CHRISTMAS 2017......

I've finally gotten all the pictures off my camera.  There are first snow, Christmas Tree and of course opening presents.  I'll post a few so I don't overload you with all these pictures. 
Our Christmas Tree....

Our First Snow....

Snow Throwing....not quite a snowball.....

This is a snowball.....

Christmas Goodies....it wouldn't all fit in the stocking....

Opening presents.....

Me.....new apron....

Light Sabre......for Bub

New Hat and Roblox card.....that's a game on Bella's computer....

Dad opening a present from the kids....

And of course Toby got a present too.....a new coat....both Bob and Toby got a new chew bone, but Bob disappeared while I was taking pictures....lol

Well that's Christmas 2017.  Hope all of you had an awesome Christmas too!

IT'S THURSDAY.....

What I like about Thursday.....it's only one more day until Friday and the weekend.  I get to stay up late and sleep in.  YEA!

I also have some shopping to do this weekend.  Need laundry items.  And where do I get them....the Dollar Store.  Laundry soap, fabric softener and bleach.  And not name brads either.  Can't afford those.  Dollar Store brands work just as good as the name brands.

The one thing I don't buy off brand is bleach.  It's Clorox for me....

We were all outside this past weekend.  So took some random photos to share. 
The Honeysuckle is blooming.....smells so GOOD.

Bob coming up the the back yard after running around the barn.

Tobby has a roll on the carpet....he looks like he's in heaven.

We have been having cool nights here.  Had to get my fuzzy, snuggle socks out.  When I wear these they remind me of Pipi Longstocking....lol

Here's a few of the places I'm linking up too.....
Tamar at Random-osity/Little Things Thursday
Tanya at Around Roanoke, VA/5 Random Shots
LA Paylor at Not Afraid of Color/I Like Thursday

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS........

Tamar over at Random-osity is the host for Little Things Thursday.  Hop over and check out what everyone is sharing today.

There's nothing like hopping in the pool on a very hot sultry summer day.  We bought the twins a kiddie pool to play in.  They like playing in water.  They aren't particular about what kind of water.  It can be a hose, a muddy puddle, or the water feature in our back yard.

The "pond" took a beating for the winter, so now we have to re-work it, but the kids seem to not care what it looked like.  So we went and got the kiddie pool.  They had so much fun.

I can't believe they are getting so big now.  Don't know if I've told you before, but both kids are Autistic.  They are doing so great in school, they both are going to FIRST GRADE next year.  Bella is very excited about that.   Bub could care less, he's not very fond of school.  He would rather stay home and be on his computer.  It really is the little things in life that gives you the most pleasure!

I'm also linking up with LA Paylor over at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursdays.

TURSDAY RAMBLINGS......

My son did lots of yard work over the holiday weekend.  Trimmed up the shrubs, moved the yard and cleaned out the old rose bush.....which I thought had died out.  The rose bush was here when we moved here 35 years ago and it has bloomed every year.  It didn't disappoint me, it's in full bloom now.

And speaking of roses, I finished my rose embroidered block this past weekend.

I'm linking up with Tamar over at Random-osity for Little Things Thursday.  Hop over and check out what everyone is sharing. 

THE GOOD. THE RANDOM. THE FUN.

I'm joining Tamar over at Random-osity for The Good. The Random. The Fun. 

THE GOOD.
I got my Bleeding Heart block done.

THE RANDOM.
This is our dog, Bob.  He is part Mastiff and Labrador.  He looks so regal sitting there.  But he's really waiting for something to move , he's on guard duty. lol  He is a gentle giant.

THE FUN.
A brand new sandbox to play in.  Bella and Luke love to play in sand.

I'm also joining Katheryn over at The Book Date for It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Last year I went to the kids Fall Fair Festival at school.  They were having a silent auction.  Saw a bag of books in a tote, so thought I'd put a bid on them.  And I got it for 15.00 dollars.  I was shocked the price wasn't higher.  The books I got were Ken Follett's Century Trilogy in Large Print.  I have been wanting to read this series.  So I've been reading Book 1, Fall of Giants, off and on for the last few months.  There are 1,241 pages, so it's a long book, but it's really good.  Anyone else read this series?  Anyway, I'm almost done, about 200 more pages to go.  I'll be finishing if off this week. 

 

I just posted my review of The Known World by Edward P. Jones.

I LIKE.....

I'm joining LA Paylor over at Not Afraid of Color for I Like Thursday.  Hop over and check out everything going on over there.

I Like.....
these beautiful roadside flowers blooming.  Don't know what they are, but they are pretty.

I Like.....
the re-do of the Front Porch....but it's not done yet.  Updates coming later.

I Like.....
my car.  I've never had this new of a car.  When I got it, it was only 4 years old.  It's 2012 Chevey Cruz and it has all kinds of buttons, that I'm still learning what they are for.

I Like......
the look on Bella's face when she got her new Baby Alive Doll.  She was so excited.

and of course where ever Bella is....Luke is close by.  They are 6, almost 7, twins.....and my grand children. 

Well, that's it for me.....got some chores to do around the house before picking the kids up at school......yea, this is the last day of school! 

MONDAY RAMBLINGS.......

THE GOOD.

I've been working on my flower garden, not the real thing, but my Embroidered Flower Garden.  Got the Bird Bath done.  Good block, turned out really pretty!

Now I'm working on the Bleeding Heart Block.

Sorry, it's kind of wrinkled, but I took it off the hoop to take a picture.

THE RANDOM.

Know anything about Gophers?  Other then the fact some people think of them as a pest.  We have a family of Gophers that live in our barn.  Every spring they come out to eat the clover and other grasses in our back field.  I learned something new about Gophers.  [They climb trees!]  Did anyone else know that? 

I was at the Dollar Store the other day and picked up this bag.  It's really a lunch bag, but I use it to carry my embroidery and a book.  This bag goes with me everywhere.  That way I always have something to do while waiting in the car.

THE FUN.

Speaking of books, I am currently reading The Known World by Edward P. Jones.  Really great book, it's my Book Club's choice for May.  It's set in the days before and after the Civil War.  No it's not about the plantations, it's from the slaves point.  From slavery to freedom, it follows Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave.  The author has woven a footnote of history into this book.

The book I just finished was book 10 -  London Bridges -  of the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.  My review is here.

While I'm doing my Embroidery, I like to watch T.V. or a movie.  I recently watched The Free State of Jones with Matthew McConaughey....kind of a weird movie, but I liked it.  I also re watched The Wizard of Oz.  Love that movie! 

I'm linking up with Tamar over at Radom-osity for The Good. The Random. and The Fun.  

Also linking up with Kathryn over at The Book Date for It's Monday, What Are You Reading? 

Jump over and check them out.  You might find something that will send you blog hopping. 

MY GARDENS.......

need some work.  I was over visiting Canadian Needle Nana's place and she has her post linked up for the I Like....over at Not Afraid of Color.  So I decided to jump in and post about all my likes outside.  But the gardens you will see have been neglected the last few years.  With my hubby being sick and me trying to get back into the rhythm of living a new life without him, the gardens have gotten a little weedy.   The front porch area was really over run with Hosta plants, so I pulled out most of them and bought some new pots and flowers to freshen up the outside some.  Went shopping for some new pots for the front of the house.

 Got these pots at Lowe's along with the flowers.  It looks a little better, but I need one more for the right of the steps.  It  looks uneven to me.  I've got another flower bed to the right of the porch that needs some work done on it.

 I need to re-plant some flowers, move some out, and get the weeds out of it.  Not to mention take down all the clutter my hubby put there.  I think I'll leave the bed frame, I like that.  While I was taking these pictures one of the many squirrels, and I mean lots of them, that live here, came out to check me out.

You can't see him very well, he kind of blends in with the tree.  He's sitting to the left.  He watched me for a few minutes and then scampered off.  The other garden I need to work on is the stump garden.....yea you read it right, it's an old stump from a tree we cut down a few years ago. 

It's gotten over grown and needs some flowers taken out and some new put in.  Like the front garden, it has some clutter my hubby put there.  I can't get anything done with the gardens until it quits raining.  It seems to rain everyday.  We might get one sunny day out of seven.  Of course it rained early this morning so the grass was all wet. 

So I put on my polka dot boots before going out to shoot these pictures.  I really LIKE my polka dot boots.  They kind of clash with my dresses, but I don't care.  They keep me from falling on the ice in the winter and they are really warm.

No I don't have one sock on.  The right boot seems to like to "eat" my sock.  lol  Why is that, one shoe or boot always seems to do that.  It's one of life's mysteries I guess.  Well, I guess that's it for now.  Off to clean up the kitchen and do some laundry.  Have an awesome day!!