Did not get a cha cha chia pet for Christmas like Preston kept telling me that I was getting....hubby did good on the presents!!!! 

Today Id like to thank God for never saying Oops!  Cause I say it enough for the both of us.

The day after Christmas I started taking down my decorations.  That was a first for me but I was just tired, I was over it, I needed order back into my life. Im sure you understand.  Im grateful to my husband for taking such good care of the kids while I was in TN.  He allowed me time to catch up on rest, he cooked for the first few days that I was home so that I didnt have to worry about it, and I had more gifts than I could ever imagine under the tree.  He did everything he could to make my Christmas a good one and he has provided lots of hugs throughout the week when I have needed them the most, which is a lot lately.  Im outta here I gotta go kiss the hubby.  Stop reading this entry and go kiss your spouse and kids and tell them how much you love them. 

Loss

I havent written on here lately because as most of you know there was a tragic loss in our family.  It began with a phone call last Wednesday when I was told that my mom and stepdad were in an accident.  Plane trip to TN straight to Vanderbilt where I stayed with mom at the hospital until we laid my stepdad to rest on Wednesday of this week.  The week has been a blur of emotions, loss, numbness, shock and lots of prayers. 
As I write this I think about how strong my mom was during this process, how her faith helped her at times when she wanted to fall to her knees, how my stepdads kids got through this and they (the kids and mom) leaned on each other. I think about if I were in their shoes would I been able to be so strong and the answer is flat out NO.  I returned home late Wednesday night to be with my kids, husband and get ready for Christmas but my heart stayed in TN with my mom.  I feel empty right now but its nothing compared to what my mom is probably feeling.  After this week I will never be the same again.  After what Ive seen, what the family has been through, after my heart aches I will forever be changed.  All the nonsense that I let effect me seems so small now, all the worries about is my house clean enough for company, do I look ok, am I being the best little miss sussie homemaker, none of that matters now.  All that matters is that you should love your family as if its your last day, you should forgive and forget (thats a tough one for me but Im working on it), and thank God for what you have not what you dont have.  Im thankful that my stepdad was kind, sweet, loving, faithful to my mom, a great Donnie Pops to my kids, treated my mom as if she was a gift from God(and she is), and loved us as his own.  Donnie I will think about you all the time and Im thankful for the kind of man you were to me and my family.  Thank you for helping me tell Preston about what happened as well.... I know you had a part in it from up above.

In Celebration of a life well lived


BOWER, Donnie Lee: Age 53 of Burns, TN passed away Sunday December 19, 2010. He was born in Roanoke, VA, September 28, 1957 to Phyllis Denlinger and the late Orville T. Bower. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife, Susan Bower; children, Jeremy (Katie) Bower, Candace Bower, Jennifer (Mark) Earnest, Heather (Lowel) Bolin, Christopher (Amanda) Pyle; siblings, Michael (Glenna) Bower, Wayne (Angie) Bower, Dale (Cindy) Bower and Lisa Bowman; 4 grandchildren with a 5th, Diego Bower, expected in January. Donnie will forever be remembered by his family and friends as an honest family man who loved the Lord and was affectionately known as "Donnie Pops" by his grandchildren, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Donnie attended Bellevue Community Church in Nashville, TN and Chatham Baptist Church in Chatham, VA. His family and friends will gather for funeral services to celebrate his life on Wednesday December 22, 2010 at 10AM at Dalewood Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. His family will receive friends from 5-8PM on Tuesday December 21, 2010 at Spring Hill Funeral Home and on Wednesday from 9-10AM at Dalewood. Interment will follow services on Wednesday at Historic Spring Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers lasting memorials may be made to the Gideon's International P.O. Box 140800 Nashville, TN 37214-0800 or by visiting www.gideons.org Arrangements by: SPRING HILL FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY 5110 Gallatin Road at Briley Parkway, Nashville, TN 37216 (615)865-1101 online condolences at www.springhillfh.com



Donnie Lee Bower

September 28, 1957 - December 19, 2010

Nick Name :Donnie Pops

Place of Birth : Roanoke, Virginia

Passed Away At : Nashville, Tennessee

Occupation :Century Flooring

Hobbies :God and Family

Holiday wish list for your family

What is your Holiday Wish list for your family

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

That we enjoy each others company and cherish the moments we have while our children are young.

2. What is one of your Christmas tradition?

We bake cookies for Santa and curl up on the couch watching Christmas movies on tv.  Later we tell the kids that we think we can hear Santa and that he is getting close and they need to get to bed.

3. If you could ask Santa for one wish for yourself, what would it be?

I would ask Santa for more patience.  Sometimes I feel like Im torn in so many different directions that my patience is tested.  I feel a need to be superwoman at all times, volunteer for everything, be the best hostess, be a great wife and mother, keep the house clean, bake and cook 7 days a week, work, and still be sweet as pie at the end of the day.  Patience isnt always there when things go wrong in my day. 

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

Spending time with the kids, watching Christmas movies,  popping popcorn and just being in the same room all the same time enjoying each others laughter.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

Growing up we played Scrabble, Uno, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Sorry, Monopoly

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own  childhood?

Growing up I got a book that was all about me.  It was from my grandmer and it had my name, address, friends, and family names in it.  We got our kids a Christmas book that is all about them.  Preston enjoys reading his name in it as if the book was written just for him....and it was.

7. If price wasn’t an option and you could go away for the holidays where would you go?

On a fun family cruise away from the daily grind of everyday life!

Hope that everyone is having a good Holiday Season so far .May your holiday be full of love and laughter!

Crayon cups

My sister made these for the kids last week while we were in TN and I just had to share this cute idea.  These look like peanut butter cups but they are actually crayons that she melted.  She doesn't have kids so she had to go buy crayons...apparently she has never looked under my couch, under the island, in random toy boxes, in drawers, under the driver seat of my car, in the bottom of my purse cause in this house that's where the crayons are and sometimes even in my dogs mouth.   To get started she used her cup cake pan and lined them with cup cake liners, she then sprayed a little bit of vegetable oil into the bottom and sides-not a lot just enough to be able to peel the paper off later-yes you can use pam.   She then took out the crayons, peeled or cut off the crayon paper and broke them into 4-5 pieces. There is no rhyme or reason to the color selection so just go for it.   Place the crayons into the cup cake liners and bake for 250 degrees for 15-20 min depending upon your oven.  They will not be completely melted when you take them out but just like when your baking anything else they will continue to bake when out of the oven.  Let them sit for an hour or so till they have set up and hardened.  You can then peel the paper off and cut crayons to boot.  They are perfect for small hands to hold.   I flipped a few over so you could see the underside.  Trinity loved them she said they were tie dye crayons.  We will be making lots of these as soon as I clean them out from under the couch cushions.

2010 Christmas Tour of Homes

Head on over to Nesting Place  at http://www.thenester.com/ to view the 2010 Christmas Tour of Homes.  Take a look at how others decorate their homes.  Be a peeping tom into over 350 other homes as well that have linked up.

Glitter trees on a budget

My cheap project.  I got styrofoam cones at the dollar tree, bought red, green and silver glitter there as well in a pack of 3, and picked up candle stick holders. 
Total cost for each
Styrofoam =$1
Glitter was 3 in pack for $1 (each individual glitter shaker was enough for 2-3 trees a piece per color)
Candle holder=$1.00

I already had spray glue (its in a can like spray paint) I just sprayed the cones, sprinkled glitter, hot glued the glass candle holder on bottom and let dry for several hours.

M&M fun

This is cute to share with your kids so grab some M&Ms and have some fun!

M&M Nativity Story.
As you hold these candies in your hand and turn them you will see, the M becomes a W and E and then a 3.  They tell the Christmas story its one I'm sure you know. It took place in a stable a long long time ago.  The E is for the East, where the star shone O so bright, the M is for the manger where the baby Jesus slept that night, the 3 is for the Wise men bearing gifts with haste they quickly came, W is for worship an angelic choir sang praises to His name.  So as you eat these candies, or share them with a friend-Remember the true spirit of Christmas and never let it end.


Here is candy treat that uses M&M's

Start by lining a cookie sheet with wax paper, then fill the sheet completely with square pretzels.  Top each pretzel with a peppermint Hershey Kiss.  Heat your oven to about 170 degrees and WATCHING CLOSELY warm them for 5 to 6 minutes.  You want to soften the Kiss, not melt it (or it turns into a big mess)!  When it's soft, you can press an M&M on top.  Chill for 5 to 10 minutes to set and enjoy!!

Here is what they look prior to baking

 and here is the after baking before chilling them so they will firm up a bit.

Christmas banister

Our Christmas banister,  I had glitter all over me and the floor when putting this up.  It took 4 days for me to stop seeing shiny speckles of glitter on the floor with this one but it was well worth it.

Inside the front door-card holder

This is the inside of our front door.  I put garland around the door and then hang the Christmas cards and pictures on it that come in the mail.  Each time we walk by it we can see each card and the kids love looking at them.  Preston looks at the cards each day and loves looking at the pictures so this is a great way to display them and have them out of the way at the same time.   We have a few cards already and by the end of the year it will be covered in them.

Vinyl Christmas decor

Vinyl on the front door.
 I started off just trying to touch up paint on the front door before I applied the vinyl lettering that I cut out with my cricut, but my ADD (Addictive Decorating Disorder) got the best of me and before I knew I was painting the whole door.  I have issues I know it.  This is the front door and ...

 This is the back of front door.

Go big or go home

My whopper of a front door wreath....go big or go home.  This is a wreath I just threw together one night with leftover ornaments, fishing line and ribbon.  I like starting with wreaths that are plan that you can redo each year with different ideas.

Go big or go home could also pertain my cup of hot chocolate this morning, no wimpy marshmallows here.  There is nothing like marshmallows with a little room for hot chocolate...mmmm.

An abundance of coffee filters

My next door neighbor Lisa, who happens to own a restaurant, read my blog about making a coffee filter wreath.  She said that she has too many at her restaurant and offered to give them to me......Free craft items, you betcha!!!  I got them yesterday and no joke I think there is 1,000 of them.  So to thank her I made her a wreath with the coffee filters that she gave me, I used fresh greenery and ornaments.  The wreath is sitting on her front porch so she will see it when she comes home.  Thanks Lisa.

By the way eat at Butchs Italian Cafe....and you have to try their meatballs appetizer they are to die for.  Also for those that are from CW did you know that you can order family size meals under $30 that serve 6 for take out! (lasagna, or baked rigatoni,or spaghetti) Also comes with salad/dressing and bread/butter. Our family of  4 has done it and its been enough for us to eat 2 meals out of. Just give them a call 834-3201.

The last of the Holiday Home party

Today is the last of the Holiday Home Linky Party, its all about Christmas trees.  Check out Sarah at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/.  Dont forget people will  be linking up all week so check out lots of trees.  You may already have your tree up but there is always ideas for next year.

Thanks school...really thanks.

How does your sons elementary school make you feel like a boob......remember that its your sons 1/2 bday and celebrate it at school while mommy forgets.  Lets get honest here who the hell celebrates 1/2 bdays anyways.  It would of been nice for his teacher to inform me that they celebrate 1/2 bdays for those that have summer birthdays.  The reminder that it was my kids 1/2 bday would of been nice itself since I didn't even remember that, walking into his classroom everyone says Happy Birthday Preston, puts a crown on his head and then his teacher asks if I brought anything.  Brought anything for what?  The 1/2 bday are you serious.   Next year not only will I remember that they celebrate 1/2 bdays I will bring the sugariest (yes I totally made that word up) cupcakes that you can imagine, they can wash it down with Coke, and pixie sticks afterwards, that will teach you to celebrate 1/2 bdays and not inform a parent who has way to many things going on in her life to remember that he is still a full 6 months away from his real birthday.  Oh its on Indian Trail Elementary....its on!!!

Coffee filter wreath

Coffee filters-not just for coffee anymore.
This is a wreath made with coffee filters.  You first start out with a wreath form, any kind will do, and any size.  Don't go out and spend a lot of money go to your local Dollar Tree store like I did and get yourself one for a $1 you could even use styrofoam ones but you would want to cover the sides as well on that one unless you spraypainted it white.  Dont forget they coffee filters there as well for $1.   I used about 60 coffee filters for this wreath, I only covered the front so if you want to cover the sides and go a little fuller then you would need atleast 100.  I also used my hot glue gun because it dries fast and I have no patience for the elmers glue.  Any glue would work though.  You could keep this up all winter and it would even look cute with a red heart ornament of some kind for Valentines Day.  This was a super easy project that maybe took 45 minutes and was cheap.  At the end I added some extra ornaments I had a letter "B".

I would think that you wouldn't even have to have a wreath to start this project you could probably use cardboard and cut it in the shape of the wreath with the center out of it and then glue the coffee filters on, its just paper so I would assume it would work but I would still suggest using a hot glue gun. 

Sinful Confession.

I must make a confession and it shames me but yet I continue to do it over and over again.  No I'm not talking about streaking...although...no that's for another post another time.  I'm talking about one of my all time favorite movies.  The Best Little Whorehouse in TX.  I cant even write whorehouse without wanting to repent and I'm not catholic.  It has Burt Reynolds back in the days when he was semi nice looking and Dolly Parton and there is signing and dancing and sexing.  Is that even a word?  It is a whorehouse so you know thats whats going on and if you have ever watched it when its been on HBO then yep there is no doubt.   It almost makes you feel sorry for them when they have to close it down for that short amount of time, those poor prostitutes. See how good the movie is, I feel sorry that they cant whore themselves out.   Oh and I like Big Love on HBO so apparently Im into brothels and polygamy.  If my grandmother read this she wouldn't talk to me anymore.  I think I must go now and read the bible.  Let me just write WHOREHOUSE one more time cause its probably the one and only time that I can get away with it. 

TN Thanksgiving

Random pics of Thanksgiving in TN...lets start below with Aunt JennJenn, Preston and the dog.

This is bath time with Aunt jennjenn and it happens each time we visit and its messy, and fun, and a lot of shaving cream is wasted. 

The end result....

Preston with his new cousin Matthew

Baby Matthew (baby moose)

Cousin Natalie

Checkers with PePaw

Natalie and her pappy (my uncle)

Great Mammy with the great grandkids

Aunt JennJenn with Matthew

Mom with Matthew

Aunts with our new nephew

Holiday Home Crafts Party

Kate over at Censational Girl http://www.centsationalgirl.com/ is continuing on with the Holiday Home Link Party so go on over today and check out Christmas crafts.  Be sure and check back often throughout the week since others will link up.

Outdoor decor

Outdoor decor...

Normally this plant stand sits on my front porch with cute garden flags but I moved it off the porch for the winter and decided since I didnt have a small Christmas flag that I should decorate it anyways so here it is with live branches and a few fun hanging items.

This is decor on a metal stand that sits in my flower garden in the front walkway.

 Mailbox with live branches

 Front lights with real snowflakes compared to the fake ones, hehe

 Rudolph

 front door

 New large lantern now sits outside with real branches and lights

 White fence behind the house

 White fence behind the house

 Back porch there is a wreath on both ends