Merry Christmas!

Just taking a minute to check on all my wonderful blogfriends and tell you Merry Christmas!  Things have been hectic this past weekend with two of my kids coming in and us all squeezing into our tiny farmhouse, including 3 dogs - Bug under the Christmas tree, Gypsy the farm dog, and...

TANK (or the Tankster as we are wont to call him) or the Big Galoot or Doofus or ... or ... Tank is my daughter's dog - he keeps her company in college and they have all kinds of fun together. I was lucky to get a picture of him without two strings of drool hanging from the corners of his mouth!  Gotta love Labs!

Anyway, it's a tight squeeze. I've given up on trying to keep any semblance of order in our house until the melee of Christmasing is over with.  I've decided NOT to stress over it, just go with it, have fun with it, and clean up the mess and doghair when the holidlays are over with. (there'll be enough doghair to stuff a small pillow...)  To top it off, I was in the midst of preparing supper yesterday evening and my mom and dad were coming over, and OUR WATER WENT OFF.  Oh JOY TO THE WORLD!  The wonderful things that happen in the country!!!  So we just loaded up all the food and went to Mom's house!  I threw everything into a laundry basket and off we went!  It's back on now...Good - we can flush.

The guys in my family are doing the "guy thing" of chopping down dead trees, of which we have many after the drought we've had in the last couple of years.  It's dangerous to walk in the woods when there's any wind.  We've had several trees fall, and branches are falling daily. Luckily the weather's been nice the last few days - expecting a few storms tonight and cooler temps the rest of the week...

Adam runs the chain saw, Dad does the scooping and putting wood on the burn pile, and Tony does most of the grunt work.  My daddy LOVES to get on the tractor, so Tony is so sweet and lets him do that.

In other news, my Kiwi kids, back a few months from New Zealand, decided  that their next big adventure was to move to Denver.  They found a 3-week house-sitting job in a nice lodge home in the mountains overlooking Denver, went up and found jobs and moved up there over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They both love skiing, snow and their latest activity as of yesterday --- dogsledding!  These two  kids are SO adventurous - they were made for each other!  Dogsledding pictures to come soon!

THIS is what I've been working on for the last couple of months.  A sawmill blade 30" across for a friend at church.  His teenage son asked me to paint a train engine from Union Pacific at the Mineola TX depot on this blade for his dad.  His dad was raised in Mineola and has worked for UP for 30 years.  It was a big job because of the surface of the blade and one I do not care to repeat EVER.  But I was pleased with how it turned out and more importantly - THE SON was pleased.  Glad that's over with!

Well, my friends, I pray that you all have a Merry Christmas with your families, friends and loved ones and that the Lord may bless you richly with wonderful new memories now and in the coming year!  May the beauty and awe of this most holiest of nights scatter your stress and mess and draw you unto Him and His unfailing patience and love. 

Sending warmest wishes from Sand Flat Farm!

Vee's Wednesday Note Card Party!

I'm back in blogland a bit - just to check in and see what you all are doing before the Christmas Rush gets rolling.  If you've not joined up with Vee's Note Card Party, well here's your chance!




 My selections this month are SNOW SCENES from SAND FLAT FARM  -  here goes~~~~~~

My little yellow farmhouse - the back...

My garden shed...

In the orchard...

AND, finally, the sun breaking through on Sand Flat Farm!

If I don't get back before all the Christmas festivities begin....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Our Christmases 2011

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did!  Are your decorations and tree put away for another year?  Mine are still up, but they're driving me crazy!  Unfortunately, it'll be a few more days before I can get 'round to cleaning up all the Christmas stuff.  There's something about a bare tree, no presents, wrapping paper, bits and pieces of tape , gift bags and tissue paper that just screams at me to CLEAN IT UP! Plus, with having 4-5 people staying here in our little farmhouse, nerves were beginning to fray... I heard my 30 year old son and 23 year old daughter fussing over what to watch on TV.  Haven't heard THAT in quite awhile! haha! 

A few shots of Christmas at my Mom & Dad's house on Friday....  I won't make them big so they won't take too long to upload...

Hayley and my niece, Erin...

Half of us... Mom took the other half, I don't have that shot yet...

My other nieces, Jaci and Taylor...

Daddy

I've been wantin' one of these stick blenders for a while now!

Mom and her leopard houseshoes! She was tickled speckled!

Adam's new guitar - Gibson - VERY nice...

Here's the other half...

We sure missed our son Josh and his wife, Lindsey, but I know they are happy and safe in Wellington, New Zealand, and the Lord is surely providing a family for them there.  Think I told you that they were spending Christmas with two different families there from the church.  The folks there have really taken them in and treated them like family!  I can't wait to meet these sweet families when/if we go over next spring sometime!

Here's a few pics from us 4 on Christmas day afternoon.  We had a small little quiet day after morning worship services, went to see Tony's mom at the nursing home, and later that evening, went to see "War Horse".  We had a fun day!

Working on lunch...

Hayley is hungry!

our little farmhouse Christmas table.

Hayley and her pooch, Remi...

Adam, Hayley, Bug and Remi

                                                      Tony's new vest - looking good!

Hayley got the guys a bucket tool carrier - they all loved it!

The rest of us. 

Well, that's all for today. We had a very nice Christmas, made lotsa new memories - kept it kinda low-key this year.  I hope Josh and Lindsey are with us next year.  I sure missed them.  First time in all these years that all my kids have not been here for the holidays.  First time I've had a married kid, too.  But you'd expect one to be gone to the in-laws - NOT ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WORLD!

Take care - keep your dress down! Be back soon!

Christmas At Our Little Farmhouse...

I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the holiday tunnel.  All but a smidgeon of shopping is done and wrapped, all parties have been attended including church parties, visits have been made to friends, and now we're in count-down mode.  Our big family get-together is next weekend on Friday.  The sister and her family and my two available kids and their "others" are going to be here. Well, actually at Mom & Dad's.

I've been looking at all your Christmas decorations and wish that I had room for some more...but we're doing good to have space for our tree!  Also, I just don't have space to store Christmas decorations at this little place.  So we are pretty sparse on decor right now. I opted for my artificial tree this year instead of a real one. It's pretty slim and I needed slim.

I've been reading some of your blogs about getting sparkles on your Christmas lights. I got a few on my tree in the photos but I have no idea how I did it, and I couldn't find my strainer... Vee explains it all...

Our ornaments are a combination of the kids' homemade ones, and my mom and me both got a new ornament for each of them every year and they're all dated with their names on them.  I cannot throw out those fragile frayed little ornaments made from cork and milk bottle lids and pipe cleaners. They are precious!

And my little fireplace and my old painting print...

And my cute little Putz house, rather church, that I got at Marshall's - it's a pale green, it's hard to tell, but it is SO cute!  I love it.  I was going to make one or some, but I think I'm running out of time now... This one even lights up.

They had some white ones, too, but they weren't near as cute - maybe I'll run across another one someplace if I don't get to make one.  I need some fluffy snow and stuff around it...

Here is my pie safe in my little bitty kitchen.  I've got some of my candles from Becky at Hospitality Lane - they are great soy candles and they've been burning since I got 'em before Thanksgiving. It smells like I've been preparing holiday yummies for the last month!

I got a box of goodies off to the Kiwi Kids this week.  Think I paid close to $60 to ship a small box of gift items to Josh and Lindsey in New Zealand.  By the way, on my sidebar, there's a picture and a link to the kids' blog, Adventures in New Zealand.  Please go over and check them out.  Lindsey is doing a great job of writing - I feel like I'm right there with them!  And they are taking such wonderful pictures of the beauty there. I hope Tony and I are able to go for a visit next spring sometime.  They need some followers, guys!  They hope to keep up the blog with pictures and then have it printed when they get back to have a record of their adventure. That would be a great keepsake.

Well, peace out!  

Keep your holiday dress down!

I'm Still Alive Here at Sand Flat Farm!

Ummmm, okay ..... let's see, where were we?  .......

Oh yes, before I get any further, let me share this lovely giveaway with you from Christy at Artisan Farmstead Living!  She's having a giveaway of a lb. of her luscious laundry soap that she makes herself with goat milk soap and I'm REALLLLLY hoping to win!  If not, guess I'll have to buy some...  Pop over there and see her neat blog where she makes all things homestead-style!  Tell her I sent you!  I just found her today doing some blog-hopping!

Thanksgiving?  Check!  Had a great time with all the family? Check!  Ate WAY too much?  Check!  Talked to our Kiwi Kids?  Check!  Did some skyping, too!  Made plans for Christmas holidays?  Check!  Family agreed to draw names for gifts?  Check!  Been trying to get everybody to agree on that for years!  Did some target practice with the kids?  Check!  Even my mama got in on that!  Pictures to follow...

And my mama is serious - don't mess with mama! My brother is lookin' on and Daddy is coverin' up his ears...

My brother discussing the merits of his arsenal...

Anybody around my area need a purty calico kitty?  Lucy is staying with us until I find her another home.  She belonged to Josh and Lindsey, and since they couldn't take her to NZ, I'm looking for a new home.  I already have a sinus infection and severe allergies due to her being at my house.  She's always been an inside cat, so I hate to just put her outside.  She'd freak.  It's taken her two weeks to settle down and feel comfortable here.  She's already spayed and had shots.  Got any takers?  She's free to a good home!  WITH all her stuff!  I'll even bring her to you if don't live too far away! 

Thought I'd show you a fine specimen of canine-ity - our farmdog, Gypsy, is surveying the grounds (actually she is sitting on top of the berm that the boys shoved up with the tractor to use as a backdrop to shoot against).  Little did Gypsy know that soon,  gunfire would commence and she'd be hightailin' it back to the barn...  But I'll swan! - lawsy-mercy... she  did look mighty fine settin' up there for a few short minutes...

She's turning out to be a great dog so far - she's been here about a month now.  She's very smart - I can show her how to do something once or twice and she's got it!  We're thinking mostly Aussie with some border collie in her, too, for good measure.  She loves to play with the young tan outside cat - he who hath no name yet.  Young Tan Outside Cat, herein after referred to as YTOC either is stupid and has no escape skills, or he truly likes being played with by Gyp.  I've seen several times Gyp carrying him around the yard like a ragdoll and she traps him with her front paws.  I thought that she might bite him too hard, but I guess she's being very careful and hopefully has a very soft mouth.  He seems healthy and active and playful, and I let him in ONLY to eat so Gyp won't bug him. He comes in, eats, and then warts the tar out of Lucy. They fight and squall and chase each other all over the house.   I sure hope he makes it.  YTOC's been here two months and is getting big.  I don't know why he doesn't just take a whack at Gypsy's nose with his paw and set her straight...  I told him to many times, but as of yet, he hasn't done anything about it.

And Gypsy loves me.  I'm her person.  Makes me feel good.  She whines for me to hold her and pet her and scratch her.  She just wants me to love on her.  And I do.  What is it about dogs that we love them and they love us so unconditionally?  Why does their love make us feel so good?  Where is this post going?

Hope to get my Christmas tree up this week.  I have no earthly idea as to the whereabouts of my Christmas decorations.  I sold a bunch of them that were getting dog-eared when we moved, threw another bunch away and packed up the rest, and I don't know where it is.  Good excuse to get a few new things, eh? Only thing is, with one cat and sometimes two in the house, how in tarnation am I going to keep my Christmas tree and decorations intact?  Can you tell me that?  I think this year I'm going to go down to the woods and cut some evergreen limbs and such and do some natural decorating. I'm still thinking on that wreath that Vee did that I love SO much - the square one. So simple, yet so natural and I just LOVE natural!

Anyway, I'm really tightening my purse strings this year and am looking to find ways to decorate on the cheap, and natural elements are to be had everywhere.

We've covered lotsa territory this evenin', so I guess I'm outa here til next time.  Will try to post more often - Holidays are so busy!

Keep yore dress down!

Pre-Christmas FUN!

I'm sitting here with my daughter watching the Bachelor - her favorite show, well, she's 20-something, what do you expect...  new season and new girls and cute hunky guy.  And if you aren't watching, I'm serious, there's a girl on here that's into "vampire-ism" and she has fangs.  This is going TOO far.  This is making me gag... Blech. 

Lots going on around Sand Flat Farm this holiday season.  I guess I should catch y'all up.  First off, my middle son J GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE!  He actually graduated in August, but the ceremony was right before Christmas!  We were so proud of him - 6 years it took- course he changed his major a time or two, but he's OUT!  Here he is walking across the stage to accept his diploma at the University of Texas at Tyler.

And a pic after the graduation with his family!  We are thrilled to have one more kid off our payroll!!! One year closer to me quitting work! 

And of course, have to have one with the proud fiancee, too!  They are both SO happy! 

Then, we were so sick of holiday food in between that I busted loose and fried up some chicken fried steak, mashed taters, gravy and purple hull peas - which we all gorged ourselves on and later had some Tums for dessert...

Josh and Lindsey at our home in an artistic shot by Princess... 

Of course, we had to celebrate Josh's birthday a few days later.  We had chocolate cake with the good ole orange & white University of Texas colors on it! 

THEN,  me and Princess took off to Fort Worth and met up with my sister and her daughter, Erin, for a fun day at the Gaylord Texan Hotel.  If you've ever been to a Gaylord Hotel, you know how huge and fancy they are and how they go all out on decor and architecture.  At the Texan, they were having the Ice Show "A Charlie Brown Christmas" there and we were taking that in.  While we waited for the show, we spent time browsing in shops, having ice cream and designer coffees and touring the hotel and enjoying all the Christmas decorations.  It was SO over the TOP!

Since it was the "TEXAN", the hotel was all decked out in Texan stuff - a Riverwalk like in San Antonio, Oil wells, mission style shops, Texas style landscapes and vegetation - nothing was left out.  It was great. We took a hundred pictures, me and Erin. 'Course she has a new fancy 35 mm digital camera and my pics do not compare with hers, but I wanted to show you some of what we saw anyway. Thanks for your tolerance.

Here's our girlies in a sleigh - perfect photo op! Aren't they cute!

And me and my sister!

The interior of the Hotel upon first entering.  It was truly breathtaking...

There's no tellin' how much $$$$$$ they spent on Christmas decor...

This is a Gingerbread House replica of the Gaylord Texan Hotel!  WOW!!!

This guy was a NUT - but he was keeping the kiddoes laughing and running around crazy!

Are you in San Antonio at the Theater on the River?  Or are you still in the Gaylord Texan?  Enquiring minds want to know!!! 

Now, I'll tell you a bit about the Ice Show.  The Hotel invited 40+ Chinese ice sculptors and they came over and transformed 2 million 2,000,000 pounds of solid ICE into all the sets of the "Charlie Brown Christmas".  They were spot-ON!  The ice characters were so life-like.  We entered the Ice Show and they provided us heavy knee-length parkas to wear.  They keep the temperatures in there at 9 degrees to keep the ice solid.  They told some scientific reasons why 9 degrees is perfect, but I couldn't begin to explain it to you. 

Anyway, there were quite a few folks there that day, 23rd day of December right before Christmas, so the hotel was pretty full.  But it makes it so much more fun, don't you think!!!  It wouldn't have been nearly so much fun if there were nobody there.  We wove through the maze and visited all of the sets, took tons of pictures, and froze our BUNS off!  Our toes were numb, our fingertips were numb, and our mouths were stiff so we could barely talk!  Man, it made me think about all you folks that live up in the north and have to deal with the frigid temps all winter long!

I'll let you stroll through the scenes with us...

Two Ice Maidens....(below)

And me and seester huddling to stay warm!

Got a little free counseling while we were in there!!!

These were the ICE Slides - talk about freezing your tokey off!

Now actually my favorite sculptures were the angel announcing the birth of Christ, and the whole Nativity Scene - they were so realistic, and they were bigger than lifesize - they were amazing!

It was beautiful and the colors were awesome.  You can kinda see baby Jesus laying there in the manger...

Gotta have a little Alamo in there, too...

And oil wells for Texas...

Gorgeous!

And finally, here's a photo of the whole Gaylord Texan Hotel.  The Gaylord in Nashville is just as luxurious - if you ever get to visit one of these, jump on that chance - it's well worth the effort.  We 4 had a blast all day long - but more than being at the hotel and Ice Show, just being together - just us girls and making some new memories! 

http://dbeckdesigns.com/final_project/links.html

AND I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO CHRISTMAS YET!!!