Give Me Five: Top Tweets of 2013!

As we approach the end of 2013, I looked back through my Twitter feed to find my top 5 Favorite Tweets of the year. Which I guess also qualifies this post as a Twitter Tuesday! It's like a two for one!

No extra charge! :) 

So here they are my top Five Tweets of 2013! 

A good reminder when things aren't going your way: 

1. Eventually all things fall into place. Until then laugh at the confusion, live for the moments, and know everything happens for a reason. (Tweeted by: Epic Women)

2. Life is God's Novel. Let Him write it. Isaac Bashevis Singer (Gods Daughters)

And for a good laugh:

3. You can't make footprints on the sands of time by sitting on your butt . . . and who wants to make butt prints? (Oprah World) 

And you know I have to have something about Books in here:

4. The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Dr. Seuss (CES Inc)

And one for the New Year:

5. A new day. . . New Mercy & Grace, new possibilities and new opportunities. . . think I'm gonna dive right on in!! (Darlene Zschech)

So here's to 2014! May it be a year of Joy & Happiness for all of us!! And may we have lots of great things to Tweet about! :) 

From Our Family To Yours

Merry Christmas

May Your Days Be Merry And Bright!

Give Me Five: Favorite Christmas Ornaments

Weather it goes up before Thanksgiving, or you wait until Christmas Eve to put up your tree, every year as your decorations come out, they evoke Memories and feelings of nostalgia. In this Holiday addition of Give Me Five, I'm gonna show you some of my Favorite Ornaments that go on our Christmas Tree every year and why I look forward to seeing them year after year! 

1. Places

I got Santa on the Eiffel Tower many years ago 

to mark my Trip to Paris when I was 20! 

And after my boys and I went to New York City a few years ago 

I bought this ornament of the Empire State Building. 

We have great Memories (and Pictures) from the top! 

I love Starfish!

 I found this Starfish Ornament in San Diego on our Family Vacation!

I love Ornaments that remind you of places you've been,

and conger up Great Memories!

2. Play

My Favorite Doll as a Child was Raggedy Ann!

And one of my favorite Ornaments is of her!

I also have so many of my kids' favorite toys;

Super Heroes for Kyle, Thomas the Tank Engine for Zach, 

Barbies, or Teddy Bears for my girls, Etc.

I've tried to get them ornaments each year 

that represent whats going on in their lives! 

Weather that be toys they're into, Sports or Instruments they play!

Christmas should bring out the Child in all of us!

3. Personal

My Sister Debbie would send me an ornament every year

I have so many from her and I love them all!

Especially now since she is gone.

One of my most Favorite is this little heart ornament

It unlocks and opens into a scene of a family decorating their tree. 

She sent it to me in 1992, 

after I, with my husband and our 2 little boys 

had moved across the country!

We think of her and talk about her every year as we put up our tree! 

Since many of my ornaments came from her. 

My oldest son has even bought me a "Sister"ornament from her 

after she was gone. 

That's how much they mean to us. 

4. People

Besides missing my Sister at Christmas, 

I also miss my Parents.

This is an ornament my boys gave my Dad when they were little, 

it hung on his Tree every year till he passed away

then my Mom gave it to us so now it hangs on our tree every year!

This is my Mom with Santa!

My Parents loved Christmas, 

so it's a blessing to think of them as we put up our tree every year!

5. Precious 

I love our "Baby's First Christmas" Ornaments!

This is Kyle in his Santa Suit!

Zach at just over a Month old!

Any ornaments with pictures of the kids when they were little 

are Precious to me!

Twin little Booties for Erica and Lexi!

I Adore Trees decorated in a Theme or color, 

but I will always have to have a tree with all our Special Ornaments to look back on! 

So there are just some of my Favorite Christmas Tree Ornaments, I'd love to know about some of your favorites as well. It's Christmas, you can't be too sappy right?! :) 

What To Ask Santa For?

I saw this on Pinterest & Loved it! I pinned it to my Christmas Board. You've heard the saying "Keep It Simple!" Well this does just that. It's what we're using for our Christmas lists this year . . . .

Now when someone in the Family says "Oh, you are just gonna Love what I got you for Christmas!" The person they are talking to tries to get a hint of what the gift might be by asking which of the 4 categories it falls under. We usually say something like 3 out of the 4! ;) I figure if it comes in a box, or has a label on it, you could read it right?! If you can set it on top of your head, technically you could wear it! You know, anything to through that person off the trail! 

Here are what my 4 items would be:

1. Something I Want

I saw this Calvin Klein Bag Month ago & fell head over heels! Thankfully (and Thanks to Macy's Black Friday Sale) I was able to get it for 75% off! Score! I told my Husband that this is the only present I need this year! Oh, and don't worry, I will act totally surprised when I open it on Christmas morning! :0


2. Something I Need

The ONLY thing I Really Need right now is a New Job! But I don't think this is something Santa can leave in my Stocking, so I've had to go over his head! That's right, straight to the top! I'm asking God for this one! I'll let you know when it gets here!


3. Something to Wear

This one isn't hard at all for me, I pretty much Love all Clothes & Shoes, Scarves, Etc. Same with my girls! Like Mother, Like Daughters!! :)


4. Something to Read

Now my oldest Son, Kyle (the only non-reader in the Family) asked if he could change the Something to Read, to Something to Watch! He'd much rather get a DVD than a Book. I know, Crazy right?! I, unlike Kyle, Love Books. One I'm really looking forward to is The Invention Of Wings by: Sue Monk Kidd who also wrote The Secret Life Of Bees & Traveling With Pomegranates, both books I really liked! This new one of hers doesn't come out till January & Oprah has already selected it for her Book Club next Read! It sounds very intriguing! I can't wait to read it!

So, following this list of "Something I Want, Something I Need, Something to Wear, Something to Read" What 4 items would you ask Santa for this year?

Holiday Reading!

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year! 

And as you know one of my Favorite things to do all year, is to Read! 

And this time of year, I love to read Seasonal Books!

Right now I'm reading Merry Ex-Mas by: Sheila Roberts, 

(one of my Favorite Authors)

It's really good so far!

And Sheila is the Queen of Christmas Books!

She continues to come out with new ones just about every year!

And I've read one or two of them every Christmas for the past few years!
I told you I Love to read Seasonal Books! :) 

She doesn't only write Christmas Themed Books, 

and I've read others of hers as well.
But that's a different Blog Post!
This one is about Christmas Books! :) 

My Favorite is On Strike For Christmas

If you haven't read it, pick it up 

make it an early Christmas Present for yourself!

And Bonus: Lifetime made a Movie out of the Book!
It's pretty good as well.
(Though of course, not as good as the Book!) :)
I have my DVR set to record it this week! 

And next up on my To Read List: Winter Garden

by: Kristin Hannah

I've heard good things about this one,

and have read others by her as well.

So what Books are you opening up this Holiday Season? 

Here's hoping you find Magic inside!