The Rodgers Family Goes To The Zoo

A few weeks ago, Meagan and Derrick decided to take Davin to the zoo. The day was beautiful but cool, which here in Houston means you actually have a chance to see all of the animals out enjoying the sun. (Most of the time it is too hot for the bears and big cats so they stay inside.)

Bri tagged along to take pictures. And...since the pictures are on my camera...and since Meagan doesn't have a blog...I am going to share the pictures even though I wasn't even there!

Meagan and Davin

Isn't this groundhog the cutest?



Nope! I guess not! This one is!

I have no idea what she is crawling through...but I love that smile!

Riding on Daddy's shoulders.

Davin loves 'Melman'!

How would you like to wake up to that tongue licking your face?

I love this picture! I don't think I have ever seen the male lion up moving around when I was visiting. He looks like he is shaking out his mane...kind of like those supermodels in the shampoo commercials. Don't you think?

Meerkats are much cuter on television!

Well, it is time to go home! Thanks for coming along with us!

(I asked Meagan if it felt like the paparazzi was following her around all day. Bri had over 800 pictures from the zoo and a lot of them reminded me of something you would see in People magazine of a celebrity with their family. Ha! Oh well, we do call them the Royal Family on the blog...seeing as how her Poppy made her Princess and all!)

The (Im)Proper Disposal Of A Christmas Tree

Warning: You may not want to try this at home!

Our Christmas tree had been sitting in the backyard for weeks. We have been under a burn ban since August due to the lack of rain. And since we live so far out in the country, there is no tree pick up like we had when we lived in Houston.

Well, last week we finally got a bit of rain as the front ushering in freezing temperatures arrived. Our youngest son had been patiently waiting for and planning the moment of the tree's demise.

Of course, taking it out to the pasture, throwing it on top of a burn pile and striking a match is not nearly dramatic enough for Will. No!

With visions of past newsreels declaring the safety hazards of a real tree that gets too dry in his head, he wanted to know how accurate the reports were. Would a tree nearly explode with just a spark? And to make it a little more festive, he decided to test this theory by using a Roman candle as his spark.

See for yourself:

Bri wanted in on the fun too...she is holding both their Roman candles while the tree is positioned near the burn pile.


The flames just bounced off the tree and into the air.

Two candles down and no flame. So they decided to listen to Josh who told them that they needed to spray the tree down with lighter fluid first. Now we had three Roman candles pointed at the tree.

A Roman candle flame hits in the tree and lights up.

The flame grows a little stronger.

It looks like it is going to catch!

One burn pile down...two more to go!

Where do boys come up with this stuff?!?!?

Note to the grandparents: don't worry, they were being supervised the whole time!

Survivor: The Corn Chip Edition

We spent New Year's in northeast Arkansas, as is our tradition. It is the time that we celebrate Christmas with Jim's side of the family. (I almost put 'Jim's family'; but over the past thirty years they have become just as much my family as his!)

We did all of the traditional things like: opening gifts, dinner out at El Acapulco, games, eating big meals and watching football. But this year my sister-in-love, Sharon, showed us a neat trick with corn chips!

I thought I would share it with you just in case you get stranded in the wilderness with nothing but a lighter and a bag of corn chips.

Step 1: Set the corn chips on fire...because they will burn y'all! That's right, they have enough grease in them to be a quick and easy fire starter.
Step 2: Let them blaze up a little so that they catch really well.

And my favorite one! Step 3: Roast marshmallows and make S'mores! Yum!!!!

And on a totally random tangent from corn chips and S'mores; I wanted to share with you a picture of the church where my father-in-love serves as pastor.

This was his first church to pastor and he returned here after he retired. My hubby has lots of fond memories of this place. (Along with a very vivid recollection of being called down from the pulpit for talking one Sunday morning! LOL) I, myself, love the stonework. Beautiful!

It was a wonderful visit...and flew by so quickly that I took very few pictures.

Do you have any Survivor tips to share? Just in case I get stranded in the wilderness without the bag of corn chips!

A Day At The Theatre With My Girls

This past Saturday was the date of our annual Girls Only Theatre Outing. This year's production was West Side Story.

Meagan and I could hardly believe that neither Kelli nor Bri had ever seen the movie...but they had no idea what was in store for them.
The story was a little darker than I remembered...and I definitely do not remember all that innuendo. But, it moved me. Even though I knew the outcome, the curtain closed to tears streaming down my face.
What shocked me the most about the play was finding out that it was written in 1957! Wow! Gang violence, vulgar language, loose living...evidently our parents didn't live in such a pristine childhood either.
As I was reading a synopsis of West Side Story's history today, I was surprised to read that the script writer worried about the language dating the play. The reason that surprises me is that the girls and I were discussing how hard it was to place the time of the events that we were watching.
I got a little lost in the Spanish (which is part of the Broadway revival production), but other than that, it was a very good play.
Afterwards, we went to Maggiano's for dinner. (All but Kelli, who wasn't feeling well.) It was a wonderful evening out with my girls. I am already looking forward to next year's outing. I wonder what we will see!

Christmas Eve 2010

It has been nearly a month since Christmas.

Really?

Well, I guess I better hurry up and post all of these Christmas pictures!

Here are pictures from Christmas Eve.

Me and My Hero enjoying his Christmas present to me.

Bri and Meagan help me try it out.


As do Brooke, Maddux and Davin.




Matt and Kelli in front of the tree.

Derrick and Meagan

Our three girls: Kelli, Bri and Meagan

Our boys: Brian and Will with Pib

Davin opening presents

Brooke

Maddux didn't want to put down his new football to open any more presents.

Tressa putting her new Santa hat on Will

Will doing the chicken dance.

(His sisters took pity on him and did it with him.)

We had a great time opening presents as a family...and later as we ate shrimp etouffee and played Dirty Santa with friends.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too.

And remember, there is still time to share a pictures!

"Not So" Winter Wonderland

Today is Monday, JANUARY 17. So, why is it so warm outside? Our forecast calls for temperatures in the low to mid 60's for the rest of the week. Short sleeve weather is fine...IN APRIL! I was just wanting to enjoy a little more winter.

I know that February will bring more freezing temps and maybe even a little snow, if we are lucky. So until then, to bring a winter feeling to my southeast Texas home, I took some inspiration from Nester at 'Nesting Place' and Melissa at 'The Inspired Room' and sprinkled some winter decorations throughout my home.

The family came over on Friday evening to celebrate Will's birthday. Since Kelli and Matt arrived first, I had her help me choose a look for the mantel in the sitting room.

I was shopping my house (at Nester's suggestion) for anything white when I noticed my 8 point European mount still waiting to find a home. I think he looks quite wintry...and rustic Texan.

Next I brought out the mercury glass colored votive candles that I had picked up at Kirkland's after-Christmas sale.

I needed some height, so I filled the mini-milk jug with clear glass flat marbles left over from Meagan's wedding and pulled some blue/green sequined branches from last year's company Christmas party decorations to make a centerpiece.

I then remembered seeing some one's basket of pine cones lined with twinkle lights. Basket and twinkle lights in the storage room + a yard full of pine trees = free wintry look.

Add a little clear white beaded garland (also left over from the wedding) and the crocheted snowflakes that Lea Ann gave me for Christmas years ago...and I have the warm feeling of sitting in front of the fire even if the current temperatures discourage the use of the fireplace.

And just inside my back door:

More clear jewels with a splattering of blues and silvers mixed in to add some color. All flanked by a picture of Stacy, Robin and I enjoying our Snow Day in Central Park. (Sweet memories!)

I had purchased fresh flowers Sunday before last while grocery shopping. The roses all died, but the white mums (or whatever they are) are still looking fresh. I discarded the roses and moved the mums to a smaller vase to sit on the dining room table.

And finally, to make the outside look a little colder, I hung the white patio lights on the deck and placed a snowflake at the back door.

Winter Wonderland in 60 degree weather? Maybe not...but I like how it looks...and how it makes me smile.

Checking In

It is a warm and muggy Sunday afternoon here in Texas. When I came in from church the truck's thermometer read somewhere in the mid-50's. It is raining - a slow constant drizzle - which makes it seem like it should be much colder outside than it is.

Jim is loving this weather. He doesn't like the cold. Me? Not so much. I enjoy cold weather and think that it SHOULD be cold in January. I was really enjoying the cold front last week when I had to pull out the winter coat and the GLOVES!!! Unfortunately, it only lasted four days before the current conditions moved back in for another week or more. I know that there are many people who would love to be experiencing our weather right about now. To you I say, "Let's trade places!" LOL!

Jim has taken off for the deer stand. It is the last day of the season so he was willing to don the raingear and head out for a late afternoon hunt. Will is in his room playing his new XBox 360. I can hear him talking to someone and that usually means him and Brian are online together. Bri is out with Josh, who just got home on Wednesday. Football is muted on the television. (I couldn't find anything else that I wanted to watch. And even though I want to know who wins, I get tired of listening to it by the second game.)

So, I decided I would jump on my laptop between loads of laundry and check in with all of you.

The 2011 goals are coming along...some better than others.

So far I am on track with my Spiritual Health focus for January. I attended worship service with Meagan again this morning. (On time today, thank you very much!) While I was there I joined a mid-week Women's Bible study that begins this Wednesday.

I was struggling between joining this one and attending Beth Moore's James study at Houston's First Baptist. I love Beth...and the book of James holds a very tender place in my heart...but I get home so very, very late from that class. Plus, I don't know anyone else who attends, so it is very easy for me to drop out after a couple of classes.

I will not know anyone at this Bible study either, but as there will not be a couple of thousand people attending...I am hoping it will give me a sense of accountability to make it every week. The study is "Living Your Life As A Beautiful Offering" by Angela Thomas. It is a 6-week study based on the Sermon on the Mount. Surely I can stick it out for 6 weeks, right?

Last week's focus in One Year to an Organized Life was 'Creating Schedules and Routines'. I split my day into three time slots that needed work: Morning, Evening (Arrive Home) and Nightly. I made out my list of routines and have pretty much stuck with it (aside from a few minor tweaks).

As for my the '15 minute project' goal, here are the things I accomplished last week:

• Sunday - Gathered clothes hangers to take to dry cleaners (we had a LOT) and loaded all dry cleaning/hangers in truck.
• Monday - Unpacked all the luggage from Arkansas trip; put away all the miscellaneous Christmas gifts; wrapped gift that needed to be mailed.
• Tuesday - Spent the evening taking Will to dinner to celebrate his 16th birthday
• Wednesday - Started sorting through the worst room in my house (the home office). This room has become the 'stash and go' place for nearly every member of my family. I spent the time sorting and storing the giftwrap and trim left over from Christmas.
• Thursday - Returned to the home office to sort through a large basket of 'Important' papers and gathered unused picture frames.
• Friday - Cleared the sitting room mantle and deocorated it for winter.
• Saturday - Sorted and packed away the Fall/Thanksgiving decor, hung winter lights on deck, cleaned out my (overflowing) coffee cup cabinet, and reorganized the china (moving all to a top shelf so I could reach my casserole dishes without the aid of a ladder).

I would give myself an 80 on the meal plan part of my goals. I did really well until the weekend. The same goes for making my reminder lists. For some reason, Saturdays and Sundays fall off the radar for those things. But, I'm working on it. And being aware of the problem is the first step to finding the solution, right?

Well, enough about me.

How are you spending your Sunday afternoon? Anything exciting happen this weekend?

Late AGAIN?!?!

I think I had one of Oprah's 'Aha' moments this morning regarding my tendency to be late.

[I can sense my dear friends breathing a sigh of relief as they read these words in hopes that it will someday (Please, Lord!) get better. Believe me, I do too!]

When I was doing my journal work last week as to why I run late to EVERYTHING, I really thought that it was other people's fault. Every account that I could think of was because of something that came up just as I was walking out the door or someone giving me the wrong information. It couldn't possibly be MY fault.

Even when I leave in PLENTY of time, something happens. Just last Friday, I was meeting friends for dinner 15 minutes from the office. I left 30 minutes before I was supposed to be there. (I was REALLY, REALLY trying to break this 'late habit'.) Wouldn't you know it? A wreck on the bridge at Hwy. 6 and I-10. Traffic halted for 5 minutes and crawled for another 5. That's okay, still time to spare, right?

Yeah, except I had forgotten my cell phone at home that morning (now on my 'Morning Routine' list) and I couldn't remember EXACTLY where the restaurant was located. I try punching it into my GPS, but it was trying to send me to Kemah. (Uhhh, NOT 15 minutes away! More like an hour and 15 minutes!)

So there I was, no cell phone to call anyone; no GPS map to follow and I can't remember my exit. I look and I look and I vaguely remember what the exit looks like...but it is not where I think it is. I go two more exits and take the u-turn. No restaurant!

I retrace my steps but go two more exits further this time. Wouldn't you know the restaurant was one exit past where I exited the first time? I could have been on time at least. But no, I am waiting in heavy traffic at the worst light in the area...and I now walk in 10 minutes late!

So...I kind of blamed my lateness on the traffic and the lack of my cell phone. But it couldn't be MY fault. Right?

Then comes Sunday morning. I am meeting Meagan for church. I tell her the night before that if it is storming (as was predicted) I wouldn't make it. I wake early and it is pouring...so I fall back asleep...and it stops. I wake up an hour before I am to meet her (30 -35 minutes away from home). I send her a text to let her know that I will not make it, but I intend to make it for the second service.

She agrees to meet me there. (She offered; I didn't ask.) I get ready, head out the door and...I can't find my truck keys. Where are my truck keys? Five minutes later, I grab my car keys and head out. My car's service engine light is on and the emergency brake light will not go off even though I have tried several times to release it.

Do I go back home? Do I try to make it and hope my brakes don't catch on fire? What do I do?

I persevere into town. I get to the church ten minutes after I agree to meet her. Services start in five minutes, but I don't know where to go. Where is the sanctuary? I park in a near empty part of the lot. I see couples coming out of the building in front of me with kids in tow. Must be the children's building, right? I walk to the back of the property (which is under construction) and notice that even more kids are headed toward me than with me. I finally see a sign. The sanctuary is ten yards from where I parked!

I barely slide into the seat before service starts.

Here's the thing. No one lost my keys. (They were in my purse - hidden under the junk. And you can be sure that I cleaned out my purse that afternoon!) No one messed up my car. (I guess it was just too cold because the parking brake light was not on when I came out of church and it was not grabbing...just the light was on.) No one asked me to do anything before I left. (I was the only one up in the whole house.) There was no traffic. I knew how to get to the church. (Just not where to go when I got there!)

It was ME! All by myself! No one else to blame, but Me, Myself and I.

But I still didn't understand why. I hated being late. I hated feeling rushed. I hated everything about it. Yet here I was, late, AGAIN!

Then this morning, (You have been so patient to read this far for the 'Aha'!), I needed to drive Will to school. He and a few of his buddies are entered in a Chili Cook-Off at school. He had the table, the drinks, and the poster so there was no way he could carry all of that on the bus. I woke up earlier than normal so that I could still take care of MOST of my Morning Routine. I showered the night before so that all I would have to do is roll my hair and get dressed. My clothes and shoes were laid out as part of my Nightly Routine.

I had my Quiet time; folded a load of clothes; brought Jim his coffee and went into the bathroom to get dressed. I noticed that I had 15 minutes until time to leave. I flipped on the timer of my iPhone. (It was preset to 15 minutes because I use it for my "15 minute project" each evening.) I thought I had plenty of time.

I rolled my hair and clicked the timer open. Really? It took me 5 minutes just to roll my hair? I brushed my teeth and put on my make-up. Another 7 minutes? I took the rollers out. 2 more minutes? When the timer went off I was brushing my hair and hadn't even started getting dressed! Five more minutes to get out of my bedroom door.

It took me 20 minutes just to dress! No shower. No hair drying. No searching for anything. No distractions. 20 minutes! That is the LEAST amount of time I need to get out of my bathroom, much less my house!

I think I have just been without a hard and fast schedule for so long that I no longer realize how much time it actually takes me to do something. "AHA!"

Maybe it is time to set a stopwatch and find out my realistic schedule.

And I definitely need to use Mapquest more often when I am not ABSOLUTELY SURE of where I am going. (Like today, when I meet Lea Ann for lunch!)

We were about 5 minutes late arriving at school. Thankfully the boys had decided to meet there earlier than needed to have time to store all their things before classes started.

Do you struggle with being late? What have you tried to help eliminate 'habitual tardiness'?

Goals

I shared with y'all last week my struggles with setting goals for 2011.

Several of you encouraged me not to give up on setting goals just because I may not fulfill them all. And, shockingly, I listened!

Last Saturday, the devotional I am using (Daily Seeds::from women who walk in faith::) once again featured the Scripture from Ecclesiastes 3. Only this time, it was not only the first verse but also verses 2-4.

Since I knew that the Lord was speaking to me through this repetition, I took the extra time to read the whole passage (verses 1-8) from both the NIV and The Message.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Do you know what the first thing was to hit me from these verses?

They are all opposites...contradictions, if looked at from afar. JUST LIKE MY GOALS LIST!!!

So, I finally decided to write out a SHORT list of goals.

My 'Monthly Focus' for January is my Spiritual Health. The goals are (1) to attend worship service every Sunday; (2) to join a small group Bible study; and (3) the ultimate goal is to find a new home church in 2011.

My 'Weekly Focus' is being laid out for me in the book One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds. Last week she had me looking at why I am late all of the time. (Can I just insert "OUCH!"?) This week the focus is on creating routines and schedules. And wouldn't you know, the first thing I had to do was write them down? In a list? Oh, what a sense of humor the Lord has!

I now have three index cards labeled "Morning Routine", "Evening Routine" and "Nightly Routine". They contain such things as "Make bed", "Unload dishwasher", "Quiet time" & "Set up coffee pot". Some of these things I have done for years. Others are new to me with the hopes that it will help me find some balance.

Having these routines written down really are making a difference. I don't have to 'remember' as many things and my brain doesn't feel quite so overwhelmed at the thought of something new. My aversion to lists has been replaced by the need for more lists!

Three of the new disciplines that I am trying to institute into my day are:
1. Fifteen minute project.
2. Plan menu the day before.
3. Create a reminder list.

And because y'all know how much I love to make things just a little more difficult for myself, you will not be surprised to know that I created a Goals journal that I am attempting to write in every night. It is nothing fancy. I just used a small notebook that I already had on hand to record my monthly and weekly goals. It is my accountability partner. I journal what I have accomplished toward the 2011 goals. I have also included the list you see above. I make a note each night of what my 15 minute project was for the day, what my plans are for dinner the next night, and I check off whether or not I have created a reminder list for the next day.

So, thank you for your encouragement to persevere. And thank you for giving me the sense of grace to try and possibly fail without fear of rejection. I will let you know how it goes! (And don't be afraid to ask if I forget to share. That usually means I quit...and I may just need a kick in the pants to get moving again!)

Because You Just Never Know What The Future Holds

Late last year, I decided to try Google Reader. I was tired of individually clicking on all the blogs that I had saved to my "Favorites" list...especially if they hadn't posted in a few days. My family and personal friends are all listed on the side of this blog, so I always knew when they had posted something new. It was the other blogs that I visited frequently but didn't personally know that was taking so much of my time.

I divided that 'Reader' list into categories:
Books
Daily Reads
Decorating
Family
Friends
Ministry

It is in my 'Daily Reads' that you will find The Simple Wife blog written by Joanne Heim.

I don't know how I stumbled across Joanne's blog, but some how or another I did...and I loved her honesty and genuineness. At the time I first found her, she and her family were living in Arizona, far from her parents and siblings in Colorado. As she shared her struggles and joys of blooming in the desert where God had planted her, I connected with her. Emotionally. And spiritually.

I have commented on her blog only a few times...but I read it every time she updates.

Just this past Monday when she posted about enjoying S'mores at her fireplace, I shot her a quick comment letting her know that she had inspired me to do the same. And I did! Monday night. All by myself.

This morning, as I was reading my devotional, I noticed that she had authored today's passage. And I smiled. It was like seeing a dear friend's name on the printed page. What seemed a little strange was how it made me feel and I lifted her name before the Lord, thanking Him for the encouragement that she had brought into my life...even though I have never met or spoken with her.

I was determined to post a quick comment on her blog today letting her know that I had read her printed work and enjoyed it.

Imagine my shock to find that just yesterday she suffered a stroke and is even now fighting for her life.

Would you please join me in praying for my 'friend' Joanne, her husband (Toben) and their two beautiful daughters (Audrey and Emma)?

And while we are on the subject of bloggers we follow, would you leave a comment or two for those bloggers who inspire you every day...even though you may never meet or speak to them personally. Because wouldn't it be better to encourage someone NOW...since we do not know what the future holds?

Happy Sweet 16, Will!

It's my baby boy's birthday today!

A big one!

(Man, how time flies! It seems like he was 15 just yesterday, and now he is 61! LOL! Sure looks good for his age, don't you think?)


I made him TWO sweet potato pies while he slept last night.

One for his birthday dessert, and the other one for his breakfast!

Happy 16th birthday, Will!

We love you!!!

Apparently...Not Much Changes In A Year

I am not a 'LIST' person. There, I've said it.

I know that I am more productive when I work from a list...but I don't like making the list. It is overwhelming to me.

For example, I know from experience that it is so much easier and less time consuming to shop from a grocery list. But in order to make a grocery list, I have to (1) decide on a menu; (2) go through the recipes and list the ingredients and (3) check the pantry to see what items are already in stock. And then, (since I tend to create more work for myself) I usually rewrite the list in groupings (produce, freezer, dairy, etc.).

Needless to say, I usually buy groceries without a list. I would rather wander the aisles 'browsing' for something that looks good at the last minute than take the time to do all the prep work. (Not that I truly would "rather" do it that way...it just overwhelms me to plan the former so I end up doing it the browsing way most times.)

So...to reiterate, I am not a 'LIST' person.

Even though we are now 7 days into 2011, I am still struggling with setting goals for 2011.

Is it the exhaustion of just thinking about everything that needs to be done? (I do have a very long list in my mind.)

OR is it the fact that guilt piles on me like those Buckeyes on the Razorbacks during the Sugar Bowl every time I start thinking about it? (Oh my at the things I SHOULD have been doing but am now so far behind in!)

OR is it that I fear failure in living up to what I write down and attempt? (If you write it down, you have to do it or risk someone finding out you tried and failed!)

OR is it that I need to just rely on the Lord for guidance instead of a 'To-Do List'? (Having quiet time just to check it off a list does little to no good. I have found that out the hard way more than once.)

OR could it be because so many of the things that I want to accomplish contradict each other? (For instance, one is to slow down...but another is to spend more time with family and friends...and another is to go on an international trip with my husband this year to celebrate our 30th anniversary.)

So many bloggers have posted their 'Word' for the year, their 'Scripture' for the year; their 'Mission Statement' for the year or even a simple list of goals. I read their posts and think, "Yeah, that's good!" But that is as far as it gets for me. I am feeling like a bobber that has broken free and is just drifting in the Gulf of Mexico.

I did find some solace in my devotional reading yesterday.

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am trying to hold fast to those words...but I was little disconcerted when I found this post from almost exactly one year ago. I guess not much has changed in my life in the past year. So, where do I go from here?

This isn't a pity party. It is just me being honest with you about where I am at this time in my life. I am trying to "do what I know needs to be done" as Gretchen Rubin says in her book The Happiness Project. I put up something that needs to be put away when I walk in a room. I am trying to follow a morning and a night-time routine (but it takes me forever to get ready in the mornings now!) I am attempting small steps, I am just having a hard time with the larger ones.

I would love to hear your comments on how you deal with setting goals. (not resolutions! Heaven knows I can't keep those past January 15!)

Got Sugar?

Happy 2011! I hope you and yours are finding your niche after all the holiday craziness has subsided.

We returned home from our New Year's trip to Arkansas on Monday and Tuesday (long story). But we had a wonderful visit with Jim's side of the family. Games of Farkle and Pictionary and Moon, Moon were laughed over time and again...while eating WAY TOO MUCH. Memaw sure believes in feeding her crew!

Bri and I had to backtrack to pick up the Suburban from repairs, so we didn't make it home until Tuesday morning. Barely made it home in time to enjoy some family bonding in front of the television watching the Sugar Bowl.

Lots more food...

all in red and white to honor our Razorbacks.
Meagan hosted the party at our house since we have the bigger television. Meatball subs, spicy chicken nuggets, chips and salsa along with red velvet cupcakes...yum!
And during the game, I was invited to chill on my new Christmas present (a chaise lounge big enough for three) with this handsome young man.
He had lots of stories to tell me about his new 'school' and his new friends.
My beloved Hogs weren't able to pull off the win in the end...but really, how can I complain when surrounded by so much love?
PS: for those who have inquired...no, I did not get a buck...or anything else for that matter. But I did enjoy some quiet time on the deer stand!