Dusting Off ...

I won't even make any apologies - it's been a long time. Sometimes, that's how it goes.

It's been a busy year and there have been so many things that I'd like to share! To start things off, knock off the rust, dust off the ole keyboard ... I thought I'd share some of my favorites from a senior session this past spring.


This young man belongs to one of my FAVORITE families on the planet! His mom was my college room mate and remains one of my dearest friends. I've had the pleasure of watching this guy grow up and he has not wasted a moment of time in that department. It seems unreal to me that he is now a few weeks into his first semester at college!


There is so much I'd like to say about this young man ... he has such a kind heart and a gentle spirit. He is funny and, like his mom that I love so dearly, he lights up a room when he enters. I love watching him with his brother and sisters. And seeing him pal around with my son warms my heart in ways I never knew possible.


This guy is going to do GREAT THINGS in this world, you mark my word!

P52 - Week 52 - melt in your mouth

As you can see, my snowman obsession knows no bounds!


But seriously, aren't these guys fun?!?!?

They don't look quite as cute as the ones I saw pinned on Pinterest, but I did my level best and the niece and nephews for whom they were made will simply love them! And on top of that, I had fun making them! I'll use slightly smaller marshmallows next time, but otherwise, I probably won't change much.

And with that, we close out this project for the year! I've tried to do these projects before, but always found some reason to call it quits long before even the half way point. So I'm feeling pretty good about myself to have made it to the finish line.

So ... Happy New Year everyone (even though that's still more than a week away)! I pray the best of your past will be the worst of your future!

P52 - Week 51 - T'was the Morning Before Finals

He's SO CLOSE to the finish line for this semester! And he's running low on energy ...


But thankfully he has his bulldogges to provide physical and emotional support! The three of them will snooze like this until breakfast is ready (for all 3 of them) then the Boy will get busy with starting his day for real. This Boy loves his pups! And as you can tell, they love him right back!

What a blessing!

P52 - Week 50 - Recipe for Academic Success

"So you think you want to be a (Renaissance) Baker?!"

Wonder Boy cooked up (yes, sad little pun intended!) this "game show" idea as part of a project for his World History class. I thought it was a pretty clever way to tackle the project. Many of the kids in class paired up to work on this project, but the Boy found himself the odd man out this time, so he had to get creative in a way to involve others without actually making them part of the work-side of the project.


As part of the project, he had to bake some fresh bread using a recipe for "Rustic Rye Bread" we found on-line. It turned out GREAT and I'm glad that we got to enjoy that part of the project at home (he only needed photos of him baking for the project).

I say it a lot, but I'm going to repeat myself here: I am SO PROUD of the effort that the Boy puts into his school work! As has become "the norm" for the end of a semester, he is bogged down with multiple projects and exams - all with due dates before the holiday break! But he just puts his head down and gets his work done. And as proud as I feel about the grades he brings home, it is his effort and attention to detail that truly warm my heart!

P52 - Week 49 - the Mythical Texas Snow Beast

Just looking at this photo brings a chuckle to my heart! This freak snow shower (we got 4"!) was Wonder Mutt's first time to have the opportunity to prance about in a white carpeted lawn like this.


The snow didn't last long. Wonder Boy didn't even get a day off from school (& he really was hoping for one). But while it lasted, Wonder Mutt here couldn't bear to come inside! He simply HAD to examine each and every fluffy flake in his yard. He pushed his little snout right down in it and plowed across the yard again and again and again.

When it did finally melt away (about 30 hours after the initial snow fall), he was exhausted and slept for the better part of two days!

Maybe it's best that we live deep in the heart of Texas where this kind of precipitation is a rarity - he might run himself to death if it stayed on the ground for weeks or months at a time! That's something we'll have to consider if we ever have the opportunity to relocate.

P52 - Week 48 - My World

We usually try to get out for our annual family photo some time in early November, but that just wasn't in the cards this year. In the end, I think it all worked out for the best as we had the PERFECT day, in the PERFECT location for photos today!


The two are most certainly my whole world! They make me smile even on my darkest days and when we share our best days, those days become even more incredible! I am so blessed to have them in my life and I hope this photo will serve as a reminder of just how blessed one can be in this life.

P52 - Week 47 - Holiday Cheer

As is our custom, we pulled out our Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving and started getting he house prepared for the holiday season to come.


I'll admit though, I am having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit this year, so to help move me in that direction, I broke out my paints and the table top easel my guys gave me for my birthday and came up with this fun little guy.

I have been noticing over the past few years that I have "a thing" for snowmen. Maybe that is because we live in such a warm climate that snowmen are almost a figment of fantasy. One of these years, it is my dream to spend the holidays somewhere that we can have a white Christmas and maybe I'll finally get to build one of these guys for real!