ORNAMENT GIVEAWAY

**** Well it is now 5 PM so you can see I did not get this posted last night….a little boy came down the hall with bed head and was just needing his Grammy to hold him…

Its almost 3 AM and the day is winding down.  Trees everywhere, more ornaments than my house can hold, ideas running rampant in my head, scheduling problems that always happen, looking for energy boosters, Band-Aids on several fingers, stuck a piece of wire in my thumb and that has been so sore today,  nails need filled in, white as a sheet (meaning I need to spray tan), my shop looks like a tornado went through it and we are only into the third week of decorating. 


Plus this is the week that my head elf and I travel and work on houses in another town. 
Stacks of paperwork (which I hate the most) are piled up, the house is less than clean, I have not changed out our closets from summer to fall (that means I wear pretty much the same thing everyday)!  That’s my life right now…

How I would love a night to read blogs.

Instead tonight Parker and Jack spent the night and I let everything GO and just hung out with them. 
It makes my “to do” list longer for tomorrow, but it was sure great fun tonight.  No pictures…Neither was interested in pictures. 
Parker and I had a long talk about bullying and what it meant and who did it.
His school had addressed it several times and he shared with me what he had learned.  I was so impressed that he got it…Bullying is not cool!
 
Jack and I watched the same movie twice.  Only a grandmother would do that.  When the credits rolled the first time, he laughed and said “Let’s watch it again”, and we did.


We do have some pictures and some new ideas and I plan to post on the holiday blog Thurs.…maybe some ideas you can use….that’s on my list.

Since I have so many ornaments right now, it will be a good time to give away a basket of ornaments.  I have some neat cross ornaments that I will include in it.  All you have to do is leave a comment and this blog and the holiday blog (so I will know there are still readers over there)!
Also tell me if you would like to share some of your holiday traditions and do a guest post on A Baby Changes Everything.

I know if you are like me you feel like your problems are HUGE!!!!
 
Here are two blogger friends that desperately need prayer.

Paige and I only know each other through blogging, but I feel like I know her so well.  Her husband has pancreatic cancer.  It’s a vicious battle…He had to be admitted to the hospital this afternoon.  My heart hurts for her.


I don’t know this lady but all I can say is she is superhuman….Praying for Tripp and a word of encouragement would probably make her day.
 

If you want to read a fun blog read about this family Hope in a Boys World.  She is an excellent writer and the neatest family.

If you want to think, read my friend Amy at Snoodlings…she makes me think…This is a gal I know and love.


If you want to hear a real story teller, do not miss this special lady at Cow Patty Surprise.


Ok, that’s enough reading for you…Leave a comment and get in on the ornament giveaway…


Post it on your blog and then let me know and I will have a special drawing just for you for another ornament group.  I love to give ornaments away.


Check the holiday blog and you will see some neat ideas….Give me about a day…to get them up.


I am doing the 30 days of Thankfulness of November on Facebook, so will try and include my list on the blog too. 
Day 1  For Hope in a Dark World
Day 2 For My Family

Have a good week!!!!!

I WISH YOU A FRIEND, I WISH YOU A DEEANN

Don’t you love the days you have four posts in your head and only time to post about one.  That’s me today.  I was going a totally different direction, but I am going to save that one for another day. 

Last night we went to a HUGE celebration party for a young man that I have known from birth. They live in a huge home and that house was packed with people, young and old last night. All there to honor  one of those totally awesome kids that when you finished reading about him, you would think I might have embellished it a tad.  He is just that great…and off to Vanderbilt this summer to begin college on a FULL RIDE as a baseball player… I think you just might see him in the pros one day. But I am going to save his story.  Today I want to tell you about his MOM, one of my dearest friends.   Everyone needs a DeeAnn in their lives.

We have been friends for 20 years…I am older than her.  She has teenage kids, I have adult kids.
We are at different places in our everyday lives.  I am keeping “little’s” and she is going to a gazillion ballgames. 
I have been where she is and she will be where I am.  (And she will probably make me realize that I did not have Grammy down as good as I thought)

For more years than I can count we have made an effort to have lunch every month, though its usually every two, many times at the same place, in the same booth, eating the exact same thing
and for two hours plus we share our lives over coffee or wine.

There are few things we have not discussed.  Maybe none.

We have traveled together….we were  together out of town late the night before 9-11.

I remember her dropping me off at home, going to bed, and the world changing all in a matter of hours.
She has given my kids showers in her home, blessed them on every occasion, been a friend to them, walked with me through some hard years and ALWAYS been one of the first emails, text or calls anytime there has been a crisis in my life.

She has also celebrated every good thing. 
She is always there and yet we can go two months and not see each other and pick up on the last sentence. 
I think I am her best friend and I think probably at least 100 other people think they are.
 
She has the gift of friend! (I think I made that gift up)
 
She has two of the best looking boys and the cutest girl ever. I love her kids.
Connor, Carson and Allie-Marie.
 I have watched her raise her kids and somewhere they got polite down to a science. 
        
          
       
She is a great Mom, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend…but what you would notice about her after one meeting is she is just plain old KIND!

Amanda said to me once, “Mom, when Ms. DeeAnn leaves a message on your answering machine, it makes your day!” I do not think you could listen to a message she leaves and not SMILE.

She has made my day more times than she will ever know.

Her picture would be next to the word kind in the dictionary.

She has a quality that is rare today.  When you talk to her, she hears your heart. You have her total attention and she cares.

I have heard her interact with her kids so many times and she speaks to them in the kindest voice.
In turn they speak to others in that voice. A lesson for all Moms.  I asked her daughter recently if she knew she had the sweetest Mom in the world and her answer was “Yes Ma’am, I do”!
She has every reason to be so proud of her kids…
Connor has had an amazing high school baseball career and Carson is coming right behind him. (Can I give you a little trivia here that only my regular blog readers will appreciate…Connor had to have shoulder surgery last year and the same surgeon that operated on Brett, Dr.Andrews, did Connor’s surgery..just file that in your things I could have lived without knowing box)

Back to DeeAnn.. When I tell her she has extraordinary kids, she always humbly says, “They really are good kids” as in her feeling blessed rather than her being the reason. (Arnie, I promise to write about you one day)

So my wish for you today is that everyone of you would have a DeeAnn in your life.  I am so glad that I do. 


Parkers not here tonight…(Jack is) so I will announce the book winners tomorrow.

We had all 4 little's here today and Parker went home to spend the night with Austin and Gray.


NOW FOR A LITTLE FUN NEWS….Amanda and Micah dropped Jack here mid-afternoon to go and play a round of golf…

A couple of hours later a text comes in….MOM….

MICAH hit A HOLE IN ONE ON the 8th HOLE…       
      (Guess who is going to be 12 this week?)

This was his second hole in one in a lifetime of golf…and I think he has a smile on his face tonight, especially since his woman was there to witness it.

                    

TOO MANY POSTS in MY HEART, SO THIS IS A RAMBLE

This weekend started out great.  I had a long over due lunch with one of my dearest friends on Friday.  We caught up.  Then on Friday afternoon and evening  (until 3 AM) Amanda and Terri helped me take down our biggest job this year. That would be multiple trees with what seemed like a million ornaments. Why do we attach them so good?  I understand why those that take their own down say ugly things about us.   Saturday Terri and I went back to the house and got everything organized and ready for next year.  I griped all day because my back hurt, but I will be thanking Terri next year for encouraging me that we needed to GET IT DONE!
 Saturday night was great football, great take out food and lots of blog reading, and trying to not get bogged down in the Arizona tragedy.  Those that know me, know the news junky x 10 that I am,  so that was impossible. 
I woke up depressed just thinking about it.  I have been on the couch all day. LITERALLY, except to get something to eat..We are having icy weather with snow here, no school tomorrow and in our area, no one goes out when its snowing and raining or at least I don’t.  I just pray the power does not go out.
Nothing makes me happier than a PJ day with a roaring fire, lots of football, in my case all the trees still up (I really love Christmas lights) and a son-in-law that not only cooks  but delivers. Thanks Micah, we love you.
I have one more house besides my own to take down and then it will be a wrap for another year for this tree decorator. 
In  this same weekend, I have witnessed the most horrible rampage in Arizona.  I have been glued to every report.  The picture of the little nine year old girl is almost more than I can look at.  The innocent people that were so brutally murdered on an ordinary normal day in front of a Safeway.   Is this still America?  See what I mean, I have so many things I want to blog about.  During this weekend, I found out that one of my favorite friends Dad probably has lung cancer, a gal that I love and had just visited with went in for an appendix surgery this week and they found a tumor behind her appendix and it was not one you would want to find, a local blog friends Dad just found out he had stage IV tongue cancer, so tonight my heart is heavy.  So many needs, so many prayer requests.  A few minutes ago I saw that Beth Moore had posted…It was a WORD…
then my new friend Edie posted…another WORD.
Don’t miss either of these posts.  They so encouraged me tonight…Ask God to give the people above a miracle, a good report….I know he CAN…its been only a few short months that my family needed one.  That miracle is sitting in a chair across the room from me reading a book and watching a little football. 
Time to have a  New Years Giveaway….Nezzy, one of my favorite bloggers just wrote about a SURPRISE  GIVEAWAY  she won on my blog. Same kind of GIVEAWAY this time…A SURPRISE.  I will have Parker draw next Friday…and I want YOU to WIN. If you send a new friend I will throw your name in twice. A comment is all that you have to do.  Have a great week.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A COMPLIMENT OR A SMILE

Today was a day I felt ugly, felt fat, maybe just a tad bit of depression, just struggling to get motivated on Christmas stuff...Maybe at least one of you have had those feelings before.  I was tired, had probably walked 5 miles from one end of market to another looking for one particular thing.  As I stepped on the elevator, the little lady sitting at the bottom checking to be sure only people with market tags around their necks got on, SMILED AT ME and said "You look so pretty and your skin is beautiful".  Now neither were true, but her compliment and smile changed my entire day. If that was NOT enough she then said how much she loved my outfit! (at least 3 years old)  I made a new commitment to make eye contact with people, and smile with a compliment. If we all did this, this cold
cynical world might change.

THESE next pictures have nothing to do with this post, just a little man that might make you smile! This was from Friday night when he spent the night with me

JACK IS 2 and a HALF and HE IS AVAILABLE.

PROOF THAT NO TOYS ARE NEEDED.  A BOX IS ONE OF JACK'S FAVORITE THINGS!

Thanks to each one of you for your  sweet words of encouragement.  I am fine...Just have several situations going on, none that I can do anything about other than pray. Nothing has changed with any of them, but getting away, even if it was to work on Christmas buying at market, has been better than sitting home and worrying about them...I can worry well!  I like to be able to FIX THINGS and these situations fall under the "not fixable" at least by me...I love a great hotel and I have spent the last four nights in one. There is something to be said for someone else making the bed, letting the dog out (the dog hotel at home), room service, and sleeping a lot. In the next day or so I am going to give you some MEGA EYE CANDY on the Holiday Blog.  Since I told you I would draw Sunday and it is now Monday night, I am going to wait until I see Parker on Thurs and giveaway two groups of ornaments instead of one, so all comments on this post will be included too......so you still have time to comment or send a friend.  I picked up some gorgeous ORNAMENTS today. 

ONE OF THE MOST FUN THINGS to HAPPEN this weekend, was I met KRISTEN from KRISTEN'S CREATIONS.  I have bought things from her Etsy store, helped her plan a Disney trip, visited with her by email for months....we both decorate trees, but we had never met...I was in a showroom that I had not even planned to stop in and was DEEP in thought about a tree when I passed this beautiful girl, walked past and then thought "That looks like Kristen"
I knew she was at market, but had told her I was not going to be there..but really was not looking for her.  I thought by the time I got there she had probably already gone home to Arkansas.  So what do I do...I say her name...the worst thing that could have happened would she would not have turned and answered...BUT IT WAS HER.  I even got to see her again today and meet Sherry, her friend she works with.  I got a picture of us together yesterday, but I looked like Jack had put on my lipstick and it was just too bad to post.

SHE IS GORGEOUS

KRISTEN REALLY IS BEAUTIFUL! This is my FIRST REAL BLOG FRIEND TO MEET IN PERSON.

OK, HERE'S THE DEAL.....I NEED HELP

***** 1:00 PM
I am so excited...Keep the suggestions coming. I have an entire afternoon and evening free, fire roaring, candles burning, lifetime movies tivoed, to look through all the blog sites and read blogs. My husband is out of town on business, the little ones are all at their own homes, staying warm and getting well, so it's a ME day. Now if I can just think of some great food from a place that delivers. Hopefully I will get to drop by and visit you today...

For the past month I have gone from one blog designer to another's website, looked at more blogs that I care to admit and am still no closer to finding the NEW LOOK that I want. MAYBE that's because I do not know exactly what I want. I NEVER dreamed there were so many designers. And on practically every site I LOVE something. I have kept a file of what I like and what I don't. BUT NOW I am ready to FIND SOMETHING THIS WEEKEND. I need your help.....

I need you to help me to find the perfect design. I love the scrapbook designs, I love the simple looks, I love the very unique sites. I love the bells and whistles that I see on other blogs. I want great pictures. I love RED! I love GREAT font, but easy to read and on and on.(confession...I know so little about blogging that you would laugh)
If you are a designer, I would love to hear from you. I will not only pay you, I will do an entire post on your blog design business.
If you are a blogger, send me your ideas.....the biggest problem is that I LOVE TOO MANY THINGS.
SO, I want YOU to submit blog designers that you LOVE. I am not smart enough to use the free ones that I have to put together myself. I even want you to look through their portfolios and send me examples that you think would fit my BLOG. There will be a PRIZE TO THE BLOGGER that helps me the most and submits a site and designer that I USE. I have packages to mail next week and would love to mail you one. I am home all weekend, so send me some suggestions........You know my personality, my message and my blogging style.

And on a side note, my husband had some heart tests this past week.We got a call yesterday that there were some abnormal readings on it. So we need to meet with the doctor on Monday. He had a quadruple bypass 18 years ago and has never had another problem, but we are ALWAYS anxious when he has his check-up. So your prayers would be so appreciated. Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

I HATE A NAKED HOUSE

SORRY YOU HAVE SEEN THIS PICTURE BEFORE BUT IT TAKES MY BREATH AWAY! TWO LITTLE MEN THAT HAVE STOLE MY HEART!
First of all, I am all bummed that I don't have any pictures...My son-in-law is out of town on business so Amanda and the boys spent the night with us last night. I was just sure I would get some great shots...BUT I need a new camera battery...I really want a new camera...so I WOULD LOVE to hear your SUGGESTIONS on CAMERAS. IT needs to be fairly easy to use as I HATE to read instructions. In the comments leave me some names of your favorites. We leave for Colorado in 2 weeks and I would love to have one by then. That would be a gift to me from me from tree work. Believe me I EARNED IT. This week I am taking down four houses, along with my elves and then we retire for another year.

It was a been a BLAH few days....(with the exception of the Vikings getting the number 2 seed in the NFL on Sunday...for you non- football fans that means nothing...for football lovers..that means my favorite team/player get a bye in the first round of the play-offs and home field advantage in their first playoff game..as the wife of a retired football coach that's my football lesson for the week)! And in the past week I have watched FAR too much football.

Here is the point of the post title since you are probably wondering if I had a random thought and then forgot it. I am taking down all my decorations much earlier than normal this year since we are taking a winter vacation in a few weeks. January has always been a month I fight depression, the blah's, whatever you call it. It is just not a month I love though I love cold weather. I just don't love January. Its the end of football season and that makes me sad. After going FULL SPEED since October decorating homes for the holidays, the slower pace is NICE. I do get more sleep, see more movies, watch more football, and get so much more GRAMMY time...BUT as I dismantle the house, I HATE it...

I HATE a NAKED HOUSE. Since holiday decorating is my business, I tend to continue to decorate my own. So by Christmas, the house is what you would call WINTER WONDERLAND, with a tree in every nook...So the last few days I have taken one section at a time and began putting the snowmen away. And every place I undress not only looks bare, but looks like it needs cleaning and is begging for a new look. I make pictures before I start decorating so I know just where things go back, but for some reason it always looks like less when I put it back. I have so many little white lights everywhere during the holidays, that now that they are leaving, the house is beginning to look dark. Just an illusion, but a look that I dislike...

SO I THINK I NEED TO MAKE A TRIP TO KIRKLAND'S AND T.J MAXX! Maybe pick up a few new nesting things. If any of my friends are reading this they are laughing as I do not need anything. I am a pillow and lamp addict, so maybe a new pillow will put some clothes on the house....because I REALLY HATE a NAKED HOUSE. What about you?

Am I the only person with this problem?

I promised a post on my FAVORITE BLOGS. I think what I am going to do is list a few on each post...When I started compiling a list, it grew and grew.....

So for tonight here are five BLOGS that I LOVE! Stop by and visit them and you will love them too....

Mo JOY....Mo (Melanie) is just fun, artistic and and has two cute girls...

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality. She gives great blogging advice, writes fabulous posts and is a must read for me.

Kristen at Kristen's Creations

She and I do similar jobs and I love looking at the work of others.

Amy at Snoodlings Amy lives in my town and has just lost her Dad to a brain tumor. She is an outstanding writer. I never leave her blog without a nugget of gold. She writes about REAL LIFE and from her writings you know how real she is.

Melissa at Melissa's Heart and Home. She gives great decorating tips and pictures, but I am most drawn to her sincerity and kindness. I think we would be real life friends.

OK...leave me some camera suggestions and tell me about which blogs you visited. I am working on a NEW LOOK and hope to have it for my one year BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY. February will be a month of prizes, fun and celebration!

YOU ARE ALL DEAR TO ME and A COUPLE OF WINNERS

I loved reading all your comments..and am thankful for all my blog friends...Your stories make me laugh, make me think, make me cry and make me very HAPPY that I decided to blog!
I have spent the last two days packing up Christmas stuff in my shop. That's not a fun job, but one I need to get done early this year. I don't want to leave on vacation with my shop a mess.

Tonight is a night just with the boys....although I have had Parker the last two days and nights! (heaven) But Jack is on his way to spend the night so his Mom and Dad can have a night at the movies and the house will come alive.
We did see a good movie late yesterday afternoon...
It's Complicated! Some really funny scenes..I will leave it at that.
Tomorrow is SPA DAY for me...What a way to spend New Years Eve. This spa is the greatest and between a great hydrating facial and a 90 minute massage, you get a fantastic meal served on a gold tray, complete with silver and crystal...They do EVERY THING to make you feel special. Then a night of fun and fire works with the boys. Amanda is fighting a cold so I am going to help her get her tree down. That's what Moms are for.

I posted a final Random Dozen on my holiday blog!
EVEN TYPING 2010 FEELS STRANGE!

OK for some NEW YEARS winners....we decided to use a combination of Parker and Jack's birthday's..

The winners are Sarah at The Strength of Faith and
Andi at Magallano Mournings ...VISIT THESE BLOGS AND SAY HELLO to two bloggers.
Please send me your name and addresses and a package will be on its way...Hope to mail out prizes tomorrow or Monday.

I am working on a list of some of my favorite blogs and will post them in a few days. The problem I am having is there are SO many blogs that I love. I think this will take several posts! BUT HEADING THAT LIST and THE REASON I BLOG is because for many months I read this blog, Just a Beachkat! This was a lady I loved, enjoyed every post and wanted to know her better. So if you don't know Kat, stop by and you will be hooked. I have not met a more genuine and fun lady in blogland.

Getting to Know What YOU Don't DO

This has been such a fun post that I am going to leave it up until Monday, while I work on the answers to the "tree questions"! And just to make it a little more fun, I think I will let Parker draw 2 winners....so 2 blog friends will get a surprise in the mail. If you mention the post on your blog I will add your name 5 extra times in the drawing. I love getting to know all of you better. Be sure and let me know that you linked to my blog where I can give you extra chances to win. Have a great weekend.
Teresa
I loved the post I did on Getting to Know YOU and got great responses. ...and I AM in the process of checking out all those blogs. I promise to visit everyone. Babies have been taking some of my blogging time. And you can probably tell that in our home BABIES RULE ! This will be a way for me to know you just a little better...so let me see your list of dont's in my comments .... ..Monday, Parker will be home from Destin and I will let him pick a number. I will mail you a "Surprise Box" later in the week. So let's call this a
Mini Giveaway, just for participating in the fun. ( Are you beginning to see that I love to GIVE AWAY SURPRISES?)
"I Don't"
Here is a list of 10 "Dont's" that come to mind. Let's stick to TEN! I could probably list 1000.
1. I don't get up before 10 most mornings. (I am sorry..I know some people consider that a sin)
2. I don't go to bed before 2 most nights.
3. I don't cook
4. I don't go to bed until everything is picked up.
5. I don't EVER mind a grandchild spending the night. ( I have that little 18 month old Jack safe in the crib in his room at our house tonight..nothing sweeter. I bet I cover him up 2o times before I go to bed and I let Celine's lullaby album play all night.
6. I don't really like to drive, would always prefer somebody else to do the driving.
7. I don't like to run errands...(my husband loves a list and does not mind at all, which is such a blessing)
8. I don't ever tire of Disney TRIPS.
9. I don't ever let the laundry pile up. I like everything clean.
10. I don't like to iron or PAINT !
Now I would love for you to share your list with ME. I really do want to get to know my readers......Not just your name but who you really are...I was thinking about my five closest real life friends and I could easily write 10 things they "Don't Do"! .....I am looking forward to your answers..and in the process you might win a prize.
and if you missed my last post, take a look below at our little miracle!