Christmas 2009

Do you say every year you are going to be done with Christmas before December? Well, I do and I am out until the stores are closed on Christmas Eve and back at Walgreens with everybody else at 10-11pm.. This year I can say by Christmas Eve lunch I was DONE with everything but the stocking stuffers and they were done by 5:15. That is a record for me... The older boys only wanted an IPOD Touch so they got it along with some clothes and Tyler wanted DSI so he got that w/ 3 games a case, some movies and games. The boy has more toys than he knows what to do with and doesn't touch half of them so this year not only with the Eric work slack but also I didn't want to focus on all the presents we got them the big thing they wanted and a few other things. We didn't put one present under the tree until Christmas Eve night and Santa came and wrap all the gifts put them under the tree and place there stocking in front of there piles, ate his cookies and drank the milk and he left. The only disappointment we got was Tyler wanted My Sims Agent for the Wii not the DSI I thought they were the same game but he got over it as quick as he got on it..lol

I get up on Christmas take pictures of the boys opening gifts as Eric video tapes and then after all is open and they are off playing later on I cook french toast, bacon, grits and eggs for our breakfast it is one meal we all sit at the table w/the TV off and are like a real family..lol.. Well this year we didn't eat until 12:30 cause I went back to bed until 10 got up and started cooking, got the french toast, the bacon all done and started the eggs and the breaker for our stove blew it so we had to cook eggs on the indoor grill and it took a lot longer than we wanted it to. We still enjoy our meal just a little later and a little cold. Also, while all of this was going on the picture tube in the TV went out. Which has been kinda good as of today we still don't have fix but I have gone to bed w/ Eric everynight and I think he likes that so I am not sure if it will get fix..lol.. I can't get down about any of this cause I text my high school best friend Lorraine to wish her Merry Christmas and she called me right back to let me know she needed prayers. Her son Devin that 3 days younger than Stephen was buring trash for them and he had put an aersol can in the trash a couple of days before and forgot about it as he was poking at the fire it exploeded and caught his face, arms and hands on fire and they took him to the hospital which transfer him Augusta Burn Center. He has 3rd degree burns they let him come home for Christmas but he is back there now as of today and don't know if they get to come back tonight or have to wait a couple of weeks. He can't lay down so he has to sleepin the recliner, he can't get them wet or go out cause of the wounds. He was conditioning for baseball and don't know where he stands with that or school. Then to top it all off the day before it all happen she found our her niece that is husband sister daughter that is in her 30's with a child 7 and I think 5 is dying of ovarian cancer and only has 9 months to a year to live... So, after talking to her and then praying for her and her family I had to look around and my Christmas became my Thanksgiving and I am thankful that I have a healthly family and I focus on what Christmas was about, about Jesus being born and who He is to me.. I know that Lorraine is getting along cause she has Jesus walking beside her comforting her, giving her strength and He will be the healer for Devin and Crystal. He will be there to give her peace with whatever He plans become. So me being w/ out a TV or a stove my kids not having a living room full of Christmas gifts they won't touch after of them well it all didn't matter. God has blessed us with so many things and Him being born was the greatest gift of all...






By the way, I do plan to start my shopping even stocking stuffer early for 2010 maybe this year will be my year to have it all done by December 1st... and I plan to do better with pictures next year too... Hope you all had a Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!!

Christmas w/ Family and Friends

After our day of spending time with my family that night we went and spent time at the Hewitt's for their Christmas party. It was great fun we had wonderful food, laughter, great friends, did a Christmas swap we got $10 gift card to Bronco's and Carolina koozie and some mulling spices. It was a great time all around and thank you Kim & Scott for having us all over. To see more and Kim side check out her blog

Kim & Lisa


Eric, Scott & Donnie hiding out while they are eating.


The teen boys guarding the food


Eric opening his gift


On Christmas Eve we go to Eric's mom for dinner. This year we missed having Susan and the kids there they were all home sick, it wasn't the same w/out them. We had enough food for at least 2 more families to come but that just means left overs for Eric. We swap gifts this is our Santa place we got our lugguage for our cruise and money.

Tyler with his Ben 10 stuff


Pappa and Gigi w/ our kids


Gigi took this picture.. Not sure what angle she was going for


After Santa elf went shopping for stocking stuffers and went home and made a cake Myself, Eric and Tyler went with the Darwin's to Ginger mom & dad for our annual Christmas Eve breakfast dinner. They have been super sweet to us and I just adore her family. About 3 or 4 years ago I think I made a comment once we are done at Eric's mom at lunch we are done with family. She gets to together with her parents and just does breakfast dinner and invited us and year after year they still invite us and I have learn you don't tell Marge Waters no..lol... They make the best breakfast real biscuts, country ham, grits and yest I have tired the red eye gravy it was good, eggs, bacon just the whole works. The Darwins/Waters family are wonderful..

Tim, Ginger, Caroline & Jake Darwin..
If Caroline gets her way and she marries Tyler me and Ginger won't have to make them decided where to have Christmas since we are spend Christmas Eve together we can just take turns and have them to come to our houses for Christmas Eve breakfast..



Ginger and her sweet mamma and wonderful cook daddy.



Her mom got us all "Find The Pickle" supposely you hid it on the tree on Christmas Eve and then in the morning whoever finds it gets an extra present...


Christmas night we hit our last friends gathering and went to the Hewitts for leftovers. They share what they had left over from Christmas with Scott family and we took our leftovers we had. After dinner we exchange gifts the boys got Hollister t-shirts that say Sweet, Tyler got Mexican Train cause Kim knows how much he loves that game and well she went above and beyond with mine and Eric's gift she got us tickets to see Rodney Carrington with them and them Monday's in January. It was discuss and since I am trying to not to do so much so we can save for a cruise I told them Eric and I were not going so instead she brought our tickets so we can. I am excited I think Rodney is funny and it is 2 days after my birthday.

The oil was part of Ryan's gag gift from Zack and we got Zack some Modern Warfare sleep pants which I think he liked..lol






We had a wonderful Christmas with our family and friends!!!!!!!!

Christmas w/ my family

This was far the best in several years for gatherings at Christmas. I have not really spend Christmas with my whole family in many, many, many years and this year I went to my aunts in Piedmont to see cousins, their kids, aunts and uncles and I left there feeling sad and bless all at once. Sad cause I missed sooooo many of those gathering, I see my boys with my cousins kids and think about they are some what close in age and live nearly close enough that they could have all grown up together and share stories of growing up something that I feel bad for my kids for cause they really won't have memories of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparent like I do. They will have other memories but not family ones. But I feel blessed that we have a 2nd chance to make memories and we get to spend time with my family. The boys have a chance to get know my family and their 2nd cousins and they are still somewhat young enough that they can go from here.. My cousin Rita took her daddy's old home movies and Costco and had them put on DVD and we watch that and seeing my uncle Doyle, Jim and Mamma and Pappa in those videos brought back a sense of sweet memories of each one of these people from Doyle asking picking on me asking if I have plug the sun when I got up in the morning to asking me why my neck was so red, must be cause I was I redneck. I loved going on to the Chastin and spending time with them. My uncle Jim his pipes and his distinguish look he always reminded me of a dad from Leave It To Beaver. Then my wonderful sweetest grandparent John & Ethel Yates words can't explain the love they had for all of us. Papa would take us for walks and scare the dogs off with his cane, he would give us a $1 for chewing gum (this was when you could get it for .25 cents), his little jig he would do sometimes, Mamma and her banana pudding, "delaw", rings and necklace that she would let me play with when sitting on the couch together, Price Is Right, lunch at mamma and papa was a 12pm and if you were late well get in the back of the line, her doll beds made out of baskets. There are so many memories on Beattie St.. Then the memories of Daytona Beach 1st week of August that we would go. This was when you could go to Sea World and Disney World in a day, some restaurant we had to cross over a long bridge to get too and we got sherbet for dessert, Rita and her pageants and getting stung by a jellyfish. Andy and his stories and laughter I think GOd was right on when he called him to preach. Greg and the Yates boys talking about Monty Python sometimes there talks went right over my head. Johnny holding onto me as we were on the Swamp Fox at the beach so I would not fall out, him and Evelyn living in the apartment in Mauldin, the stories of him, Lisa & Lynn alot involved somebody laughing so hard they peed on theirselves. Of course Karen our summers we spend together for a week at her house for VBS and her our sandwiches w/ potato chips then we would go over to mamma and papa and spend the night and me, Karen and Mamma would all sleep together on her pulled out couch and how could I forget Ahchi Foxichi the monster that lived the closet. My aunts, Johnnie Ruth, Katheryn and Susan the example they have set before me of Godly Christian woman and their sweet quite, submissive wife's they were and are to their husbands they were some wonderful examples. Yes, I have many happy memories and I treasure each of them... I pray that 2010 will bring more family time together and new memories will be made. I have always love my cousin Rita and always thought the world of her and I believe that if distant was not the case we might would have stayed more connected. Her and John has raise 4 great young adults and she gave me the best advice that day.."I talk to much" not in general (sure some will say yes to that) but with my kids and I got what she was saying and took it to heart cause she too got the same advice from her mother. See these are the things I am glad to have back in my life... I thank my sisters Lisa and Lynn for making me come around the family and for inviting me. Whatever difference are there with any family members it is not worth losing a great group that came from the John & Ethel. So, yes this family gathering was a well blessed and cherish time. I can't wait until the next one...

My uncle Wallace, my daddy, cousin/Godfather Al, his beautiful daughter that just graduated w/ CJ Spillers Elizabeth and my mom


Tyler took this picture of most of us but not all.


Some of the Chastin/Shealy kids- James Shealy, Amy Chastin, Patrick Chastin and Melody Shealy- some great kids.


My cutie Tyler w/ my beautiful niece Olivia. They hit it off the 1st time he met her.


Funny, just another memory hit me was at the Chastin was all the golf balls and Eric took the kids across the street to the golf course to find some and I think there a couple in my car still rolling around... I do hate I didn't take more pictures next time I will..

Christmas Performances

In one week we had 3 performances to go to for the boys to show us their singing and playing skills I have no idea who they get it from.

Our first performance was Ryan playing with our youth band Ready To Rise at Christmas with a Mission at the church. It was a great night of hearing people share about the missions trips they went on durning the year and what it meant to them, Kim & Michael Lord singing some great all time favorite Christmas songs and seeing all our Pastors do the Elf dance what a site seeing some of them getting down..lol.. Then Ready Rise help end the night and this group of young adults can play Carol Of Bells wonderful and since it was not a night of worship per say the boys really let loose on that song and then all the others that they were just about what this season is all about. It was a great night and I would love to have the DVD.. I do wish I had taken my camera but oh course Ryan doesn't tell me alot of what they doing when performing so I was not prepare..

Ryan in the burgany shirt playing bass


Jessie putting on a show durning Carol Of Bells


Ready TO Rise


Next up was our Flyin Nijina Turtle night sing for us. Tyler was in the children choir and then did a Christmas Shop Around the Corner the kids were great with the singing, the ones that had lines did a wonderful job, the adults were great, a BIG thank you goes out to Joye Hall and her group for all the time they put in with the kids and with all the props and customes. It was an awesome night...

Tyler the Flyin Nijina Turtle along w/ some of the 12 days of Christmas..



I love to watch his face when he is singing..lol




Our children choir and durning the performance



A couple of days later all in one day we had a school concerts. Started off with Tyler Christmas on Candy Cane Lane at school. We was a tree and had a small speaking part. After the concert we went back to his room to make candy houses.

The 1st graders- he is a the top on the left and his future wife that he says is on the bottom left at the end.


His big debut speaking part as a tree


Not only can Daddy build houses he can build Candy houses too and Gigi came to see all about it. The finish product



We left Tyler at school and Mr & Mrs. Santa went to Greenville to enjoy a day of shopping and having lunch together. That night we went to Stephen Dorman Singers Christmas Concert. I must say the boy cleans up pretty handsome.. They were all great.





One other thing we had this month was Tyler Breakfast w/ Santa. The school has breakfast for the kids and their family, they have crafts to do and they get to go and see Santa.. For some reason Tyler wasn't to much sitting on Santa lap but he was ok going and telling him what he would like...

Christmas Lights of 2009

I love to look at Christmas lights and decorations and I think I have past it on to Tyler and Eric..

We started this year off making a night of it on a night that it was raining off and on so we didn't get to see all that we wanted too. We took Scott, Kim & Cassie Hewitt with us and started off at a house in Mauldin that we had heard about that you could get out and walk around the house. It was in a neighborhood off of Adams Mill Rd and was tucked away thank goodness for a GPS.. It was pretty neat..









After we left there we went to Mojo in Simpsonville and ate dinner, it was great and will be going back... Then on to Ft.Inn to see all the pretty lights and to see who won 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Sugarplum awards. It was raining so the carriage rides were not running. Then we went to Pelzer to see the mill hill and the light people. The good thing was the big house was decorate this year but the bad thing the light people were not out there, nor was the redneck house. And on top of it I didn't take pictures at either. On our way back from Pelzer Kim and Scott took us to Tiny Town in Easley. Now, I have heard about it for many years but never knew where it was and I am glad to say I finally experience it. These people put some work in all there displays and some things were VERY old...








Eric and I have not been in to McAndeville in about 10 yrs so we figure we would go Sunday night after the concert at church. The Hewitt went with us again and I think this trip over did Scott. We left at 6:30 and got back at 11:30 but we did stop and ate at the Waffle House and it is at least an hour drive there and back... The rest of the time was just waiting and going throught McAndeville. It was worth it to see all the changes done in 10 yrs, might add this to go my go back list.











I have not been to Roper Mtn since my teenagers were younger than Tyler and Eric had never been so we decided to go and we brought along the little girl that Tyler is in love with Macyi and her sister Abbey and Kim & Cassie.. Started off at McDonalds and then off to sit in line for about 30 mins to get in. I honestly have to say if they didn't have the Santaland I don't think it would be worth the going back. I would love to go back next year and have picture taken with that Santa and use as our Christmas cards. He reminded me of the Coke Santa and the background was very pretty. They also had these balloon guys that were doing balloons for kids for a donation and they were great, funny and sweet..











That was our outting of looking at lights of course as we are driving at night if we see lights we go and look. We didn't make our trip to Hollywild this year and we drove by Pacolet on Christmas Eve but they were off already. Ginger's parents told us about a place in York and we also have heard about James Island lights so next year we will add those to our stop...

Any that you like to go and look at that I did not mention.. It is about the lights but it is also about the small details of decorating the porches and yards that I love...