with Thanksgiving this week...

it makes me think of all the things I'm Thankful for....

 



of course I am thankful for my Family...

Hubby...my kids...DIL..Hotrod...my Mom...

my Dad and step Mom...

my brother and his family....

Uncles and Aunts....
granddogs...

I started thinking a little deeper...

things I am thankful for....

 



 I am thankful that my Mom told me...

IF YOU TRY DRUGS YOU WILL DIE...

because of this statement...which was repeated often...

I never once tried any drug...

to tell you the truth...no one ever even offered me any...

I guess they just knew how I felt about them...

when I was 18 I still called my Mom before taking a Tylenol...

I told my kids the same thing...

as far as I know...which you know...sometimes we don't know...

they never tried them either...

This hit me when a friend of ours son in law over dosed last week...

he was in his early 30's with a 7 year old son...

a crying shame....a little boy without his Dad...

 

 

I am also thankful I was able to stay at home to raise my kids...

I worked from home...or did things around their schedules...

when my son was born...I just knew I could not leave him..

I babysat....sold Avon...sold jewelry....

was manager of our Mobile home park...

I was a school crossing guard when I was pregnant with my daughter...let me tell you...people stopped when they saw...

a 4 ft 11 woman...round as a barrel...with a stop sign...

step off a curb...

I worked Mothers day out programs...so my daughter could

be with other children...and I could earn money...

we started our own business when she was 2...

our kids have been a part of it from the beginning...

my son learned a trade...starting at age 6...

he was a helper...he earned money to buy his

drum set...he still has it...it took him 3 summers to earn it...

I didn't get a new car ever few years...

I didn't wear the latest fashions...still don't....

but we managed...

now Hotrod is part of it all....

coming to work with his Dad since he was a few months old...

all of this is worth more than a fancy house...fancy car...

vacations....jewelry....

those things don't last forever...

but being there...living the life....

that will last a life time....

I am also thankful for a handful of really great friends...

The number doesn't matter...

just knowing...I have a few...that I could

call on day or night...who are there if I'm low...

or if I'm on cloud nine...

who remember the things that I like...or feel...

who send me songs...or silly messages...

just because....

who like me...just because I'm me....

well what more can you ask for....

we had our first Thanksgiving dinner....

on a cold....wet...day....

at my Dad and Step Moms.....

 

 it was a nice day....even with the cold....

my heart was warmed by family....

My Step Mom put the dinner together by herself...

well Dad helped....

(even though he broke a few dishes along the way)

 

 the food was wonderful....

the conversations too....

This is my Uncle...and Hubby...

 

 

 

Hubby was in his element...

he had someone to talk Hunting...fishing with...

someone new to tell his stories too....

my Uncle had plenty of stories to share also...

 

 

 

This is my Dad's new toy....

beautiful isn't it....

 

 It was fun hearing stories about my family...

my Step Mom got out photos for me to see...

she sent some home with me to scan....

I found some of me when I was little that I had never seen....

 

 Photos of my Dad growing up....

my Grandpa Nolan...

he was quite a guy....I named my schnauzer after him...

he was in the Calvary in the 40's...

quite the horseman....

 

 My step Mom is a very special lady...

My Dad and her just celebrated their 50th anniversary...

she has been wonderful sharing family history with me...

I hope she knows how much I appreciate that...

I didn't grow up with my Dad...

but I know I was always in his heart...

I'm so happy to have Dad and my Step Mom in my life...

things happen for a reason in life...

like a song says....Timing is everything...

now is the right time to have them in my life...

I truly feel blessed to have three parents that love me...

I love you Mom...Dad...and Kandy.....

you all have a piece of my heart.....

 

we are under a winter warning here in Texas...

hope it blows through quickly...

I'm not a cold weather gal...

 

Counting down to summer.....

 



A boy and his dog...

 the cooler weather has Ginger feeling happy.....

 

 which in turn...

makes Hotrod happy....

 

 

"come back Ginger"

 

 whoa...slow down Ginger....

 

 leave it....leave it...

she didn't leave it...

but Hotrod tried to get the ball back....

 



 

It's HUMP day....yup.....

not that I'm rushing the week....

 



 

Cold weather is headed our way...

high this weekend is going to be 40....

not looking forward to that temperature....

 



I made this from beer cans...

Hotrod painted the stem....



Here's another one...

I didn't realize how easy the cans are too cut...

 



Hotrod is having his Thanksgiving at school tomorrow....

His Mom will be able to take off work to go....

they will have a little program...then a Thanksgiving Feast...

today I showed him the Mayflower on Youtube...

we made an Indian headdress...

we've been talking about what Thanksgiving is all about...

Saturday I get to have Thanksgiving with my Dad and Step Mom...

my Uncle who is younger than me...will be there with his family...

I haven't seen them in several years...

really looking forward to catching up...



 Second cousins having fun....

 Cousins racing on the slides....

(21 years apart in age)

 DIL clowning around....

 

 Son clowning around.....

 

 Hotrod wanted glasses just like Omas....

 

Guys hanging out...

Hotrod loves my daughters boyfriend...

he thinks he's cool...because he works on airplanes...

 wears cool sunglasses....

Just a few things I'm thankful for....

I have so many blessings in my life...

family...friends...

you know...if everyone counted their blessings...

more than they counted their woes....

there would be a lot more smiles....than tears...

 



 the Birthday girl....not so much on photos...

 

 she's getting used to her Aunt Debbie....

with a camera in her face...

 

 Group hug...Hotrod is in the middle...

it was a beautiful day for a party at the park...

 there was even a pirate at the party...

my daughter said wouldn't it be nice to be a kid again...

you could dress as any character you want to...

and no one would say a word....

 I always knew my brother was a clown...

now I have proof....

 

 my SIL... a pretty princess...

I gave my niece dress up clothes for her birthday...

she wanted her Mommy to wear the crown....

Princess for a day....

 

It was a fun party....

the Birthday girl was worn out...

so was her Aunt...



I had a little photo shoot...

with my Granddogter...

Hatari....

she was an awesome model....

she would do what ever I asked her to do...

she is such a smart girl...

so willing to do whatever you ask her to...

 



I spent over an hour with her...

trying new things....

she would stay still while I took the photos...



after the photo shoot...

Hubby and I headed to Oklahoma...

we went to Winstar...which is a casino...

It is about an hour drive from our house...

to the Oklahoma border...

the casino is just a few more miles in....

 



I'm not a big gambler...

I did play the penny slots all night...

Hubby played poker...

We got home at 3:00 am this morning....

I was up at 8:00 am....

for some reason our dogs....

wanted to stay on the same schedule...

don't they realize how late we were out???

My nieces birthday party was today...

it was at the park...a circus theme...

we were in the 80's today...

Hope you all had a nice weekend...

I'm exhausted...time to rest...

before a new week begins...

 

 

 



 

 

I had another Friday night date with my Mom....

we went to a little club and listened to music...

they played classic rock...

It was fun....I don't know what was more fun...

the music...or watching the people....

 



believe it or not...the frost didn't get my flowers...

after the cold snap...we are having spring like weather...

 

 Our trees aren't quite sure what they should be doing...

some are changing colors....

 

 some are just dropping their leaves completely....

 

I'm doing another family photo shoot for a family...

four kiddos...another dance family....

I so enjoy doing it...

yesterday was the first day I had picked up my camera...

in over a week...I was getting really restless...

Taking photos calms me....

My Ex-sister in law (always a sister to me)....

sent me a text the other day...

to see if she could buy some of my photos...

she wants to give them to her Grandmother for Christmas...

I told her to pick out the ones she wanted...

and she could use them for free...

She has always been one of my biggest fans...

when I had a page to sell my photos on products..

she was one of the only people to buy from me...

 

Today is my nieces 3rd birthday....

Happy Birthday to my Sweetie....

looking forward to the party at the park....