Happy New Year!

Our wish to all of our dear family & friends is to have a beautiful new year in 2009, filled with infinite love, immense prosperity, limitless success, superb health and immeasurable happiness!

We love you all!

Be Safe & Happy 2009!

Beautiful Christmas

We had a beautiful Christmas this year, and as any other year it went by way too fast. Here are a few pictures of all the festivities, both here at home and at Vernons Dads house.

Vernons New
Riding Leathers




Miss Impatient!

Eden & His New Bike & Helmet!

Mason & His New Bike & Helmet

Vernon & His Dad, Bethel

Mark & Dale and "Their

New Bikes!" The Wish!

David & His New Bike

Cousins Joy & Robbie

Christmas Morning

@ Our House

David Just Swingin' Away!

Noah & Eden Elledge

Too Much Christmas!

I got a new camera, a Nikon Coolpix P-60 digital just before Christmas, and when I put all the Christmas stuff away, I will have to read the book and experiment. These were some of the pictures from virtually taking the camera out of the box and using it. I love my new camera!

I Love My Christmas Gift

My new Nikon Coolpix P-60 camera. This is the first picture I took when Vernon got it out of the box. I am sitting on my couch taking a picture of something on the coffee table. It has such clarity. I love Nikon cameras, they are the absolute best, and I swear I'm going to learn how to use this camera.

The tree through the crystal ball. Too Cool!

Gaylord Texan Hotel @ Christmas

I have died and gone to HEAVEN! Not really, just to the Gaylord Texan Resort & Hotel, in Grapevine Texas. http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan/ I have never stayed at a 5 star hotel before (this place could easily be an 10 star rated in my opinion). I did not know a place like this existed in my back yard. My Awesome Sister-in-law & Brother-in-Law gave is a gift card to this hotel nearly 3 years ago, and we wanted to use it at Christmas, and this year, since I am ahead of the game (in holiday preparations), we got to come and use it. Even though it is 45 minutes from home, it is like being in another country, so elegant and beautiful. (This is what I have been striving for when trying to kick butt on my holiday preparations, and staying up late for - the time for us to be able to finally come here at Christmas).

Click on any of the pictures below and enjoy the beauty of this place. I can't believe we wer lucky enough to come here!

THE HOTEL

Inside the Atrium From

The Lobby of the Hotel

Before Dinner on Our

First Night There

In The Hotel

The View From Our Balcony

Along One Of The

GorgeousWaterways

Another . . .

Beautiful View

THE ICE SHOW

We went to the ICE Show. It was awesome! I brought all our warm clothes, long underwear, coats & gloves, well amost all our winter wear.

See The Steam in the Air

The ice show was simply beautiful, but I forgot Vernons hat & gloves. Since they keep it at a crisp 9 degrees, we had to modify his attire, and since it was the season . . .

My Santa

All Made of Ice

Can You Believe This is

All ICE?

Mary, Joseph & Baby Jesus

Heavenly Angel

THE HOTEL - WHAT SPLENDOR

The stone, marble, & granite, and use of many rich light & dark woods is just out of this world in the decor. The whole hotel as well as the rooms are absolutely gorgeous and the Atrium area is breath-taking. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. There are beautiful plants, trees, flowers & grass inside this massive atrium. To even try to give you an overview of the grandeur of this hotel would not be possible to do it justice, and I am sure that with the pictures I have taken, couldn't do it justice either.

In the Lobby

Fireplace In The Lobby

Heading Toward the Atrium

One of the Beautiful

Wreaths in the Hall

In the Hallway

It Wouldn't be Texas

Without a . . .

LONGHORN!

OUR BEAUTIFUL ROOM

We never get to get away to do anything like this, and our 10th anniversary was this past May, we weren't able to do anything. We decided to stay another night on this weekend and have a good time alone with each other and call it our 10th anniversary.

We had an Atrium View,

Simply Beautiful!

Part of the Bathroom

Thank you David & Renee' for such a gorgeous, breathtaking, and wonderfully memorable time. I'm sorry it took so long for us to use it, but we can't thank you enough! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Vernon & Shari

Could It Be??????

I am done shopping, done wrapping, Joy decorated the tree last night, I am finishing up sewing so I can get the sewing machine off the dining room table (but the stupid machine was not cooperating last night and after threading the needle about 25 times I gave up), all the other decorating is done, the cards are out, I have a just little more baking to do - COULD IT BE I'M ALMOST DONE?????????? NOT! I still have to come up with the menu for the traditional meals over the holidays & shopping for that. Plus what I have to take to Dads house on Christmas Day. Any ideas - I am having a meal planning block, which is the latest in my mind blocks this season.

"THE REASON"

With only a couple weeks until Christmas,

please remember,

Jesus is Better than Santa,

Santa lives at the North Pole,

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh,

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year,

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies,

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited,

JESUS stands at your door, knocks and then

enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa,

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap,

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is

"Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"

JESUS knew our name before we did.

Not only does He know our name, He knows our

address too. He knows our history and future and

He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly,

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO,

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry",

JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys,

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs

broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle, but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

Santa is a myth,

But Jesus is the Truth, the Way, and the Life.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree,

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.

We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

JESUS IS STILL THE REASON for this beautiful season.

May The Lord Bless and Watch Over You and Your

Loved Ones This Christmas 2008, And May He Prosper

and Bless the Work of Your Hands in The New Year!

The Elledge's

Okay I'm Ready for Warm Weather - Now

Wow, another night of bone chilling temperatures. Michael & I went to Walmart at 10:00 tonight and it was 34 degrees on the car thermometer. Could it be we are truly having a winter this year. I hope not! I need heat and I don't mean salsa, - well maybe. Yuuummm

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas!

Tonight we had a few flurries and was quite cold. At 11:30 I got the ingenious idea to take a picture of our seasons first "Snow" on my car and the thermometer @ 33 degrees but the wind is very,very brisk. Is a little nippy in Texas tonight, considering this morning it was like 65 degrees when we got up. Enjoy!

The Nutcracker

Joy and I went to the Granville Arts Center in Garland to see The Nutcracker with the Dallas Ballet. We got dressed up & went to the play where we had front row seats and had the best time. After the ballet, we went to Black Eyed Pea to have dinner. Joy had been so excited all week, and loved the ballet. Here are some pictures of her getting ready & at the Arts Center afterwards.