Fun at the Hogs Game

Thanks to the generosity of brother-in-law Rob and sister, Kaye sharing their season tickets, Jeff and the boys have been privileged to attend many of the Razorback basketball games. Tuesday night, Jeff & I and our good friends, Reid& Donna Fairchild used the tickets. It was a great game!!! We beat Oklahoma University which was a big upset!!

Donna and I with "Pork Chop" :-) ...........
Jeff & Reid watching closely.........

I got them to smile :-)


Now for the Texas game next week........Jeff & I are going with Rob & Kaye - sure hope we can beat that one too!!!

Christmas in Kansas

Christmas Eve, Jeff and I and our mothers went to see the movie, Australia, then to eat at one of the few restaurants that was opened - a Chinese buffet place.

Christmas Day was spent individually with our Mom's and then Jeff came over to Girard in the late afternoon. Bev & Don drove from Texas that day and arrived at Mom's around 10:00 p.m.

On Friday, Kaye & Rob, Matt & Kristin, and Mike, Adrienne and Lincoln all joined us for the remainder of the weekend. It was a great time of game playing, eating and enjoying little Lincoln.

This is Mom's tree......
Bev & Don gave Mom a web cam to keep in touch with Shawna & Nathan.....
We tried it out first, calling Josh........
He and Erika were in Maryland visiting her twin sister and family. So we got to see Erika & little Hollis - she is a cutie too!
So now we are getting ready to call Shawna and Nathan........
YEAH - we reached sweet Shawna in a far, far away land.........
Nathan joined us.........
All the family gathered around to visit with them.......
After skyping it was time for presents.........of course, Lincoln was the one to get the gifts :-)...the rest of us got money - yeah!!

Digging into Great Grandma's stocking.......
Elmo!
Saturday we had our big family meal....turkey, ham, potatoes, Mom's delicious homemade noodles and all the other fixings! Delicious! Howard, Mom's friend, joined us for the meal.....

Sunday, all but Bev & Don who headed back to Texas, went to church together at Mt. Olive and then ate lunch together, before we all headed home. It was a wonderful visit as always with the family! Thanks so much Mom for putting us all up and feeding us all week/weekend! Thanks too for the wonderful Christmas gifts!! Love to all!

Christmas with Jeff's family

On December 23rd, Jeff's mom, Evelyn took Jeff & I, Jeff's neice Aimee and Josh and Carlie Kay and Gary Bennett to Jim's Steakhouse in Pittsburg for our Christmas meal. Their steak tips are the very best anywhere! This is Aimee, Josh and Carlie........
This is Jeff, Evelyn and Gary....
Carlie and Debbie.....
Back at Evelyn's we had Christmas.....Jeff's nephew, Jeremy joined us there after finishing his nursing shift at Mt. Carmel Hospital.....
Carlie Kay entertained us all evening - she's a cutie, for sure! Here she is saying the Pledge of Allegiance in full (she's 4 yrs. old)!

It was a very enjoyable time with the family! Thanks Evelyn for the meal and the very nice Christmas!

Anniversary & Birthday

I'm not sure what we were thinking 36 years ago on December 22, 1972 when we got married (just that we were in love and didn't want to wait any longer to get married -ha!) Our anniversary is the 22nd and then Christmas on the 25th and my birthday on the 29th~~~

Jeff & I met Mom at Johnny Carino's in Joplin on Monday, the 22nd for our anniversary meal. Jeff then went on to Pittsburg to spend a few days with his mother and Mom and I did some shopping in Joplin and Pittsburg, then headed to Girard for the week. Mom took our picture at the restaurant (we are wearing Arkansas Hog sweatshirts Andy & Carman gave us for Christmas). I think this was the first anniversary in 36 years that we slept apart on our anniversary - ha! Must be a sign we are getting OLD. However, we have had a very blessed 36 years of marriage and I thank God every day for my wonderful husband!

I like this picture the best, but it had a person walking behind us.........
No extra person in this one........
Mom and Evelyn both gave me money for my birthday...Bev gave me a Bath & Body gift set...
Kaye gave me a long black sweater
Carolyn sent me a card and money. Glo and my kids called me via telephone and the girls at work gave me great gifts and a wonderful meal. My boss and his wife gave me a very generous gift card to the Promenade and Karen Kingsbury's latest book. I had numerous birthday wishes via Facebook and email and several cards mailed or handed to me. Jeff took me to Texas Land & Cattle and then to Steak & Shake for a strawberry/vanilla shake! Thanks to all for making my 55th birthday a great one!

Christmas with the Kids

We had our family Christmas time with the kids the weekend before Christmas as this year was the turn for the "in-laws" to have them on Christmas Eve/Day. It was a very enjoyable weekend. We began our celebration at P.F. Changs at the Promenade Mall in Rogers for Friday night.....

Here are the girls...........

And then the guys (with the middle child always messing up a picture!)

Rachel & Derek tried and tried to use those chopsticks - but finally gave up :-)
Then we walked around the Mall - the weather was just right -- cool enough to feel like Christmas but not freezing.....we took pictures in front of the big tree.....asked a "stranger" to take our group picture; unfortunately she must not have been a camera buff!





At the house on Saturday.......Carman gave Andy a puppy for Christmas....a yellow lab named Hondo:

Josh & Erika...Josh has lost so much weight; he's my skinny boy now!

We all went to church together on Saturday night at Metro, which was a great service. Then I fixed the big roast lunch on Sunday. Rachel & Derek had to head home early as they had Sunday night commitments at their church. Jeff & I always love the time with our kids and their spouses and are so thankful for each of them. We love you: Josh, Erika, Andy, Carman, Rachel & Derek!

A Wonderful Thanksgiving - From Start To End!!

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - I pray you did too. Rob & Kaye were gracious once again to let us use one of their lakehouses for our family time. Mom drove to Rogers on Wednesday. Jeff's mother was suppose to come with her, but she had been sick for over a week with a virus, so decided she needed to stay home and fully recuperate. Kaye & Rob drove up on Wednesday as well from Conway. Carman had gone to Malvern and the Hot Springs area to have Thanksgiving with her family, but Andy stayed here to prepare for our Saturday church services. Mom treated us to a meal at Olive Garden Wednesday evening and then we all went to Bella Vista to the lakehouse. Thanksgiving day was a gorgeous day here........unseasonably warm and sunshiny.

This is us girls resting between cooking..........
Jeff & I were honored with the master bedroom -- so nice!

Another view of the master bedroom -- with a balcony outside those doors and the lake beyond. What a gorgeous site to get up to each morning!

Jeff & Rob enjoying the beautiful day.........

Mom and Kaye cooking!

Andy studying.......

Jeff & Rob watching football! BTW: WAY TO GO HOGS!!!

Sitting down to a delicious Thanksgiving meal
Kaye & Rob went home Thursday evening so she could cook for Rob's family and Matt & Kristin on Saturday (and Rob was going to the Hogs game in Little Rock on Friday). Rachel came up Thursday night after spending the day with Derek's family. Derek stayed in Conway so that he could spend the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend deer hunting with his Dad. Erika came over Friday evening for dinner. Her sister and family had spent the holiday with her, but had just gone home. Josh was in South Africa working (for Lionel Richey). Thankfully, as I write this, he is home safe and sound.

Eating spaghetti/rigatoni's and my homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs....
Playing canasta......

It's really hard to get pictures "in order" on this blog (very frustrating!). So the two pictures below were actually taken Thanksgiving day -- Mom, Rob, Kaye & I had taken a walk after our big dinner -- around to the dock of the lake.......


Saturday, Mom headed home and Rachel, Jeff, Andy & I headed back to Rogers. We enjoyed good services Saturday night at Metro. Andy preached another great sermon.

Sunday, we woke up to a wonderful treat - snow!! And it has snowed all day -- didn't stick to the roads, but sure was fun!


Rachel joined Jeff & I for the services at Pinnacle Hills this morning. Pastor Floyd preached on the subject of Israel today, which was so good, since we had just visited there this past Spring. They had a Jewish man post the flag with the National Anthem playing and pictures of Israel on the screens.

Then the choir did a stirring special singing, Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

Pastor spoke of the importance of America supporting Israel, and about the heavenly Jerusalem, etc.

After lunch, Rachel headed home, arriving safely this evening.

My heart is full of thanksgiving. God has been SO SO good to us this past year. Thank you, thank you Lord for your bountiful blessings.