Friday Favorites

Happy Friday Friends!

Christmas is quickly approaching and I'm in 

full panic mode!

I still need to finish shopping, wrap presents, make goodies,

clean my house and the list goes on!

Today, I'm linking up with

Andrea, Erika & Narci for my

Friday Favorites.

We had some Christmas pictures taken a couple of weeks ago and they

turned out so good!

One of our neighbors, Kari has started taking pics and she is 

doing a fantastic job.

Our photo session went great and we have lots of 

pics to prove it.

If you're in the area be sure to 

check out Kari.

My sweet girls!

Madison and Hunter all smiles!

Gene and I with our Santa mugs!

 I love this family pic of us!

Ain't they just the sweetest!

Swinging by the river.

Oh, how he hates pics...LOL!

Before long she'll be all grown up, but for now I'm trying to soak

up every bit of her little girlish self I can!

My people!

They are too cute!

But, us...Not so much!

We had a great time with these pics...as you can tell!

Kari did an excellent job!

Next up...

If you missed my Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Post-

Click HERE.

We had a great time!

 On Tuesday, Bailey had a Christmas Program at school.

Pics before we left the house.

It was the cutest program!

Can you spot, Bailey?

So thankful for our Pastor...he came out to see Bailey in her program!

What have these elves been up to...

They are always into something!

I didn't even know we had oranges!

Skippy is holding a card that asked Bailey to do 

4 acts of random kindness!

And this is how I found them this morning!

Head first in mini cupcakes.

We have a few things planned this weekend and I'm hoping to 

soak up lots of Christmas fun because in just a few short days

it will all be over.  I've got to stop thinking about that and focus

on NOW...does anyone else do that?

I hope you have a blessed weekend and remember

the true meaning for this season-

JESUS!!!

XOXO,

APRIL

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

This was our 3rd Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and it 

did not disappoint!  We ate, we laughed, we played games,

we ate some more, we laughed a whole lot and well...I'll share some

fun pics, but really what happens at the 

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

STAYS at the

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!

Guests started arriving and we did what most people do...

we took selfies!!

Lisa and I laughing as always! 

Madison surprised me with a filter for snap chat!

Rainia looked cute in her Mickey and Minnie Christmas sweater that lit up!

Skippy & Ginger always look forward to our party!

They came dressed in their ugly sweaters too!

I slaved all day in the kitchen preparing this feast...I really did!

If I do say so myself...it was yummy!

We had some yummy punch that was all gone...the kids enjoyed it too!

These sweet friends looked adorable in their sweaters!

We have Kendi as Rudolph, Sara in her 80's Christmas Tree sweater and
Katie in her Home Alone Sweatshirt(priceless)!!!

We began playing games!

First up was this candy cane game where you put the end of the candy cane

in your mouth and try to pick up as many candy canes and drop them in

the bowl.  First team to pick up all the candy canes and get them successfully

into the bowl wins.

This was much harder than it looks!

Next up was, "Name that Christmas song."

Each team was given a paper with lines from Christmas songs and

you had to guess the title.  First team to finish the sheet correctly wins!

This team was struggling!

However this team killed it!

They know their Christmas tunes!

I had this cute sweater pen and Sara began using it to take pics!

It doesn't take much for us to laugh!

Another game we played included panty hose and balloons.

Each team had a brave member put the panty hose on their head while 

their team blew up balloons and stuffed them in each leg for it to look like

deer antlers.  I was too busy helping my team to get pics.

This was really fun!

Next up was the gift exchange or actually Dirty Santa!

Dawn is pictured here checking out a gift to decide whether or not to steal it!

We all voted for the Ugliest Christmas Sweater!

Rudolph won!

She got a little gift.

Then we did some more goofing off!

Rudolph wanted a pic on all fours so here you have it!

Madison and I posing!

She was a big help at the party and clean up after!

You too, Kendi!  Thanks for vacuuming!

I had to get a pic of Lisa and Madison!

This was later in the evening...they look pooped!

Group pic of the Mamas!

We missed you, Heather and Michele!

Kids group pic!

3rd Ugly Christmas Sweater Party in the books!

Thanks to all who came...I had a blast!

Many people struggle with loss this time of year and that is one

reason I began having this party.

I lost my father 7 years ago today.

12-11-10

I thought inviting my girlfriends over and just enjoying

food and fellowship would help myself with coping with the loss I feel everyday, but especially at Christmas... and believe me it has!

Thank you friends for being encouraging, loving, caring 

and for most of all for listening!

Sometimes this old life will leave you wising...

that you had 5 more minutes!

So be sure to let your loved ones know how much you love them, 

take lots of pictures...lots of pictures--you won't regret it!

Praying for all those who've lost a loved one or whatever your

struggling with this Christmas season...there's hope in 

JESUS CHRIST 

to see you through it!

Madison was excepted to ECU!

She will be a future pirate in the Fall of 2018.

My Daddy would be very proud...

His grandson graduated from college on Saturday

and Madison received her acceptance letter also!

Thanks for stopping by.

XOXO,

APRIL

Book Signing with Ree Drummond

Happy Friday Friends!

I'm linking up today with Andrea for my 

Friday Favorites!

We had the pleasure of meeting 

Ree Drummond also know as

"The Pioneer Woman" this week

at a book signing event in Raleigh, N.C.

We made a day of it with our girls.

Enjoyed shopping and of course yummy food at 

the Cheesecake Factory.

Of course this is what he does when I tell him to smile!

Ree was at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh and we had a

scheduled line up time for 7:00 p.m.

The event was well organized and we did not have to wait in 

line too long.

As soon as we spotted her we started snapping pics!

First thing Bailey said when she got a glimpse of her was about 

how beautiful her hair was.

I have to agree with her!

We quickly took a pic while she signed the book.

Bailey wanted to sport her Mercantile shirt from when 

we visited there this summer.

I rushed to tell her about our visit to Pawhuska and 

the Mercantile.  She sincerely thanked us several times. 

She told Bailey how pretty she was which made her day!

I'm sure she loves us...I just know it!

How pretty is my book now!!!

It's honestly a great cookbook.

It has lots of pictures with step by step photos

and she talks a lot about her family.

You can find her book HERE.

And this made me reminisce about our visit at the Mercantile this summer.

To read all about our trip to Oklahoma...CLICK HERE.

Drummond Ranch photo because we just had to!!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO,

APRIL