December's Joy

 Hello All :)

December's Joy was bursting at the seams with a very full month of blessings, joy, and memories made! 

One memory that did not get recorded in any snapshots was the caroling evening we did at the beginning of the month.  It was such a fun evening of caroling to Care and Nursing Homes and other elderly.  It was such a beautiful evening!  

We enjoyed having Jadon home for a break, family in for Christmas, and much, much more...

...Kirk is headed back to Uganda again with a mission team from our church.  He did a couple of bake sales to help make the money for his travel costs...Janessa helped keep him company at the Artisan Christmas Market...

...he spent many hours in the kitchen!!!...

...some sister help...

...gorgeous Ube cupcakes...

...a Renaissance Party at CCA in History...lovely spread they put together for the class...

...and our tadpoles turned frogs...we released them in our neighbor's pond...

...headed to CrossFitKids Christmas workout/party with these three sweeties...

...CrossFitKids Christmas workout/party...

...Daddy/daughters lunch date...

...someone is loving having the biggest brother home...

...not very often do I get to cuddle my sweetest, oldest daughter as much anymore...soaked up every moment...

...one of the sweetest of friends, knows exactly how to make my girls squeal with excitement :)...

...this fur ball was NOT to be in, and he thinks he is hiding, lol!...

...Cocoa Puff :)...

...the thrill when you get a letter ALL to YOURSELF and how big of a girl it makes you feel!...

...another LEGO creation of Janessa's...

...early morning Bible and cuddle time...

...this front porch will never get old...

...biggest and littlest :)...

...some of our favorite books this Christmas season...

...Lighting the Advent candles and reading the Scripture for each candle...

...early morning sun therapy in the egg nest chair, one of my loves and one of the furballs she loves, lol :)

...the girls were SO excited to open sweet gifts from some of the sweetest neighbors...

...the girls coming back up from feeding the duck hens...

...local B'wood Logos Christmas party...such a favorite gathering and love the gift exchange...

...these two :)...

...goodies for when family is here for 2 weeks over Christmas...

...deer hunting with my oldest :)...

...heading out with both sisters to go deer hunting...

...meet Dash, our new mini Hereford bull we bought...super sweet and calm personality...

...gorgeous dark and moody sunset sky...

...doing Scripture memory presentation at CCA Chapel...

...Holiday CrossFit workout, our two oldest went and knocked it out...

...building trains with sisters...they loved every minute!...

...the old playhouse was pretty much done...Jadon started the from-scratch plans for us while here on break...

...someone enjoyed hanging out extra in the backyard, anytime someone was working and building...

...it is taking shape...

...we enjoyed a sweet, but short, visit from G'ma and G'pa Rokey...

...Jadon and Kirk spent a weekend in Dallas with a mentor friend and then met up with two of their friends from Logos Online, for supper, on their way home...a fun weekend for them...

...another good weekend was spent duck and dove hunting with friends...

...an early quiet morning: fire crackling, coffee, devotion time, and furballs wanting cuddled...

...hmmm, I WONDER what these go to?????...

...I have been teased MERCILESSLY about bringing home a string of baby chicks during the spring when I go to get farm feed...LOL...this is what my hubby brings home when it's a super good deal and a few hundred points off...sooooo, it's a really good deal, lol! The kids sure are enjoying it :)...

...and yep, she can drive it too!...

...Jason, Jadon, and Kirk went hog hunting with a friend who uses teams of dogs to hunt down the hogs...it was a fun experience, they all said...

...they brought one back alive to train some new dogs on...

...ready to welcome family in for Christmas for a couple of weeks :)...

...Jadon and Kirk watched the kiddos, so we adults could go finish shopping...Jadon put them to work cutting the grass...LOL...oh, the orneriness :P...

...pulling the first of two teeth lost while he was here...

...out to eat and then to walk through the Mill Pond Park Christmas Light display...

...fun face masks...

...C n E did a Bethlehem Meal for Christmas Eve...It was so meaningful, sweet, and blessed.  I love this tradition and look forward to adding it to our home traditions for the Christmas holidays...I am SO thankful they did it...frying the fish...

...table set...

...no electricity...

...Christmas morning, we lit the last Advent Candle and then had a gift exchange and enjoyed stockings...

...a delicious Christmas Day meal...

...the fire was such a calming morning and evening station...

... the wonderful neighbors who let us swim in their pool... which we did the day after Christmas...It was such a fun afternoon, and we all LOVED the sun and water fun!!...

... Fredericksburg pit stop on the way to Mustang Island...

...we had a wonderful 4 days on Mustang Island and enjoyed the beach, sun, sand, and temps from the 40s to the 80s...it was a great time to be had.  We are blessed!...

...cousin excursions...

...the muffin batter must be good :D...

...loved many a good game...

...all of us on a coffee shop run on our last morning as we headed out...

...eating out once on the way home...

...even enjoyed some cheese curds all the way from Rokeyroad in Kansas on Mustang Island :)...

...building Legos together...

...last cousin outing on Mustang Island...

...cousin hammock camping outing...

...these two and their favorite chickens :)...

...LOL, now we have duck, duck, goose, Christmas ducks going back-n-forth...

...somehow I didn't get any pics of our New Year's Day meal, but it was another delicious and beautiful spread.  We thoroughly loved having family here with us in Texas for the holidays.  It was such a blessed, wonderful time filled with memories that will last forever :)  God is good all the time!  And we never get pics of the two of us...I am glad we snapped this one for once...love this man!...

Hoping your 2026 is starting out strong, but with peace and calmness amidst a society that is always on a mad hustle.

Quotes for Thought:

"This year taught me that it's a blessing that nothing worthwhile comes easily.  Quick, unearned success will not fulfill your soul the way your slow, daily effort does.  When you work hard, you'll look back and feel a deep sense of contentment because you proved it to yourself.  Do the hard things; you owe it to yourself.  

~slowsimpleseasonal~

"Most of us live our lives by accident--we live it as it happens.  Fulfillment comes when we live our lives on purpose." 

~simoninek~

"Home is the kingdom in which we have the daily choice & power to make our tiny domain one of light in darkness."

~sally clarkson~

"Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us."

~aw tozer~