Front Porch Cheer

Keeping with tradition, we decorated and offered the front porch to the neighborhood birds.

 

 

 

This year we left a small gift for the reindeer

 in case they were feeling a little weary, and needed to rest and refuel.

 

 

I can't get enough of burlap and fresh greenery.

 

 

 

 

A sack full of Christmas surprises?

 

 

The perfect spot to store the ice melt for the driveway. 

 

 

Feel free to stop and rest your wings.

 

Merry Christmas 

 



Thanksgiving - Duck Dynasty Style

 

 

Grateful today for Family, Friends, Faith, Freedom, Food, Football and Fun!

 

Happy, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Queen of Hearts

 

We started the 'Week of Love' with our annual Valentine Dinner.

I thought it would be fun to use these mini heart cards as the place setting tags.

 I coordinated the numbers with where the kids fit in the family -

If you are the second born child you find the 2 of Hearts and so on.

 The King of Hearts found his seat at the head of the table,

 and rightly so,

 I took my spot in the Queen of Hearts chair. 

 



 

 

 

It also happened to be our Anniversary yesterday.

 

Ten years ago I married Mr. King of Hearts...

 We actually took our children on our honeymoon with us.

 So a 'Lovely' dinner with the kids was quite fitting.

 

At the end of the month we will be taking a little trip to Cabo,

 to celebrate us-

 This time we won't be taking the children!

 

~ Long live the King and Queen ~



Christmas Eve

 Anyone that knows me - knows that every year

 I wish for beautiful, giant, fluffy white, piles of snowflakes to fall from heaven

 and cover my world for Christmas.

Christmas Eve morning I awoke to exactly that!

A Dreamy Winter Wonderland.

 Trees blanketed in snow make everything seem enchanted and magical.

After retrieving Kenisha from the airport,

 the girls and I spent the day preparing for our Christmas Eve dinner.

This year we embellished the tables in silver and gold,

and enjoyed the company of all our favorite people.

These two surprised me with...

these darling beauties. I love them so much!

As tradition goes,
 we opened up pajamas and read our new Christmas story.

Then finished off the evening

 with delicious Sour Cream Chocolate Cake. 

 Recipe

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

1 box of instant chocolate pudding

8 ozs sour cream

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup warm water

12 ozs semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together, adding the chips last after the other ingredients have been mixed. Pour into greased bundt pan. (I spray mine with Pam spray and that's it.) Bake for 60 minutes at 325. Cool in pan, flip onto plate. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Store leftovers in fridge.

 

Feeling Blessed!

~Good Night~

Christmas in a Cup

This weekend we took the family up to Temple Square to see the lights.

Prior to, we had everyone over for a Hot Chocolate Bar.

The spread with all the fixin's.

We tried homemade hot chocolate using  This recipe

It is super creamy and wonderful!

Carmel filled chocolates and shortbread star nibbles.

Add a white chocolate Lindor truffle to your mug, your taste buds will thank you!

For the proper consistency, you must have a good stirring device!

Take your pick:

Option one

Or Two

Oh the possibilities...

The perfect way to warm up - from the inside out!

We made cinnamon almonds for the road using This recipe

and pretzel cones for the non-sugar / nut eaters.

A tasty gingerbread person always goes well with hot cocoa.

The Taste-testing Crew.

All aboard the Hot Chocolate Express.

The lights were beautiful, the weather was winter perfect,

 the company was good and the pictures... well, we did our best!

 Some of the tunes we sang along to on the way up.

 This

 This

This  and  This