Goodbye 2007

We hope you all have a fun and safe New Year's Celebration!!

Hail, Dear Old State...

Congratulations to the Mississippi State Bulldogs for their victory in the Liberty Bowl and to Derek Pegeus (a South Panola alum) for being named the player of the game!!

GO STATE!!

Christmas Part II

Charles and I traveled to Batesville for Christmas lunch with Mama and Jerry. We had a delicious lunch of ham, candied sweet potatoes, creamed potatoes, corn, butter beans, pink salad, deviled eggs, rolls and dessert of pound cake with strawberries and ice cream. After lunch came the really fun part...opening presents...

Mama always knows exactly what to get for me... She even traveled to the Delta to get the Peter's pottery tea pot I wanted (and a few other pieces)...
Mama always asks if we want presents and/or money.

I always say presents...and Charles always says money. Mama usually buys Charles a present or two anyway, but this year Charles got all money (and a little extra since he didn't get any "little presents"). That was just fine with Charles...
Mama opened her presents from me and from me and Charles (I think we did a good job this year)...

and then opened her presents from Charles (who always buys her something or two which she just loves and which I have no idea what it is until she opens the box)...Mama's presents out numbered Jerry's presents (sorry, Jerry), but he, Mama and Peanut had a good Christmas...After leaving Batesville, Charles and I went to Southaven to see what movies were playing. We were hoping that Juno would be showing but no such luck. We ended up seeing Walk Hard; it was okay. Then we drove all over town to see if any restaurants were open. Lucky for us a Chinese buffet was open.

Charles really enjoyed his Christmas egg drop soup! The whole time we were in the restaurant, we kept thinking of the scene in A Christmas Story were the family has to eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant...We left singing Fa, ra, ra, ra, ra...

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Morning

While Charles is enjoying the 12th or so hour of the 24 hour Christmas Story marathon, I thought I would share our Christmas morning...

Even though I am firmly into the age of adulthood, on Christmas (and Charles would tell you at other times too), I am still pretty much a child. I woke up at 4:30 this morning but willed myself to go back to sleep and slept until 5:30. I then waited (un)patiently until 6:00 to wake Charles up so that we could open presents.

I played Santa and divided our presents into our 2 piles, and Toula investigated to make sure it was done properly... Then she decided to play the part of the elf and help unwrap presents...
So, Charles and I decided that she should get her Christmas present first...
After Toula began nibbling on her Bunny Salad Bowl, it was time for me to open my gifts...

Charles always buys the best gifts, so while I am always surprised, I never have to worry...
Although I do have to be careful when opening each gift because a phone book, brick or other disguise may fall out of the box along with the gift...

This year the disguises were pecans (so that the rattling would throw me off), heavy magazines and newspapers...
But all of the presents were great!

Next it was time for Charles to open his presents...
He got his usual...a couple of shirts...
Something from Santa to the Willoughbys (which is always pottery or something for the house)...
And this year's "unusual" gift...

Tickets to Seinfeld who is coming to the Orpheum in March
After unwrapping our presents, Charles cleaned up all the paper and boxes and then cooked a yummy Christmas breakfast -- cheesy scrambled eggs, fried wienies, biscuits with butter and jelly and icy chocolate milk. Delicious!

Our Christmas wish...

We wish you all a Merry Christmas filled with joy, peace and happiness!


Merry Christmas from Charles, Megan and Toula

Dinner (lunch) and a Movie

After early Church this morning, Charles and I checked the movie schedule and found that several movies we wanted to watch were playing, so we had a yummy lunch at Guadalajara and then saw National Treasure 2. It was really good!! We both enjoyed the first movie, and this sequel was not a disappointment. We would definitely recommend seeing it!

Christmas, Part I

Last night, Charles and I went to Batesville for Christmas with Mama, Jerry, Shane, Donna and Jordan. We had a great time, and playing with Jordan was so much fun! Jordan loves to bounce and jump, so our arms and back got quite a workout!!
I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures of the get-together or any playful shots of Charles and me playing with Jordan, but here is the cute picture of him from their Christmas card this year...

My favorite lunch buddy...

I love this time of year for many reasons, but one of those is because Charles gets a little Christmas vacation from teaching school. Yesterday was his first day of the Christmas break, and so we got to have lunch together - such a nice treat!

Dinner with the Bienvenu Bunch

Last night the Bienvenus (Molly, John and Brady) came over for dinner...Brady saw Toula, ran over to her home area and squealed "puppy" is his cute little voice. Well, of course, Toula didn't know what to think, so she quickly hopped into her home. So, Brady had to play with Toula's toy instead of with Toula...

He had lots of fun checking out what all was in her toy basket... And even more fun after finding my little weights...
He's a strong one!!



After a little play time, we ate dinner. Brady enjoyed some of my homemade chicken pot pie and even handed me a few pieces of potatoes and chicken so that I could enjoy it too. He is so polite, he said "thank you" when he gave them to me and "thank you" when I gave them back! We grown ups had salad, individual, make-it-yourself pizzas, cookies and fruit salad.


After dinner, I had to get a couple of pictures of everyone...

The first one turned out really dark, so I turned on the light in the breakfast area and then ran back to set the camera and ran back to get in the shot. Brady just watched me and laughed; I'm sure he was thinking: "What is that crazy lady doing?"


After picture time was finally over, Charles and I went to see Molly and John's new house. They've been in it for a while now but with the holidays, office parties, etc., we finally found a time to get together. It is beautiful!

Blooms, a Baby Hog and My Little Helper

Weekend before last I finally bought poinsettias for the house.
I found a pretty red one for the kitchen...

And a pink one for our bath...

And while I was at the store, I bought a Christmas cactus...I have one in my office which is blooming already, but the one at home doesn't have any buds. Well, that problem is now rectified.

I am so excited because our paperwhites are also starting to bloom and are making the kitchen smell wonderful and our amaryllis is also beginning to open...hopefully everything will still be blooming for Christmas.

This past weekend, I was a baby hog. Charles and I went to Oxford for lunch with Matt and Mary Ann and Nathan. (It was delicious; you did a great job Dillons!) Nathan has grown so much and is just so cute! I spent pretty much the whole afternoon holding him. Then we stopped by Mama and Jerry's on the way back to Hernando and Shane (Jerry's son) and Donna (Shane's wife) and Jordan (their son who they adopted this Spring) were there, so I got to spend the evening holding a baby too! Although I must say that Charles had a pretty good time entertaining Jordan while he was on his pallet, and Jordan thought Charles was just too funny! Jordan is a little cutey too and so tall...after MANY pictures, we all went out for dinner and then Charles and I headed home.


This evening, I wrapped a few Christmas presents and had the best little helper...Toula

Our Spoiled Bunny...

Toula does not like going to the vet for pawdicures and as her pawnails get longer, she can't seem to get good traction (and just doesn't like hopping) on the hardwood floors, so Charles and I began putting down a throw for her to cross from her home to the living room floor on. Well, she got used to it being put down for her, and now she practically refuses to visit the living room unless the throw is down. She just looks so pitiful stretching out as far as she can from her home and peering into the living room...I think the throw will be getting a lot of future use!

Getting ready for Christmas

Friday afternoon, we began decorating the house for Christmas.
We began by decorating the Christmas tree. Of course, this required turning on Christmas music to sing along to and reminiscing about the many ornaments on our tree...

Next came the mantle and hanging our stockings with care...

Then on to the dining room...


Then I turned my attention to the breakfast table and decided which pieces of 'Tis the Season to set the table with...

I decided to hang the kissing ball from the breakfast area chandelier this year...
I then decorated the rest of the breakfast area...
Then moved to Ma's tea cart...
Then the island...
Then the kitchen counters...

And I had to find a place for the Christmas spreaders...

Then I moved into the living room and began with the chest (where the Santa with the train which reminds me of Daddy was placed where it could easily be seen)...
Then on to the side table...

And the little chest where our MSU Santa found a home...
And then the coffee table (I always have to place my bunny bell, a Christmas gift from Daddy a long time ago where I can see it)...

And, of course, the bookcase needed a little dose of Christmas cheer...
Then the nativity scene was placed on the entryway piece so that it would be the first thing we see as we enter our home...
Then the rest of the entryway was decorated... Bully needed a Christmas bow...

Charles gave me an early Christmas present...a Goebel kissing ball (I love kissing balls) which we hung in the entryway...

Then, of course, the outside needed a little attention (we couldn't find our clips to make the extension cord look nice and neat, so we're headed out soon to buy some new ones)... A small nativity scene and a few Christmas balls were placed in our bedroom, and this little tree brings Christmas to our bath... And, of course, we couldn't neglect Toula's home...

Finally, the guest bath...

Now, I only need a poinsettia or two and a Christmas cactus which blooms (and a few more presents under the tree) and we'll be finished.