Hittin' The Jackpot!

Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't win big in the lottery or strike it rich in Vegas, but I did win 2 blogger giveaways recently! There's nothing quite like getting a little fun mail for a change!

My sweet bloggy friend, Linda, had a great giveaway recently following her dreamy trip to Hawaii. I was beyond thrilled to learn that I'd won! Here's the goodies she sent me...

I got a set of those wonderful moisture absorbing coasters, some DELICIOUS Hershey Kisses with macadamia nuts, a set of post-it notes, and two Maui key chains! Thank you so much, Linda! Bless her heart...she really has had a tough time lately. She broke her ankle and her son was just diagnosed with pancreatitis. Also, her daughter's friend was hit by a car while running and is recovering in the hospital from the injuries she sustained. So, if you get a chance, please pay Linda a visit. I'm sure she could use all the encouraging words she can get right now!

The next giveaway I won was hosted by another sweet bloggy friend of mine, Amy. What I originally won never arrived...got lost in the mail or something, so Amy was kind enough to send me these items...

I absolutely LOVE anything with a monogram and I often have a hard time finding things with the letter 'A' on them, so I was tickled pink! She sent me monogrammed note cards and a cute monogrammed coozie! I appreciate them so much, Amy! Now, if you want to be inspired, be sure to pay her a visit, as well. Amy is battling cancer and is caring for her son who's been ill for quite some time. Plus, she, also, recently lost her little nephew, so she's been dealing with a lot, but her faith in God never waivers.

I'm really excited about today! Brittany comes home around noon because of finals. So, we're going out to lunch and do a little shopping! I'm looking forward to having some one-on-one time with her! Should be lots of fun! HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

...And She's Off!

Since I haven't participated in the photo contest over at I ♥ Faces in quite awhile, I thought today would be the perfect day! It's all about PETS this week, so I'm very excited!

Here's a picture of one of our dogs, Bella, that I took over the summer. My girls were playing with her in our backyard. They'd toss her ball and she'd go racing after it...ears flopping in the wind! She was footloose and carefree! Just looking at this picture of her makes me smile from ear to ear! What a great way to live!

Be sure to head on over to I ♥ Faces and check out all the pictures others have entered today of their beloved companion (s). I know I can't wait! Have a great start to your week!

What I Miss...

I came to the realization yesterday that times sure have changed. Now that my girls are older, they don't anticipate the arrival of Christmas as much anymore. I remember well when they'd bolt through the front door after school and run over to the Christmas tree and look for presents with their names on them. Often, they'd count them to make sure that one didn't have more than the other. It had to be equal, you know! I always got so much enjoyment out of watching their excitement grow. Of course, we'd make our annual trek to see Santa at the mall, but that stopped years ago. My girls have been way too "cool" for that for awhile now.

Also, our Christmas gatherings would usually be larger. My parents and brother would join in the fun. Oh, what a great time we had! We loved to give them gag gifts and the house would be roaring with laughter! My girls would always give me handmade gifts they created at school. I still have them, too! They'd be so proud to have me open them and, even though there were times when I didn't quite know what they were, I'd still carry on as if they were some rare jewel. Well, to me...they were! Then, we'd all eat so much that we'd be begging for a pair of pants with an elastic waistband! I didn't realize at the moment just how sweet life was back then. Now, with the passing of my parents and brother, as well as Chris' dad and grandmother, our Christmases have dwindled down to our family of four and Chris' mom and brother. We have our own family celebration at home, then we travel to see them the day or so after Christmas. Still...it's just different.

I guess this is all part of the seasons of life. Nothing ever really stays the same. Maybe that's exactly what makes the here and now so much sweeter. It's all about growth, accepting change, and never taking a single blessing for granted!

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!

Music To The Ears?

On Saturday morning, Chris had to go to our doctor's office for some blood work, so he asked me to tag along and said he'd treat me to breakfast, afterwards. Now, what woman in her right mind would pass up an opportunity to eat out? Of course, I agreed, so I threw on some makeup, brushed through my messy hair, and off we went!

I waited in the car for Chris since I thought he would be in and out in no time...WRONG! I sat there for nearly 40 mins.! The doctor's office was packed with walk-ins! However, I didn't allow my feathers to get ruffled too much because we were going to enjoy a nice breakfast together.

Chris hopped in the car and as we pulled away, his eyes fixed upon the place that makes his mouth water...WAFFLE HOUSE! I'm not exactly sure why he's so drawn to it, but he loves it! For me, it's all about the entertainment. I get a kick out of hearing the waitresses bark orders to all the cooks. How they can remember what to cook is a mystery to me! Anyhow, we drove down by it, but Chris opted to go to the one near the mall.

We drove into the parking lot and there were cars everywhere! We should have known...people were out and about doing their Christmas shopping and stopped by for a quick bite to eat. We decided to go inside, anyway...it was packed! There were two seats open at the bar, so we grabbed them while the gettin' was good!

A waiter behind the counter handed us a couple of menus with the most Southern drawl I've heard in a very long time! I leaned over to Chris and whispered, "And I thought I had an accent!" As we were looking over the menus, a Randy Travis song came over the radio and one of the managers named "Big Daddy" broke out in song. He sang, "...and on the other hand, there's a golden band..." to the tops of his lungs! I mean, he held NOTHING back! He just let 'er rip! Chris and I looked at each other with eyebrows raised and snickered. From that point on, every song that came on the radio, he sang...LOUDLY! It really was quite an experience to be serenaded at a Waffle House! I wouldn't exactly call it "romantic". Let's just put it this way..."Big Daddy" needs to stick with being a manager and leave his singing to the shower! My ears were ringing for hours on end! ;)

The Spirit Of Giving

Yesterday after church, we went to the narthex and chose two children from the Christmas tree to purchase Christmas gifts for...it's our annual family tradition. Oh, was it ever hard to pick only two! I think there were 300 names that needed to be chosen. Isn't that unreal? It makes my heart ache to think about it!

Well, shortly after we got home, Abby and I went on a quest to get some of the shopping knocked out. We picked a 4 year old girl and a 3 year old boy. Here's what we got them , so far...

They each asked for underwear and pj's, but the little boy requested jeans and clothes and the little girl asked for a coat and socks. She, also, asked for a tea party set. We're going to get the little boy a small bicycle with training wheels and some cars to play with and we're getting the little girl a doll, too.

All I can think about is the looks on those children's faces when they have some surprises waiting for them on Christmas morning! What I'd give to be a fly on the wall! To me, that's what Christmas is really all about...reaching out to others who might be less fortunate than yourself. The simple kindness of a stranger can go a long, long way.

Have an awesome Monday!

Ladies And Gentlemen...We Have A WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS to my sweet bloggy friend, Rebecca Jo...you won my "From My Heart To Yours Christmas Giveaway!" I will be contacting you soon to get your mailing information. Thanks to all of you for entering! I'll be having another giveaway in the not-to-distant future. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

From My Heart To Yours Christmas Giveaway!

Before we get this party started, I wanted to share with you what I won in a recent giveaway hosted by my sweet friend, Suzanne. I won a $50 gift certificate to choose whatever I wanted from AllModern.com. Boy, did I have a fun time shopping....there were so many choices, it was almost overwhelming! However, after much consideration, I decided to get this gorgeous serving bowl...
Don't you just love all the bright colors? It will go with anything and I will definitely be putting it to good use. So, THANK YOU, Suzanne and to the generous folks at AllModern. com! If you haven't been to Suzanne's blog, you really need to pay her a visit. She's as sweet as they come and always has great recipes and decorating ideas to share.

Now, with this being the season of giving, I decided to have a little giveaway of my own. I've been picking up several items over the past couple of weeks that I thought you might enjoy. Here's what I'm giving away...
You'll get a pretty turquoise and black print apron with pockets that will make you look absolutely adorable while you're cooking away for Christmas. You'll get a dish that says, "Let Heaven and nature sing"...perfect for some candy! How about a couple of Christmas potholders so you don't burn your hands when you're taking all of you Christmas goodies out of the oven? Then, there's one of my all-time favorite yummy delights during this time of year...Peppermint Bark! Now, with this being flu season and time for getting the sniffles, I thought I'd include a pocket size hand sanitzer in the scent of Warm Vanilla Sugar. We have to keep those germs at bay, you know! Last, but not least, is a bar of Cleo Yogurt Soap in Red Berries. Boy, does it ever smell GOOD...almost good enough to eat! Who knows, I may even include another surprise just for the fun of it!:) So, there you have it...hope you like everything I've chosen!

Now, this is going to be easy-peasy. You don't have to become a follower of mine or visit another site and tell me what you like. Nope...all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me one thing you hope to receive this Christmas. See? It's a piece of cake! I'll pick a winner on Saturday using Random. org and will announce it here. So, good luck to you all...from my heart to yours!