advent!

I have always thought an Advent Calendar would be fun but I have never done one with the family. I decided to this year since I thought of it before Dec 1!!! I really just came up with my own thing so to speak. I decided to get 25 red envelopes and write the numbers 1-25 on them plus i added a little twine for a decorative look and inside each one is a little paper that gives the evenings surprise in it. It could be an activity, a place to go, a craft, a small gift, and so on! I guess whoever is here in the evenings will get to participate!! Haha!! It's probably more for the 6 younger ones but the older ones will certainly enjoy most of the things listed in each envelope!!! (but most likely they won't be here in the evenings!) hopefully I can share our advent days with you!!

I think I have about everything as far as getting our home all cheer-eeeee done!!!! It is a merry place for us all to gather together! I love decorating and especially at Christmas!!

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

change of plans!

****ceiling photo below!!!!!*****

I got up early to head out to do grocery shopping and some Christmas shopping but when I came into the LR, a few working guys were here and I was asking if they were working or what. Something happened to the trailer and Elijah said we are gonna do your ceiling today! So yay for that!!!! But I had to change gears and
figure out the shopping for later. I thought I had better make some muffins for the now ceiling workers! Ha! Lotsa noise at 7am!! Ha! Things progressed well! I thought I better start on some kind of lunch because when they work on projects at home they like to eat!! Not having much options because I was going to the grocery store I thawed some
of Andrews back straps out from the deer he just got a few weeks ago! Got some potatoes boiling too!!! A man meal for sure!! I cut the backstraps in little medallions, let them soak in butter milk for about an hour, then tossed them in some flour and spices and fried them up!!! Wow we're they ever good!!!! Then I finally headed off to grocery shop leaving about 10:30 am. Got home about 5:30 pm, fixed dinner, and cleaned up all the construction sight from the finished ceiling! Looks great!!!! So thankful for the guys!! Although Elijah some how got sidetracked with a little "errand!!" haha!! Daniel, Andrew, Micah and Terry endured to the end!! Threw some dinner together, cleaned the kitchen and then went to Walmart at 8:00 pm! Back home, finished some things up here and just now sitting down for some coffee, my first cup of the day!!! (fixn to be a 2nd!!!)

Hopefully I can get a photo of the ceiling tomorrow!

How was your Monday!?!?!?!

Our house is "happy" with a few
lights up outside!!!!

looking like Christmas!!!

Full Christmas mode over here!!!!!

trip!

We headed to south Texas for Thanksgiving.....and since the beach is very close, Mercy wanted to see the water!! She was a very happy little girl to go!! There is just something about looking out and not seeing the end. It makes me feel so small. Or rather how big God is! To see all the grains of sand just makes you realize how amazing God is. Just puts one in a state of thankfulness and awe!

a zillion yay's!!!!

I have been waiting to tell you!!!!!! .......Terry and I are gonna be grandparents!!!!!!! We are so so so so excited!!!!!!! This little one is gonna be loved loved loved!!!!!! how does it sound...... Uncle Doug, Aunt Bek, Uncle Lije, Aunt Anna, Uncle Tig, Uncle Dewey, Uncle Josh, Uncle Miah, Uncle Siah, and Uncle Joel in heaven, and the star of the show.....Aunt Mercy!!! Wahoooooooo!!!!!!

down south!!!

A happy Thanksgiving from south Texas!!!! May the Lord give you a day of gratitude for all his goodnesses to us!!!

a hush.....

it's mostly quiet early on the farm. as I get closer to the barn, I hear "hellos!" A heavy dense fog was settled around the pasture this morning, telling me to hush! Something about a fog is mysterious to me. it "looks" weighty but you can actually pass through it quite easily. Hmmmm.... kinda like life's circumstances. It seems powerfully overwhelming at times yet grace always allows us to slip through the mysterious clouds and before long the sun breaks and they are just gone! Swallowed up! Thankful for grace, thankful for purpose in the mystery of a fog, thankful that the sun broke this morning, the hush awoke to goats and cows and doggies and kitties all with a cheery hello as I made my way back down towards the house to the now awaking peoples, fuzzy heads, froggy voices asking "what's for breakfast. I named the branch photo, "endings//beginnings! The leaves are gone now/ending. The sunrise is coming//beginning. I think I will watch the farm awake more often.....

a girlie breakfast....

****recipe in photo below******

{vanilla beans are found at Walmart on the spice row, at the top in a glass type jar. There are 2 in the bottle for $10. Or you could order some online!) you split them down the middle, lay it open and then I used like a butter knife to scrape the vanilla bean stuff out!)

....but the guys had some too!!! Vanilla Bean Scones!! The recipe said like the ones at Starbucks, an I have to agree..... scrumptious!!!! The girls love love love having little "eats" at this table I grabbed at a thrift store awhile back! It folds in half! Great and easy to pull out quickly!!! Definitely one of my best finds!!

Terry is fixing to put up the metal ceiling tiles, some have vb tournaments, some are still in bed(won't give any names) some are making their Christmas lists, some are doing chores and I guess I have to clean up the scone mess!! Ha!

Have a great Saturday!!!

#themostwonderfultimeofyear

 Its starting to look alot like Christmas around here!!! Making some stuff!!! Of all the candy I make, I love the Mocha Truffles!! You can google Taste of Home Mocha Truffles and i think the recipe will be easy to get!!


Im soooooo mad at my Blogger App on my phone!!! i have been using it for a long time. I noticed the app said to update it, so I did and now I cant access my account from my phone!!!!! I have tried to sign in many times on my phone but it just wont work!!!! Grrrrrrr!!!! Now I am back to using the computer to make a post!!!!! Its so much more trouble!!!! Any geniuses out  there???? I have tried to sign in( on my phone) and the password says its wrong and its just sick!! Oh well.....guess I will have to live with it!!

Have a great weekend!!!! Hoping Terry gets the ceiling tiles up Saturday!!! Yay!!

memories linger still....

Crackling fires, homemade bread, very cold days, warm hearty meals and a 9 foot tree all dressed up!!!! It is a wonderful time of the year. I really do well most days, but November and December are days, now 6 years ago that hold visions in my mind that are cemented there for ever in this life. Joel! I can almost replay the days as they happened. But.....life goes on and my hope is ever before me that it's really not over! Me and him are just having a little break and one day we will pick up where we left off! In the meantime, our home stays busy, cozy and loud!!! I still have our 7 foot Cowboy Tree to decorate but we are expecting our ceiling tiles today sooo I wanted to get that done first because the tree goes in the area the guys will have to work putting up the tiles! I added 2 silver trees this year to our tree family! I think they are my favorite! After everything is all done, I'll snap a few photos and show you "our Christmas house!" it's funny how excited one is to put it all up but equally glad to take it all down come the end of December! Then I am always anxiously awaiting the little flower bulbs to peek outta the ground!! Hahaha!!! I love Christmas time! The smells, the warmth of our home, the twinkly lights, the cheer-eeee-ness!! I made a board for our mantle, over he fireplace and of course thats where our hearts and thoughts are during this season.... Jesus! There was a place, a time, a baby!

Today is Wednesday! A day in our house that people are suppose to clean! Things have changed so much but I still have to have a clean house! I have recruited little people for helpers!!

Thanks for praying as so many of you still do, for our family and especially this time of year!

Forever missed, daily thought of...Joel!

dinner!!

So proud of Andrew! He has been trying and trying and getting up early and going and going and spending the evenings out on the brothers land and..... finally got em' one!!!! Yay!!!!

moving on....

Well let's think about something else now. How about doughnuts? Made some blueberry baked doughnuts this morning!! First time to cut open a real coffee bean!! Interesting! Jeremiah saw it laying on the counter and asked what it was. I said a coffee bean. He said "I knew it was a coffee bean!" hmmmm!!!! Silly kid!!! I was totally curious about this statement!! I asked him how would he even think that was a coffee bean? He said "oh, just seen them on some cerel boxes!" like who in tarnation just sits around and looks at coffee bean photos on cerel boxes!?!? Hahahah!!!! He's my super hero!! I think he will be President someday!!

How about we think about shopping!?!? My very favorite hobby!!!! ....and even better if it has to do with Chistmas!! Yesterday I spent a long time making ALL my lists for items I wanna get for adding a few extra decorations to making the house all festive!!

Or how about we think about outside and the beautiful trees!!! Been outside alot the last few days with Mercy and kids and the trees are fabulous!

......but the main thing we should think about is the Lord! How merciful he is, how mighty is his power, how great is his grace!

Hope you have a great day!!

go vote!!!

it's Monday!

Have a great week!!!

prayer.....

........Prayer is the never-failing resort of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword you may take to the weapon of all-prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bow-string may be relaxed, but the weapon of all-prayer need never be out of order. Leviathan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Sword and spear need furbishing, but prayer never rusts, and when we think it most blunt it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door which none can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy's hand. We can never be taken by blockade, escalade, mine, or storm, so long as heavenly succors can come down to us by Jacob's ladder to relieve us in the time of our necessities. Prayer is never out of season: in summer and in winter its merchandize is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the midst of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening. In every condition, whether of poverty, or sickness, or obscurity, or slander, or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place. Nor is prayer ever futile. True prayer is evermore true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real wants supplied. When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit. If thou askest for coarse meal, wilt thou be angered because He gives thee the finest flour? If thou seekest bodily health, shouldst thou complain if instead thereof He makes thy sickness turn to the healing of spiritual maladies? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, forget not to offer thy petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant thee thy desires.

a "perty" Oklahoma sunset!

.....rode into the sunset with my wonderful husband tonight....and 4 kidZ!! Hahaha!!! #starbucksdate


I've wrangled, and I've rambled, and I've rodeoed around
I've never once thought of settling down
But darlin', the moment I laid eyes on you
I knew my ramblin' days were through

Made up my mind a long time ago
When the right man came along, somehow I'd know
Heart as true, eyes as blue, and his smile as wide
As a western sky

Let's ride into the sunset together
Stirrup to stirrup, side by side
When the day is through, I'll be here with you
Into the sunset we will ride

(yodeling)

I'll be your cowgirl, if you'll be my cowboy
You'll be my Dale, I'll be your Roy
When the day is done, homeward we'll be wending
Like a movie with a happy ending

Let's ride into the sunset together
Stirrup to stirrup, side by side
When the day is through, I'll be here with you
Into the sunset we will ride.......

Not a good start.....

I dont like to have conversations sometimes with my adult children when it falls under the "reproving" area. Sometimes I can't stand parenting. It's too hard and hurts too much. Of course parents are older than their children and us parents know a little more than they do and we don't want them to make mistakes WE made! I guess sometimes the only thing one can do is pray, which that's the best thing to do anyways. .......and later following the conversation, I get a call from my dad in Arkansas and he and my step mother Shirley, we in a church van with about 20 other folks going to Branson and the van hit a truck that pulled out in front of them because a 3rd vehicle slammed into the back of the truck so the bus hit the truck, the guy in the truck was killed and the 20 passengers in the church van suffered minor to a few serious injuries. My dad and Shirley are very sore and banged up with my dad having a few stitches to his mouth and leg. So thankful they are ok. I just don't like mornings like this! How I need thee every hour..... every second!!!

...He has ever been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is their sure Helper still.

Thank you Lord for your mercy today!!!