we where gonna be moving in the middle of the holidays.

The kids and I did a mini memory tree. We wished we put up our BIG tree with our memories on it but we just didn't have the room or time to.

We did put our snow men up!!!

This above is my first ornament when i was born. My mom made it.

Below is a cute ornament I got last year at a sale!

I love "L"

Above is from Emilee Grace and below is a snowglobe from starbucks! Double LOVE!

This is a power ranger that my next door neighbor made for my brother when he was DJ's age. Now its one of DJ's favortie!!

Above is an ornament that my piano teacher gave me one year.

Below is a ornament Kaylee made a few years back.

DJ and Emilee with Santa at the Naval Base for Uncle Zearl's family dinner.

I found these at Forever 21 the other day!

LOVE!!

Christmas gifts

We opened a few of our presents today. Actually I had already given the kids a gift the other night. DJ opened his Mario Cart game, Kaylee open a doll set and Emilee opened a Justin Bieber Christmas cd. They where so happy and I love to see their faces light up!

Well tonight we where gonna let them open up one more gift, and well it turned into opening up two! Kaylee opened up two from us and the ones her brother and sister bought her. She is one blessed young lady. Very loved!

Emilee with her Zebra bag from Momma and Daddy.

Also below with her sketch kit!

Kaylee above with the two dolls her Daddy and I got her and below with her sketch pad.

She loves to draw and color!

DJ above in his green lantern outfit. Below with his Air Hog!

Emilee above in her NEW boots!

Oh yes! She is all about style!

I love how she tried them on with her cute socks!!

Kaylee opening her gift above from her Bubba Bear and below from Emilee Grace!

She loved em'

Zearl is with us and we wanted him to get a gift as well. He is such a BIG kid!

How handsome he looks in his new shirt :)

I am so thankful for such sweet kids. As we gave them the two gifts they quickly wanted to give their gifts to the people they had bought for or made something for. Emilee made her Daddy a cute "I love you" keep sake. Which she was so proud of. I hope that I/We instill in the kids Love, kindness and a giving spirit.

I mean thats what its all about!

Till next time~Val

rambling

I feel like lately I am completely off my path. My life has been one crazy roller coaster ride these past two years with helping with Granny. And yet I get stressed over it I wouldnt change in for the world. She won't be with us one day and I want to remember everything I can about her. This time of year is kind of hard. Esp when I get sick. It makes me miss my MawMaw so bad. She was very motherly. Always making sure I was comfortable, and always made homemade treats for such an occiasion. Happy thoughts****

Well, I am still really nervous about our so sudden move with no plans ahead of us at this point. The days are flying and it feels like I am just standing her watching them go. What am I gonna do...? I think I am gonna put all this behind me for this week and start to really plan on something after Christmas. This week no worries.....just prayer.

Prayer......it makes everything better.

till next time~Val

A Total Mess...

So, here goes. I am a total mess right now. I was told by our land lord about two months ago that we might have to move because he will have to move back into his house due to some family issues. I have prayed LONG and HARD over this and well we got told today that he will give us the exact date in Janurary. I am sure he is not wanting me to panic over the holidays but I am a wreck!!!!!
What am I gonna do? Our land is not ready by far. We have clearing, water, septic plus we have to by a trailer!!! Plus we are not able to just go out and do those things at will. It takes money. I mean we where gonna borrow for the trailer but for the other we where just gonna pay with our income tax. Hmmm.....
I bet I could cry at will I Have so much stress in my life.

Thats all I can write at this moment.

Till next time~Val

trying to stay calm in all of this rush

It is already December 6th! I can't believe how this year has flown.

I have really been missing my MawMaw a lot this past few months. Today or yesterday was the Day she passed away but the date really doesn't matter. She's gone and my heart yerns for her to hold me. To listen to me whine like a baby. To make me snacks that I love and just make me feel like I am the most important person in the world to her. I know she had many special people but right now this isn't about them.

Lately I have been taking care of my Dad's mother, My Granny. She has been really sick and I have been sitting in the hospital with her threw out the day Mon-Thurs. She can't be by herself she has alztimers. As she sleep I glance over and I think of my precious MawMaw. All the wonderful times I spent with her, the stories she told me. How I chopped her legs because they hurt her so badly. She was a very sick women. Lots of health issues. I just miss her so badly right now. I wish I had her guidance. Her strength. I miss playing Bingo with her and Nanny. I miss the yard sales. I miss her rocking me at the age 20! Laugh....but I was and still am a big baby. I miss laying next to her sleeping and would make scary noses to try and get me all close to her. **smiles**

I miss coming in from outside and she having Kaylee a pallet on  the floor watching barney eating candy and drinking chocolate milk. Funny things you remember when someone is no longer here. Kaylee wont even touch chocolate milk now and thats been 8 years.

Seems like only yesterday I talked to her one last time. She sound like her mother, my Nanny. Like an angel. She told me she loved me and couldn't wait till we got home.

The next day she was GONE!

It was the longest day/drive ever!

We drove straight 25 hours...

I was a wreck....

Still kind of am when I play it back over in my mind......

ah.....

Well I must be going to bed.

Till next time~Val

Thankful Tree

I got this idea from a fellow Blogger or either on Pinterest. Not sure. The only thing we did different was use Or hands as leaves instead of cutting out regular leaves. We thought it would be more personalable to our family. So we all cut  out a bunch of hands! Each day we wrote something we where thankful for. Some  days we did two Or three. It started out so bare but it only took a few days to see that we really have a lot to be thankful for. Even some guests put a leaf up!

Till next time- Val

AWESOME!

Ok, this is gonna be quick because I forgot to put it in the last post.
First its been really hard to find Monster High dolls for Kaylee. They are all sold out and when I do find them and they are online for 3 times as much if you could buy them in the store.
So with that said we went out on a hunt for dolls. I found a group pack for $50 and we got that. As we where leaving the girls and I ran to the shoe department in target. DJ and David stayed in the boy toy section. As they are walking out DJ sees a Monster High doll on an end cap. Its this one!!!



Now if you normally would find this doll in a store she would be $20!

She is always sold out.

So we tried ebay-$60!

No way!

We paid in target $4.96!!!!

The box was torn and they put her on clearance!!!!

WAY TO GO DJ!

Till next time~Val

P.S.- The WHOLE family gave up sodas!!

One step to being a tad bit healthier.....

More one that in teh next post...................................................

On the fence

I have  notcied I always have crazy blog titles. I just like to have a cute title and sometimes it doesn't even have anything to do with what I am blogging about but its whats on my mind right at the at moment! HA!

So, as I sit here and type I am listening to one of my favorite blogs playlists.

The happily ever afters of the lancasters. She really has great taste in music!

Church was awesome tonight. I really felt the holy ghost there tonight. Sometimes when I am at church I fell distant but tonight was like a renewing of some sorts. I do have trouble putting my thoughts down. I seem to have what I want to say or how I want to explain it but when it comes down to writing/typing I freeze up.

Let's just say amazing again!

I am so thankful for my church, my paster, my church family!

Christmas is getting close. I have all of my shopping down for the kids. Dad has a few to pick up but he is taking care of that on his own this year. He always picks up our stocking stuffers as well. I mean, he is Santa! DUH! LOL

David I and the kids went shopping this weekend and we finished up. I got the teachers Bath and Body works bubble bath. I need to run back and get 3 more but if I don't make it there it wont be that big of a deal. I wanted to get something for the helpers too! I could always just pick them up something else here in town but I know I will be going that way before the party next week. Oh! I almost forgot I have to get one little girl something from Kaylee but thats just a stop at the Family Dollar or Fred's. We have to buy $5 gifts only.

I also got Dad some pants. I actually had someone pick them up for me in Branson this year. If I have the funds I would like to get him a pack of shirts and underwear but we will see. Money is kind of tight at the moment.

We are having the land cleared at the first of the year. We found a man that does it for a great price! I can't wait!!!

I also got a return address stamp made that I can't wait to use!!!!!

My Granny has been in the hosiptal since last week. She has fluid, kidneys are acting up and a few other things wrong. Pray that she begins to get well.

I just want to add before getting off that I am very thankful for all the answered prayers from God. For a good christian school for my kids to attend. For a awesome holiness church to attend, wonder friends, a healthy family! tons more nut just to name a few important ones....

till next time~Val