Christmas 08

Christmas 2008 from our home to yours

I was so blessed by all the cards and letters I got from y'all this year. Thank you very much for thinking of us. Here's the Tomlinson Christmas card from our Thanksgiving pictures. Yes, that should've been enough time to get it out, but no, it did not get mailed. :)

And now, the Christmas recap...

My, oh my, y'all, but there was some cooking done at the Tomlinson home. Tuesday, while Phil and Patrick hunted, (bless their hearts, someone had to), and Carey and Phillip made some other family rounds, my sweet daughter and I wore ourselves to a wonderful frazzle. Here's a pic of the two story gingerbread dollhouse Jessica and I made for Miss Emerson. We had plans to make her a mailbox with her name on it, but we started running out of time. Jessica and I were quite impressed with ourselves.



We felt like our masterpiece rivaled last year's cajun gingerbread display with the accompanying gator.Yes, I know. Some of you have forgotten last year's marvel and some of you missed it. Here, I dug up that pic for you!

Phil and I were up late Christmas Eve playing Santa for four adults and one precious four week old bundle of grandchild named Emerson Ann. One too young to know, the others too old to pretend, but then, traditions are us. Hence the familiar game Phil and I played: "Do you think Patrick got enough?" "I think so, but what about Carey?" and "Does Jessica's pile look too small?" "Whoa! Phillip must've been good this year."

The next morning the big unveil came with surprises for all. Carey and Phillip made Jessica and I both cry with their gifts. Jessica's tearjerker gift was a print by local photographer Amy Terral. It's a gorgeous pic of our lake with the Oliver Wendell Holmes quote: "Where we love is home- home where our feet may leave but not our heart." Jessica will hang that print in her Houston home and think of us every time she passes it!

My tearjearker gift came in the form of a photo frame and quote, "For these children I have prayed." Carey said she put Emerson is in it until Grant Thomas can arrive in April for a duo photo. Yes, I have prayed for these babies and will consider it an honor to continue to pray that they will know the joy of serving Jesus, my King, My Savior, My Lord.

And now, to lighten up a moment. Here's my sweet son-in-law, Patrick, with one of his fav gifts. It reads, "Ain't nothing like a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium."

I loved giving Jessica outfits for the much anticipated arrival of Grant Thomas and she loved getting them!

Phil and I, (now known as Pops and Keggie) pose with Princess Emerson herself.

Emerson Ann shows off her finery and her folks!

And then she makes her wishes well known. "That's enough Keggie. No more pics."

And just like that, another Christmas has come and gone and the tree is bare. Blessings on you all. Let's seek Him in '09 with more fervor than ever before. He is worthy.

Hugs,
Shellie

Random Thoughts

Hey y'all,

Who gets to sell the Guvnor's job? Seriously...

I read about a lady all mad at her school board 'cause her kid sang, "Rudolph". She says the lyrics say Santa and Christmas so the song is religious. I wonder if that made God laugh.

I tire. I dropped the "d" on purpose. It's something my best friend Red and I say. "I tire" for us covers more than physical fatigue.

Merry Christmas Hugs,
Shellie

Paul Michael looms with Houston on the horizon

Hey y'all. I just finished taping next week's video segment for KNOETV 8 and now I'm trying to tie up a ton of ends in prep for the weekend. Of course, I had to stop and go hold, look, kiss, stare at Emerson Ann. Imagine-- the only thing she does in our relationship is accept my adoration and yet it works for me, bigtime. Only with a grandchild. Soon as her parents (HELLO Parents) send me some more of the nine million pics they've taken, I'll get a couple up for you.

I'm off to do a book signing at the Paul Michael store in Monroe, LA. It's five to nine this evening. If you're around, come see me. If not-- send money. Haha. Just joking. Kind of. You have heard about the economy, haven't you. Well, hello. There are baby clothes to buy for Emerson and Baby Maher who is coming fast on her heels. Bless her heart, Emerson has more clothes than Ivana Trump right now, but who's counting? By the way, I trust you've bought a copy of "Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On" book for every single person on your list but if not, there is still time.

Dear hubby has agreed to play chauffeur for me today (I just spelled that chauffeer and spell check gave me a huge red mark and detention) so I can continue to knock out content deadlines there and back because-- drum roll-- tomorrow morning after the LIVE radio show, we're heading to see Jessica and Patrick (daughter and son-in-law) in Houston. Jess and I will shop 'til I cry uncle while Phil and Patrick golf. Something is wrong here. Have I mentioned that I am totally missing the female shopping gene? Yep. It skipped from my mother to my daughter.

Umm...that is about all of the earth shattering, news you can lose from All Things Southern today. Later gators and gatorettes.

Hugs,
Shellie