Checkin' in...

We had a MOST fabulous Christmas... stayed at my parent's until just yesterday!! There was much fun, laughter, staying up late, eating, catching up, etc. Today we are headed to the in-laws until New Year's... just a 2 hour trip, but I need to hit the road! Hope everyone is doing well, and I'll check in with all of you after the New Year!
Happy Thursday and
Much Love,

Update

** Photo of my 2 little ones "dancing" with their GREAT-grandfather (My mom's father) at my grandparent's house this afternoon to and old Hank Williams record. It was hysterical.

Just wanted to post a quick little update on how things were going. My dad's surgery went well, though they are having a really hard time managing his pain. This is saying a LOT for a man who (about 10 years ago) sustained life threatening abdominal injuries after being impaled onto a tree along WITH a broken leg and multiple surgeries who hardly EVER complained (an unbelievable story for another day). So if dad says he is in pain, you'd better believe he is IN PAIN. Things finally settled down somewhat today, but they are a little worried about infection in his incisions (there are 4). He is being a trooper like he always is, but your continued prayers would be welcomed.

We celebrated Christmas with my mama's family (her parents, siblings and their families) this afternoon. We had such a great time, and the kids got in bed a little late tonight. My mom and sister were over here at our house when we were doing baths, and mom and I both thought little Andrew felt a little warm. So, out came the ol' thermometer.... and the dratted thing gave us NOT GOOD news. 101+ fever. Down the hatch went the Motrin, and the fever soon followed suit. I investigated his throat, and discovered that he has pus coating his tonsils. How LOVELY!!! This, of course, means a trip to the pediatrician at the weekend clinic at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning for a strep test. I know a grand time will be had by all as I coddle my sick boy and chase my live wire of a daughter around the waiting room! We are supposed to go to my other grandmother's house at noon tomorrow to celebrate Christmas with my Dad's family, but we'll have to see how things go. My little man may be in isolation so as not to infect his other little cousins. I'm quite sure pharyngitis is a Christmas present that they DO NOT want!

We also had a little excitement after the fever fiasco tonight that included breaker boxes, a sink disposall that quit working and a MOUSE in the dog's food. So help me, I thought I was going to faint about the mouse part. I get the pricklies just thinking about it now. Ewwwww.

Everything aside, we are still super excited that it is almost Christmas; and so thankful for the blessings we have received this year. Thanks to all of my sweet friends and family who have called and emailed in the last few days to check on us. I am SO thankful for every last one of you.

I'll leave you with the lyrics of one of my favorite Christmas songs. I actually will be singing this on Christmas Eve at our church. The words and music are so beautiful, and if you ever need to hear a song that will just quiet your soul, listen to this one. All IS well. Let us rejoice.

All Is Well
Words: Wayne Kirkpatrick
Music: Michael W. Smith

All is well all is well
Angels and men rejoice
For tonight darkness fell
Into the dawn of love's light
Sing A-le
Sing Alleluia

All is well all is well
Let there be peace on earth
Christ is come go and tell
That He is in the manger
Sing A-le
Sing Alleluia

All is well all is well
Lift up your voice and sing
Born is now Emmanuel
Born is our Lord and Savior
Sing Alleluia
Sing Alleluia
All is well

All is now Emmanuel
Born is our Lord and Savior
Sing Alleluia
Sing Alleluia
All is well

Happy Friday and
Much Love,

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!! I don't know if I will post again until after Christmas... I may, but we'll just have to see. Things are getting busy around here, and there is so much to do.... and little time for the computer. We are doing okay, but frankly, this has been a really, really hard week for me. I am doing my very best to be positive for my children, but oh! it is hard. I don't really feel like writing much tonight.... or reading for that matter, so forgive me if I am not stopping by your blogs until after the holiday... I am just so tired and a little sad. I am thankful for all of my dear blog friends, and wish you a joyous and blessed Christmas!
Happy Tuesday and
Much Love,
***Edited to add*** If you are so inclined, would you please pray for my dad, as he will be having surgery in the morning (Wed. morning) to repair a very large tear in his rotator cuff? We'd all really appreciate it! Thanks- J.

Inspiration

Since the inception of my little blog, I have fielded TONS of questions about the inspiration "behind the name" ... Mississippi Girl. And yes, the most famous of all "Mississippi Girls" ... Faith herself, did have an influence on the name. I do love that song! And yes, I have been to Star, Mississippi (for the record, it is located about 20 miles from our capital city, where I lived for several years). And yes, my dear college friend S. did have a boyfriend whose babysitter was the beautiful Ms. Hill when he was younger. And yes, my friend L. has seen her "ride her kids piggyback". And yes, I have driven by the beautiful new home she has built for her parents. And yes, I love her music... (well, most of it, anyway).
But I just felt this "Mississippi Girl" moniker described ME. I'm a 10th generation Mississippi girl... from a long line of Mississippi Girls I hope to emulate each and every day. I admire their strength, their courage, their faith. Faith that withstood losing husbands in wars and children in tragedies. Lives that have inspired me, encouraged me, and touched me. Hands that have taught me. Young and old, some here and some gone, I remain the sum total of all that these "Mississippi Girls" have made me. So this name is, in a way, for them too.
I have a deep and abiding love for her... this state of mine. I love the soft southern twilight, the humid nights, all the breathtaking beauty of this moss hung, magnolia scented state in which I am so privileged to live. And I wouldn't change it for the world. She is my Mississippi. And I am most definitely her girl.
*** Crank up those speakers and have FUN with this video!!
Happy Sunday and
Much Love,

Christmas Bloggy Tour !!

Welcome to our home! Many thanks to Boomama, for being our gracious hostess. We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far!

The first stop on our holiday tour is the little nativity scene that my grandmother gave me several Christmases ago. This is, after all, the reason we celebrate! I love the "uniqueness" of this little set... it is all in one piece, and love the soft glow. I have another one with "moveable" figures that the children love, but this one is MY favorite!



Here is our Christmas tree... I have alot of ornaments that I did not put on the tree this year, because I was trying to keep it in the "red, green, gold" color scheme.... now if I could just get the kiddos to leave it alone? Nevermind, I think that is next to impossible!

Next stop is our mantle! I found the big glittery snowflake in a cute little shop this fall and fell in love with it... I like what it added to the mirror! The pretty glittery red trees were a gift from my mama (who has great taste, if I do say so myself!) The ornaments hanging from the garland are red and gold... to tie in both colors. And, of course, Santa stands guard by the chimney. Aren't his skinny little legs TOO cute??


Above is the kid's Christmas pic with Santa this year. My secret to no screams?? They are both holding candy canes... shhhh!

Mom found this cutie pie tray while on vacation this fall, and I thought it was perfect for displaying these gorgeous antique red glasses


And these 2 little angels? (Well, MOST of the time) Only my 2 favorite Christmas presents ever! Why, yes, those ARE the pajamas I made (the ones that made me think all those ugly thougts toward my sweet lil' ol sewing machine?) Yes, the very ones. They did turn out sweet, I must admit. The things we do for these young'uns (to quote my mother, EXACTLY!)

And last but not least... our front door! Perhaps I should have put that first??

Thanks for visiting, y'all... Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and a joyous and Happy New Year!

Happy Friday and
Much Love,

All tuckered out

I left the kitchen for a few minutes during lunchtime today to help big brother "go potty" (he still has a hard time with buttons and such) and found this when I returned. My sweet girl, fast asleep in her highchair, with her beloved thumb in her mouth. I was reminded of how much I love her... dirty little face and all.

Happy Thursday and Much Love,

Just call him Rudolph

Just call him Rudolph... the Andrew. At least, that what he is requesting to be called! Earlier this week at his preschool (he goes to a 2 morning a week program for 3 year olds at a local church) they made these "Rudolph" hats - and he has NOT wanted to take it off since! He even wants to bathe in it (not much harm in THAT, I suppose, since it is made of foam). So, I guess I've come to terms with the fact that "Rudolph the Andrew" lives here... at least until Christmas!

Happy Wednesday and Much Love,

** edited to add** UPDATE- please pray for the neighbor family as their baby that I had been requesting prayers for died yesterday. I am sure they would appreciate being lifted up . Thank you!

Little boy lost

I first saw them as I was sitting in my vehicle in the parking lot. Father and son walking toward their car. The tiny boy was about the age of mine, and was beautiful with his sweet light colored curls and impish smile. His father stared blankly ahead. The careworn face, dishelved hair and dirty clothes suggested it had been days at best since he had seen the clean end of a washcloth. They walked closer and approached an old, beat up car parked close to mine. The inside was littered with trash, cigarette butts, and clothing. The door was opened and the little boy was carelessly tossed inside along with the purchases made from the store. No child restraint... not even an attempt at a seatbelt. The man paused outside the vehicle for a moment, and the tiny boy stuck his head out of the window to say something... perhaps to ask a question? Profanity and anger spewed forth from the father's mouth- met with a look of terror on the face of the child. His sweet, dirty little face crumpled into tears as his father looked away and lit up a cigarette. I tried to smile a reassuring smile at him through the glass, but he never saw me. Every fiber in my being wanted to throw open that door and enfold that tiny creature into my arms and murmur sweet words as I held him close. The very thing which I, of course, could not do. As they sped away, I prayed for him. Prayed that somehow, someway, this little boy would find Jesus. That against all odds, he would know that he is loved. That someone cares for him more than anything. I prayed that he would find a light in his world, and that someone would point him to THE way. I thought of my own sweet 3 year old boy. I thought of how he is tucked in at night with kisses and stories and prayers. I thought of how he hears "I love you" many times each day. I thought of how he has a mommy and daddy that love him more than anything. I thought of how he has someone that cares about his safety and welfare. I thought all of these things and wiped more than a few tears from my eyes.
I don't know why I witnessed that scene today. I know it has bothered me more than a little. I know it has made me think of all of the sweet innocent children in our world that suffer every day, right at our own doorsteps. I don't know why it happens. I don't have the answers. But I do know that there will be a little boy, an older boy, and young man and then a grown man that I will pray for every night when I look at my son.. and I will pray that he finds the truth.
Happy Monday and
Much Love,
Jennifer

Don't get around much....

....... anymore!
No, I haven't been around much lately, but for several good reasons. And here they are (listed in no particular order, of course!)
A. I sliced my palm (and forefinger) with a very large kitchen knife on Friday morning, thus making typing very difficult and quite painful.
B. Traveling (just a wee little jaunt up the road this weekend)
C. Being a bit under the weather (me and kiddies)
D. Trying to get Christmas cards completed and sent out (even slower with said palm/finger
incident)
E. Utter and absolute fatigue... I am quite weary of doing everything all by myself; and it does take its toll after a while!

So, there you have it, folks! Hope everyone has had restful, quiet family time this weekend... I just keep thinking about that wonderful quote from our heroine, Scarlett O'Hara ..."After all, tomorrow is another day !" My sentiments exactly, Scarlett. My sentiments exactly.
Happy Sunday and
Much Love,

The Lonely Queen....

...Finally has her KING!! I received him via Fe*d-Ex yesterday, and was QUITE surprised by Andy!! It seems as if he arranged for the King to be painted and delivered here, so that the fair queen would not be lonely anymore. She has held court alone above our bar for nigh upon a year now, and I am quite sure she is more than pleased at having met her match. Can't wait to get him properly framed and for the pair of them to reign justly and fairly over our little kitchen. Thanks so much, ANDY! You are quite the sneaky one!
In case you are curious, they are Walter*Anderson, (watercolor prints of his hand painted by local artists) and they are quite popular here in our neck of the woods! Mr. Anderson was a renowned artist from Mississippi, and these prints can be ordered from the museum shop- they are SUCH fun! Any other fans out there? I simply adore his work!

Happy Thursday and
Much Love,

Picture Post

Picture post of fun activites from last weekend !




Christmas festival... with a very unhappy little girl (and a happy little boy studying a candy cane)





Oh! The wonder of (fake) snow... it WAS cold enough for the real thing, though!

Marmee and her happy little grands after eating breakfast with Santa.









Hanging out at Papa and Marmee's after baths







We LOVE fire trucks... the louder the better... WOO WOO.



















And, finally, Papa and his best "little helper" on the tractor.

Happy Tuesday and Much Love,

Tiny, sweet tree

After I followed the link from Mrs. Wilt's, I just HAD to make one of these tiny sweet trees!! The pattern can be found here, and was just as easy as could be. Ideally, I'd like to make some out of different (contrasting) fabrics, and add some other fun embellishments! For tonight, however, I poked around in my sewing materials and just used what I had (and cleaned out the ol' button jar!) This was SO much fun! Can't wait to do some more.... what sweet little happies for friends!
Happy Monday and
Much Love,

THE Holiday Meme

Without further adieu, here is my version of the holiday meme that has been around the blogosphere and back...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? At this point in my life, I’d have to say Hot Chocolate (with TONS of marshmallows, of course!) BUT, there was a time earlier in my life that I was crazy about eggnog… during my childhood, when I weighed oh, about 75 lbs., I would drink it until I was sick. I don’t think I can ever get the image of the containers out of my mind either… they were green cartons with red poinsettias.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Why, he sits them under the tree, of course! Doesn’t everybody know that all those bows and ribbons would get absolutely crushed in Santa’s big bag of toys on Christmas Eve? When we were kids, my sister and brother and I would “stake out” our area of the living room on Christmas Eve, and made sure mom and dad knew so that they could “tell” Santa… since they were in cahoots with him and all, you know.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White, definitely. Though, for a while when I was single, I had those big retro style colored lights and my tree, and really liked them.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not this year… I have no kisses to give away since Andy is gone!
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Homemade cornbread dressing. Hands DOWN. My mom and my grandmother make the BEST. It is out of this world good. A close second would have to be crawfish chowder.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Just one? Seriously? I had an idyllic, amazing childhood. I really did. Christmas was a special and magical time of the year every single year. My mom and dad really worked hard to make sure everything was perfect. And really it was. I remember our matching/coordinating Christmas PJs every year. I remember sitting on my Daddy’s lap as he read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve. I remember setting a beautiful Christmas table with mama’s Lenox holiday china. I remember the “Kenny and Dolly” Christmas tape that we literally wore out, and the beautiful Vienna Boy’s Choir tape that always heralded the beginning of the season. I remember snuggling with my brother and sister as we all slept in one big bed on Christmas Eve (yes, we did this until we were TEENAGERS. Shameful!)
I remember the unbelievable Christmas dinners my mom (still does) cook. I loved it when the whole extended family came to our house every year for Christmas dinner. I thought it such fun the Christmas my daddy hid diamond earrings for mama and wrapped them in a big round container of oatmeal. I remember going to the Christmas tree farm every year and stomping about until we found the “perfect” Christmas tree. I loved the Christmases as we got older, and the magical place we would help our mom turn our house into. The FIVE Christmas trees we would put up in different areas of the house, and how each room had a touch of Christmas in it. I loved the Christmas teas and open houses we had. I remember the tried and true Sugar cookie recipe, and how sis and I never could get that angel cookie to come out “just right” (her wings always broke). I remember the days and days of baking in the kitchen. I remember the tins of sweets, treats and goodies that were stacked up on the counter. I remember when Daddy used to get us to leave a broom by the door so that Santa could “brush off Rudolph’s hooves” when he came inside…. I remember finding a pile of leaves by the front door the next morning. I love the gorgeous handmade glittery stockings handmade by my mother that we still use. I loved feeling the cold of Daddy’s cheek as he came inside from checking just once more to see if he saw any sign of Santa’s sleigh. I remember the toasty fires Daddy made in the fireplaces… and sitting by the firelight with just the beautiful Christmas lights on- and all of the great conversations there. I remember the countless Christmas pageants, the angel costumes, and the way the live nativity thrilled me every single year. I could go on and on, but I guess I’ll stop here. What a wonderful trip down memory lane.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? The year that I opened my Mom’s closet door and saw a Cabbage Patch Kid’s doll playpen complete with a matching CPK doll that I had put on my Christmas list to Santa. I cried and cried and then mama took me into the kitchen. She gave me a book, and had me sit on the counter and read a story in it to her while she was cooking. The story was “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”. She asked me not to tell my younger brother and sister. I did as she asked.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, usually we each open one gift.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I used to just do hodge-podge colors and ornaments, but the last 3 years, I have kept everything on my tree in the color scheme of red, green and gold. I have LOTS of sparkly, shimmery and glittery ornaments, and I just love the way the tree shines when the lights are low. A lot of my “meaningful” ornaments are in this color scheme, so it works out great. I have traveled a good bit, and I get an ornament from every place I (we) go. It’s nice to look and them and reminisce.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Well, LOVE it since we don’t get it that often down South. It is always a special, magical treat when it comes.
12. Can you ice skate? Well, actually, YES! Yes, I can! When I was in college, did a lot of “inline” skating. After that, an indoor ice skating rink opened up in the town where I attended college, and we had a great time falling all over ourselves learning. This came in very handy as I did a travel nurse assignment in New England… ended up dating a guy up there for a while, and was invited to go ice skating with him in the heart of Boston. I’ve been several times since then (in indoor rinks). I am CERTAINLY no expert, but I’m passable.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? In childhood, probably the “Be-be” doll that I got when I was about 8. She was SO beautiful… and had a gorgeous smocked dress on courtesy of mama. In adulthood… Andy gave me a pair of diamond solitaire earrings our first Christmas.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Conveying to my children the wonder and awe of Christ’s birth. The unbelievable way that the Savior came to earth. Being around all of my family. Catching up, hanging out, not having a schedule, and laughing until my side hurts. Watching the faces of my little ones on Christmas morning.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Homemade fudge, fruitcake cookies, Divinity, Pecan Pie and homemade coconut cake.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Seafood on Christmas Eve, baby!! Every year on Christmas Eve, we have fried oysters, Seafood gumbo and usually fried Shrimp and hush puppies. We have access to amazing fresh gulf seafood right at our doorstep, and this has always been our “night before Christmas” meal. Amazingly enough, this was also the C. Eve tradition for both my mom’s family growing up AND my dad’s family growing up. Now we are into training that “fourth generation” in this tradition. I also LOVE the breakfast casserole on Christmas mornings. My mom, my sister and I will make a breakfast casserole (we have several GREAT recipes) the day before, and pop it into the oven as we open presents.
17. What tops your tree? A beautiful sparkly gold star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving! I LOVE the look on a loved one’s face when they open that “perfect” gift.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Hmmm…. I have several. “ Do you hear what I hear”, “ Carol of the Bells” , “Gesu Bambino”, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas”
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? I can take ‘em or leave ‘em.