January Randomness

It has been about 3 weeks since I have updated my blog, but there is a perfectly good reason - January is my crazy busy month at work.  I have worked the last three Saturday's trying to get all of my quarterly payroll taxes, W-2's and 1099's done, plus the regular monthly stuff I do for clients.  Tomorrow is the last day of the month and I only have two more sets of 1099's to get out, so I think I am going to survive. 

I have been slacking on my picture taking, but here are a few random pics I have taken over the last several weeks.

Avery helping Michael surf the internet.  He left a couple of weeks ago and we sure do miss him!  Rod will be going to lectures at Freed next week, so he will get to see him.

Our supper club is still going strong.  I made stuffed peppers for one or the meals.

And finally used my new vacuum sealer I got two Christmas's ago!

Courtney got me a huge cupecake pan for Christmas, so I tried it out one night.  It took a whole cake mix to fill it up! 

Autumn and Aubree came home with us after church one Sunday afternoon.

The girls have started scrapbooking at church getting ready for the Lads to Leaders convention in April.

Happy New Year

Earl and Lenita Unruh always open up their home on New Years Eve, and it is something we always look forward to.  Earl fried some fish and we had all the fixings for a wonderful meal.  There was a pretty good turn out for the last day of 2011.  And while we didn't stick around for the firework show, I am sure it was awesome!

Rod and James were patiently waiting for the fish to be ready :)

Avery thought she was just as big as Jack and Benton

I took a pot of Mexican black eyed peas and some smores on a stick that got a thumbs up from Charlie

The hostess finally got to eat

Love these ladies

Courtney and Charlie found some puppies they tried to smuggle home

John Henry and Earl in deep discussion

Can't have a party without a game of domino's

Avery getting some loving from Kelli

Autumn sat and read books most of the night.  She is a really good reader!

Paul was "it" and was counting for hide and seek

Benton and Butler

Another favorite party game is spoons - this one got a little dangerous

Michael and Ben enjoy domino's as much as the older folks

We are truly blessed to have such a close knit church family.  Thank you Earl and Lenita for a wonderful evening of good food and good fellowship!

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 started Christmas Eve night with us going to my parents house for Christmas.  Some of my cousins wanted to have an "ugly" Christmas sweater theme.  Which would have been great - if we had not already done that. But it was fun to see different ugly sweaters :)

Most of my pictures will be blurry - as I mentioned in a past post, I dropped and broke my favorite little Canon Power Shot camera.  I loved that camera because it was small enough I could slip into my pocket, plus it took decent pictures.  So I dug out an old ancient Kodak camera I had tucked in a drawer.  Big and bulky and not too cool.  Hopefully I will replace my Canon soon.

Michael, Granny, Courtney and Poppy

Oh yeah, and I woke up with pink eye Christmas Eve morning so I was stuck wearing my glasses - which are several prescriptions too weak.  Luckily, I have Dr. Surber's (actually his wife's) cell phone number and was able to have some antibiotic drops called in to the pharmacy :)

Barbara, in the blue sweater, was the winner

Natalie and Jack - too cute!

Rodney and Hudson

Courtney got a pair of "texting" gloves

Becky and I

Seth said I was the coolest Aunt ever since I got him the new Planet of the Apes movie :)

After we left my mom's house, we came home for more Christmas.  Avery and her mom came over so Avery could open her presents.

Avery made her mom and her Memaw a reindeer painting.  The reindeer are Avery's feet, and the red nose is her thumb print.  I found this idea on Pinterest.

My crew

I think Courtney and Michael enjoyed Avery's toys as much as she did :)

We then opened all of our presents from each other.  Michael did ALL of his shopping in the college bookstore.  We all got Freed Hardeman t-shirts!

Courtney was excited about her new Toms

Rod gave a little devo on giving - and how it is better to give than to receive

After we all finished opening presents, it was time to prepare for Christmas Day.  I had quite a few things to make, so I recruited some help.  Courtney and Michael did an awesome job of putting the green bean bundles together for me.

I had a cake to bake and decorate

Since the kids are older, Santa only brings stockings.  Which is full of all kinds of fun things and gift cards.  The gift cards really seem to be a hit!  

After church on Christmas day, we headed over to my MawMaw's for lunch. 

Posing for the camera

Not posing

My cousin Teri and her husband Waymon

My brother Jeffrey and his wife Vicki

My cousin Kathy and her husband Larry

My cousin Cameron, his wife Miranda, my Uncle David and Aunt Denise and cousin Daniel

My cousin Staci and her husband Matt, and kids Makynzi and Anderson

My cousin Tyler and his wife Brittany

And my babies with my MawMaw

And I finally pinned Rod down for a picture once we got home!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and was able to spend it with loved ones!