Better Late than Never???

For the past four years my family has met up at the lake house for an old fashion Christmas. This event is filled with gag gifts, karoke, games, good food, and tons of laughter. This Christmas tradition has become one of my favorites! We start out the night with eating some of the best food you could ask for. Then we move right into the gag gifts (my favorite part). At Thanksgiving we draw names for the OFC gifts. In order to get a good gag gift you need to be looking for the whole year. Needless to say I have some great ideas for some people, I am just waiting to draw their names! Once the gift exchange is over my abs have had the best workout of the whole year. To add to the laughter we play games and sing karoke. This year Tripp joined us in karoke. I'm thinking he definitely didn't get the Hensley voice (Praise Lord!).
Here are some pictures of the Hensley's OFC 2008!

I can't wait for next year for so good ol redneck fun! I might have to rig the name drawing so I can get the name I NEED.

So this is Christmas...

One of my very favorite Christmas songs is Another Year Has Gone By by Celine Dion. After listening to this song today in the Christmas traffic I began to think about the things that I have accomplished this year and the things that I would like to accomplish in the coming year.
Here is a list of some of my accomplishments for 2008...
~Planned my dream wedding.
~Married my best friend.
~Became an aunt to a wonderful little boy.
~Graduated with my Masters.
~got a job in an AWESOME school that is only 10 min. from my house (for those of you that don't know this is the first year that I haven't had to drive 30+ min. to get to work).

Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle of this fast pace life! But all of these accomplishments are due to my Savior. He has blessed me with a wonderful life and wonderful people that I love dearly.

I look forward to what God has in store for coach and I!!

The Christmas Hustle!

I absolutely love this time of the year, but it is always so busy. It kindof is hard to slow down and enjoy it.
This week I will start of by having two Christmas parties. Yes that is two nights that I don't have to worry about what we will have for dinner. Okay lets be honest,two nights that I don't have to drive somewhere to get dinner. Thursday night I will be making a mad dash to Mena to help out with the Tour of Homes. My mom has agreed to add her house to the tour. She has worked so hard to make everything just perfect. I can't wait to see the finished product on Thursday. I will post some pictures if my camera will corporate with me. Last but definitely not least coach and I are heading to Fayetteville on Friday night to view the square lights, and then head on up to Branson on Saturday for my dad's Christmas party.
The dryer if beeping at me so I better go. Have a great Monday!

Is it really December??

When I was changing out the calendar in my classroom I was taken back that I am already putting December up. One of my precious boys told me today that this year has been shorter than last year. LOL. Kids are great! I am looking forward to the Christmas holiday, but I don't want it to just fly by. Which I am sure it will with all of the things that we have planned for December.

Lets catch up! Thanksgiving was wonderful. On Wednesday night we traveled to Booneville, Coach's hometown, to have Thanksgiving with his family. Clay was there and informed me that he was indeed resting! It was good to spend time with Grandma, Coach's 93 year old grandmother. She is an true inspiration. After dinner (gorging ourselves) and visiting with family, we came back to Fort Smith. My mom, dad and sister were at our house getting things ready for Thanksgiving Day. It is so nice to have family visit. For Thanksgiving day everyone came to my house, that's right 20 people came to MY house. The food was GREAT, and the company was even better. Every year the girls in the Bell family (my mom's side) travel to Tulsa on Thursday, so we can have a head start on Black Friday. This is more fun than I can describe! Although we didn't head out for the early specials, we did leave the hotel at 7:00. Did I mention that Tripp, my nephew, tagged along?? He was so good! He truly is the sweetest little thing. His new thing is getting his groove on. He loves to dance to Aunt B's, as in me, crazy songs. During the trip he had an awful runny nose and a pitful cough, so GG took him to the doctor today. He had a double ear infection. How sad? You definitely couldn't tell that he was sick by his temperment. My mom has some great pictures that I will try to post later.

Oh, How about those hogs? The one game that I didn't watch, beside Miss. State, and we play good. Figures! I am so proud that Casey Dick went out like he did.

This weekend we are going to start our busy December by heading to Little Rock for the Rebs State Championship game. Go Rebs!! I am hoping that I can also squeeze in a little Christmas shopping.

Tomorrow I am going to meet up with a couple of teachers that I taught with last year. I have missed them so much. I am almost giddy about it.

Later on I will share with you a craft that I have been working on!

Happy December 1st!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Hooray for Thanksgiving break! 5 whole days off...

Funny story: Last night while I was at a cougar basketball game Clay, Brad's 5 year old brother, was telling me about his friend that wasn't going to come to school for the rest of the week. We talked about it for a while, then if dawned on me that Clay wasn't going to school for the rest of the week either. When I told him that he wasn't going to have to go to school after Tuesday either his eyes lite up like it was Christmas morning. It was so precious! Then he told me that he could use this vacation to rest. I'm sure he will rest! LOL

Here is a picture of Clay and Jim, my father-in-law, at the Triathlon this summer

Last week I promised that I would post pictures of the West Winter Wonderland (haha), so I have included the few that I could take before my camera decided to take a break. We are now finished with the indoor and outdoor decor. And let me tell you it was difficult considering the horrible cold that I have had. But it is now complete!

And this is were the camera decided that it had worked to hard and needed a recharge. Wouldn't that be awesome to be able to completely shut down and not work until you were recharged? Well I hope that you also use this holiday time to catch up on some much needed rest. I know Clay will.

I hope that you have a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I will (or hope to) post our Thankgiving plans

This was the first week since August that I didn't attend a football game. Well I did go to the Northside game last night, but I kindof classified it as a date (sad huh?). The coach and I went to eat and then we went to watch Northside play Van Buren. I got to sit next to my husband at the game. I was felt like a jr. high girl that is extremely excited to sit next to her crush. But anyway the game was extremely cold and the Grizzles were stomping the Pointers, so we left in the 3rd quarter. So the date was short but sweet!
I have decided to get out the Christmas stuff, because I saw that there are only 38 days til Christmas. So my carpet is covered in tree, but I really don't mind the mess because I love this time of the year. When I finished decorating I will host a tour of the West house.
I hope that you have a great weekend!

Oh... the lovely housework!

"Can you do this I am about to throw up?" These were the words that came out of my husbands mouth as he was cleaning the dishes, when I say cleaning the dishes I mean rinsing them off to put them in the dishwasher. My first reaction was what could he possibly be doing to make him need to throw up. You ready for my second reaction?? Why in the world would I come take over something that is making him want to throw up? Thats like when someone says "This smells awful, here you smell it." After rolling my eyes and releasing a frustrated sigh, I went to see what could be making him so sick. He was merely scrubbing the pan that we cooked the eggs in. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! He explained to me that it makes him sick to see dried eggs. Oh I'm so sorry hunny! NOT! There are just somethings that you have to get over. After looking very aggravated, I took over the sickening duty of scrubbing the dried eggs off the pan. You may be asking yourself why (I will admit that I am wondering the same).
Here are the reasons:
1. There was water everywhere. I mean everywhere. When coach cleans you need to clean up behind him.
2. He takes fffooorrreeevvveeerrr to do something. Something that takes me a max of 10 mins. to do, will take him at least 30 mins.
3. I just like the way I do things better.
Lets talk about the 3rd reason. When he is attempting to do some of the chores, I generally go behind him and redo it. I don't mean to but I just can't help myself. He has told me on numerous occasions that this is why he doesn't like to do housework (I've got news for him, I don't like to do it either). I can see where is coming from, though. Do you have trouble turning over the dreaded housework for fear that it will be done wrong (or not to your standard)? How do you handle it?