What will be written in your journal this Christmas Season?  Such a big question.....

As I sit here this evening, in our warm and comfortable home, I can't help but look around me and wonder......Do I really know how truly Blessed we are?

This is a wonderful time of the year.......and I am truly thankful for my awesome family and for friends....They are all the BEST!

I'm thankful for health and financial security.......

I'm extremely thankful for my Salvation, and that I have a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior,  Jesus Christ!!!

I'm thankful for our freedom.....a freedom given to us by the sacrifices of others.

But.....let me get back to the question of "What will be written in your journal this Christmas Season?"

As for me...It will be about a few things that I've experienced these past few days.    One thing being, the loneliness of a friend who is very ill.  This has weighed very heavily upon my mind these past few days.  What can I do to minimize her loneliness?  I can Pray....and I can visit.
People all around us are lonely and hurting...

Another thing is the pain that I saw in the eyes of a lady that checked me out the other day.   Mylee and I were out and about on Thursday, and we made a stop at one of our local stores.  The lady checking me out had huge tears rolling down her cheeks.  My heart was broken for her.  I ask if she was ok and she told me she was hurting and that things had been difficult.   I wanted to pray for her right there, but she walked away and went into an area that we could not go in.  So...Mylee and I sat in our car outside the store and we prayed for this sweet lady.   

All around us.....people are hurting.

I don't post many things on Twitter, but I do read a lot of the post that are on there.   There was this one post that I read and re-read, several times.
Here are the words...... " If you get to wake up on Christmas morning and see both of your parents smiling faces when you are opening gifts, you are lucky.  I'd give anything to have that back."
Wow......People all around us need our prayers!

My journal will be filled with prayer needs and with reminders of how I want to be aware of people around me who are hurting....Perhaps a simple smile or a gift of love can help them in some small way....

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas......God Bless!

Shug

Oh my Goodness.....I had myself a great time this past weekend.    There was no shopping involved, no parties, no Christmas lights and No worries!

Can you guess what my Friday evening and Saturday evening was all about?

It was just simply enjoying the outdoors with my husband!

We spent about 3 hours at the Farm Friday afternoon, and about 4 and a half hours the next day.....riding the gator all over the farm.   

Friday evening was a Cold one......oh my goodness, it was cold after the sun went down.   My fingers were so cold, even with gloves on.

That evening, we saw several piggies.....but it was way too dark to shoot one!

On Saturday.....Sam and I bought some new, warmer hand gloves and they really worked.

We were waiting on pigs to come to the feeders.....(these things are nothing but pest and they can ruin your farm land if you don't get them killed out)......I guess I need to add that the feeders are for the deer, but pigs seem to ROOT the deer away.

I looked up and I saw a deer standing way down by the woods.....and suddenly, a buck made it's way out into the open field.  

One good shot....and the deer was down.   

Great meat for the freezer!!!

Great Fun....out there in the midst of nothing.

I really need to do this more often.   It felt so good to get away from the hustle and bustle of this time of the year.

I completely enjoyed every single bump that I encounter on the gator....and every single tree limb that I had to dodge to keep from getting wacked in the face.

One thing that really caught my eye, were the gorgeous Red

Birds that seemed to be everywhere.  I love Red Birds!

They were beautiful...

Taking in all the nature around me....spending time with the love of my life and enjoying the cool brisk air....was a true Blessing for me.

Hugs Y'all....

Shug

My actions have not been very good as a role model for those around me.  Especially, when it comes to decorating for Christmas.   Truthfully, I've been moving more like a snail crawling in the snow.  

Good grief....this is totally not like me!  My focus has been on this weather of ours....the temps have just been way to warm to decorate for Christmas!  I'm in great need of some COLD weather!

This past Friday, I finally made a move to get "amped up" for doing some decorating.   In other words...I got some fire in my pants, and got it done!  (Fire in my pants, as in energy and excitement)

I really prefer a fresh Christmas tree....instead of the artificial trees that you buy in stores.  I know that some of those fake
trees can look real....BUT.....in NO WAY can they compare to a real live tree!  hey, I have lots of memories of fresh cut trees and Christmas.

Last year, I purchased some new ornaments that I was looking so forward to using again this year....BUT....I packed them away and could not find them this year.   I finally found them this past Friday, but it was too late....my tree was already decorated!! :(

Where did I find them????  Packed neatly in a container under my bed!

A few decorations here and there.....

I was very surprised when I found this "P"...... Seems like the P's always seem to go first....   I grabbed this one up real FAST.

The mantel!   I fell in love with this Buffalo Plaid Ribbon!  I really didn't know that this was the name for it, until Shanda dropped by the other day and said she loved the Buffalo ribbon.  I had no clue what she was talking about, but sure buff.....this is what it is called.

More of the mantel.... 

And More..........

This is my Old door that I decorate for each new season!!
Love this old door.....

I'm feeling Blessed and Life is good...

Hugs,

Shug

I know that we are in the month of November.....I know that
Thanksgiving is still a few days away.....I really do!

I still have pumpkins on my front porch, and I still have Autumn decorations in our home!  You know, all the orange, red, brown and green decor!

I also have a lit tree in our living room!

It's not decorated yet....only lights!

That's a Fall Wreath on my front door and Fall flowers in the vase on the cabinet....   Fall flowers next to a Christmas tree!!
Crazy isn't it??

It might take me a few more days to get the tree decorated....but that's ok.

Wow......check it out!!  I decorated the tree.   The truth is, I started writing this post a week ago and had to save it in a draft.   And..now I'm back to finish this post and my tree
is now decorated.  

I actually have a couple more trees to do...but at least this one will be done at Thanksgiving.   One of the reason's I wanted the tree to be up, is because Tyler is coming home for Thanksgiving ....but he will not get to be home for Christmas!

:(  :(  :(  :(   makes me sad....but it is what it is and I'm thankful to get to spend Thanksgiving with him.

I love making sweets at Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Coconut pie, Chocolate pie, Pecan cobbler, German Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin roll, and more...

BUT....guess what it is that my kiddos want?

Dirt Cake!!!!

Same dessert every single time.......They are not interested in any of the desserts that I want to make....only Dirt Cake...

and I don't really like it!!

I have much to do.....but I did want to wish you

all a 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Blessings and hugs!

Shug