NEVER SAY NEVER....

My new year's resolution! No, not really. All of our kids have long hair right now. Hair that I WISH was a little more trimmed, sharp, neat looking. One is long and that's okay. She's a girl. The other two....well, one is long because he's in a school talent show next week, singing a song called, "HAIR," so you can bet that hair will be gone as soon as the talent show is over! Our senior's hair is long because he has been on a budget for a few months and has to manage his money and life. He doesn't want to spend the $15 to go see the hairdresser! He thinks if it gets bad enough Mom & Dad will beg him to get it cut AND pay for it. Well, he's got a long way to go before that happens....I can wait a long time....I think!

We had a little fun the other night as I actually french braided my son's hair! Like I said, NEVER SAY NEVER!

BROTHERLY LOVE...

I am happy to say no one got injured while these photos were taken! Actually, I was really excited about our white Christmas! With a family party including 5 teenagers, they actually got out in the snow, made forts and had snowball fights - much better than them sitting around watching TV at Gram's house after the gift giving!

THE AWKWARD FAMILY PARTY...

turned out okay! PRETTY FUN, in fact! I think lots of us have some awkward feelings when getting together with extended family. We're related, but not much alike. Well, I hosted ours this past weekend, and it was really fun, at least from my perspective. The awkward stuff was that my aunt, the LIFE OF EVERY PARTY, was not able to attend due to surgery complications. Also, my cousin, who had been in prison for about 7 years, came with his son, who I hadn't seen in that many years as well. I'm happy to report that he seemed happy and hopefully no more trouble in his future! My uncle, a farmer, brought a lot of good food - NOT YOUR TYPICAL CHRISTMAS FARE - but we all enjoyed it. He and his wife brought cream crowder peas, and butternut squash. Paired with my onion casserole, pork tenderloin, and bacon explosion, it was an interesting meal! The other neat thing was that all my grandmother's great grandkids were together for the first time in 7 years!!!














We have played Dirty Santa for many years, and usually we play some other type of game. This year I found a really fun game on the internet that was a hit for the kids! We divided them into two teams. The object was to make reindeer antlers out of pantyhose and balloons. They had to blow up the balloons and stuff them into the pantyhose. After it was all over, it really turned the little guy into a wild reindeer!













MERRY CHRISTMAS AND MAY ALL YOUR FAMILY PARTIES GO WELL!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET A NEW TV...

Eight teenagers spend the night! Eight teenage boys, in our case. My daughter is home from college and her current Facebook status is "...so this is what it's like in a boys' dorm..."LOL

SINGING AT THE SKIRVIN...

and a free lunch! What a great marketing tool for young consumers! I can see it now...in a few years he'll want a wedding reception here...YIKES!

ENJOY SNOW...

from the classic, "White Christmas," performed by my son in THAT SWEATER AGAIN, with his friends from EMHS!

CHRISTMAS CARD PICS...

have been sent! Woohoo! I've really enjoyed sending and getting Christmas cards through the years! Here's the one I picked for this year. It's us on the Chimney Tops trail in the Smoky Mt. Nat'l Park! That had to be one of my favorite days this year. It's not the best picture of me, but it reminds me of the fun we had that day. I love studio pics too, but I've always been a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to Christmas card pics. Wonder why? $$$ So if you're not on the list, don't feel bad! Most of them go to our out of town friends and family! Consider this my greeting to you!

SOME OF US GET TO RELAX AT CHRISTMAS TIME...

just couldn't resist sharing this of "Dixie" with her feet up on the Christmas pillow!

THE GREEN CHRISTMAS PARTY...

was a hit! We wore GREEN!












We ate GREEN food - on the menu was Artichoke Dip, Pepper jelly with cream cheese, Jalapeno Popper, GREEN salad, Broccolli salad, Corn bread with GREEN chilies, Pork Loin with GREEN apple salsa, GREEN bean casserole, Twice baked potatoes sprinkled with GREEN onion, Fruit tray with GREEN apples, kiwi, pears, figs, a relish tray with GREEN pickles, olives, etc., GREEN apple cobbler, Pistachio cake, and Creme de Menthe brownies!







After playing Bunko we exchanged our gifts in Eco-friendly (GREEN) tins. I was the grand prize winner of the lovely Elvira/Woody cutout wearing a Snuggie! Elvira has been making her way around the group for several years now...mmm...how will I dress her next year?







This group has been a constant in my life for about 15 years now...a great source of comfort and stress relief for this busy mom. I wish for all of you some kind of similar support group in your life!

ANOTHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS...

is apparently school events, like the WINTER FORMAL, are not quite as big a deal for boys. For the second year in a row, I have known NOTHING about it until my son's date says something to me. EMBARRASSING! Last year it went something like this: The girl who asked my son to go with her (it's like a Sadie Hawkins thing for you old-timers) comes up to me after church with her camera, and says, "Would you like to see my dress for the Winter Formal?" "Sure," I say! "That's pretty!" After an AWKWARD SILENCE, she says, "You don't know that we're going to the dance together, do you?" NICE...but now at least I know what kind of corsage to buy and get a tie so my son can match...

So it happened again this week. A mother/daughter called me from Dillard's to tell me they had bought a dress..."would you Iike to see it? Oh, did he tell you they're going to the dance? No?"

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!

A quick trip to TJ Maxx and we got a neat tie and the decision was made not to do corsages/boutonneirres!

HOW DO YOU SPELL RELIEF? I SPELL IT...

R-U-N-N-I-N-G!

Had a weird day today...FOUR disappointing things happened. Nothing earth shaking, just strange that all these things happened today:

1) What we thought was my son's last appearance in court for throwing biscuit dough is not. We get to go back in January with the other boys to determine restitution.

2) I get a letter from my other son's school about an opportunity and it is supposed to be returned by November 30. Yeah, today is December 1.

3) A friend cancelled on me.

4) The installation guys for our theater room don't show, don't show, and we finally call and realize there was a mistake in scheduling...they're coming Tuesday, December 8.

Yeah, so instead of crying I went running. It helped a little. Then I went and ripped out all my dead sweet potatoe plants, tomato plants and that purple-viney thing and threw them in the trash...and I am reminding myself, I AM SO BLESSED. I AM THE DAUGHTER OF THE KING! GET OVER IT.