Happy New Year!!!

Hello to all!

It's the eve of the new year and I assume that plans are made all over of how to ring in the new year. Clan Daniel will begin the year apart. The whipper-snappers will spend the night at Nannie's while the Mrs. and I go celebrate with some friends from church. I just wanted to take a moment to say a big thank you to all of you who have kept up with us through this blog for taking the time to do so. This was my first year at blogging and I have really enjoyed it. This next year should find us neck deep in new animals, bigger gardens, and more chasing of the kiddos.

I hope that 2009 was a great year for you all and that 2010 will be as good or better. I pray that God blesses each person that reads this with good health, great moments with family and friends, and a real appreciation for each wonderful day given.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

Well, as is tradition with clan Daniel, we celebrate Christmas with the Mrs. family on Christmas Eve. Of course since my mother travels the world with the in-laws and everybody vacations together each Thanksgiving and we are not the normal bunch of people but all a bunch of knuckleheads anyway, we just all celebrate together. It's funny, you always hear that in-laws are not supposed to get along but the Mrs. and myself are just real lucky and we find that everybody gets along so well that we might just as well hang out together all the time. Anyway, the Mrs. worked hard all week to make our little homestead look incredible so that the families could all come over and we could all destroy her hard work in a matter of just a few hours, but she enjoys it anyway and has no issues with it. I guess that's why we keep doing it here each year. That and we have all the whipper-snappers.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... but moved right after this picture as to not catch on fire. See the little doo-dads the stockings hang on? When I was a kid it was nails, but the Mrs. will have none of that so old St. Nick has to stuff the stockings and then lay them under the tree. He's a smart feller though and figured that out years ago.

Our living room is a real cozy place to be at Christmas. The Mrs. makes it that way at Christmas and year round. She is perfect.

Since everyone arrives at the crack of dawn, we have a lot of time to do many things during the day. It's a good excuse for just visitin' and as I said everybody gets along like, well, family. Here a group including Nannie, Mimi, Gigi and Jon (no H here please) play a game of spades. Jon is Aunt Nettie's brand spanking new husband and he seams to be a really great guy.

Here Sissy shows off some art-work that she worked real hard on. My beauties are so talented.

Sister shows her work off as well. She strayed from the Christmas theme. Look how pretty she is in her glasses.

The Mrs. cooking and taking care of everybody as usual.

Aunt Nettie and Bub playing some Jenga!

Papa helping in the kitchen, as usual. See where the Mrs. gets it?

The whole family!

Me making Christmas Eve pizza. It's our Christmas Eve tradition that we all make different pizza's. Let no one think that I had more or even as much to do with the meal as anyone else did.

Aunt Nettie and Jon (no H please) lovin' up on the recliner. Newlyweds... can't keep 'em apart.

Hey Jon - just kiddin' about the H thing.

I've got to explain myself because Jon was born in California and grew up in the Northwest and I'm sure that I am as culture shock as they come. I'm sure he thinks he fell into a bad Jeff Foxworthy episode or something.

The whipper-snappers making a pizza (see it's not all me and I don't want the credit.

Papa being Papa. The shirt should explain it all.

Mimi and Gigi, apparently freezing.

Getting cookies and milk ready for St. Nick.

He Came!

Christmas 2009

Hello and Merry Christmas to all my blog friends! I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as clan Daniels has been. I had a wonderful experience this morning that I have never had in all my 41 years on Earth. Today we had a white Christmas in the Pearl! Of course because I am so old and such a sap, I started thinking about past Christmases with people who are no longer with us and I got a little melancholy. I guess it's not a bad thing to remember those from your childhood who helped make all those Christmas memories special. I was drinking cold hot-chocolate (a tradition began by my Grandmother) and considering how quickly my own kids were growing up and well, the water works started coming. Anyway, It was a great morning. This is our home on a snowy Christmas day. I took this at around 7:00 am. There was not a lot of snow but it was there.
I tried to explain to the whipper-snappers just what a special event this was but I just don't think they quite got it.

The horses were out early getting into the hay. It was a cold night with a really hard wind. I know they must have been happy to see the sun.

The chickens on the other hand did not seem to have the appreciation for the snow quite like I did.

I just love to take pics of our home. It's not much of a house I guess by today's standards, but a home that no other can compete with in my mind. God is so good to me and I really don't deserve all His love and blessing.

The fire pit... I think I was just really excited to have a white Christmas.

Funny thing about 2009, actually it's a great thing, you can see how your extended families are spending their holiday. This is the Mrs. aunt and uncle, their kids and families. They sent us a pic this morning and I was so excited to see it I decided to memoralize them in my blog. No need for everyone else to get jealous, just send me a pic!

The whipper-snappers opening their "big" gift this morning.

Seems like they were sort of happy about it to me.

This is my gift. I can't wait to open it...later!

God Bless you all on this most miraculous of days.

From clan Daniel to your clan

Merry Christmas!

Showing steers

Well, I am finally getting caught up. After tonight I have no new pics sitting on the computer waiting to be blogged. All I have to do now is wait untill Christmas and I can be behind all over again. Speaking of Christmas I hope that I get an opportunity to post something on that topic. I seam to be developing some pretty strong opinions on this particular holiday.

Enough of that. Two weeks ago Bub and Sissy took their steers to Denton for a good sized show that will hopefully prepare them for the Ft. Worth stock show and rodeo. We arrived at around 9:30 am and began all the prep work for getting the steers ready for the show which was supposed to begin at 1:00 but actually got rolling at 3:00.
There is a lot of work getting these things ready for the judges. This particular show was actually 2 shows, so there was a lot of competing to be done.

Sissy and Bub both started out competing against each other in the Jr. showmanship competition. Sissy's steer was not interested in performing at this time and made it very hard on her.

Bub's steer was much more cooperative and he did a great job! As a matter of fact I think he was robbed! I'm the dad though and I guess that's my job. In the breed show he took 2nd place in his weight division. It got him a ribbon but it wasn't what he was shooting for since his sister had already showed.

Sissy took first place, or breed champion, that got her a grand champion prize! A belt buckle! I swear after winning this I bet her feet didn't hit the floor for an hour. You could eat a steak off this thing it's so big. She was very excited and Bub was only slightly jealous.

The last of the Thanksgiving pics!

Finally, the last of the Thanksgiving pics! I guess I could have stopped at any point but hey, it's my blog right? This is what happens anytime somebody tries to cook around Bakersfield. Too many chefs...
This was our last meal of the week, kitchen sink breakfast taco's.

The whipper-snappers playing in the field.

Me and Sissy shooting .22's

The Mrs. helping Sister shoot.

Sister flying a kite

It's a big place.

Me and my beauties!

Me and Bub shooting.

Clearing trails through the woods for the go-cart.

More from Thanksgiving week!

I have one more group of pics to blog after this one from our week at Bakersfield then I will be finished. Just in time for Christmas. It's a really busy timeUs hanging around the fire pit.
Grilling dogs and marshmallows.

Me and Papa working on the go-cart. It gets pretty beat up running through the woods but it's a blast.

Me and the Mrs. hanging out on the hammock.

Great way to spend a lazy afternoon.

The group playing cards. Bub sits in for me when I'm cooking.

The Mrs. cooking deer steak. I think she is going for the sympathy vote with this. Can you tell she was a theater major in college?

East Texas moon.

Another of almost daily trailer rides. This is the small trailer so it means we're going through the woods.

Mimi and Nannie enjoying the fire.