There's nothing more special then spending time with your family. Tonight Matt, Jill and the kids stopped by and then to top it all off Tom stopped by...well of course we were very hungry so we went to the Lotus room for some good food where we ran into Dave and Bobbie having dinner with Troy and Jackie...The holidays are all about spending time with the ones you love!!!

Off they go after a wonderful few day's together! It's always sad and so quite around the house when the holiday's are over...I miss them sooooo much already!

I'm sure going to miss my Grandpuppy when she goes home...she brings me so much love and warmth and lot's of snuggles...she's just as precious as can be...I just love this little puppy!

My new favorite place...Cranberries...Such a quaint and cozy little place...why have I never been here before!!!

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Somehow I felt a need to go out shopping in all this holiday hussel and bussel...it's dangerous out there with all those crazy people darting and dashing...frantically trying to find just the right presents to make there holiday special...I should have just stayed home and then My poor bumper would not have gotten smashed in the Best Buy parking lot!!! Havn't told John yet...do you think he will notice?

Our precious Christmas Elf!!! What a face!!!

Thurs at 5:30 a silver stretch limo pulled up outside our office to take us to Charley's Crab for our office Chrismas dinner. It was a wonderful evening and for a few who won't remember the evening...I have pictures!!!!

We have been so blessed with wonderful friends! Frankenmuth was so beautiful all decorated for Christmas...The chicken was good what I could taste of it and some say the best part of the whole evening was my HOT FLASH right in the middle of the play...I couldn't get my sweater off fast enough!

Friday in Frankenmuth with Friends...a great way to start the Holiday Season!!!!

I just love these guy's...what a great way to spend a Sat. afternoon...whatching the movie Bolt in 3-D with such special little people!!!

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I always like to look my best when working out. Listening to praise and worship music on my ipod helps the time go by faster and I can walk a lot longer...just don't close your eyes and raise your hands when getting blessed...you'll fly right off!!!

Very cute girl holding a very cute puppy!

Marilyn and Karen wanted to Learn how to use Velcro curlers...Aren't they cute!!!

Thank you Keith for the wonderful fire tonight it was a real rip roaring fire. There's nothing better than a crispie fall night sitting around a fire with friends... eating pizza and brownies! I wish you all could have been there!

This is all that's left of my tree! I came home yesterday to find that John had someone come when I was at work to cut my tree down. Now there is a hole in the ground and in my heart where my tree used to stand. This may be just a tree to some, but I have sat on my couch looking out my window for over 25 yrs watching the birds and the squirrels play on it's branches. I will miss it's beauty in the spring when it's pink blossom would bloom and the way my walls would glow when the sun would shine through it. I hope John likes sleeping in the other room!!!

John's idea of funny after cutting my tree down...well it didn't go over so well!!!

We spent a wonderful Crispie Sunday Afternoon riding bikes with our Friends...Dave logged us riding 28 miles...oh my acking bum and thighs...we rode on 3 trail, the Painted Creek, Clinton River and Orchard Lake Trails...of course we stopped for donuts and coney dogs along the way...you can't go that many miles without snack breaks!

Crispy Sunday Ride

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http://smilebox.com/play/4e446b354e6a4d304d673d3d0d0a

The Final ride of "2008"

I felt the trails calling me so I called our "spur of the moment friends" and talked them into taking off this morning... we rode about 22 miles ...our bottoms got a little sore our thighs were screaming but our spirits were lifted. I can't wait to get started biking again next spring.

It was so beautiful what a perfect day!

SNACKS

What is excercise w/o snacks. We found a little hot dog stand along the way and a Cider Mill...I can smell food a mile away!!!

Where did the time go!

Where

This just can't be...30...No Way!!!

YEAH! The deck is done and we were able to use it for Tom's B-day Party....what a gang!

I am always amazed at how God knows what we need even before we need it. As I look back at our vacation to Virginia, that was planned months in advanced, I never knew the stuff of life that God would take me through inbetween. Sometimes life just has a way of knocking you down, literally, to your knees and it is durning those times that God show's you the stuff of life that needs to go. Joy, is not in the stuff of life. I've had to ask myself, if God never gives me one more external thing over which to rejoice, is it enough that my name is written down in heaven...is the joy of my salvation enough... I would like to say that I answered that question with a big ole, YES, but I could not...because my Joy is so conditional and his is not....and that makes for a miserable life...the only Joy that ever last is His joy...I thank God that he is taking me to a different place...and sometimes it is a little painful getting there and He knew months ago that durning this time I would need to get away, to regroup, to laugh and be loved...he is so amazing that way!

I think we got a little out of hand! It was all Debbies fault

Eating Hot Dog's in Washington DC...doesn't everyone?