Par-TAY-ing has Gone to the Dogs Around Here

Breezy (who author's The Blonde Oxymoron which is a fabulously funny blog) and BestSonInLawEVER had to bring one of their dogs home for Christmas. Normally, we don't have the other dogs come because they all weigh at least 80 lbs and our house is a whopping 1300 square feet.

But Rico did come. And that naughty little hound got into some big trouble over the holidays (these pictures were taken with Birdie's phone):

Looks like Rico was ringing in the new year a bit early! At least he doesn't drive!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Christmas 2011: Part 3- Christmas Day

Before I get to the pictures I'm going to ask a favor. Breezy started a blog over one year ago. She wrote one post and froze. Well, she's back and she's a pure delight! Please check out her blog, The Blonde Oxymoron. Yes, I am a proud mom but, to be perfectly honest, she really is wonderfully entertaining. I'll introduce her better next week- for her birthday. Thanks y'all!

Christmas day usually begins with the stockings and moves to lunch and then presents.

I think it's best detailed with photos:

Stockings are usually the first things we look at on Christmas day...even Tucker.

He really gets into his stocking. Literally.

Our Harry Potter fanatic- DoodleBug.

Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER

Deanie's jewelry came out of the box and was all over her suitcase so Santa brought her a new thingy to put her jewelry in when she travels.

Restaurant.com gift cards are great for kids in grad school who have no money because they are in grad school.

Santa gave the lovelies twist towel thingys.

Here's part of Christmas dinner.

Some of the feasters with Fake Evwardo giving the thumbs up!

I knitted everyone stocking caps this year. I didn't finish Deanie and DoodleBug's. DoodleBug is sporting Evwardo's and Deanie is holding up the yarn for hers. Since then, I have finished Deanie's and begun DoodleBug's!

Capes from Mimi.

Tucker was tuckered out.

Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER

DoodleBug and her daddy checking out his new Kindle. The first book he wanted to buy was Carol's!

Deanie, DoodleBug, Mimi, and Birdie

Birdie, Deanie, Aunt Betty, and DoodleBug

Fake Evwardo in his stocking cap.

 And that concludes the Christmas 2011 posts!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas 2011: Part 2- Christmas Eve

I'm linking up with Thursday's favorite things at Katherine's Corner since this post is filled with some of my most favorite things- the lovelies, Hubs, Tucker and Christmas!

Christmas Eve at our house is usually just a milling about of family (some years even a few friends until we started the Christmas oyster roasts) and the opening of the most important Christmas gifts- the Christmas pjs from Mimi and the sister gifts (the lovelies draw names each year for their sister gifts.).

You can see Fake Evwardo looking on in the background.

Here are some of the highlights:

Deanie is opening a gift we SAID was left here for her from NickleAss. HOWEVER, it was actually a ring from BestSonInLawEVER to Breezy-she's impossible to fool. AnYwAy- Breezy was videoing Deanie opening the gift.

Suddenly, after Breezy zoomed in on the ring, she realized that it was the ring she wanted! We GOT you Breezy!

This year, DoodleBug drew Birdie's name and Birdie drew Doodlebug.

Leather bound copies of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit!

DoodleBug is a Harry Potter FANATIC.

AND Birdie, who has taught herself to quilt, made this one for DoodleBug- some of the squares have pictures on them that Birdie embroidered on there. It's really awesome for a first try at quilting. She made me a Christmas apron- how did we not get a picture of it?!

DoodleBug might have liked her quilt a little bit.

Deanie drew Breezy's name and made her this thingy to hang her earrings and necklaces/bracelets on! Very cool!

Breezy drew Deanie's name and gave her a television!

DoodleBug's jammies...

Birdie's jammies...

Deanie's jammies have stars on them! There's BestSonInLawEVER on the right...somehow I didn't get a shot of his pjs, or Hubs' or mine! What?!

I don't think that's where the pants go sweetie! That's Rico in front- Breezy's doggie.

Ready to go keep the nursery at church.

If you missed Christmas 2011 Part 1 you can see those pictures right here.

To be continued...

HUMP DAY HOPS!

Wow. That was F.A.S.T. Speedy quick. Faster than a speeding bullet. 

If you're here for Chats on the Farmhouse Porch or Get Wired Wednesday only, then scroll down.

First up is WEDNESDAY HODGE PODGE from Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  This meme is fun and sometimes even poses a challenge (read: she makes us use our noggins!).   

1. Share something you loved about your Christmas Day. I bet everyone knows the answer to this one. But I'll tell you anyway- I LOVED having all the lovelies home!

2. You get to put five items in a time capsule to be opened in 100 years, what items would you choose and why? Oh goody, here she goes again with those thought provoking questions! I don't know.....

1. My smart phone because I think the future people would get a kick out of it.
2. A stocking cap because they're awesome.
3. A pencil or pen and paper- just in case they're obsolete.
4. Hubs says a copy of the constitution because it's one of the greatest documents ever written
5. Birdie says an athletic training journal so they could see what she was studying and DoodleBug says she would put in Joni Mitchell's Blue album so they can hear how to put their feelings into words and so they would have something to listen to when they're sad and know that it's ok to be sad sometimes.

3. What do you like on a cracker? I used to favor peanut butter or cheese. Now, I love to put humus on my gluten free crackers!

4. Do you make resolutions at the start of a new year? How'd that work out for you this past year? I do not make resolutions.

5. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2011? Probably Tighten Up or Howlin' for You by the Black Keys- 

6. How will you ring in the new year? Usually we ring it in with an oyster roast but this year, probably not. Or else we'll have one but keep it small. We host the New Year's Eve oyster roast mainly for my dad but he can't come this year because my stepmom has to have surgery on the 29th--she's having a kidney stone removed---one that is one inch in diameter. Yikes!

7. What is something you look forward to in 2012? Believe it or not I'm looking forward to summer. Yes, I said it. Me, the one who HATES hot weather. BUT, Birdie will be here for TWO MONTHS this summer! I'm also thinking of going up to DC to visit Deanie and NickleAss so I'm looking forward to that. And then there are birthdays and anniversaries and ultimate frisbee tournaments and Carol's new book launch and...the list is long.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I absolutely HATE taking kids back to the airport to fly away from home. We took Deanie yesterday evening and Birdie this morning. Then Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER left. Thank God DoodleBug still lives close and Hubs and Tucker are here or I'm sure I go stark raving mad.

Next up is a HUMP DAY HOP from Patrice at Everyday Ruralty called Chats on the farmhouse porch! Patrice made a very nice video for us this week! So hop on over there and check it out! And she's maybe making us another one soon featuring Wendell who is only the bestest horse in the whole wide world!

Questions:

1. Who makes the best cookies in your family? I didn't even have to think about this one- it's my dad. His cookies are so dang yummy!

These are Dad's dangerously delicious oatmeal raisin cookies. To. Die. For.

2.What was the most satisfying or pleasing thing about Christmas 2011? Having all four of the lovelies home!!!

   
3.How many photo did you take while your family was together for Christmas? Tons? A few? What pictures? I can't count that high! As usual, I took way more than needed! My computer nearly exploded when I uploaded them!
4. Do you have a fireplace, wood stove, or pellet stove? We have a fireplace. But what I really want are gas logs! I'm allergic to the smoke from the burning wood so we can't have a fire and I love having fires in the fireplace.
5. What time did you get up on Christmas morning? Around 7:00 am. I thought I would be able to walk Tucker and come back before everyone else got up- they are all adults now after all, but NO. They got up and wanted to get right to the stockings!

Tucker didn't seem to mind missing his walk though.

And NOW: 

I'm wired are you?

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• Click the button and follow your hostesses- Victoria's Voice and Three Boys and an old Lady through GFC
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Christmas 2011: Part 1- Boys, Sisters and MORE Oysters!

I decided to split the Christmas post into three separate posts. Otherwise, y'all would be looking at pictures through next week!

I am working diligently on catching up on your blogs so, if you haven't heard from me yet, I'll get there and leave comments ASAP!

Hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas!

Here's part 1 of ours- with a focus on- The Boys:

NickleAss had to leave us to go back to work and then home to Indiana for Christmas so we opened presents with him early. See the card Deanie is reading? NickleAss gave her a trip to Utah for skiing and a ticket to attend the Sundance Film Festival. WHAT?!

I knitted everyone a vintage stocking cap for Christmas. This one was for NickleAss. I think he liked it, but I'm not sure. LOL

How cute are they?

Birdie is teaching herself how to quilt. She made this one for Evwardo. He loved it!

He gave Birdie---himself. What does that mean? Take a look at the next picture---

A nearly lifesize picture of Evwardo so Birdie won't be so lonely in Texas!

Fake Evwardo, Birdie, Real Evwardo!

This is what I made Evwardo. His stocking cap wasn't ready yet. We had to open gifts with him early because he had to fly with his family to his grandmother's house in- can you believe it-Indiana!

Of course they had to try the hat and scarf on Fake Evwardo.

So good to have Deanie and Birdie happily helping with the rolling of cheese and olive balls and sausage balls...

Hubs got another bushel of oysters just for Dad. He and my stepmom usually come for New Year's Eve but she has to have surgery on the 29th so they came early and Hubs surprised Dad with oysters! (Geez, run-on sentence much?)

Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER couldn't come back until Christmas Eve but at least Birdie, DoodleBug and Deanie were here.

Being all kinds of silly. As usual.

Dad brought his homemade chocolate chip cookies AND...

these evil delightfully delicious oatmeal raisin cookies that sabotaged me the first time I was losing weight. They didn't this time. Darn things are so good! But I didn't eat one! Until yesterday. And I had two. Now they're gone and I'm done!

To be continued...

OH! And I'm hopping on the Tuesday Train this week- just click the link or the button below to join in!

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Follow the hosts (they're in the first three positions)

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Have fun!!