Photo Friday...Best of Friends

Ruby and our guinea pig Oreo have a special friendship. Ruby is so gentle with her and she has to be the best dog ever! We could never let Pearl (our Beagle) near Oreo so unfortunatly we don't let Oreo out of her cage too often. Dean got Oreo from his Aunt as a gift for his 12th birthday so she will be 4 years old this year.  She has been such a great pet and were hoping she will be around with us for several more years to come!

Where did January go?????

  Can't believe it has been a month since last posting here....before Christmas!! I have some Christmas posts to catch up on and then I plan to have a "blog book" made. I've been looking at some different sites and ideas for doing this and I think I have narrowed it down. If anyone has done this and is happy with their book please share!:)

We are still kicking here, just very very busy! This second half of the school year is always much busier than the first. It is a busy time for fund raisers and of course I get caught up in it all! The big fund raiser for Faith's elementary school is for each class to make a themed basket to raffle off. I have been putting a basket together for the past 4 years and decided I would take a break this year. ha! That is until her teacher approached me and asked if I would be willing to put our class basket together. So this is what I have been working on the past 2 weeks......

"Its A Celebration" themed basket! The baskets can be as simple or elaborate as you want. I went around and asked for some local donations and received the following: gift certificate towards a birthday party package at a local "bounce place", gift certificate for a bowling party, movie theater tickets, ice skating tickets, and a dozen gourmet cupcakes. I purchased a cupcake pan carrier, cupcake stand and a few other party goodies and there ya have it! Next I have Reed's schools big fund raiser of the year to start working on.....never ending!

I have my baby girl home with me today! She woke up last night complaining of an upset tummy and there has been some stuff going around so thought we better take it easy today. She seems just fine and I think she probably should have went but I have to say I am really enjoying having her home with me! I sooooo miss those days. She is busy playing with legos so thought I would take this time to try and finally get something posted here!

We had such a beautiful week-end (FINALLY)! It has been a very damp, cold and rainy winter so it was so nice to finally have some warm sunshine.We took advantage of it yesterday and took a drive to Sonoma to eat lunch and walk around and window shop. It was a fun day and I even managed to take some photos of Faith......

She is very much into layering her clothes these days!:) She received many compliments on her outfit through out the day.

It's another beautiful day here so I think I will take my little girl "who is skipping school today" and go take a nice walk with the dogs!

Merry Christmas...........

  

from our home to yours!!!!!

Black and White Wednesday~Peace

Wishing you much peace this Christmas!!!!!

Our days have been very full these last couple weeks enjoying this wonderful time of year!

This is our first Christmas in our new home and we've been having fun filling it with all of our decorations that hold so many precious memories. With moving around so much it is always fun to pull out all of our decorations that have always stayed with us all of these years. We look forward to new memories in our new home too!

It is a very busy time right now with the kids in school and their activities. All 3 are in Christmas performances this year so we have been running around to practices and such. Faith's "kids are music" class she is in was given speaking parts and we found out Faith will be opening and closing the show! Excited but a bit nervous for her!  I also somehow have been volunteered to be party planner for both Faith and Reed's class so I've been organizing food and activities. So much fun and excitement, but I am looking forward to their break when we can slow down and enjoy doing some baking, curling up watching Christmas movies, and just enjoying this peaceful time of year. I am behind on Christmas cards and shopping but do not feel stressed this year about it at all. Maybe it is the older I get the less stressed I feel about these things. Even if it does not all get done, Christmas will still come and be filled with all that matters most.

I'm hoping to get on here before Christmas, but if not wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!!!

HO. HO. HO (Sarcastically said as in Christmas Story)

 

We decided to try our towns "breakfast with Santa" this year. I thought it would be a fun way for Faith to visit Santa and get photos without dealing with the mall crowds. I am very picky about my Santa's and just LOVE a great Santa! You can imagine my face when I turned to see him........

Not everyone is cut out to be Santa, and this was one of them! I almost refused to take photos but Faith was so intent in telling him exactly what she wanted in full detail! By the time she was through I think Santa had a real headache! lol

Our official Santa photo this year! LOL We'll have something to look back and laugh on!

My beautiful girl!

Faith brought a candy cane from home to give to Santa. Wish he would have been a little more grateful! lol

The whole breakfast really was a joke. I am not one to complain but with what we paid to go to this I called the city this morning to let them know I was not happy. Like I said, I am very picky about my Santa's!:)

Last year we had such a wonderful Santa visit! Faith is actually wearing the same outfit she had on as this year.....of course with a much better Santa! You can see HERE!

Happy Veterans Day...........

Dale served 21 years in the US Navy and we couldn't be more proud of him! We didn't think he was going to have the day off today (usually they let him leave early on Veterans Day) but his boss came to him yesterday and said enjoy your day off tomorrow. It's nice having the day to spend together as a family.

Happy Veterans Day to all those that served and are serving today and their families!!!

Black & White Wednesday~Celebrating November National Adoption Month

I can't believe it was over 6 years ago that I became blessed to be called Mother to this beautiful child!
November is National Adoption Month and my hope is that more hearts will be filled to experience this most amazing gift called adoption.

 

Go to the link above to see the wonderful homecoming of another miracle!