It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas.....

Wow...what a busy weekend!

The boys got their Christmas trees lit and decorated!

On one side of the family our new tradition is to exchange ornaments with our cousins instead of presents! My boys love getting their ornaments out and they have quite the collection. We had to buy my little guy a bigger tree this year! He was so proud!

We went to our first gingerbread house making party!

It was so fun!

Thanks Donna and Rikki for making our party so special!

They were made out of school milk cartons, icing, graham crackers and lots of yummy candy!

I asked my oldest if he thought he was too old....he said, "Heck NO! I'm not too old for candy!"

(You never know!)

I think we are all kids at heart deep down!

Ty has the right idea!!!

Aren't they adorable???

Silly willies!!!!

Cara's gingerbread house was the "SHOW" house!!!

It rocked!!!

It was soooo cute!!!

We also went to our annual town Christmas parade and it was COLD!!!

(Yes, I'm married, but my husband seems to always have to work on special days! Thanks hubby for working so hard for us!)

Tis the season to be JOLLY!!!!

Gearing up for a CRAZY week!!!

If you are local, don't forget to call FBC and make your reservations to walk down the Pathway Of Lights! I promise it will be a treat and your heart will be blessed!!!!

It's a "souper" day for SOUP.....

I have shared this favorite recipe with many close friends, but I wanted to share it with the girls over at Beauty and Bedlam for Tasty Tuesdays! This is the perfect season for sharing recipes and trying new ones! One of my favorite things to do!!!

Minestrone Soup

1.5 lean ground beef

2 cans Progresso Minestrone Soup

2 cans Ranch Style beans

1 can Rotel

Brown meant and drain. Season meat with whatever makes you happy ~ salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, parsley...etc. In a stock pot add meat, Minestrone soup (undrained), Ranch style beans (undrained) and Rotel (undrained). Simmer for 30 to an hour. The longer the better!

Easy enough???? Easy, but soooo good!

Enjoy!!

It's cold here in Texas!!!! Perfect for some soup!!!! Can't wait to make some cornbread to go with it!

Maxine Monday....

(giggle~snort)

Hope your Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing and STRESS~FREE!!!!

Have a great week!!!

XOXO!!!

A recipe for you.....

(remember....I not a food photographer! and yes it's my 3rd post of the day and yes I do have a life and yes I've been productive! ha)

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

1 ~ 29 oz. can pumpkin

4 eggs

1 ~ 13 oz. can evaporated milk

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients and pour into a 9x13 pan. I'm sharing this recipe over at Tasty Tuesday @beautyandbedlam.com.

Spinkle a box of dry yellow or white cake mix over the top of the mixture in the pan. Pour 1 cup melted margarine over the cake mix. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped nuts over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool. Top with Cool Whip!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Women Of Faith 2009 ~ A Grand New Day!!!!

Last weekend, I attended WOF 2009 in Houston with a large group of ladies from our church and community!!! I love WOF!!! It's a great time of reflection and FUN!!!

The leader of the pack!!!

Thank you Donna for all that you do!!!!

It's always a great time with Patsy Clairemont, Lisa Harper, Marilyn Meberg, Sheila Walsh and Lisa Welchel!!!!! What a blessing!!!!

I was soooo glad that Denise and Robin got to experience WOF together for the first time!!!!

It's always a grand new day with the Lord!!!

The worship team was amazing!!!!!

Freak! I behaved myself.....others did NOT!!!

Hi Lisa!!!

We danced!!!

We had some SOUL!!!!!

We rocked out with some Nicole C. Mullen......

and Steven Curtis Chapman!!!!!!!!!!!

What a treat!!!!

It's amazing to see how God can take tragedy and turn it into triumph!!!

If you do not know Steven Curtis Chapman's story, you must read up on it!!!

Pretty girls!!!

Not even a pacemaker kept Crystal away from this weekend!!!!

OK....So we sing, worship, listen, learn and EAT!!!!

Got Crabs???

Bro. Troy, I can explain!!! Cherie was not drinking Coronas on our trip! But, it was her birthday and she was shaking everything but the salt and pepper shaker!!!

(I can not explain the dribble down the front of her! ha)

You MUST come to WOF next year to learn more about things like this!!!!

WOF 2010 is in San Antonio!!!

On a more serious note...... I was changing this weekend!!!

Women Of Faith teams up with World Vision.
The weekend was packed with testimonies and videos of a lost, starving and dying world! Heart wrenching stories! Stories that will leave you thinking...."What can I do?" After hearing one particular testimony from a Polish woman I decided there was something I could do!!!
This Polish woman was actually a World Vision child and now she works on the Women Of Faith staff!!! Someone sponsored her and changed her life! Now she is here in America giving back because someone gave to her!!!! In her darkest hour, she only had 4 colors to play with. She only thought there were 4 colors and her sponsor family sent her a huge package of markers and it changed her world!!! Something as simple as a package of markers!!!

So, I took my little girl and ran to the World Vision booth!

I now have a little girl!

My hope and prayer is that my little girls life will be changed forever because of God's love!

I've always made up excuses in the past.....we don't have extra money, don't have time, blah~blah~blah!!!

Her sweet picture hangs on our refrigerator as a reminder that we are so blessed!

My oldest son wanted to know if I was sure she was a girl! We will be sending her boxes of pink girly things!!! ha!

My youngest wanted to know if she was going to be getting on an airplane to come live with us.....I wish!!!! After sponsoring our little girl, I was reading one of my favorite blogs....Kellys Korner and she actually had the opportunity to meet a girl she has been sponsoring this past month!!! I cried!!! Maybe someday I will make it to Zimbabwe....Lord willing!!!!

Go to World Vision and sponsor a child, buy a goat or a chicken!!!!

A sweet reunion!

Miss you Bro. John!

My kiddos with my friends kiddos.....exchanging emails! So cute!

The best Sunday School teacher ever!!!

I would like for you to meet a dear friend!!! This was one of my very best friends in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades....before boys!!!! Those were the BEST years for me!!! Pam and I loved sleep overs, Puffalumps, Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard!!!! Go 80's!!!! We wrapped afew houses and watched Top Gun afew times too! We promised to go to New York together in 1999 for New Years!!!! Ha! 1999 use to seem so far away and now it's 2009! How time flies!! Pam and I went to the same church growing up. We were there every time the doors were open! Those were the "good ol days"! We have not seen eachother in 17-18 yrs.! Our church had a 30 yr. reunion~homecoming! It was great to see everyone all grown up with families of their own! The first thing Pam said to me was....."I've been reading your blog for 3 months! I found it when I googled something!" WEIRD!!!!

So, everyone say "HI" to PAM!!!!!

This reunion was so wonderful! I can't even imagine the reunion in Heaven we will have one day!

Catchin UP!!!

Some of my family and friends have accused me of being a SLACKER on my blog!!!!

Can you believe that?

I didn't even think anyone read my blog!!!

So, I'm catchin up!!!

Bear with me as I journal this simple little life of ours!!!

We are busy, busy, busy!!!

And my boys are growing, growing, growing!!!!

I should title this October and November MADNESS!!!!

Hope you and your family are well!

Have a blessed week!!!

XOXOXO!!!!