Papa do list and food and fun

While we were in Atlanta I got to go to the doctor with Andrew and Taylor.  I got to hear Mr Precious' heartbeat.  I just cried.

We went to a Jerusalem bakery and had lunch one day.  Here is our humus and falafel.  I had a chicken shawarma wrap.  It was all really good.  What is so funny about us eating here is that Andrew picked it out and when he was growing up he was the pickiest eater know to man.  He ate a hamburger wherever we went and now he loves to eat all manner of food.  Sometimes I have to say to him that I need to eat something normal!!!!  My how our roles have changed.

High on Carl's list was painting two room.

This room required three coats of primer plus a few holes filled in too.

This is the largest cookie sheet I have ever seen.  The previous owners left it with the house because it fits in the stove.

More priming

and still more

Here is one of Andrew's top 3 desserts.  We celebrated New Year's Eve here.

Here is my artistic photo for Kaitlin of their back deck.

We watched lots of football.

We played Phase 10.  I hope we can get this game soon.  I loved it.  I was winning when we stopped.      

To Dallas and Chamblee and beyond!

My brother, John and his wife, Elaine, had the biggest CHRISTMAS tree this year. I loved seeing all their ornaments especially the ones from our tree when we were growing up.

Mr Wonderful missed us so we facetimed!

Elaine loves Mindy's art! Mindy is the artist that Kaitlin works for. Mindy and Elaine share a love of all things Disney!

Carl and I went to church with John and Elaine.

A selfie sitting on a bench at Perimeter Mall.

We had a fun supper with both my brothers and Andrew and Taylor. Here is our group. We had Christmas with them at Andrew and Taylor's.

A&T have a neat basement with a great area to exercise.  They exercised every morning.  I was impressed!

This is their backyard.  I just loved it.  I think Mr Precious will have a glorious time out there running.  I enjoyed watching all the birds.

Christmas 2014 Part II

What you do in a motel when you didn't have a long nap and your grandparents are in charge!  Mr Wonderful wanted me to get on the cart. It was a fun ride up the hallway.

My nephew, William, with his beautiful daughter. Isn't she the cutest CHRISTMAS present ever!?!

Miss Adorable had some wonderful babysitters.

She loves her cousins!

I love the calm that is Great-Grandmother with all the seeming confusion behind her.

Tatum and her new doll rode with us to breakfast the following morning. We went to Dawn's Diner.

This is Tatum's plate. She got fried bologna with a biscuit and chocolate gravy! I got scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuit with chocolate gravy!! Yum yum.

Can you have dessert for breakfast ??? We did! This is a fried biscuit smothered in butter and honey. It was wonderful. After this yummy breakfast we headed to Atlanta. Thank you Ted and Tina for hosting this get together!!

Christmas in Arab

cousins and aunts and a sweet niece

 A few days before Christmas we got a text asking us to join lots of family in Arab, Alabama on December 26.  It took us about 2 minutes to formulate a plan of opening our presents early so we could leave on the 25.  We all enjoyed our mid day meal on the 25 at the Huddle House in Corinth, MS- that was the only place open and let me say they were doing a booming business and they were happy to serve us!

We made it to Ted and Tina's about 11am on the 26 after a fun night in a motel.  There were 31 of us for lunch.  We all brought sides or desserts and Ted and Tina had the rest.

I am blest with some great sisters in law.  I feel like I have been to a wonderful conference when we are together.  We talk about a millions subjects and never finish our discussion but I am always ready to continue the next time we are together.

Mrs. Monroe and Mrs Monroe and Mrs Monroe and Mrs Monroe

 Here are some of the menfolk sharing a laugh.

 This picture is one of the things I love about a big family- all the love.  Carl is holding his great niece, Miss Darling and Tina is holding her great niece, Miss Adorable.  These girls are two weeks apart in age.  I am hoping they will be best buds one day.

 Lots of visiting

 The whole group minus Mr Wonderful who was asleep

 5 of the 6 siblings were here.

 We got grandma in this picture.

I tried to get lots of family groups.

 This group looks up to no good

 This group really looks up to no good.

 Three of my favorite boys!  Mr Wonderful woke up and we got him in a few pictures.

We had a great time.  We are blest with a wonderful family.  I am looking forward to our next time together.

Thanksgiving 2014 with lots of folks and lots of family!

I love to have folks over to our house, especially during the holidays.  We have never lived in a town with our extended family so our church friends have become family.  When Carl and I were first married we were the recipient of many home cooked meals and holiday celebrations with several church families in the various cities where we have lived.   I have enjoyed, when we are able to, having folks over that are without family especially during the holidays.

This year we planned to be home for Thanksgiving and all my children planned to be here too.  Since I knew we were going to be home I began to look around and invite!!!!  My friend, Don, lost his wife this year and I knew he needed a place to celebrate.  He asked if he could bring a few family members.  I am all about the more the merrier mentality so I was thrilled.  Emily is new to Arkansas and our church.  Her new job gives, her no vacation days and her family is in California.  Her brother flew in to celebrate with her and they both joined us.  Marian is a friend from church who recently moved here.  She is a regular at our table and we always enjoy her.

My children - Andrew, Taylor, Kaitlin, John, Marisa, Atticus, Penny, Robert and Beth were also able to join us.  I was looking forward to Thanksgiving but then I began to wonder if I would have time to visit with all my children.  Andrew and Taylor would only be here from Wednesday evening til Sunday afternoon, I don't see Robert and Beth often enough and I don't have all my children in the same place much at all.

For a few days I had an inward struggle should I be obedient to God and have folks over or follow my heart?  Should I have do what I have said I would do or call everyone and ask them not come? Wouldn't God want me to be with my family????

I got on my knees and prayed.  I knew I needed to have all the folks over for Thanksgiving.

Everyone knew but me the plan for Andrew and Taylor to fly in a day early.  I got a whole day with them.  My children were all together!  We ate out, we relaxed, Andrew read several vehicle books to Atticus, we laughed, we played cards, we had an all around great time.  I thought often about the verse in Ephesians 3 that talks about God and His Exceedingly Abundantly above.  He always blesses obedience and I so often forget that!

Carl is our grill master!

We played the 'made you look' game.  I bet my brother, Charles, looked!

Carl, John and Kaitlin did not look and here is the proof !

Great thoughts from Relational Wisdom 360

For most people, the holidays are like the French Revolution: they are either the best of times or the worst of times, a time of relational wisdom or a time of relational foolishness (to paraphrase Charles Dickens). Read the rest here!
 

I plan to book mark this site.  Such good info