2015 christmas swap... Let's unwrap the goodies

OHHHH Kizmo, gotta try that one!

I Made the waterGate salad & Took it up to my Neices for our THANKSGIVING Dinner & Then I Forgot to get it out of the frig . Ursuala Called me later to remind me it was there but not for long the kids had it about gone .
Good thing I Had had a taste of it before i took it up there :) It was delish :))))

as for me I will be staying in with my critters ;) fixing a small Ham & Yams to share with them . they also have to be pampered :)

My boys will be here Christmas Eve! We are making cookies, hot cocoa, stringing popcorn, and watching movies. They'll open gifts here Christmas morning then to Destiny's house for breakfast and dinner.
Having our traditional baking and candy making day with Moma and Destiny on Monday. Journee is joining us this year.
Having our extended family Christmas party tonight! Love being with my cousins! They start playing dirty Santa and it is hilarious! They are vicious! LOL
Well, off to start cooking for tonight! Love to all ♥

Watergate salad sounds good.

Watergate salad is delicious!

5 days till Christmas! I hope you are all ready!

Gifts are wrapped here, just waiting for family arrive Tuesday or Wed.

Gifts are all wrapped here! Stocking stuffers sorted! Colt and his family will be here on the 26th! Tomorrow is our traditional baking/candy making day with my daughters and my mom! Always invite my sister but she never comes! Oh well, we will have a good time!

No burning cookies or fingers allowed.

Have fun!

The gifts are all wrapped here too. I find myself wondering how Watergate salad would go with spaghetti and garlic bread. LOL I haven't had that in years and I remember loving it.

Well I am 95% done...lol Don't think I am ever DONE until Christmas eve... ;) DH's family will show up Christmas eve and then my family on Christmas. I have to sort out the presents. My families I put in trash bags until after my DGD goes home. She didn't understand that all those presents weren't hers. She is older now and I am sure would be this has just become a habit over the years.

I 'adopted' a little girl for the holidays and I did alot of really good shopping. Found some great bargins and discounts. She is the same age as my DGD so I had some idea what she might like.

Later

Bless you for adopting a little girl!

Joyce, by adopting a little girl, in my mind you're doing angels work. What a huge and beautiful heart you have.

One of the ladies in the garden group has an afternoon program at her church for any kids who wants to come but she initially started it for the kids who lived in a certain area. She started noticing that some wore the same clothes over and over, or their coats weren't very good. She told me that one little boy had duct tape holding his shoes together!! She ask if any of us would like to 'adopt' any of the children, she was determined they were going to have Christmas if she had to charge it all. She is the angel. I am just fortunate enough to be able to help.

Debra I was looking at my Santa's in airplanes and your Santa is the only one I have that has skis on the plane!! Way to go! Here is a bad pic of some of ny Santa's in planes and the back of DH's head...lol

Joyce, bless you for adopting an angel! I used to do that every year. I want to start doing it again...well, in a way, I did do it this year. My youngest daughter's boyfriend is "dirt poor" and his mother and stepfather treat him like a live-in babysitter. He often goes hungry to make sure his younger siblings get enough. Anyway, I made him write a Christmas list. At first, he was confused because he had never been asked what he wanted! But he made a list plus we are getting him a gift card to get some clothes and shoes. He'll be with us for some of our Christmas festivities, and I just couldn't imagine him not getting anything! Love to all and spread the joy! ♥

Yeap that is what it is all about.

I love your collection Joyce

I am off to get Christmas dinner and all the fixins. See you all later.

aww I'm so glad you didn't have that one, Joyce. I am glad you are all Angels because there are so very many people , especially young ones that have never received a toy or clothes or anything new for Christmas. I remember being in some sad situations away from family and friends when I was 13-14. I had ran away from home, and was locked up in a "pokey" It was scarey and dark and lonely. Ever since that horrible time in my life, I have always made it a point to help young women out when in need. As a child in foster care at Christmas, it was always a big deal, but when you are sitting on an army cot, in the dark, on Christmas, as a young teen, it had such a huge impact on how good things were for me before I ran away. I missed my sister, and missed my brother so bad. I regretted leaving them . So much for my sad story. Good news is, I have surrounded myself with good friends and Angels, like you all.

Just peeking in to see what's going on over here. Love all your ornaments, Joyce.

Debra, you are a real survivor. A lot of kids don't come out of those experiences very well. I'm so glad you did and that you are here with your DG friends.

Debra, I agree with Carole. I am so glad things are better for you.

Happy to know that you made a good life for yourself, Debra! Carole, glad to see you here! ♥

When I was 10, my dad's union went on strike in mid-November. My Dad went oystering and fishing every day to put food on the table. He went back to work before Christmas, but there was no money for presents. My parents explained to us older kids that my youngest brother (who was 6 and still believed in Santa) would be the only one to get gifts. We got a new set of clothes, but we were thankful. I have tried to instill this in my children over the years. I always try to help those in need, usually family members first then reaching out into the community! I have been so blessed and it's time to pay it forward! I love you all!

Today has been a hard day for me. I always seem to "relive" the last week I had with my Daddy! 11 years ago today, hospice told us to call all the family members to say their good-byes. But Daddy didn't go that day. He still had unfinished things, mostly me hanging onto him. I've tried to keep busy, but the memories keep creeping in. I'm in therapy and I've done better this year than years past. i've even decided to visit his gravesite Thursday for the first time in years. It's all part of the therapy. *Sigh* ♥

I know it's tough, Julie. This is my first Christmas without my DH in 47 years. Therapy or not, each person goes through the grieving process in his or her own way and on their own time schedule.

I agree with Carole. Everyone has a right to miss their loved ones as long as they want to. I am still missing my sweet lil sister, she was so innocent to go before me, but I am doing better this year than last year. It wasn't so bad with My Mom, as we didn't get close to each other until I was in my mid thirties, and I overcame my fear of meeting her and letting her know how she made me feel as a child, and on her death bed, she asked me for forgiveness. Of course I forgave her, I am no saint!
She gave me the BEST advice the last week of her life..
If there is anything you want to see, hear, eat, smell, or be, don't wait until it's too late, do it while you can.
So, I am determined to see who I can see, and meet as many of you as I can.. :D

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}} to us all. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and to all a good night.

That's excellent advice, Debra. We live like there will always be a tomorrow and things will be the same ... but that's not the way it is. Time goes by and things change.

I was going to have dinner and a movie with a singles social group (not a dating group) here tonight but the weather has been awful. Stormy last night, the wind blew things around the deck and driveway. There were several tornadoes. I heard the tornado siren sound twice, but we were fortunate to escape the worst. Thank God! Three were killed here in my state. Awful! This is what happens when we have such warm weather this time of year.

I don't see the times of posts on here anymore. Did that go away or is it just me?

Love you all and am so glad we are still in touch.

LETS START OUT THE NEW YEAR WITH A GREAT FRIENDSHIP SWAP .

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE 2016 SWAP
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1412305/

date and time of post is to the far right side, small...lol

Ok I am officially tired...lol Gonna sit down and put feet up, DGC and family is coming at 5. Everything for that group is wrapped...lol My family group tomorrow not finished wrapping... heck darn I got about 22 hours...lol rofl.

Love you all! You all are one of my best gifts and I don't have to do anything..lol I don't have to feed water or clean up after you... ;)

Yeah, I see it's back. Wasn't there the last time I was looking. Things change periodically on my screen.

Best KIND OF GIFTS ARE Friends :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS ..... hope Santa was good to you.

NAIL PLAY WITH ZOEY & JENIFER They wanted to try out My new CHRISTMAS RED POLISH & DECAL"S :)

Merry Christmas to all, and Thank you for the honor of calling you my friends!

Merry Christmas everybody. Had Dad home for awhile but seemed really strange not seeing Mom.

LOve the red fingers Susie. I did the same with my Granddaughter yesterday.

Kathy, sending you big (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) .

Sending ((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))) to Carole as well.


I know my first Christmas without my Mom was so hard.

This message was edited Dec 26, 2015 7:46 AM

Merry Christmas to all my beautiful friends! Love and hugs to all of you!

Spent the day watching the teenagers open gifts, then visiting my daughter and her family. Very special and full of love! ♥ God has truly blessed me!

I realized this past week that it has been 11 years since I had all my children and siblings together for Christmas! So much has changed over the years. More change to come with Chase attending MSU next year because he won't be with me every weekend! But most of the changes are good ones with children getting married and starting families! I have to learn to embrace it!

Carole, I'm glad you have a social group to do things with! Nothing like that around here for me. Maybe I need to form one! :-)

Debra, I am doing all I can to hear, taste, see, touch, smell everything I want! I have a bucket list and I'm doing things I want to do! And like I said, I am looking forward to meeting so many of you when i take my "all across the country trip." ♥

Hope ev1 had a Merry Christmas I Had a very Nice surprise for christmas Ya Might say I'm a NEW GM :) Had to Bring it in for it is getting very cold outside this week .
may you all have a great weekend . also .

Jax it is great to have all our friends!

rofl.. I love the new red nail polish with tatoos... ;) Looks like everyone had fun doing them. ;) How great to be a new Grandma... ;)

Getting cold here...burrrh! Good thing we have change cause I am waiting for the change for seasons...lol...winter to spring... ;)

Jax, glad to have you as my friend! ♥

Susie, I love that little biddy! So cute! Rebuilding my chicken coop this year so I can start over. I miss my chickens!

Joyce, the cold is headed our way this week, too! got to get my plants in!

News is calling for freezing rain for late Monday & into Tuesday,
but i feel bad for the south with all those Tornados , sure hope the weather simmers down for you all soon .

Cold hit here this morning, strong winds and our high for today is all of 42.