That’s MRS. Betty Crocker to you.

I said that this next year was going to be my best year. I said that I  resolve to try new things and this is what happens when you actually do go for it.

I entered a cookoff today. I had only made this cake once before and had even modified the recipe so I gambled.

It was a pumpkin-caramel cake with pecans on top and pumpkin/Cool Whip filling in between the layers.

There were other desserts as contenders.

There were lots of different types of entries.

but people seemed to like mine.

 

“You like me, you really, really like me,” was Sally Field’s most stupid line uttered so I didn’t say it.

Betty Crocker called. She is not happy. She wants her cut.

I hope everybody reading this blog takes the challenge to live the next year with more gusto and willingness to take that extra step and really involve yourself in living life. I refuse to passively watch others living life actively and enjoying it. I plan to go for it and relish every moment I can. It feels great to try and win, instead of not try and let life pass you by. May we all enjoy this next year as best we can.

Love, Faith, Peace and Joy

 BEAUTIFUL 

 ADORABLE

 CUTE!

ELEGANT!

and … CREEEPY

That is how you can describe some of the lights we saw in Brownsville, Tx.  this Christmas.

Remember the old-fashioned lights from yesteryear? Well, this is them on steroids.

 Lit up, they looked beautiful.

This was the side of somebody’s garage and their front window.

 This was a very large Nativity scene.

This trailer parked in front of a house made us wonder how they made the money to pay for their fancy country club house.

 It was nice to see the ones who went all out.

This Santa with the reindeer in mid-flight looked cool.

This was a garden in someone’s back yard.

 

This tiny ladder caught my eye.

 These tiny creatures climbing a ladder to the roof had to have been the most adorable decorations I saw.

 Some houses looked spectacular in just plain white lights.

 

While others jazzed it up a bit with bright colors.

 This house lit up one corner on Boca Chica Blvd.

  This house was beautifully decorated.

 

The girls put the reindeer’s size into perspective when they stood by it.

 

This was the sight I longed to show them: Christmas lights reflected off a resaca’s surface. A resaca is the kind of bodies of water we have down here in this tropical area.

 

We live in a tropical area so seeing a decorated palm tree was nice. This one was 40 feet tall. They had to have thrown the ornaments up there because they were waaaay up there.

 

This was a regular tree but the lights created the illusion of a palm tree.

 

 These girls were pooped and tried to sleep on the way back to Port Isabel.

 

 Tried to, anyway. 

The night I took this picture was the night the father of these beautiful twins was injured in a horrific 30-foot fall. His back was broken and he is paralyzed. Please pray for him, these girls and their mom and brother. If you can contribute to the fund that was set up to help them with the incredible blow that has befallen them, please donate whatever amount you can to the : “William A. Plouffe Fund” at Lone Star National Bank – gift account 2905004843. He is in critical condition and the family needs your help badly. If you and 99 other people give just $5.00 that would be worth a million to us. These girls are only 13 and their world has been rocked by this tragedy. Their daddy was the major breadwinner and now Mom has taken a leave of absence from her Walmart job to be by his side. There is no other income but what is donated out of the goodness of people’s hearts. Please help them for as time passes, people’s interest will wane but their dad’s condition will stay very, very serious. Thank you for your kindness and know that we appreciate everyone’s prayers. May God bless you and your family as well as the family of these beautiful girls who brighten up a room like a ray of sunshine when they enter it. Have a blessed Christmas.

Breakfast with Santa 2008

Saturday morning on South Padre Island there was a chance for kids to have breakfast with Santa at Schlitterbahn.

The fine folks at Schlitterbahn piped in wonderful Christmas carols and created a beautiful Christmas scene so everybody was in a festive mood.

Of course the big moment was Santa’s arrival.

Island Princess Face Painting had lines of excited kids as usual. 

 We called this the “Wassup Santa.”

 

 cause good Santas are badass.

 This cutie seems to be thinking, “You mean all I gotta do is write this down and the dude behind me delivers?”

 

 There was Christmas storytelling

 

 and some of the most adorable kids you could ever see.

 

 downright cooolllllllll……….

 

Their artworks were prominently displayed and will be at city hall as well.

Like, duh, why wouldn’t it be? They’re masterpieces right?

Mrs. Santa was so pretty. So is Island Princess, Jr. there on the left.

This Santa couple was the epitome of Christmas class and made it a complete success again.

South Padre Island is a great place for families with children. You can find out more about South Padre Island here.