Xmas Eve 2008

Our Christmas Eve festivities traditionally include going to Christmas Eve service at church, then heading over to Philip's "step" brother-in-law's home for a family get together. Everyone brings food and gifts for a gift exchange. . . it can usually get pretty interesting around there, to say the least! Here are a few pictures from this year's gathering. . . . . (click on any pic to enlarge it)




Carol and Neil wound up with a Fondue Pot - guess we know what they will bring to the gathering next year!












Irene opened a Trivial Pursuit game.











and Caitlyn received a couple of puppets.















Damon played "Guitar Hero World Tour" with his cousin, Colin.

Go Cowboys!

Well, Philip and his Dad had their annual trip to the Cowboys' game. Below are a few pictures from his trip to Texas Stadium for the Cowboys vs. Giants game this December.

Final score: Cowboys 20, Giants (a measly) 8.

(as usual, click on a picture to see a larger view!)








And, of course, the real reason for going to the Cowboys' game: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
(we all look like that, right ladies?)

Just a Quick Note

A few "new" friends have requested to read along with my past breast cancer experiences. So, to make things easy, I've put a link to the journal to the LEFT of this journal under "Important Links."

If anyone is interested in reading, it's there - you have to start back at August 2004, and come forward from there.

You asked for it ladies, so there you go - it's quite a journey, to say the least.

Ahh . . . . It's Christmas !

Well, that time of year is FINALLY here! Hectic, but oh, so rewarding! It's wonderful to be surrounded with the sounds, smells (Damon always stops to smell the scented pine cones in every store we visit!), sights and joyous feelings of the season.

This weekend, we got around to putting up our Christmas decorations. I had to scale back some, as I don't have all my "regular" furniture back in it's proper place after deciding NOT to move.

However, it's still beautiful, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (Click on a picture to see a larger version)



KASSIE likes Christmas - and the "warm fuzzies" that come out at this time of year!

SCIENCE Field Trip

Damon FINALLY finished the 70-something page chapter on plants in Science. He learned almost everything you could possibly want to learn about plants!

I planned a field trip to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, and he had an assignment on which he worked while we were there. He had to pick out several of his favorite plants and classify them according to root systems, leaf margins, leaf venations, etc. He did a very good job! He definitely knows his plants.

Here are some pictures from our outing (click on a picture to see a larger version):








Damon decided he was going to bring his fishing rod next time!

Friday F.U.N at Church

Well, I had mentioned that I was "practicing" face painting for the Family FUN Night at church - here are some pictures from our evening. . . . the kids really enjoyed the old fashioned games we had planned. (Click on a picture to see a larger image!)

The Three Legged Race:



The Wheel Barrow Race:




Face Painting:


Potato Sack Race:



Pie in the Face:



Egg-Spoon Race:

Face Painting

Our church is having a Fall themed FAMILY FUN NIGHT, and I am involved in the planning of the evening. We are having various "old fashioned" games: bobbing for apples, pie in the face, potato sack races, face painting, etc.

Well, I've done some face painting before - on a totally amateur basis, of course - and volunteered to do the same for Friday evening. . . . . I have some new designs that I've never done, so I'm giving it a shot . . . . and using Philip and Damon as guinea pigs this week!!!!

Below are tonight's efforts. . . . they are not perfect, but this IS just a free church get together - so I think they will suffice. . . the kids should like it.

Heath Family's - Annual Pumpking Carving Night !

Well, it's that time of year again! We had our annual pumpkin carving night this week. Due to Philip's Carpal Tunnel, he can't take part in the carving activity as he would like - his hands give out quickly. For example, his hands were done after carving out the lids for our 2 pumpkins. So, he serves as our adviser and photographer.

Here are some pictures - Mom and Damon each carved a pumpkin following our trip to the local pumpkin patch. . . . . . (Click on a picture to see a larger version!)