Everything Loved in Decmber

Christmas cards! I absolutely love getting those greeting cards in the mail. It makes this time of year that much more special. I love seeing newly wed couples with their new married name together on the card, seeing friends who have brand new babies, seeing families grow as they multiply by the years. It is fun to look back on too, how the families have grown and changed over the years. I look forward to many, many years of getting these cards aswell as sending out our own.

My brother! My brother was home for two weeks from the Army and it was such a joy to have him back home. He was able to see all of family and many friends while he was down. I know he exhausted those first couple of days home, but I could not stop smiling at how wonderful it was for him to be home for Christmas. He makes me and my family so incredibly proud!

Christmas decorations and lights! I love decking our house out with Christmas decorations and making it just sparkle with lights and garland. I also love seeing all the homes in the neighborhood light up with Christmas lights! It really off this time of year with all the lights!

Nanny's Chocolate Fudge! Oh how no-one in the family can get enough of this homemade fudge! I swear Nanny puts some kind of extra 'grandma ingredient' in it. It is too good for words to explain.

Christmas! And all the joy, warm feelings, laughter, giving, and family time Christmas brings!

Thoughts for Thursday--Age

"Life as we know it can change in a blink of an eye. Unlikely friendships can blossom, important careers can be tossed aside, a long lost hope can be rekindled. Still, we should be grateful for whatever changes life throws at us, because all too soon, the day will come when there are no changes left."

This quote reminds me that age is a wonderful thing, the older we get just means that there is that much more stories to tell and memories to be made. All age is, is a number. I need to remind my husband of this. His 30th birthday is in June and he is kind of dreading it. I plan to make it very special for him though!

Thoughts for Thursday--The Christmas Wreath

The Meaning of the Christmas Wreath

Every Christmas wreath is more than just a decoration...it's a special reminder of Jesus, the reason for our celebration. The circle of a Christmas wreath is a never-ending ring, a reminder of eternal love from our Lord and King. The Christmas wreath is a sign of welcome, inviting all the enter in...a reminder of Christ's invitation for all to come to Him. The middle of a Christmas wreath is a bare and empty space, a reminder of what life would be without Christ's love and grace. So each time you see a Christmas wreath hanging from a door, may your heart rejoice in the One that Christmas is truly for.

~Holley Gerth

I love this reading! I got this reading from a card from a co-worker of mine. I am thinking I might frame it and put it our every year at Christmas as a constant reminder to all who enter our home, the reason for the season is Christ. Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Home for Two Weeks

My baby brother comes home today from Army basics for two weeks. This is his break and we are all so happy to be able to spend the holidays Christmas and New Years with him. I am beyond excited and my mom is just over whelmed with joy and emotion. My dad, husband and I picked him up from the airport this morning, we all had the day off. He looks awesome in his uniform and he is just so happy; you can see it on his face, he was meant to be a soldier. Although, during a time of war in which we are in is very scary to say. I have always know what the word proud meant, but I have never truly 100% felt what proud means to feel. Today for the first time, I know what PROUD feels like. Seeing my baby brother in his uniform was almost un-describable. Here are some pictures from today!

Thoughts for Thursday--Simple Things

As we strain to grasp the things we desire...the things we THINK will make our lives better--money, popularity, fame--we ignore what TRULY matters--the SIMPLE things-- like friendship, family, love...the things that we already have!

I am truly thankful for the wonderful, simple things in my life: my husband, our home, our dog, our two vehicles, amazing family, wonderful friends, my job, my husbands job and the One, upstairs who makes it all possible.

Thoughts for Thursday--The Good

"Look for the GOOD in the people in your life. Don't be an excessive complainer.. (Remember) A fault finder will find faults in paradise! God is Love"--Rev Run

Very true and very simply put. I love me some Rev Run!

Snow in SE Texas Two Years in a Row?

If you read my post here from last year, you will know that snow is a big deal here in SE Texas. We just don't get snow here, let alone two years ago and we barely get a winter. A freeze warning has been issued for almost all of southeast Texas from noon Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday. I am super excited about this and can't wait to see the snow!

Here are a couple of facts.
"Since 1895, it has snowed 33 times in Houston: eight times in December, 12 times in January and February and once in March. It has never snowed two years in a row, but that record may fall as the last snowfall was on Dec. 10, 2008." It also has never snowed this early in the winter season either.

**Update** It did indeed snow! And it snow a lot for Houston! I went to my parents house in the Jersey Village area of Houston, around 12:30pm Friday to take pictures because the snow was really coming down. It snowed a lot where they live compared to 20 minutes away where we live in Cypress. The snow did not even stick at our house. I am happy I got to enjoy the snow for a while and get some good pictures!

Thoughts for Thursday--Attitude

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” - Charles R. Swindoll

I truly believe that attitude is everything. Attitude is how you view yourself, your spouse, your children, your family, your friends, your co-workers, political leaders, and the world! I choose to have the best attitude I can and to always stay optimistic.