I ♥ Valentine's Day!

I ♥ Valentine's Day. 

 Well, not so much the day but the decor. 

 The reds and pinks and cards and ♥'s. 

By the way, I learned how to make that

♥ heart from here thanks to Pinterest.

This was a gift given to me by my friend, Julie.  A 5 x 7 piece of paper covered with cute scrapbook paper with a vintage card mod-podged on to it...then put in a frame. 

If you're reading this post, I ♥ you, too.

Can you tell I'm excited about learning how to make a ♥?

Dragging Christmas Out

We celebrated Christmas with Cameron on the 29th...after she got off the big ship that she was on Christmas Day.  There was a lot of hanging around just waiting for her to get here. Once she arrived in port, she took off for Cleveland, Mississippi, for a couple of days.  So we waited and waited.  Her packages were under the tree........just waiting.

 Is she here yet?

Yes!

 Cameron, like me, rarely has her mouth closed in pictures.

Of all of my children, she is the one who talks as much as me. 

Whatever you do, don't interrupt her or she has to go all the way back to the beginning of her story. 

Cameron adopted an endangered animal...a white owl...for Will. 

 She got the stuffed one and put it in a bird cage for him...along with the adoption papers. 

 There is a Harry Potter connection here somewhere

but I've never read the books so I'm not exactly sure what it is.

Oliver enjoyed the gift opening and the trash that followed.

There is a cat in this picture somewhere...can you spy him?

Chuck videoed and I sat there and tried not to take the tree down.

I work hard at relaxing...I really do.  But it's so hard for me.

In my head, I'm already moving on to the next thing.

I mean, this was the 29th of December.

But the Christmas was left up until we got back from Mississippi after New Year's.  And I lived through it.  Even while listening to my sister-in-laws talk about

how they put all theirs' away the day after Christmas. 

God knew what he was doing when he sent Chuck my way.

  Laid back doesn't even begin to describe how relaxed and easy going he is.   

Give him a t.v. and a chair and he has no idea there's a tree in the room.

F.F.F. 2011

Forced. Family. Fun. 2011.  Check.

 Back from our visit with Chuck's family in Mississippi.  I do love those people, but that 9 hour trip, non-stop eating (mostly cream cheese based dips) and sleeping in a bed not my own, takes a toll on this old body.  I am exhausted and more than a little thankful the holidays are over. 

Believe me, I'm sure the relatives feel the same way.
We made them drag Christmas out until after New Year's
because we couldn't get there any sooner.

We spent New Year's Eve at a hunting club

where our brother-in-law is a member. 
I was a little hesitant because "hunting" sounds like "camping."
But I could not have been more impressed.

It's near the Mississippi River...and the lodge was so nice
 and our accodomations were wonderful.

 We ate and danced the night away. 

Great food, great dancing, great accomodations.

Lots of stuffed animals.

Me, kitty and Beth.

Our room.
So NOT camping.

A porch stretched across the entire back of the lodge.

The view from the front door of the lodge.  The cabin in the background belongs to my brother-in-law.  It now sits empty and full of mold after being flooded last year in the Mississippi River flooding.  The lodge we stayed in was also flooded but has been redone since.  He probably can't rebuild because he would be required to raise it 9 more feet to insure it again.  Such is the life of those who love living by water.  I can certainly understand now why he loves this "camp" so much.

I could never be a hunter, but I could see myself hanging out here.

  Out in the middle of nowhere. 

 Quiet.       Peaceful.       Muddy.

New Year's Day was spent at my sister-in-law's home. Where we ATE.

Back Row: Bro-I-L Charlie, Cousin Pam, Sis-I-L Beth, Me, Chuck,

Cousin Gale, Sis-I-L Elizabeth, Bro-I-L Michael

Front row: Aunt Betty, M-I-L Margie

This was the picture of all the elders...well, anyone that was not a kid.

  The two in front are over 80. 

And they got down on the floor for the group picture.

  We ran out of room for the camera shot and someone told them to get down in front

...as a joke...and they did. 

 And yes, they got back up.

Assistance was offered and refused. 

 They said they could do it themselves....

just give them a few minutes.

And they're up.

80's the new 60.

Back Row:  Pam, Beth, Chuck, Gale
Front Row: Tres, Anna, Taylor, Michael, Brigham

This group is all related by blood.
 Hackney blood.

There are several more cousins not here this day and they were missed.

My sister-in-law has a beautiful home out in the country.

  She is a little obsessed with Ole Miss.

  This is her master bathroom. 
#49 has a huge fan.  And this fan has a huge #49.

We headed home on Monday and I was back at work today.  The Christmas tree is dismantled but not all put away yet.  Piles and boxes of Christmas decorations are waiting to be put away.  Sadly I know that in a blink of an eye, I will be getting those boxes back out before I know it.  Years seem to jump from Christmas to Christmas.

Stay in the day.  Breathe.

Make 2012 a year to remember.
Listen for Him.