Merriment.

What?!
It's time to decorate the tree already?



Really, I promise we had a GREAT time decorating our tree!
Here's the proof...


Oh wait...
okay, here it is.
See? Just leave it to the cute little girls to prove it to you.
We can get goofy, but the tree DID get decorated.

Santa Baby & my cute little elves.



Me & my girls!



Church Christmas party.
We had a fun family dance.

Did I already say goofy in this post?
That's just the way we roll in this family.


Oh quick Trev, they are taking a picture...
act normal.



The girls doing the Cotton-Eyed Joe.
Loved it.
I think that song is still stuck in my head.



This dog is loved.
Not convinced?
Check out the photo after this one...


When you have a dog THIS CUTE,
you cannot help but top him off with a Santa hat
and snap a few photos
(and share them with your blog friends).

You're welcome...



Wait...did I mention goofy?

Magic.

Their tree.

Mmmm...Magical.




So pleased.

House Guests.

My parents had a kitchen fire.

It was not pretty.
Fire & smoke damage.
They had to move out while their place is being cleaned and redone.
So while they are waiting for their new kitchen...

We have house guests!

And it has been so enjoyable!
What fun to have them around and get to know them even better.
I hope they can stand us until their place is ready.

We had a mother/daughter day when mom helped me
make 80 chocolate dipped pretzel sticks for
the primary church kids.
We had a blast in the kitchen.

Can't you tell from my mom's chocolate lips?

Santa has a workshop...duh!

Last night my 5 year old brought in her Christmas list.

She needed help spelling the next item she wanted to write down.
"Mom, how do you spell Remote Control Panda Bear"?
So I spell it for her.
And then she adds, "With glowing blue eyes".
Okay.
Wait...um...
"Where did you see this?" I ask.
"I didn't. But Santa has a WORKSHOP, mom. And elves. Remember?
They can make anything, right?"

Um...yes. That is right.
Even a remote control panda bear with glowing blue eyes.

Funny thing is when I searched for a picture to go with this post,
look what I found. There actually is a panda with glowing blue eyes.


I didn't know it, but I guess Santa was already on top of this idea.

No Whining.

I posted on facebook that I was grumpy,
and my sweet friend Cheryl reminded me that I had just gone on a
beautiful vacation and probably shouldn't be whining.
You are SO right, Cheryl!!!

And so to make myself happy once more
I am posting another batch of pictures for your enjoyment
(or mine)...


Justin & Joanna diving off the boat. You catch the rope underneath.


Trev's turn-around jump.
After he comes up out of the water, he will be facing the rope...


There's the rope! This was so fun.
That is the "pool" going down the middle of the boat underneath.



Human chain. At one point, ALL of us made a chain.
It was a bit slippery though.


Okay, forgive me for posting this Joanna, but I laugh every time I see it.
We played "Quelf" and enjoyed it so much, we played it 3 times on the trip.
Joanna had to do this and say, "Feels good, don't it!"
Oh the laughs.


"Quelf" again.
Justin had to be a mummy. Oh, and that's a sock puppet on my hand.
Maybe you had to be there.
But hopefully you can still enjoy the pictures.
Hilarious game.



Dinner outside on the beach.
I had DELICIOUS chicken roti.


Check out that sunset.
It relaxes me just looking at it.


Can't think of a better place to read a book.


Here is the red telephone booth.
Yes, it's out in the middle of nowhere.
Cool, huh?


Enjoyed the beach AND the companionship that day.


Justin found a coconut "football".
Who's in?


Jared was.


My hero!



Trev out there on the shore at The Baths..


Rick, Wendi, Jared, Trev, me, Justin, Joanna & Theresa.
Lunch time.


Wendi & I watching everyone go for a night swim.


More jumping!


View from the airplane as we flew out.
Isn't it amazing?


Ahhh, I feel better now.
More relaxed.
How about you?

British Virgin Islands - oh baby!

I finally have some vacation pictures to show you!
Too many, I know, so just hang tight.
These are just a SAMPLE of the fun we had.
There are so many more, but I don't want to bore you so...

Put up your feet, relax and enjoy, cause here we go!

Pusser's restaurant on Tortola. The vacation is afoot.
Justin, Jared, Trev, me, Wendi, Joanna & Theresa

Trev scuba diving with the big sting ray!


Trev & Justin hoisting the sails.
We were on a catamaran with 3 other couples
Rick captained and all the boys did the sailing.



Ah, beautiful. Ready to go.


Like this picture of my sweetie getting ready to scuba.


In the dingy going to shore. That is our catamaran in the back, the Shawna Rae.
Jared, Wendi, Theresa, Trev (dinghy captain), Shelli & Joanna



And on the other end of the dinghy...
Joanna, Justin, Rick, Jared & Wendi


Peter Island. We ate dinner here, and enjoyed the evening
swinging in the hammocks and walking in the sand.

These fishermen were so sweet to give us two lobsters.
Thanks guys!


We had a FEAST that night. Here is Justin & Jared with
the two delicious beauties.


Here is our galley area.
And...YELLOW.


Dock hotties. We got ice cream here and a few groceries.
Shelli, Wendi & Joanna


We dinghied (is that a word?) to the beach and played
on the sand till it got dark.
The boys found a coconut and played football with it (sorry no pics of that).



Does this picture need an explanation?
I think not.



Me & Joanna at The Baths.
I LOVE The Baths.


Trev takes a jump.


So cute. Sigh.


Love this picture.
I think those smiles were plastered on our faces
the entire time.
This was at The Baths. We ate lunch in the restaurant at the top
of the island, and swam in the fresh water pool up there.


The boys planning their jumps.
Some kind of contest...boys will be boys.


Theresa in the water, Shelli & Joanna jumping, and Wendi watching.
She went next.



The water was around 84, and air around 87.
Bliss.



What a great day at The Baths.


Galley Girls.
We had such an amazing time together. I love these girls.
Theresa, me, Joanna, & Wendi.


I took this picture of Jared as he was carrying the newly filled
air tanks to the dinghy.
I thought it turned out pretty good.



We found a swing!
All the girls took turns.
Here is mine.


Walking the beach with my hottie.


We snorkeled into Sandy Cay. Beautiful little island.


There was a path that wound around the island.
This is where we stopped and turned around.
It was a breathtaking place to be.


Tummies full of ice cream.


Live music & Foosball at The Last Resort.
This place was a great little find.


Wendi & Jared getting the party started.



Trev and Shelli giving it a go.


Theresa's proof that Rick can and DID dance!


Justin & Joanna enjoying themselves.



Our last day we had some scattered showers & a rainbow.
Our life buoy floated away so it was Joanna
to the rescue.
Here she is bringing it back during a warm tropical rain shower.


I love a man with Oreo teeth.


Wow. 36 pictures. Do you think that was too many?
We did so much more than this, and a lot of it is on others' cameras.
You can bet I will be sharing a few more in the future when
I get a hold of those photos.