December Advent Layout!

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I enjoyed doing these layouts during the month of December.
Scrapping with Liz designed the templates, thanks Liz.

December Layout Challenge

Scrapping with Liz had another challenge on her blog for the month of December and here's my take on the challenge...

Click here if you would like to check out the challange and pick up the free template.

This is why I love South Texas. No matter what time of year it is, there is always a bit of sunshine and living things surrounding you! Life thrives here and so do I. It's Mid-December and we have hibiscus and wildflowers in bloom and crab-spiders spinning webs, looking for dinner.

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Credits:

Paper and Elements from a collaboration kit called "Curiosity" designed by Edeline designs & Joyce Paul Designs.

Ahh....

Chocolate Chip cookies...

they just sounded so good and they taste even better!
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The Lego Shuttle...

When Fred saw the Shuttle kit he told me "I am NOT putting that together"...ha ha ha

Christmas day I took a nap and woke up to this...Fred working on the shuttle! I had to chuckle. I asked him what happened and he said Michael wouldn't stop bugging him.

So I thought I'd be nice and I started working on putting together the other parts of the shuttle kit...the launch pad above.

Michael helped and we put together the rockets for blast off...

Our accomplishment!

and Daddy? he was still working on the shuttle, ekk.
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Yea finally completed! It holds a satellite and an arm to release it into space!
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Michael loves it...

Daddy and Michael posing with the Shuttle!
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The Shuttle after it has landed.

Christmas Morning...Ho Ho Ho

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Michael was shocked when he saw that Santa had brought him a Kinect for his Xbox 360. The "Calvin can't fly" book is too cute and we've read it several times and all that candy!

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Oh Oh Oh...what is it?
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Uh Oh...I kind of got carried away with the tape, ekk.
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Love that smile :o)
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Michael had ordered this and had forgotten all about it, lol...he was just tickled!

There is just so many Lego kits and I wasn't sure which one he wanted so we got online one day and I had him pick one out. When it arrived I hid it, sneaky Momma!
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Okay he was not thrilled when he opened up this gift, a piece of paper???

Then I explained to him it was a gift certificate for a season pass to Splashway! When I told him that, he was so excited and asked if we could go the next day, ekk! I had to explain to him that they are only open during the summer months and we could go in May. He wasn't too happy but I told him that quiet a few of his friends also got Season passes for Splashway and we'd be seeing them a lot this summer.
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A tank and military set from cousin Jayne, Mark and Ricky! Oh soo cool!

and it wouldn't be a Christmas photo without one of the animals getting their butt in the photo!
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Michael got Daddy some Dallas Cowboy footies!
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Grammy with her cup from Michael.
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Fred with his game camera...

be prepared as soon as we decide where we are going to put it I might just have some wildlife photos for you!
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Mom with a gift from her grandchildren Teagan and Tucker.
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A basket made here in Texas from us..."The girls of Brenham"

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Okay so he was excited with his other gifts but he was really excited when he received this from Grammy, Wow! The kids got more money in the bank than we do, sheesh!
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Love this photo of Daddy and Michael...A special moment on Christmas Morn.
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Michael helping Grammy, she wasn't opening her gifts fast enough!
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Michael and Grammy sharing a hug!

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We had a great Christmas and hope y'all did too!

Rainbow...

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Christmas Eve + Stormy skies = Rainbow!

Christmas Eve...

Fred's Family had Christmas on Christmas eve. Fred, Mom, Michael and I went over early and ate, then went to the candle light service at church and then came back to open gifts...We each bring a gift and then draw numbers to pick and choose the gifts. If we don't like the gift we picked we can choose someone else's, it makes for a lot of fun and laughter...Here's a few of my favorite photos...if you'd like to see more I uploaded more to flickr.

Checking to see what gift someone got...

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Malachi and Raquel (our grandbabies)...
Not sure if they're playing or fix'in to get in to a tiff over a toy? Love having the young ones there!
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We got Raquel a ball popper and she loved it, all the kids loved it!
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Erica (Fred's daughter), Gemineye, Fred, Me and Malachi sharing a laugh and posing for a photo!
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Gemineye not yet 2 months old...holding his Mothers hand!
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Wouldn't be a family get together if "Hands in his face Man" wasn't there :o)
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He was having too much fun! I sure do love that smile!

Me with the youngest Grandson, Gemineye.
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Trey (Fred's son) taking his gift card from Academy...

Fred doesn't agree and wants to see Trey's number, lol..."Give it up Dad!"
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Brothers!

Do you know how hard it was too get these 3 to pose for me, sheesh!!

The 3 stooges!

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We all had a great time and were very very tired before it was all over with. A cold-front/storm had blown through and knocked out the power a few times. We finally hooked a generator up and started the gift exchange, then the power came back on, lol...

Lots of good food and fun company and a GREAT Christmas eve.

Stay tuned for more photos from Christmas and hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho....

Merry Christmas!!

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Happy Birthday Jesus!

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Hope y'all have a GREAT Christmas!

Oh My...

My brother in law called and said there was a big HUGE box over to Mom and Dad's and wanted to know if I was expecting something. I said No, not until next week. The Dallas Cowboy store has been having Daily deals and I saw these last Sunday evening...A Childs Dinner set with the Dallas Cowboy emblem for $4.99...WoW! I figured I could get the 7 grandkids each one and then Michael too for that price! So I ordered them and honestly did not think they'd make it here before Christmas...Yea, Love the Dallas Cowboy store! And the Grandkids get another gift from Grandpa and Grandma. It's so darn expensive to buy for 7 grandbabies so we just get them each one gift...so I was excited they get another gift from us.

I gave Michael's to him today and he loved it!

Ho Ho Ho...

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Michael wanted to go outside and play...But he didn't want to play by himself. So he gave Grammy a gun and off they went...Not sure what they were hunting, Goblins? Monsters? Who knows but they seemed to have had a good time.
The Temperature today was 76 F., sure doesn't feel like Christmas.
I've got all my baking done, the gifts are wrapped and under the tree and I'm ready to enjoy Christmas...Can't wait for the candle light service at Church tomorrow night!
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New Perch...

I went outside this morning and found Lydia perched on the stock trailer...

I was never a cat person but in the past several years I've found cats to be very entertaining...Lydia spends her mornings bird watching and it looks like she found a great spot for it, a full view of the yard.

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Today with the Ladies and kiddos!

I invited the library ladies and kids over for lunch to welcome Mom to Texas for her winter reprieve...We had a full house but the weather was gorgeous and the kids spent most of the day outside playing...

Helen got a new camera, WooHoo!

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We have Trina, Penny, Helen, Shirley and Gerri.

Missing are Shelly and Sabra they weren't able to make it today!

After lunch we decided to follow the kids down to the Oak trees and see what they were up too!

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Walk'in, Walk'in and more Walk'in...The kids ran down there, oh to be young again!
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Grape vines are great for swinging or sitting...Jake loves Jordan!
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Michael and Nicholas in the tree and Toby trying to get up there too!
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Michael, Nicholas, Jordan, Kaden, Bobby, Ashley and Toby...Quinton is missing.

I tried and tried to get the kids together for a photo. Once they were together I didn't care how they were posing, lol...I just snapped away...I like it when they act normal for the camera :o)

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Poor Jake...herding us just wore him out!
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Chatting and taking photos, what better way to spend the afternoon!

We had a great time and so glad it was a beautiful day!

♥