holidays...

I don't know about anyone else... but I am so very ready for the holidays. I have already started looking up new and fun recipes for Christmas gifts and cannot wait to get started!! It's not even November yet and I'm ready for Christmas. I just love everything that Thanksgiving and Christmas bring. Family time, warmth and coziness in fire places and sweaters and soft blankets, and of course all the yummy food!! I do wish that families cherrished each other more throughout the whole year. I'm so very thankful for mine! Obviously the most important thing to remember is our Lord and Savior through this holiday season and every day of our lives. He is the reason we are here and we need to be aware, not of the things we don't have but all of the wonderful and undeserved blessings He has bestowed on us. I am so thankful for His mercy, grace and love.

Funny Face, I Love You...

I have so many "funny face" pictures that I decided to dedicate a blogpost to them. They give me a good laugh every time I see them.

This is Hannah and I being goofy...



Candace and I...



My little cousin, Justin...



Bryson and his silly face...



Madilyn and her precious silly face...



Micah being Micah...




My nieces Karliegh, Crysta and Katelyn...







Silly pictures are so much fun to take and even more fun to look back on and get a kick out of. I think I have more funny face pictures than I do real ones.
We need to always remember to have fun, laugh and enjoy our times with each other.

The shoot

So weekend before last, I had the privilege of going with my little cousin on her senior picture photo shoot. I had such a great time and I'm so glad she invited me to go!! I took dozens of pictures and only about 3 of them turned out well. I have since seen the "finished product" of her shoot and she was so beautiful in every single shot. I'm so proud of the young woman that was once the little girl who followed me around. I love her dearly and I know she is about to start the beginning of a huge adventure in her life. She will be graduating in May and then in the fall she's off to college. It will be so fun to continue to watch her walk with the Lord get stronger and watch her life unfold.
These are the ONLY 2 pictures that really turned out well. I was really upset that the others were so blurry but very happy to at least have these 2.

My favorite things about fall...

I love pumpkins!! I love all of the different shapes they can be and the different colors. From warm oranges to creamy whites to deep greens... the colors are just so fall!! I love to see pumpkins grouped together or just one scattered here and there during fall. Mixed in with all of the other warm colors of fall and everything that goes with it, pumpkins are just wonderful!! Not to mention, I love pretty much everything pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, cake, muffins, dip, coffee... you name it, I love it!!!



I absolutely love to see the new colors that fall brings. I get so excited when the leaves start to change colors and fall to the ground. It makes me wish that I could spend the fall season in Central Park and just enjoy the cooler weather and beautiful scenery. For now... the parks around here will have to do!



I just love mums!! I think that they are so beautiful potted next to some pumpkins on the porch or planted in a bed in the fall. There are so many warm wonderful colors and they really go so well with all the changing leaves and new colors that fall always brings.



As I said... all things pumpkin!! I got to have my first pumpkin spice latte of the year the other day. They are delicious!! I got mine in OKC but there is a Starbucks in the hospital here now, so I'm going to have to check it out soon and see if they have these delicious treats!!!

The party...

Karliegh had so much fun at her birthday party! She got some really great gifts, including a bicycle, a necklace, a scrapbook kit, a book set and several other things. She and her friends had so much fun running around the park and enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather that God gave us that day. I love my nieces so very much and I feel very blessed that they are in my life and that I am able to share things like their birthday parties with them. They are such a precious gift from God.

The cake...

This last weekend was my nieces birthday party. I had the priveledge of making her cake!! She requested a strawberry/vanilla swirl cake so that's what she got. She wanted a Hannah Montana cake and I did my best. I was so worried that she'd be disappointed but she loved it! I was such a happy aunt. To see the smile on her face and hear "thank you Aunt Kara, my cake is so cool"... that was worth it all.

Answered Prayers...

My mom had her appointment and she is cancer free!! She has some anemia and they are going to "watch" it. Other than that... she got a great report from the doctor! We are so excited and blessed.