Belated Christmas 2009 Girl's Night

Poor Norma had to work until 9:00 but then she cuddled up on the couch to watch the crazy movie we watched with the phyco Auntie that ended up trying to kill everyone!

Alexis came over earlier as her parents were having a weekend in Branson. She stirred up the beer bread for us and then studied for her finals at school. She got caught by the camera.

My CRAZY sis-in-law, Missy, always entertains us and keeps us in stitches. Lindsey joined us and I think that Piper has a new Mommy...ha, Clarissa!

Clarissa messing with her puppy, Piper. She just moved into her apartment a week ago and she graciously offered to have our annual Girl's night at her almost unpacked and organized place.

Girl's night included Piper the girl Westie. She made the circut of gals for rub downs and any food that they wanted to watch her catch. She has a 75 percent catch rate!

My sweet step-sisters, Teresa and Sandy, came for a few hours of girl time. They didn't spend the night but we say that someone always has to be the party poopers! Love em bunches.

Nikki was one of the last ones asleep! Way to hang Nikki after your first time of donating platelets today. Had the needle in her arm for over two hours and wants to do it again.

So thankful for the time that we get to spend with the women in the family especially since all our kids are getting old enough to hostess and share in the grown up gal talk. We stayed up until 1:30 and I really think it could have went longer. Everyone brings their favorite snack and what they want to drink. We had quite a variety....no thinking that I should have taken a picture!

Oh Baby It's Cold Outside!

These two snowbunnies came after they got off work and I hitched a ride home with them after a stroll in the park and some purchases at the Taffy Shoppe. Clarissa and Sarah have been best friends since high school. They are quite hilarious together and fun to hang with.

I know that this picture of me and my friend Becky make it look as if the sun is bearing down on us but.....no go! Instead look at this picture like we are snuggled together because it's so cold! Miss having my friend in Missouri! Had a great day with her, Amy (her daughter), Mya (Amy's daughter) and Skylar (Becky's granddaughter).

I just couldn't resist taking this picture. So cute of Amy and Skylar just chatting away!

Skylar found some crazy hats to try on. I thought that this one was the funniest of them all.

Mya as we enter the park. She is snug as a bug in a rug! We laughed at how stiff her arms were.

Sweet little face after eating Teddy Grahams! All snug and cozy in her layers of pink!

My Mom's friend was gracious enough to ask if I wanted four FREE tickets to Silver Dollar City. We in the Ozarks call it, "Steal Your Dollar City". My friend Becky was in town visiting over the Christmas break so we all piled in Amys car and headed to Branson for the afternoon. There weren't many rides open but we did get to ride the Flooded Mine and of course the train! The lights were incredible and our customary funnel cake and skillet dishes were so yummy. I loved getting to spend time with Becky and two generations of her gals!

Album debut

One of my favorite pictures from the wedding album I put together for Dustin & Katy. It's an 8x8 album that opens like a set of shutters with four 2x3 windows for pictures on the front. To all my scrappin buddies....can you believe it's done? I bet you were sick of me dragging it out everytime we got together to scrap. One more day before you see what else I've been up to!

Roxie getting a bow, a rub down and a hug from her Momma, Katy. Think she loves doggies!

Meet Buckets the Jack Russell who is what we decided is 7 years old here in his Christmas vest. He is truly loved and enjoyed by Katy and Dustin. He's also VERY entertaining but what else would one expect from a Jack? Full of energy and great moves.

Dustin opens a movie that his sister, Clarissa, got him for Christmas. We had some laughs talking about how they used to irritate each other when they were younger. I laughed because Dustin still likes to pester his sister! See the little stinker twinkle there in them eyes?

My newest daughter, Katy, who I love for her sweet nature, calling it like it is and the way she fits perfectly with my son. I sincerely look forward to the future with her as we get to know each other better and make alot of memories.

Tonight Katy and Dustin had us over for dinner. Notice that I put Katy first in the last sentence? That is because we all know that the woman of the house most usually is the one who does all the cooking and preparation needed to have company. She made some really tasty chili with hominy in it....I LOVE hominy. Then for desert there was this platter of snickerdoodles in the middle of the table. I made a little vacant spot. Ok, so I ate three of them while we sat at the table and took one to go. They were so good! You know, the kind that are thick and still soft.

We opened presents with them which meant that the wedding album that I made them had it's debut. It was fun to watch them look through it and make comments. We also got Katy her first sewing machine. She made a quilt for her brother at the Monday nights at Grandma Bulldozer's house. Love the idea of passing down an art/passion that is fading with every generation.

Your never too old for Santa

Tuesday afternoon was spent in town running errands and doing a little Christmas shopping. Last stop, Wal-Mart for groceries and such. As I was walking in this cute little couple were in front of me and when I was leaving they were in back of me. So, I grabbed them for a picture with the BABY (me) in the middle! It's so fun to see this cute couple running around making others smile. Their next stop was to a resturant called Ziggy's. If you are local you know this place but for you foreign to Springfield, it's a resturant that stays open 24/7. You can get a wide variety of foods on the menu there and the customers vary even more. It can really be entertaining there late at night just to people watch.

Volunteer Opportunities

It's a cold dreary Saturday that makes it very hard to climb out of my warm bed. But, this morning I had motivation! I was in the Battlefield Mall parking lot (with a primo parking spot) at 7:45 this morning headed in to wrap gifts for the DCO (Developmental Center of the Ozarks). The marketing coordinator, Denise, co-teaches the 12th grade girl's Sunday School class with me so I thought it would be fun to volunteer for a five hour shift making gifts look pretty while making money for the center. What great fun it was to work with such beautiful papers, handmade bows (made at the center), spools and spools of ribbon, double sided tape (industrial strength) and some good company of gals that I had already known and some that I had just met there. The time went by very fast.

Then right afterwards Denise and I walked down to another entrance of the mall to meet our Sunday School class gals to ring the Salvation Army bell for an hour. It was raining off and on and a little windy but we had a fun time doing it. We sang a few corky songs (well, I was backup) and tried to tell everyone who entered Merry Christmas. It is sad to say that there were some grumpy shoppers out there but for the most part everyone gave a Merry Christmas back at us. We even saw some bills go into the pot.