CHRISTMAS DAY WAS FULL OF.............LAUGHTER!

Hi, y'all! and, Merry Christmas! I just had to post this in red to celebrate Christmas - I sure hope you can read it.
Okay, enough red, let's get really festive and write this in PINK! heehee. It's late,......I'm in the sitting area of our bedroom listening to Frank the Tank snore,
my studio dog, Ben, is "passing gas" which, btw, can make you breathe through your shirt,
the house is quiet as everyone is in bed,
but, I had to stay up and post this ON Christmas - then I'll go to bed.
This is a great time to reminisce about this special day of family, faith and the overwhelming love I have for my boys. Our day started out with opening presents.
I made a huge mistake of having Santa give our three "boys", ages 18, 21 and 23, these air guns that shot the large marshmallows.
Yeah.
BIG mistake, but so funny that I couldn't breathe! You should have seen those "young adults".
Best gift Santa could have given them.

The afternoon was filled with the boys and their good friend, Brat, visiting while I made supper.
I'm not bragging when I say this. I'm stating a fact...................Blake and Clay are a SCREAM.
Making Christmas supper has never been so much fun!
About 9 p.m. Blake wanted to take the "Christmas picture" so I found my camera and we headed to the dining room.
The background isn't the best, actually it's pretty bad, but there are stools at the bar and we like the way the boys can situate themselves.
Before I show you the pictures that were taken,
I want to ask you if you have ever seen the YouTube "mother's day" with Barats and Bereta?
(if you can't get there from this link, go to http://www.youtube.com/ and in the "search box" type in "mother's day". it should be the first one listed. You must see it!)
IT IS A SCREAM AND ALL I COULD THINK OF AS WE HAD OUR "PHOTO SHOT".
During our time with the camera clicking away, I felt like I was working with 1st graders during all of this 'fun'.....you know 1st grade boys -
they pee on the floor instead into the toilet,
they cut the bangs off the little girl sitting next to them *Clay*,
they think it's so funny to say the really bad words {shut-up, stupid, pee...} and watch little girl's reactions..........
The boys had the best time being simply foolish and, of course, I can't breathe once again!
Here they are, the pics.................Merry Christmas said with laughter because of the memories of this special day make the BEST MEMORIES.

FYI, Clay is on the left, age 18, freshman at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Blake is in the middle, age 21, senior at UMHB,
and Craig is on the right, age 23, soon to be graduate of the University of San Angelo, and a police officer on the San Angelo P.D.

......words are not necessary........

I went through all of that to get this.....through i really like the muscle one. LOL
It's now tomorrow [1:15 am.], the day after Christmas, and the memories are the same - precious.

How blessed am I to have such good guys that can have so much fun with their old mom?

I sincerely hope that your Christmas was joy filled and that you remembered *and celebrated* the reason for this holiday - the birth of the King.

If you didn't have a joyful day, please let me know - sometimes it helps to talk about the things in our life that keep us from being joyful and I would be honored to talk to you. polkadotbarn@gmail.com

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I love you,

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XOXO,

I NORMALLY WOULDN'T MENTION MY BIRTHDAY...

My birthday is this Monday.
Yes, I know, I know, they made it a holiday - but I won't talk about that lest I sound like a braggart.

I'll be 55.
Years.
Years old.
55 years old.
You still can't believe it, can you?
I KNOW!
Because I think I'm really 24.
Barbie and I have always been the same age and I'm totally sure that Barbie's 24 again this year.
Do the math.

The only reason I mention my birthday is because today, five days before the holiday, I received a package in the mail from one of the dearest women I have ever met.
And, that's about the extent of our relationship, but, in reality, it's more than that.

I met Sammy Stafney at the Art and Soul Retreat in Portland last fall.
I know we shared at least one meal together but the rest of that weekend is pretty much a blur.
And, I know that we have exchanged charms that we made for the retreat and we may have had a class together.
(Those of you that know me really well know that I can't remember anything.)

We've kept in touch through emails now and then and planned on seeing each other at this year's retreat in October.
Sammy found out that I had to back out of this year's retreat at the last minute and that I had a birthday coming up.
That dear, sweet woman sent me a box full of presents which I received today.

That's the reason for telling you that I have a birthday coming up - it is so that I can tell you how blessed I was today by an art friend - and isn't that the way it usually is?
That we, as friends joined through our art, bless each other???

I cried throughout the opening of each gift that she had filled the box with - mostly I think, because it was SO unexpected.

She got me!
She totally blessed me with her thoughtfulness and I wanted to share with you what a dear, sweet woman she is and to show you what she put together to bless me.

Below you will see pictures I took of all of the wonderful surprises that Sammy sent me.
Thank you, Sammy, for being such a darling friend and for making me feel so special.

Above is a precious necklace that she made for me!



Gorgeous silk material w/ black velvet roses!

Lots and lots of fibers!!

Fibers, ribbons and lots more!

And a sweet handmade card.




XOXO to Sammy and to all of my other precious art friends who bless me daily,