is it really nine days away?

okay... so i said the other day that i felt relaxed... "it would all get done"... "was not worried"...
TODAY... i am feeling a bit of the pinch!
a BIG... HARD... pinch!
There are only nine days left...
but when you have to throw the postal service & shipping in the mix...
it's a whole nother KIT & KABOODLE!
I am still waiting on shipments to COME IN... with gifts i need to get wrapped & OUT!
And to make matters worse... 
our Christmas cards...
were guaranteed to be here by the 12th...
today would be the 16th...
they are NOT here!
The company HAS been wonderful about the whole thing but... ugh...
had i known this i would have made it a HAPPY NEW YEAR card too! :)

i am just like you today... trying to balance it all...
still being mommy... 
making patches for NEW JEANS that had holey knees...
and facing the fact that the clock is TICKING...
like it or not...
those hands are MOVING!

Thinking of you ALL today...
SERIOUSLY...
because when i am standing in line...
in a crazy kind of way...
it makes me feel good knowing that you are probably doing the exact same thing! :)

Here's to standing in line 
while WEARING a smile... FEELING the Christmas cheer & SIPPING on a latte!

big 'ol xo!

the numbers 1 and 10...

  We were inside... bundled up watching Christmas movies...
when Gretel (our dog) rang the bell to go outside...
she needed to go potty... 
Campbell turned on the patio light to let her out AND...
SNOW...
it was SNOWING! 

It was like candy... THE GOOD KIND... falling from the sky...
the girlies screamed so loudly i think the area wildlife CRINGED!
It was EXCITEMENT at it's PUREST form!
Nuts... cuckoo... crazy... wild... bonkers... they were BEAMING!
    

 

"look mama... a snowflake"... that sure is one BIG flake :)

she stood there FOREVER... could not believe SHE made a snow angel... in total awe

back at it the next morning...

 

she would gather up arm loads of snow and come throw them at me...

while i was right INSIDE... WARM... and sipping on this goodness... WITH whip cream

meet "Tom Harry"... oh the names they come up with!

It was a simple weekend here at the fox den...
we DID have a couple shopping adventures...
good golly... ADVENTURES for sure...
i have learned i cannot "concentrate"... focus on what i need to do...
with the hubby & kiddos in tow...
dare i say... they were "in the way"!
i like to move FAST... get 'er done... not a lot was getting done...
oh well... today's a new day!  

oh and the numbers 1 and 10...
It was 1 DEGREES here this morning... flipping COLD
AND
there are ONLY 10 more days... TEN DAYS... until Christmas!
yowzers!

hAppY MoNdAy... 
BIG move 'em & shake week here... RIGHT HERE at our feet!
Wishing you loads of successful shaking!
:)

go ahead...

 
after all. . .  it's F R I D A Y. . . !

the polar bear...

she wants the POLAR BEAR...
it's on her LIST!
Have YOU seen the polar bear... !

i drove around town like a mad woman looking for a wii...
NO ONE in town had it... and i mean NO ONE!
i felt like the BIGGEST loser... everyone in the stores looked at me like...
"lady... you waited WAY too long"...
okay... but i THOUGHT (silly me thinking) that since it has been such a HIT...
and it's been out for YEARS... they would be better prepared for the demand!  
right?  
am i crazy?  
no... don't answer that! 
Are you having "a time" finding what's on their lists?  

btw... i did found the wii... as much time as i spend online...
HELLO... crazy lady... look there FIRST!  

I am actually (at the moment) feeling relaxed about everything... you know ALL there is to do...
i know it will get done... sooner or later... it has to right (?)...
i think i do better under pressure anyway! :) 

And... LPS polar bear... i WILL find you! 

bits & baubles

How many times can i walk by our Christmas tree and SHAKE that strand of lights that's OUT!
come on lights... work with me!
I might have to break down & pull out that NAUGHTY strand... replace it with some GOOD lights! 

I'm actually STILL getting this n that out... call me tardy... i have had festive tardiness!
Our home is getting there... and we are all ready for some serious cheer!

 
mr. snowman is up & ready... now bring on that snow

the cocoa has started to flow

welcome

 
fa la la la la... la la la la

our fallow... Fifi... she loves her baubles

 
on the door... always fun to HEAR sleigh bells
 

So... today... staying calm... that's my goal... ! :)
i STILL have presents to buy!
Oh yes... you're done aren't you!

Reminding myself all the while the REASON for this... ALL of this...
we are REALLY preparing to celebrate a BIRTHDAY!

good morning...

wait... is it still morning?

 

  

one of those mornings... everyone woke up chipper & raring to go...
and believe me that is NOT always the case... we can ALL be little bears! 

Some how these little girlies manage to merge their way toward our room during the night...
nothing like four people AND a dog ALL in one king size bed...
good golly... do they make anything bigger... i think I'd buy it!
Do your kiddos find their way to your bed too?

Today... i am up to my eyeballs in the shop... orders and such!
Feeling really good... feeling really fresh... feeling truly blessed!

Here's to a bright & successful day... 
Tuesday's here & she's ready to kick us into high gear!

Jordan & a snuggly blanket

 

sitting here this morning...
sipping on the brew...
wrapped in my two dollar thrift blanket...
isn't she cute... just LOVE her fun color! 
Found her over Thanksgiving while in Texas!
Awe... it is a simple thing... but it sure makes me happy!

So... my brother-in-law posted new pics of his trip to Jordan...
my husband REALLY wanted to go... i wanted him to go...
but with EVERYTHING there is to consider... it just didn't work out this time.
Anyway... it makes me think again of just HOW different these two brother's lives are...
the adventures HE faces... the adventures WE face
my word... it is an amazing thing... the path life leads you down! 
There are times i see his pics... and can't help but wonder if my husband ever
wishes he were in his shoes!  Is that normal? 
I mean come on... who wouldn't want to float in the Dead Sea...
climb Mount Fuji... run with the bulls... have lunch in a Paris cafe...
get close & personal with the wild in Africa... to name a few!
My husband got to put up Christmas lights on our house this weekend!  :)

We look forward to seeing Toby over Christmas... he's coming to Colorado!
Where he gets a quick dose of KIDDOS!
I know we may not be his USUAL adventure...
but the girlies sure will give him a BIG dose of silly FUN! 

Here's to an AwEsOmE Monday...
no matter what the day holds... i suppose it's what you make of it!  
Here's to making TODAY the best it can be!
I'm off to wake up two little monkeys & start our WILD adventure!
xo

nag... nag... nag

now listen here...
you WILL smile...  
you will have a hAppY Friday!

here's to a FEISTY... FULL of GUSTO... be BOLD... kind of day!

xo

beans & a true buddy...

we found them just like this...
fast asleep (well one of them) in between the back cushion of a chair!

i think as much as Gretel likes to ACT like she "needs her space" away from Riley...
COME ON... look at them!  she loves it too!

and speaking of sleep... okay i see the correlation...
i NEED coffee to wake up from the SLEEP i didn't get...  I need Ambien! :)
curiosity...
do you take the time to grind in the morning?
actually scoop AND grind BEFORE you brew!

It's hAppY go lucky hump day!
YES!
Here's to a FULL brewed... FULL of goodness... kind of day!

XO

we made it to TEXAS without busting

it was a long 19 hours of driving to GET there
BUT the girls were GREAT & the drive was GORGEOUS!
i am always amazed by West Texas... the Lone Star state actually has MOUNTAINS!

The drive back was... UGH... i just keep reminding myself that we MADE it...
took us FOREVER... but we MADE it...
there were travelers that had to stay in Red Cross shelters due to the storm we passed through!  
The Vail pass can be HAIRRRRY...
long hairy hair...
white knuckle...
hold your breathe...
please Lord get us through this...
hairy...
no matter how you slice it...
no matter HOW great of a snow driver you are... 
snow is ICE...
and ice is HAIRY! 
:)
Thank you Lord for your protection!

 
we were off... early enough to just stay in jammies

seen on our drive among all the energy windmills in New Mexico

we knew we had made it when there were more ANIMALS in the room than people... LOVE YOU dad

 
straight to the trampoline...
mind you... this is a trampoline WE had as kids... REALLY...
new springs & pads every so often... good as new

my sister had us over for dinner one night to her precious home in New Braunfels...
this is a peek of her new OUTDOOR shower... she's fun like that

just a cute llama i love... in my sister's home

 
doors to her barn... workshop... awesome space

just what you FEEL in her home... LOVE & PEACE

my dad... laughing his head off... soooo funny

 
nonny (my step-mom) with the grandkids

 
sweet & silly cousins

 
we didn't want to say goodbye

 
next... Kerrville... granmama & granpapa's home (my mama & step-dad)

 
cheers

oh YES... Flying Saucer Pie Company... THANK YOU Billy for waiting in the LONG line
the cherry was THE BEST EVER

thank you Lord for cooks who know what they're doing...
ALL the food was INCREDIBLE... i should have had a SECOND helping... oh wait i DID :)

some of the colorful goodness

  
my VERY neat cousin Pam

 
i don't know WHO they are... :)
my cute aunt Suzi... my ultra-talented uncle Hut... my flipping awesome cousin Libbye

 
40 people in all... FAMILY...  loved ones... gathered at my mom's home

 
the chairs were set...

oh YES... some turkeys played musical chairs... hokey pokey too
THANK YOU Tio for ALL the fun... you're THE best...

 
Melinda & her sassy fishnets

 
true HAPPINESS

she got a chair

 
LOADS of hugs for granmama's pockets...
she "stores" them up to pull them out later when we're gone 

aunt Julie (my sister) & Riley

the day was BEAUTIFUL...


take off your shoes kind & REALLY enjoy...

 
football on the GOLF course
 
 
could he be ANY cuter...
my cousin's little boy... ALWAYS has a smile on his face... ALWAYS
  
 
i'll race you...

gotta love it... no dress by this point

 
my FAVORITE uncle again... HUT

 
LOVED this... i think he was watching the Dog Whisperer... gotta love that Cesar 
 

Gretel even got sugar... my sis again... is she not SO pretty


we ALL had moments of plain silliness

 
campbell's art AND my thoughts EXACTLY...
we miss you ALL already!

It went by in a FLASH... just too fast!

Once on the road & heading back my heart always seems to sink a bit...
i can FEEL us leaving all the LOVE...
FAMILY behind!
I am SO thankful for the time we share...
i just don't want it to end!

i stored up some of the goodness in my pockets though... 
plan on pulling it out here & there...
to remind me of ALL we have to be thankful!

I sure hope YOUR week was special too... 
we was SO close to SO many of you on our trip...
sure thought about you ALL a ton & and am so VERY thankful for your friendship!