Merry Christmas Eve

We went to visit one of my very best friends a few nights before Christmas.  We have been friends since 2000.  We became friends in a funny way.  We both were going to the same college and we had a class together.  Well, I didn't know anyone in that class.  So I sat at a two seater desk.  Well, Stephanie came and sat by me.  And I thought to myself...this girl looks mean...not sure how well this will work out.  And no, she is not mean.  Come to find out we lived 15 minutes from one another and had the same birthdays, except I am a year older.  And we have been great friends ever since.  She is one of those friends that you just can catch up with if you haven't seen her in a while.  We just mesh well!!

She loves her some Tucker!!

Merry Christmas Eve Morning...

Blueberry Muffins, Tyler's favorite.

Afternoon Cat Naps

I wanted to start making fun traditions for our family.  Now that we have kids, I want the Holidays to be special and memorable for them.  So my first little tradition is one present to open on Christmas Eve.  Movie Night!!

 Brand new jammers, movie and popcorn.

Bronc was so excited, he could hardly contain himself.  He jumped up and down and wanted to wear his new jammers.

That was so worth it, to see his face full of joy.

Tucker playing with the paper and movie

Matching Jammies!!!

We aren't very traditional when it comes to Christmas meals.  For Christmas Eve we just did snacks and soup.  I made a butternut squash soup and some yummies to go with it.  Oh, and a chocolate sheet cake.  This family loves chocolate anything.

Excuse the wall, work in progress.  Tyler's mom had a microwave mounted above the stove.  Well it quit working and I had Tyler mount me a ventahood with a light.  So we were experimenting if the laminate would come off the walls.  It does, but is stuck pretty good.  I will be putting a Frederic Remington piece of artwork that I had made into a tile mural there. 

I CAN NOT wait!!  It is going to be so cool. 

This was a fun app that I found on my phone.  Bronc really enjoyed it because we could track Santa.

Christmas Eve

 

December Dust Storms

Dust storm #2.  I got sent home from work because the town I was in kept losing power.  We plug our trailer into the hospital's power because our generator can't support the machine when it is scanning.  So these are pictures of my drive home.  There were times that I couldn't even see the front of my car.  It was scary at times, and yes I know I shouldn't have been taking photos.  But good grief, who ever has seen such a thing twice in one week in December.  OF ALL THINGS!! Our weather is craazzzyyy.

This is an aerial picture taken over Lubbock of the Dust Storm. 

Wowzers

I made it home safely, thank goodness.  Come to find out that very day there was over a 20 car pile up on I-27.  Our mobile unit normally travels that road to take the trailer to the hospital that it stays at through the night.  Well, thank goodness he didn't go that route that day, because he would have been right in that midst of all those wrecks. 

Crazy weather

Driving home from work after the major dust storm #1.  Yes, there was a number two as well.  All in one weeks time and in December of all things.  The tumbleweeds were blowing like crazy, the sky was brown and then the rain started to pour. 

This is down my dirt road after the wind died down.  This picture doesn't do justice on the tumbleweeds. 

I got some awesome photos on my drive home.

I was pretty proud of my I-phone camera. 

I had alot of these tumbleweed critters attached to my car. 

 I could hardly dodge them. 

There was some that were big as my car, no joke. 

Snow Babies

This was my Christmas Card for 2012.

I did not get any mailed out or printed.  Shame on me..!!

Look at the bundle of cheeks, so presh..

Jolly little Bronc

Trying to get in the Christmas Spirit

Our weather seemed very unusual and quite warm for November and December.  Thus, it really made it hard to feel any sort of Christmas Spirit..for me at least.  I took the kids to Christmas in the Park near one of the small towns that we live by.  I met my good friend Stephanie and her family there.  On the way both boys fell asleep and when we got there I had to wake them up.  They weren't in the best of moods.  Bronc finally livened up a bit and Tucker enjoyed all the lights. 

Each business in town or assoc. did a display.  This one was from the local boy scouts.  Isn't it cute.  It is snowmen fishing and they are made out of tumbleweeds.  

This was my favorite!! Longhorn with a Red Nose!!

My grumpy boys!

I decorated just a portion of our house with lights.  I never had as an adult and I really wanted to for my kiddos. 

I always seem to really get into baking during the Holidays.  I love to bake.  Just love it.  I decided I would give a try at sugar cookies with royal icing.  It was alot of work but I really enjoyed it and they turned out really pretty. 

I ended up making snowflake cookies.  I was intending on making Santa bellies.  But discovered that to much red food coloring makes the icing really bitter.  I then also discovered that they make such a thing as tatseless red food coloring.  Live and learn.  I took these to my work Christmas party and of course ate several to.  Oops.

I have a small tree and that is what I have normally put up the last two years.  It is quick, easy and pre-lit.  Tyler requested the big tree this year.  Well I was like...are you going to put it up?? You see, the one I have is over 10 years old and it is piece by piece, limb by limb, light by light.  Quite the process.  Of course, Tyler said NO...go figure.  So I decided that I would buy myself a new tree that was three pieces total and pre-lit. 

I also bought it on Black Friday and got it half off!! 

It took me 15 minutes to put up and then about 45 minutes to decorate.  Better than over two hours or more. 

Our first dusting, tease of a snow.. It started to work on me!!

Starting to feel the Holidays!!

Tucker was so good, he never messed with the tree.  Just the bows on the presents.  Bronc on the other hand thought all my ornaments were toys. 

More baking, this time Monster Cookies.  I made these for all my hospital accounts that we service doing MRI's.

Next up Mini-pecan pies made especially for Lynette

Your welcome!!

Some of my favorite people...

Ange and Julie..friends and co-workers

For work, we drive around in a "Mobile" MRI Machine.  Literally a machine is in the semi-trailer and then the BIG Truck pulls it around.  Well, meet Chuck, he drives one of those big rigs around.  He also helps with the patients to.  He has been with DMG for along time...getting grumpier by the minute in his ripe old age to!! P.S. Chucky...you will always be my favorite driver!!

Sitting on the Limo for a picture.  One of the drivers also drives limos on the side and he had just got off work and came to our Christmas party in the limo!!

And finally our mantle.  I loved how this turned out. 

 Simple, elegant and rustic.