Lovin' the Lights!

Bella standing next to our outdoor decorations. Check out her cool Elmo slippers!

My BIL's beautifully decorated home.

Back at our house..full display on the front lawn.

It's not Christmas if I can't drive around and look at some lights. It's just a tradition that I can't let go of. Hubby doesn't get as thrilled as I do about the lights so Bella and I started a new tradition of seeing the lights together. She put on her Elmo slippers and a jacket and away we went. We saw sparkly snowmen, trains, nativity scenes, candy canes, the Mission Inn(with over one million lights), horse drawn carriages all lit up too and so much more. Nothing compares though to my BIL's lights. He goes all out and has won his city contest two years in a row now for best outdoor light display. Only 3 days until Christmas and my mom comes tomorrow! Enjoy the lights!

Isn't She Cute??

My Christmas cards are in the mail, some presents have been bought, I've had to work this week, watch the grand babies and we had our small group Christmas dinner at our house. It's been a full and fun packed week and I'm not done yet. But look what I got at our small group gift exchange...Isn't she cute??? I just love snowmen, don't you? I'm joining Kelli today at There's No Place Like Home. If you'd like to see more favorite things and do your own show and tell. Head on over to Kelli's by clicking here.

If you're stressed...just take a breath and think of me going through it right there with ya. We will get it all done; just like we always do! Have a good weekend!

Christmas Home Tour

Welcome to my first Christmas Home Tour!  BooMama is hosting this event today.  Go to her blog and see over 400 other Home Tours.  I finally got most of the house decorated and the tree up over the weekend.  I still have to finish my mantle.  I need a new garland to put up there so will show you that later.  I will also show you the outside at a later post.  So grab yourself a cup of coffee with cinnamon bun creamer(my favorite right now!) and come on in see how the snowmen have taken over!

First Father Christmas welcomes you on my dining room table.

Our manger scene that I bought many years ago at one of those Christmas in home parties. It wouldn't be Christmas without it! 

The table in the foreground is our pool table.  We use it as a table at the holidays and are expecting our small group bible study for dinner tomorrow night.

My buffet with the manger on it!

The Tree!  It looks nicer in person than this picture.  It's in a spot between the kitchen and the family room.  Our tree is full of memories.  The ornaments are from our travels, my snowmen collection, my husbands time working at Disney, handmade ornaments from the children and others, Dwight and my first ornaments, etc.  I'm not a decorator so it's not one of those fancy trees...just a down home Christmas tree and I love it!  I need a new topper though...our one of many years broke last year and I can't find anything good to put up there yet.

One of the snowmen on my tree.

An angel snowman!

A handmade snowman.

Snowmen on my mantle...it's not done yet...need some kind of garland.

My favorite snow couple...Aren't they cute?

My dining room table with my favorite old fashioned Santa welcoming everyone!

More snowmen in the kitchen!

A few more!

I've had this little guy years ago and just love him!  

He welcomes everyone as they come in the door!

My musical snowman collection from Hallmark.  The grandchildren love them!

Another snowman!

One more!

I have kept so much of my children's art work over the years and at Christmas post some of their Christmas art work on my cabinets for all to see.  My children are all in their 20's and they get a kick out of what they wrote when they were little and so do their significant others.  

This is it for today.  I hope you enjoyed my tour of Christmas at our house.  If you want to continue on your Christmas Home Tour, go by BooMama's.  Click Here. 

And theres another Home Tour here hosted by Julia.  

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone from our home to yours!  

Two Winners and only 15 days until Christmas!

CONGRATULATIONS to Kim at Nothing Can Separate Me and Deb at Lavender Chick for winning a cookbook and an apron!!! Please send me an email with your full names and addresses and I will get your items on their way!

No more birthday talk!  It's over!  And I am 50!  Yikes....that is still hard to say!  It was a busy week. Our Women's Christmas Dinner was certainly a great start to celebrating the season of Christmas. Deanna Ramsay provided the entertainment and she was Fabulous!! (I love that word!) The pictures above are from that night.  The room was lovingly decorated by a very talented crew.  Isn't it pretty?  We had over 200 ladies enjoy a fabulous meal served by handsome men in black and white.  A delightful white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and coffee with flavored creamers rounded out the evening.  Yours truly emceed the night and thank you all to all of you who made it wonderful. 

 Now I'm working on getting an escrow closed before Christmas and just wrote another offer tonight. So...go figure! God must know I need another paycheck or two before the end of the year. I won't complain.

Only 15 days until Christmas...yikes...The decorations are coming out this weekend and we are getting our tree too.  I've got my shopping to do. Cookies have to be baked.  My Christmas cards are ready to be picked up. It's gonna be here before I know it.  I'm not letting the stress get to me and rob me of my joy.  (I need to keep reminding myself otherwise...I don't like all the hoopla of Christmas after all.)  One day at a time!  Happy 15 days before Christmas everyone!

My Birthday was Great!

A few pictures of my birthday!  It was a great day with lots of phone calls, emails and texts.  No Big Party but lots of love.  It was perfect!  I had breakfast in bed, lunch with my daughter and her son at The Historic Mission Inn.  It's gorgeous this time of year with over one million lights, fabulous decorations and moving figures in every alcove possible. Then it was off to dinner with the hubby.  I was stuffed!  Lots of good food and a glorious day!

More to come...gotta run get the last minute things taken care of for the Women's Christmas Dinner I am in charge of tomorrow night.  It's going to be wonderful!  I will announce my contest winners on the weekend too!  AND thanks to all of you my bloggy friends for your kind words as I embraced 50!  I am doing okay just can't believe I've lived 50 years!!!  AMAZING!

**Getting multiple pictures in my post is the most frustrating part for me....so sorry they are out of order.  Gotta go...any tips for me, please let me know an easier way...and how you all can put so many pictures in and in the order you want them in.

It's My Birthday!!!

The day has come!! 

I am now 50!  

I am going to enjoy the day! 

It's my birthday!!

**Don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway here.  You have until midnight tonight to leave me a comment that you want to be entered.