Thanksgiving Weekend Part II

While we were in Americus, GA we went to a very old cemetery. It dated back to the Civil War.

I love the care and thought that used to be put into burying our loved ones.

This headstone was absolutely a work of art.

They always used to put something personal about their loved one.

I love this picture of my niece and son.... They look like they are having a very deep conversation.

This is Savanah and Kayleigh before they went horseback riding.

Guess Who? LOL

This house was built in 1902 and was just beautiful.

Attention to details.....

Wouldn't it be nice to live here?

Or here?

And maybe attend a church as beautiful as this one.....ahhh

Mr. not an animal lover fell asleep and look at who was visiting him! Ha Ha

Sophia with her babies.

O.K my whole family loves hunting.. so to top off a great weekend every grandchild (except Sophia) shot a deer. Savanah was super excited as this was her first deer.

Tristan with his doe. (this is at the processor)

My sister and her boy Cody. With his 9 point.

 Rusty with his doe.



Savanah and Levi with his First little deer. (doe). I am sorry this picture is gruesome. This is the exit wound. He shot it in the right spot. It just exited in a bad spot.  My Dad was so proud of his grandchildren. He is an avid hunter and loves that all of the kids love to hunt.  Well I hope this wasn't to much for you all. But I am excited to share my weekend with you.



Amy Jo

Thanksgiving Weekend Part I

For Thanksgiving we went to Georgia to visit my nephew in his first place. He is 19 and renting his own place. So along the way we stopped at the cotton field.

Isn't it amazing that our clothing grows on plants?

We also stopped at a pecan grove. I just love pecan groves they are so beautiful.

This is Cody's Place.

This is Cody and his "sweet" dog Dozer. I am extremely afraid of bulldogs, so he kept saying he was going to make us best friends before I left. That Didn't Happen!!

Savanah and Emily my sisters dog.

Cody and Savanah

My Mom and Savanah

My Sister and Savanah. You see the trend here Savanah is in almost every photograph! LOL This was Thanksgiving day. I will share the rest of our weekend tomorrow....

Blessings,

Amy Jo

Front Door Make-Over

We got new windows a few weeks ago and I thought it might look good to have the door painted. So, last Tuesday we did. I love it! What do you think?

Amy Jo

Happy 9th Birthday Levi!

Happy 9th Birthday to Levi!  Because his birthday is so close to Thanksgiving and sometimes on Thanksgiving he rarely gets a party. We just do a small family thing.

But he is still happy! He got these cool race cars that are powered by balloons from Papa and Grandma. He got $25.00 from Grandma Linda...

And he got this super cool Green Machine from us. He is loving this thing.

This is an action shot..... I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. I will post those pictures later!

Blessings,

Amy Jo

Surviving Thanksgiving

photo credit



My husband and I went to the Gym the other day and they had a table set up with a 2 pound model of fat and a 2 pound model of muscle. I am sure you know muscle is leaner and smaller than fat. They said the average person gains 15 pounds over the holiday season. That is right 15 POUNDS!(I'm not talking muscle here) It starts for many with Halloween and tons of garbage... and it never stops until after New Years. I would like to share with you some tips on how to avoid the average 5-7 pound gain that most achieve, over just the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Don't go to dinner hungry. Eat a good breakfast and lunch to avoid overeating at dinner. Don't save up calories for later. You will just go way overboard.
• Bring something you can eat such as vegetables with low-fat sour cream and a seasoning pack.
• Remember, Thanksgiving is not an all you can eat event. One plate well-proportioned with half of your plate vegetables, one quarter of it lean meat, and one quarter a starch. Try to avoid the bread basket. Eat slowly and enjoy the fellowship. Don't eat a second plate. Drink water with dinner.
• Take your turkey without the skin and try to eat the white meat.
• Watch your portions and get smaller amounts of everything you want to try. Remember moderation is key!
• Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate. So try to avoid them.
• If you want dessert have a sliver not a slice.
• Get out and get a little exercise. Maybe everyone could go for a walk, if weather permits.
• Remember it is a time of giving thanks. Enjoy your company and let that be the main focus.

I hope these tips can help you. It is so hard to lose weight once it is on. Remember an ounce of  prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Blessings,

Amy Jo

New Christmas Ornaments from A Gathering Place

I placed an order for the cutest little ornaments over at A Gathering Place. There was a mix up and I recieved the wrong ornaments. I emailed Rebecca,and she was very quick to fix everything....

These are the right ornaments, and I kept the others because they were just so stinkin' cute!

She sent out a handwritten letter and some extra goodies....

A beautiful sachet and tea bags.....

She is a real darling lady.... I also wanted to remind everyone of her give away coming up really soon.  What a beautiful train case... I love it!

Blessings,

Amy Jo

Cross Creek and a Camel Going Through the Eye of a Needle

I just love to read books about old Florida. I was born and raised here, as were my parents. Their parents are both from Georgia farms. On my mothers side her relatives were plantation owners at one time.  I love to read about the past and because I am a romantic, I always like to believe things were better, once upon a time. The above pictured house is Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings house here in Florida. I love her book Cross Creek, although she is best known for The Yearling. This book is about her adventures here in Old Florida, at a time when things were much simpler.  If you ever get a chance to read it, do. She was an interesting soul. I would like to share with you her thoughts, (which may not be right but I found them thought provoking none the less) on rich people getting into heaven. Here goes:

I have my own explanation of the cynical Biblical statement that it is as easy for a rich man to enter Heaven as for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. On the surface, the statement is unjust, for wealth is so accidental a thing, that either its possession or its lack should not be held against any man. Sift each of us through the great sieve of circumstance and you have a residue, great or small as the case may be that is the man or the woman. The rich, the well favored, the well situated, are surrounded with a confusing protective mass of  extraneous and irrelevant matter that tends to hide the substance beneath. The poor, the unfortunate, have been put through the sieve and stand nakedly for who they are. A poor and simple man stands with bare outstretched hands at the gates of Heaven, and his essential character is written in broad letters across him, for life has stripped him down to it. Confronted with the fortunate but cluttered man, St. Peter must do  a neat problem in psychiatry and estimate, "Now what would this man's honor be if he were starving? He gives much, having a surfiet. What would he give if he had nothing?" Being busy with the checking of admissions to Heaven, it is conceivable that St. Peter is obliged to tell the rich man that he must wait in the anteroom until he can go deeper into his case.

Blessing to you,

Amy Jo

Feminine Friday and The Best Husband in the World

Today for feminine friday, this is my daughter Savanah. She is wearing this maxi skirt from Target. She said they have them in multiple colors. It is that super soft and comfortable material. She looks lovely...smiles



I was doing laundry tonight and putting the clothes away. When I walked into our bedroom I saw this! This is the nativity set I have wanted for 2 years. My husband went out and bought it for me, and had put it in our room for me to find. I was over the moon excited!



So I immediately opened the box and set it out on our fireplace.

These dolls are so pretty. I don't think the camera does them justice.

The three wisemen are so beautiful. Their clothes have all the details, you would expect of wealthy men.

The Shepherd

I felt like I was a child again. Setting up my dolls for play. I know that Christmas was not Jesus' real birthday. But I sure do love having these little dolls to look at, and remind me of my saviors birth, and death and most importantly His Resurrection. They have this set at BJ's warehouse. If anyone is interested. I am so..... so.... excited.

Blessings,

Amy Jo