MURPHY MAC IMAGES: December 2007

Hi Everyone,

OK...Bare with me..this really is a MUST READ.....it is SURE to make you smile, AT LEAST ONCE....I PROMISE!!!!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday Season. However, from a few of the blogs that I read on a regular basis, it doesn't sound like many of us do TRULY enjoy the "season," like we are supposed to. Crazy I know, but it seems to be the season of STRESS!!!! Your kids get CABIN FEVER....your stressed to the max, & on your toes CONSTANTLY, hoping that your kids will all still believe in Santa, even if only for one more year.....your hoping that your kids wont find your hiding spot, & trying to make sure that they keep those curious little fingers off your most prized & cherished ornaments &/or decorations. The lists of "to dos" goes ON & ON, & because it is supposed to be the "Season of GIVING" we ALL find it hard to say "NO" to ANYTHING!!!!!!

So, here is were it begins.....The frustration has built, but we know we have to get DONE, so we paste that "I have EVERYTHING under control, & I am ON TOP of EVERYTHING" smile on our face as we head out the door in good spirits, because you are going to get everything done TODAY....NO MATTER WHAT....You know the feeling, those last minute little things that have gotten put off long enough, you are going to get those things DONE.....TODAY!!!!! So here you go, just as you get ready to battle in the trenches of that wonderful "retail world".....you have made it through all the crazy traffic, & survived all those "NON DRIVING.....FOOLS" you found a parking spot, you take a deep breath, & you put that smile back on your face, & go for it. Your browsing through the aisles, & suddenly, out of NOWHERE, you spot IT, that perfect gift, it has your name written ALL over it, you know it is meant to be yours, because it had a light shining down on it, JUST FOR YOU TO SEE....you know the one that is totally out of place.....you head towards it at the end of the aisle, & out of nowhere, some crazy person thinks they need what you have your eye on more then you, & snatch it right out from under your nose.........THEN IT HAPPENS.......You are READY to take all the aggravation & stress that you have built up inside you; out on the INSANE person that just interrupted the happy dance that is tickling your toes, your thoughts of the special person you were just thinking of........your eyes turn dark & evil, your face turns beat RED, your hands start to tremble, & the veins start to pop out of your neck & temples....all this before you even lay eyes on the monster, the RUDE, SELFISH, INDIVIDUAL that you are going to STAB with the daggers that are coming out of your eyes, CHOKE with your trembling hands, & MURDER with your words....OH YES, YES, YES.....You know EXACTLY what I am talking about....YOU ARE READY....you turn the corner in your rage to face the PERSON, the THING that is going to feel your wrath, YOU are going to UNLEASH......only to find that its an employee trying to straighten up the display that you are looking at....LOL....Oh sure....you still want to MURDER them with your words, & CHOKE them with your trembling hands, because they just made feel like that, but now it doesn't quite have the same meaning......you simply take a deep breath, & POLITELY ask if you may have "IT" with that same smile on your face that you had when you walked out your door....OH SURE.....you know the moment....you walk away thinking to yourself "have I lost my mind? Have I completely forgotten what this season is about????" Yup, you know the feeling!!!!! Well, let me assure you, you are NOT alone...........Welcome to the HOLIDAY SEASON....LOL

SO, in all the insane deadlines & obligations that we all must attend as adults, take a step back, & try to remember what the holidays meant to you as a child......yes, the time when you had NO RESPONSIBILITIES!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! (OH, right, its just a memory) When you still believed in SANTA.....Yes between that innocent time, & the time in your life when your only responsibility was to make sure the presents were either put back in the bag EXACTLY as they came out, or were re-wrapped with NO evidence of tampering......LOL....go ahead & admit it...trying to find the hiding spots, & the feeling you got when you found them....oh yes, that was just as fun & exciting as getting the one that you didn't find, & were surprised with on Christmas morning....The Christmas stories that your Grandparents or Aunts & Uncles would read to you....or those hilarious stories that you heard of your parents or Grandparents crazy outings...Some of you may even have the stories of your drunk relatives taking you out to sing Christmas Carols through your neighborhood on Christmas Eve while they were drinking from their flasks......HOW EMBARRASSING...at the time anyway, now I'm sure its Hilarious to you......The french toast that Mom made for breakfast....oh yeah, the butter, the cinnamon & sugar, & syrup....YUM.....the bacon all smothered in syrup too...MMMMMM...Christmas morning with your Grandparents, because they wanted to see your excitement too.....The cookies & punch that Granny made, the turkey or ham that Grandma made, the Roast Beef that your other Grandmother made; the decorations that still make you smile, the ones that made you smile with pride as a child, when your Mom opened it for the first time & cried.....the ones that NOW make you smile with some sort of embarrassment, & wonder, "How did this make it through SO MANY Christmases, I remember when I made this in elementary school...with Ms "so & SOO???"....yea, you know the ones. The traditions that you LOVED as a child, but didn't really know it, HATED as a teen, because your family was just way to embarrassing, & LONG for as an adult, because they mean SO MUCH......Oh, to be a kid again......AAAHHHH.........WHAT FOND MEMORIES!!!!!!!!! LOL.....FUN HUH?!?!?!?!

NOW, give your Mom a call, & thank her for all she did for you, that you took for granted, but not because you were, or are selfish, but simply because she is so incredibly giving, & wanted everything to be JUST PERFECT FOR YOU!!!!! She just did it all, & you never really knew or understood what the fuss was all about, but you weren't supposed to, because you were JUST A KID......its never too late to say THANK YOU MOM.....I GET IT NOW!!!!!!

OH, Then, go tickle your kids, or do whatever you must do to make them laugh.....your most FAVORITE sound in the world, & remember who & what you are doing this all for.............Above all, ENJOY THE SEASON...........It only comes ONCE a year!!!!!

I hope this little bit of reality has helped.....hahaha Much Love, Many Blessings & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!! ;) Shannon

Hey Everyone, I know its been awhile since I posted here...SORRY!!!! So, here is the scoop.....I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, & you are all enjoying a great Holiday Season!!!! We went down to Tampa Florida for Thanksgiving, to spend it with Family. Chris's brother Tony & his Family (Wife Mary, Son AJ & Daughter Alexis) live just North of Tampa, & my Dad lives just Southwest of Tampa, so we all got together for some Thanksgiving GRUB. The food was delicious, & the company was even better. No pictures were taken of the day, sadly, because I was in the kitchen most of the day, or hanging with my Dad. Then, Chris & Tony headed out, after the Christmas tree was decorated, for their week of "togetherness" or was I supposed to say "Hunting" (?) in PA. Cian, Shaylinn & I stayed in Florida to hang with the family....a big Thank You to Mary for her wonderful hospitality.....I am so lucky to have such WONDERFUL Sister-in-laws......I love them both so much!!!!! Jami is from "my" side of the family, & I miss her so much.....she is in Phoenix Arizona. I can only look forward to the day that we can all get together again!!!! Anyway, I will post a few pics from our "Christmas card shootS".....what a joy that was....A 4+ year old, who HATES to have his picture taken, unless he is striking a "Power Ranger" pose, or "mean mugging" the camera, & an ALMOST 2 year old, who is little Miss INDEPENDENT, & DON'T TOUCH ME...screamer....you can only imagine, patients run so thin!!!! LOL I did manage to get a couple usable shots, Thank GOODNESS!!!!

Here are a few from our First try......God, I LOVE THEM SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!