December Catch Up......

 I am so far behind in all things December but I am still plugging along.

God is always good and supplies our every need at the most perfect time and He has sent me a handyman named Hector. He's the one who installed our new den windows and painted our house and then more recently made our fence gate and then cleaned out Louis Dean's storage building. Last week he helped me store away all my fall tubs and carried off trash. Yesterday he came to clean out all our gutters and gather up eight black bags of leaves from the back yard. He also blew out the Christmas house and gazebo before putting dozens of empty tubs and lids inside the Christmas store house.

ALL of these things needed to be done and there's no way I could have done it by myself. I needed help and God sent Hector.

Louis Dean is wobbly on his feet these days and can't do the things he used to do.

He also can't keep a thought for longer than 30-45 seconds so he can't help me like before.

He has sundowners now and is up all night and then sleeps a good bit during the day.

When he can't sleep he piddles in his room - and that's a good thing unless he's fooling with electricity which makes me nervous!

All in all, we are making the most of what we have and the least of what we've not.

Brenda and I shopped Tuesday's Treasures for our first and only time this month.

All these fake nails and bath products and cosmetics are brand new.

I wish I could have pretty fingernails but I don't.

I get claustrophobic with the acrylic ones and my real nails hang, break and look awful.

So when I want to look like a real lady, I use the press on or the glue on nails.

A brand new bottle of COACH parfum for under $25.

Brand new felt slippers.

A brand new super nice insullated bag for ice cream!

Brenda found this pajama top and robe for me and they match the pajama pants I already have.

She also spied this gorgeous silky green robe!

In other news, our possum family continues to entertain us!

I enjoy feeding them!

Thursday was our Christmas Tea - Brenda, Shirley and I had a wonderful time together at The Chocolate Angel Cafe and Bakery on High Street in Plano.

We all three ordered the Chocolate Angel Salad Plate...

Broccoli salad, pasta salad and spinach strawberry salad plus a delicious scone.

It was so much fun to have this special time together.

Shirley is the one who made this happen!

She made the arrangements and this was Brenda and my first visit here.

This photo is of our time together at Shirley's house.

I'm going to start the season earlier next Christmas and hope to host a Christme Tea here at home.

I'm still decorating and tweaking things....

While I didn't put up a large tree this year, I did decorate several smaller ones.

The dining room has two!

It's late on Saturday afternoon and I have been working in the sewing room.

Most likely I will not get to the gazebo and guest room until the week after Christmas but I'll make it happen. I'm going to enjoy all the decorations for a good while!

Hope you are all enjoying the season and taking the time to stop and think about all that God has done for us.

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and hope you all received my Christmas Santa card.

I still have 18 left after my reorder so let me know if you did not get one.

Our Mid December Weekend....

  I'm happy to say I've turned the corner on my Christmas preparations and decorations!

I now have more rooms done than I have yet to do.

And the remaining rooms are all much easier than the others.

Except the sewing room but it isn't at the same level as the den, foyer, porch, kitchen and dining room!

The cats are loving all the lights and trees and ribbons to play with and they keep us totally entertained as they do so.

It's turned cold in the DFW area and I think Samantha was trying to stay warm.

I learned long years ago not to keep the house too warm.

Way back when, we had lots of cold when my ex husband insisted on keeping the thermostat in the upper 70's.

For the last 20+ years I have kept it at 69 degrees and at night we use an electric blanket and I turn the heat off completely.

I know this won't work for those who live up north but it works for us here in the south.

Last week this room was a wreck!

However, Saturday night Ilene joined us for dinner and a movie and we ate at the dining room table for the first time in months!

I made pepper poppers for our appetizer and we sat by the fireplace with our fancy wine cocktails before dinner.

I choose fruity low sugar and low alcohol for our movie nights.

This one was strawberry wine with strawberry sparkling water and fresh strawberries.

It was seriously delicious.

Next week I plan to serve a hot mulled wine which will be perfect for this season.

Dinner was stuffed bell peppers and mashed potatoes with a garden salad.

It was nice to sit at the table to eat and visit with Ilene.

She is such a gift to me as she's a good listener and gives me such comfort and support.

She loves Louis Dean and will sit and talk with him while I do other things.

The Lord gives us all gifts and I realized early in life that mine was the gift of hospitality - or giving - as Ilene calls it while she has the gift of serving.

• Giving: The readiness to give resources with generosity and cheerfulness.
• Serving: The talent to faithfully serve others and help in their needs, often behind the scenes.

I often tell Ileen, "You make me feel normal again."

We enjoyed our dinner and our movie with peppermint popcorn at 'Intermission!'

Our living room is special to me as I spend my morning quiet time - or at least some of it - in the chair on the left (bought at the thrift store for $15) while listening to soft instrumetal Christmas carols.

I love the lights and the candles and the music and ambiance.

I also go outside on the kitchen deck with my prayer cards and first cup of coffee - no matter the weather - and look up to heaven and praise God for all that He has done for me. He's redeemed every single area of my life and I am so grateful.

This is 2025 and I made this stained glass nativity scene in 1965.

I have lost the camels, sheep and shepherds over the years but am thankful for this piece.

All four of my children remember seeing this through their lifetimes and it continues to be on display to this day.

I love traditions that seem to go on and on.

In keeping it real - which is so important to me - this is my next 'big' room to do.

I hope to start it tomorrow or - realistically - on Tuesday.

This morning we woke up to seriously cold temps so I got a fire going in the den and had it all warmed up by the time Louis Dean joined me for watching Fellowship Church service live on You Tube.

I made oatmeal, crispy bacon and toast for breakfast as we watched.

We spent the afternoon at the Plano hockey rink watching Kailey and Logan play.

The more games I attend, the more I learn about hockey and the rules.

I'm so grateful we are still able to get out and about.

Neither of us are as agile as we used to be - but we continue to show up and will do so as long as we can. No regrets wishing we had done more when we could.

Amber and her dad....

She was officially adopted by Louis Dean in 2013.

She wanted him to be her REAL dad and so he is.

Me and my dearly beloved son in law, Mike.

He is a man among men.....

• "A godly man builds not just his house, but his legacy—one brick at a time with faith and integrity."
• "The measure of a man isn't found in his success, but in his ability to serve others with humility."
• "In every trial, a godly man sees an opportunity for God to reveal His power and provision."

And THAT is who Mike Bell is!

And then there's my daughter, Amber!

From the moment I knew I was pregnant with her, I prayed she would be mighty in Spirit!

And so she is and has been and always will be.

This is my first journal entry on my new laptop!

I am loving it and all my important data transferred with no problem.

Christmas is coming and I hope you are enjoying the season as much as I am.

If you haven't received your Christmas card by the end of the week, please let me know.

I ordered 20 extra and will mail you out one.

Cards are in the Mail!

 I was on the late side this year but all 200 Christmas cards have been sent!

I actually ran out of cards and ordered 20 more just in case I missed someone.

Wednesday afternoon I met my son Jesse at Best Buy to purchase a new laptop.

He arrived early to the appointment and did all the research before I got there so it was easy peasy closing the deal! Plus, he found a really great laptop at nearly half price!!

The Christmas band concert at the Bells' school was later that evening but it would be dark so I couldn't drive to the school and it would be awkward to have Amber or Mike drive us from their house since they could all go in the car at the same time.

Thankfully, Mike's parents live in Irving, too, and offered to stop by and pick us up on their way!

Win! WIN!!

What a wonderful concert!!

The Bells are in the eighth grade so they will be in high school next year!

WOW! 

How did that happen??

Trystan was first chair  honors band for oboe for district band competition and first chair wind symphony for region competition and was the only student at her school that placed in both competitions in any instrument category.

  Logan was fifth chair honors band for euphonium for district band and first chair for region band!

We are all so proud of them!!

All six Bells plus both sets of grandparents!

It takes a village and we have been one since we knew Amber was having all four of her children at the same time!

Tabitha got out the other day and then when I opened the door to look for her, Samantha raced out to join her! They stayed out for hours but at the end of the day, I opened the door and both of them casually waltzed in.

Louis Dean's shoulder continues to bother him so I ordered a shoulder/back heating pad.

Sherry suggested that a heating pad might help and I followed up on that!

It does, indeed, help!

I want to use it next!

When we ordered my new laptop on Wednesday, they didn't have one in stock.

However, they could ship it to me the next day. To have it shipped to Best Buy would not arrive until December 15.

So yesterday afternoon I took it up to to Best Buy and stopped in at Joe V's Smart Shop by HEB.

While not a fully stocked complete store like regular HEBs are - they had some real bargains in the produce section and a huge variety of just about everything.

By the time I did my errands and filled the car up with gas, the sun had set and I arrived home close to dark!

Louis Dean has been my hero with the fluffing of wreathes and trees and stringing up lights.

I'm over half way done with the decorating and have surrendered to the fact that it's the latest EVER to get this done.

Instead of fretting, I am embracing these days of preparation.

It's looking like I will be ready for Christmas Eve!

Bauer continues to perch in the Bells' Christmas tree!!

Good thing he is so cute!

I was visiting BJ's Facebook page and am in love with her pink Santa canvas!

I know she had this last year but not sure how many years before that.

I'm thinking of painting it for next year.

I have several pink Santas as well as pink poinsettias and will be looking for all things pink for next Christmas for the living room.

I'm already planning for next year's decorations while still working on the ones for this year!

We are watching this movie again and we are at Louis Dean's favorite part where Santa's singing in the jail! Such a fun movie!

I've enjoyed all the Christmas movies available on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, Paramount +....

but when Louis Dean and I are watching one together, I'm choosing ones we've already seen and he seemed to especially enjoy!

Can you believe Christmas is only 13 days away??

My big day is Christmas Eve and only 12 days to finish decorating and baking and preparing!

I'm loving every minute of it!

And just so you know.....I intend to leave all my decorations up for several weeks after Christmas so I can sit back and soak up all the ambiance of winter coziness!

'Tis the Season!

 I am still in the throes of decorating and preparing for Christmas and it looks like I will need to start even earlier next year!

Still, we made it to Harrison's hockey game Sunday morning.

As always, it was good to see Amber and catch up on all the Bell's activities.

This is what the stack of waffles looked like when she made breakfast for dinner the other night and this was AFTER a few layers had already disappeared!

I'm still addressing Christmas cards and hope to have them all in the mail by the end of the week.

Normally, I write a personal message as well, but this year I don't know if that will happen or not.

Due to my arthritic hands and time flying so fast I can't keep up - I may just send the cards.

Louis Dean is holding up and his shoulder sometimes hurts and other times not.

Sherry joined Ilene and me in a movie night Sunday after the Stars hockey game - which was so exciting as the Stars won in a shoot out!

This was a good one and could certainly relate to it from previous years and it had a good ending!

I'll be meeting Jesse on Wednesday to purchase a new laptop so I may not post another journal entry until I'm set up on that.

Louis Dean has been such a good sport in letting me use his, but he is getting antsy, so I'm returning it to him as soon as I close this post.