Good-Bye 2009 and the Whole Decade

As this is probably my last blog for 2009 because I have a lot to blog about and catch up on but frankly I am not going to do it tonight because Cas and I are about to be planted on the couch I just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year and decade!  I hope you all are enjoying the ones you are with and having a great night!  Cas and I picked up Chinese take out because I have been dying for it and now I am sitting in some pants with elastic in the waste because I ate too much!  We spent part of the day puttting Christmas decorations away and now we are about to relax on the couch and watch some New Year's Eve specials and provided I am not already asleep because I love to sleep and will fall asleep is I sit still for long at midnight we will ring in the new year and decade with some wine and I am sure a ton of the neighbors fireworks that will send Maggie into a nervous breakdown!  Ah then off to bed to prepare for the next 365 days that are for sure to send me into a nervous breakdown!  More on that this week!  I have been in a blogging funk due to "things" but I will be blogging a lot more hopefully!  Hope you all have a happy evening and a blessed 2010!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have had a Merry Christmas! I am blogging from a blackberry in Birmingham so when I return I will blog longer and share some photos. I hope you all have a very Merry day!

Wouldn't This Be a Great Christmas Present

Today is your last day to enter for the HP Touchsmart computer that Kelly is giving away!  Go here to enter!  I love the recipe box feature she talks about that would be really neat to use!
If you want another chance go over to McMama's blog to enter!

A Christmas Photo Shoot of Sorts

Last week we had a friend come over and snap a few pictures for us so that I could use one or more on our Christmas card this year.  I just picked them up today......yes a week before Christmas!  Let's not judge others during this Christmas season....K?  Thanks!  Anywho I thought I would share a couple of the out-takes....unedited mind you!  I will post the actual card after they have been sent out!

 

Trying to get Maggie to look in most of them was a chore!  Also, as you can see the color on most of them came out looking terrible!  So off to bed I go to start addressing envelopes! 

A Christmas Funny

It was a romantic full moon when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" , said Rosita.

Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." , replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Gold and Green

I finally picked this up today!  I know a Christmas CD a week before Christmas, right?  I don't buy many CD's but I LOVE Sugarland so I had to get it!  I highly reccomend it! Any other Christmas CD's you have to have or reccomend?

My Life~My Trees and My Cookies?

OK Bloggy Buds and Peeps I know I have missed last Friday and currently am missing today for Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner because well frankly if I show you my life it will look like a HOT HOLIDAY MESS!  So once I get back from Cas's family Christmas and I get a few things picked up and have some time to upload pictures and make you think my like is peaceful and organized then I shall share the Christmas Love!  I do have some cookies to share with you and a a tree or two or 6 with you.  So Happy Friday and Merry Christmas from a Howard, a Smith, a four legged Princess, two Siamese, a Momma cat and her wild child cat!  Maybe the cats that have taken up outside wish you the same too but frankly it is too cold for me to go ask them so just assume they sent you Cat Christmas Wishes too or Bah Humbug!  Ah let the Christmas Chaos begin!

Five Question Friday

Five Question Friday

1.  Does Santa wrap the presents he leaves at your house?

When I was growing up all my "Santa" presents were left on the fireplace or in a group at my Grandparents house depending on where we were. Santa even brought my presents to the beach one year as my parents decided that would be a good place to spend Christmas?????  We don't have children yet but Santa will leave the presents unwrapped......may we have a fireplace by then!  Dear Santa could you bring me a house with one?!!!

2. When is your "Big" Christmas Celebration?

Well since Cas's family is so big we always have Christmas at his family's a differant weekend so we are actually in the midst of baking, wrapping and packing as I type look I took a 10 minute break okay.  We have an all day family Christmas party at his Granny's on Saturday.  Everyone eats all day and most of the kids go on a Scavenger hunt to get them out of the house.  Then afterwards we will open presents.  It starts with the youngest to the oldest. There will be about 30 (and growing with two babies on the way) people there so you do the math on how long that will take.  Then we will have Christmas at Cas's parents and Sister and Brother-in-Law and their two boys on Sunday.  Then on Christmas Eve morning Cas and I do our Christmas and then we travel to Birmingham to my Dad and his wife's house.  Our big meal and opening presents in on Christmas Day once my two Step-Brothers make it to the house!  I can't wait til one of us has children so we will have some little ones.  Ahh that tires me just typing all of that...

3. Are you big on keeping tradition every year?

Well I would like to but as we have so many Christmas's and we just started our hom last year our Christmas traditions are slowly changing and/or evolving.  Once we have children I will for sure start traditions and try to keep them up!

4. Colored or Clear lights?

Well we have a couple of trees. All of them have clear lights except for the Peanuts/Snoopy Tree and colored lights are more fitting for it!  I think clear lights are more elegant and I love them but then on fun or childrens tree I think colored is cute

5. Do you decorate outside?

Yes.  I have wreaths on the windows and on the door and I have a sleigh with deer and a Santa and the I have two more snowman on and some lit up trees on the other side.  I dont have anything big for the yard. I have been looking for something pretty but have not found anything I like.

Happy Friday

Operation Christmas Child Stories

I meant to share this a few weeks ago but I have not gotten a chance yet.  You all know we participated in Operation Christmas Child for the second time this year!  We went to drop off our two shoe boxes on our way to Birmingham for Thanksgiving.  Our drop off point was a large church in Auburn and I asked the ladies if I could take a few pictures while I was there and they were so nice and said "of course"!  So I wanted to share with ya'll and show you.

These are boxes that are full waiting to be picked up to travel all over the world

 

Checking my two (green boxes) o.k. so they are a little full but she had rubberbands to go around them

My boxes with some  others waiting to loaded up to start their journey to make a child smile

Discard my face!  I just wanted to show you my stickers.  This was early and I did not fix my hair nor apparently had I fixed my face! at this point.  This is real life people and as I blog this I don't have time to edit this photo to make me look better nor do I think there is a program that would help!  This location said that they had recieved over 3,000 boxes on the day before the last day when I dropped off.  Last year they had reacieved over 5,000.  They knew they would be down some because of the economy.  I had blogged before that I am going to collect things as I see them on sale or have coupons for toiletries (you can normally get most free with coupons especially the travel size) through the year that way we will not have to go buy around the holidays.  Hopefully all of you will join in next year!

I also wanted to share this email with you.  My Dad's wife who works for the Board of Education in the county where I went to school sent me this.  This is from the High School I attended.

Chelsea Students Help with Operation Christmas Child Project

A group of 44 National Honor Society members from Chelsea High School, eight parents, and teacher sponsors Carlene Hooper and Nancy Stroup traveled to Atlanta, GA on December 4 to work at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center.  This ministry, began by Franklin Graham, enables thousands of children in some of the world's poorest countries to receive a Christmas box filled with joy and hope.  Over 850,000 shoe boxes prepared by civic clubs, churches, and individuals had been packed for children.

Students processed each box, removing donations made for shipping expenses.  They also removed items that cannot go into certain countries and   replaced those items with other suitable items.  Finally, they helped tape and pack boxes into crates to get them ready to be shipped all over the world.  The Atlanta Distribution is one of six located in the United States.  This was the third annual trip made by Chelsea High School's National Honor Society. 

"It's amazing to think that what we did here today will make such a big difference in a child's life," said student Lauren Swee.

 "Everyone was overwhelmed at the generosity of so many Americans, and, indeed, agreed that they discovered  the true meaning of Christmas in a huge, drafty warehouse in Atlanta," said teacher sponsor Nancy Stroup.

Cas's Mom also said the had a lady in a local church (his Dad is a preacher) come to some of the churches and speak to try to get some involvement from the members for this charity. She had been a recipient of a shoe box when she was young and the thing she was most grateful for was a wash cloth and soap that she received!  Wow things we all use everyday I really hope!  Hopefully this will inspire you ahead f time for next year!  Merry Christmas!

A Tar-Jay Giveaway

My great bloogy friend and friend IRL Sus is giving away a gift card for her 100th!! blog post!  She is giving away a gift card to Tar-Jay (Target) for the winner.  Now if you feel like you would like to enter and you don't reallly want the gift card email me and I will send you my address and you can send it here!  We take all forms of gifts cards, cash and checks here at the Howard Smith Household!  I love Target and I would love the giftcard.  Chances are I might have the $25 dollars spent before I leave the dollar section so I might not even make it to the rest of the store! Ha!  So go on over here and enter!  You only have until tommorrow night at midnight to enter so if you don't hurry well then that greatens my chance of winning!  :)  Good Day Ladies!

A New Look

Last night this morning around 2 am I found a few minutes to decorate our bloggy home for Christmas.  The stockings that are hung on my frame with care are for Cas and I (far right) Maggie and Tillie on the left and Snittens, Possum and Snoogans at the top.....all of the four legged children!  Can't leave anyone out!

The Bussiest Time of the Year!

Really I still blog!  I swear I do will!  We have just seemed to have become very busy with little things to do during the holiday season!  We had so much to get done for Thanksgiving and it has not stopped  yet!  My great friend Sus even emailed to check to see if we were still alive since she had not seen a blogging obituary on me!  I still have decorations that have not been put out and I keep moving things around and there still is even one tree that is not put up and it is one of my favorites so we shall see if it comes together!  I still have yet to blog any of our Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving or even some of the things we did in the fall!  Ahhh one day bloggy buddies.....one day!  I do have a lot to share I just have to find time to sit and write it!  We had a friend come over and take pictures for us tonight for our Christmas cards.....yeah I realize we are a little late on that too!  We always do Christmas in Macon (where Cas's family lives) a different weekend that actual Christmas and we are having that this weekend.  That is right I have a crap load of presents to wrap AND NONE.....NOT ONE FREAKIN ONE of them is done yet!  Then there is the baking I have to do before we go.  All the women bake or cook like 5+ things to bring to Granny's Christmas so when I get through blogging I have to go and look through some books to finalize what goodies I will be making therefore I shall be going back to the grocery store tomorrow.  We are supposed to be going to a Christmas play tomorrow night too.

Sigh........As Clark Grisswold says......"Tis the Season to be Merry"