Girls' Gotta Eat

Couldn't resist posting these photos. . . . after all, if you're gonna pose like this you gotta expect them to show up somewhere, right??

Kim seems to like the chicken,

doesn't she? Her comment was "get this pic".

I baked a ham because I like ham but everyone really went after the chicken. Some were surprised to learn I rotisseried it. (I have many talents) Kim and family stayed for a while after supper and watched an old video (circa 1988) from the time BEFORE sons-in-law and grandchildren. It was a HOOT!

Kim left a few cookies ~ Lisa grabbed

one BEFORE breakfast.

Lisa spent the night with us Christmas Eve. She doesn't do that very often so we really enjoyed her company while we had it. She got up Christmas Day and left soon after a breakfast of ham, eggs, and toast ~ she had plans with friends in Birmingham.

Christmas Eve at our house

Welcome to Christmas Eve at our house. I finally found a program on the computer that would let me resize the photos. Please excuse some of the photography. I was not the only one using my camera yesterday but it seems I am the only one that knows how to work it properly. Some of the shots may be a little fuzzy but you will get the general idea. Enjoy. . . .

What would Christmas be without Buck

and a set of bunny ears??

Kim was moving but if you

look closely you can recognize her. My Christmas outfit ~ jeans and a red thermal shirt ~ comfort and joy! Yeah baby! Never fear ~ Buck guarded the grill with his trusty BB gun.We practiced shooting at the mailbox in preparation of shooting at the wandering dogs that come in the yard.
Lisa and Topher enjoyed a little bonding time over cartoons while supper was getting the finishing touches. And Jakob learned to sneak up from the hall and switch channels.(All of the satellite remotes work on all the satellite boxes) We rotisseried a chicken because Buck didn't want ham
Lisa brought rolls
(a first for her) Kim mixed the mac with the cheese Mother watched and talked

Our plant had many gifts

right before we attacked!

Guess who wrapped this one??

Kim and Skoot

Lisa with her usual smile

enjoyed the presents

(and the food)

Buck waited for the "go" sign

to start opening gifts

Jakob "adorned" himself

and showed off his necklace from Lisa

(It has a scorpion inside)

Kim and the boys ripped into

gifts as Skoot watched from a safe distance

Teresa and Jimmy watched as Topher

played "Bop It"
The End

Merry Christmas in cyberspace

As Santa and his reindeer settle down for a rest this morning ~ just want to wish all who read my humble little blog:

Merry Christmas (English)

Buone Feste Natalizie (Italian)

Feliz Navidad (Spanish)

Joyeux Noel (French)

Cestitamo Bozic (Yugoslavian)

Merry Christmas Y'all! (Alabama)

Why???

It was five thirty this morning when I woke up ~ WHY!?!?! My internal clock does not have a snooze button, that's why. I have been getting up at five thirty for so long to get Buck off to work that I just WAKE up ~ no matter the day ~ no matter that it is Christmas EVE for goodness sakes and he ISN'T working today! ARGGGHHHH!

In good news: Jennifer and family made it to Wyoming safely where it was a balmy 18 degrees! Buck told her it was 54 here (she was NOT amused)

Since I'm up ~ think I could sneak out of the house for some coffee?? Anyone wanna meet me?? I'll be waiting. :-)

Opening gifts?

What is the proper protocol when you receive a gift in the mail or FedEx or UPS? Are you supposed to put the lovely brown box under your tree until Christmas morn? I am an opener. I pop open those boxes. Some are wrapped ~ some are not. Depending on who it is from ~ I open them. Today we received two boxes. One was a direct shipment from the company ~ no gift wrap. The other was a box with three small wrapped gifts ~ which went under the plant. We are opening gifts tomorrow when the fam comes for supper so they won't linger long under our Christmas plant.
Peace and good will to all ~ Kiss Kiss under the mistletoe.

Happy Winter!

Today is the official first day of winter. Just heard it on the news. So. . . Happy Winter everyone! For some silly reason I thought it was already here ~ maybe the 30 degree mornings we have had or the multiple days of snow Jennifer has experienced in Colorado? Who decides this stuff anyway? Is it based on the phases of the moon? The earth's rotation? I should look that up!

How do I get to Pasadena?

Kim and family are VERY BIG Alabama football fans. They recently bought this sweater for their dog "Bandit". Looks like he? she? is ready for the big game.

Almost Christmas

This hangs on the spare room door

to give whoever enters a giggle.

It is not a testament to the person

who sleeps there. (wink wink)

Our Christmas plant is thriving. It has amassed a few gifts underneath. It stands unadorned but proud. Sometimes "less is more" (a quote from "Project Runway") LOL
One of Buck's business associates sends us a lovely arrangement every year. I plan to light the candles on Christmas Eve when we have the fam over for supper and gift opening. . Hurrah!
Our mantle is hung with a holly swag but the main focus is still the grandchildren on either end. Christmas Eve we will hang our stockings.
I haven't baked cookies or a gingerbread house but I am trying to be in the spirit of the season. There will be a red velvet cake on Thursday and leftovers on Friday. Buck made his pilgrimage to Springfield and visited with Grace and I spent a major part of yesterday with Mother. Lisa and Kim will be physically with us on Christmas Eve and Jennifer will be with us in our hearts. She will be sharing Christmas with her in-laws in Wyoming.

Today is December 20th ~ almost Christmas ~ almost Kim and Skoot's wedding anniversary ~ almost the end of another year ~ I guess I could say I'm almost happy.

The Christmas Cactus

Someone sent a Christmas cactus to Daddy's funeral. Who wanted it? Who would take it? What to do with it? It found a home at our house. I debated on just the right spot to put it and decided on the living room window where it could get light and be warm. It has started to bloom! The ones on top are white but the ones closer to the bottom are pinkish (shrimp?) Is this normal? Is this two plants in one pot? Anyone????

Hope you are having a good holiday season. Kiss Kiss

Kim's new hair

Here she is ~ Kim with a haircut. I know I know we thought it would never happen! It looks really good on her and she says it is much easier to manage ~ especially in the mornings when she is getting ready for work. I think it looks darker ~ how about you? This was one of three shots I got of her last night at church. The others were "interrupted" by Christopher's "bunny ears" and a pencil that "mysteriously" floated in front of her face. She has enough curl in her hair that she can just wash , dry, and go. (I'm sure there is more to it than that, right?) Maybe a scrunch or a flip? Some hair product? No one's hair should be this easy! LOL

Be afraid ~ be very afraid!

Thanksgiving is behind us and at least one turkey will NOT be celebrating Christmas at the Wilson household. Jakob is tearing into this turkey leg with a vengeance! We'll be having ham for the next holiday gathering ~ so let this be a warning to the piggies out there. LOL

Which is bigger?

The turkey leg or Jakob's head?

Thanksgiving we gathered at Daddy's house but Christmas will be here at our house. I didn't put up a tree (Buck is in a humbug mood) but we do have a Christmas PLANT. Gotta have something to put gifts under, right? Hope you all have a great Tuesday. Kiss kiss

Alabama in the snow??

If you get up early (like 5:30 a.m.) you know there was snow in Jasper this morning. Buck and I first thought it was just a heavy frost. By the time I left for town (around 9:30 a.m.) this is all that was left. The shadowy areas in the yard still showed a little dusting of snow but where the sun was beaming down ~ NOTHING.

In the shadow of the EX
Remnants of snow?

Ring around the yard where the sun didn't hit yet.

So that is our first snow of the year. Possibly our ONLY snow of the year. I like the snow and if it is going to be bitterly cold anyway ~ why not have the beauty of snow along with it??

Our girls

Our girls are rarely together long enough to snap a family photo. Jennifer came for a quick weekend visit a few weeks back and we couldn't resist getting this one. Buck has always enjoyed being surrounded by his girls. This photo was taken at Daddy's house ~ man does my hair look GRAY! Time to break out the "Clairol"??

Lisa, Jennifer, Buck, Me, and Kim
Sister "love"

Those "extra' hands in the back are Jennifer. All three girls also posed with a "gang" sign which I was forbidden from using. I think the gang was "geek" but why risk insulting someone??

Lisa, Jennifer, and Kim

Lisa's hair keeps getting shorter as Jennifer and Kim's gets longer. I have trouble wearing mine down like this because it gets sooooo hot on my neck. I usually braid mine or twist it into a bun.

It's December?

Here it is December and I haven't finished talking about November yet! Jennifer and the girls came for Daddy's funeral and were able to stay through Thanksgiving. The grandchildren had fun playing the leaves at Mother's house. They worked hard to get a BIG pile and then jumped into it (what else would you expect?) There were also some "leaf showers" going on so everyone had to be brushed off before entering the house.

Claire, Topher, Jakob, and Sarah
Sarah got braver the longer she played.
Jakob went full tilt into the pile.
Who needs to walk in a winter wonderland
when you have can play in leaves?
(not as cold)

Everyone was ready for Thanksgiving dinner
after outdoor play.