Boo Boo's Big 4-0.....Duck Dynasty style

My brother in law turned 40 this year.

It almost slipped by without us realizing it was his big 4-0.  You see every year  at Christmas while the entire family is together we always have a little cake to celebrate Jeremy, Heather and Nick's birthdays.  They all happen within 2 weeks of each other so we just kinda do one big celebration. Well as we sat around the table early in the week when everyone was here, Jeremy mentioned he was turning 40.

Big mistake little bro.

We don't let monumental  occasions like that just slip by.  So with only a couple of days, I had to pull out the last bit of creative juices I had left in me for 2012.  

The theme was kinda a no brainer actually.  Jeremy has had a beard for 20 years now.  His wife and kids have never seen him without one.  I've had the pleasure though,  being that he was 13 years old when me and Nick started dating.  I thought about pulling out a picture. Back then he was into skateboarding, Vans shoes, asymmetrical haircuts and was a little on the chunky side.  But  I decided to spare y'all.  (plus, he's got a some stuff on me from back in the day and I ain't no dummy)

So with all the hype about beards these days thanks to the beloved Robertson family and their show, Duck Dynasty,  AND the fact that Jeremy is kinda a Duck Commander himself (saying he is passionate about duck hunting miiiight be an understatement),  well it just made sense to throw him a Duck Dynasty party for his big 4-0.

It was pretty simple really.  We already had enough camo in our family to go around...that was the dress requirement.  Next, we had to make beards.  I traced them out on kraft card stock, used wooden skewers from Nick's grilling stash for the sticks and colored in some whiskers.   I put my sis-in law on the hunt for American flag bandannas for all the Willies and we bought black toboggans for all the Jaces.   We drank our usual sweet tea in honor of Si and said the word "jack" all night.

For throwing it together last minute on the fly....it came together pretty good.

The main thing is...we had us some fun.

Some cute little "willies"

Some serious looking Jaces..

Maw Maw Loni getting her duck hunting face paint put on...

Me and Jules... aka Willie and Jace. (even though she had lost her beard)

Me and Heather...she was my partner in crime helping me secure all the bandannas and toboggans.

The Birthday Boy!!!... and his sweet bride Joicy-Poo.

(and he's smiling.  For a picture!  Miracles still happen.)

The ca-ute birthday banner my three nieces whipped up ...

(there was a little mishap with spelling of Boo Boo...it happens y'all)

Jeremy and his crew.

Jode and his crew.

Nick didn't get a pic with his crew...that's what happens when they grow up and scatter.

We tried to take pics of Elizabeth with her bunch but somehow there was some screaming and crying that went down with my grandchildren (can you believe that?) and it was a no-go.

Here is a small but cute portion of the Nick Holden clan...

and me and him.

(this is my best "serious look")

Now for the must have "group picture..'

Here are a few candid shots while I figured out my camera settings...

the pictures before the picture.

I'm loving Ms Dianne's expression.  Not sure what just happened.

But from the looks of it, Jeremy might be the culprit.

This is Jeremy's usual expression for a picture...

99.99% of the time.

The Doc slipped in late and cracked us up with his version of a beard.

We decided Paw Paw Nick would have to fill the "Phil" slot.

Ironically, this ensemble he's wearing, I see on a daily basis...not just for the party.

Nate Dog thinks its great.

I think he's trying to tell Paw Paw about some ducks or something...

This is Ms Dianne and almost all her grand babies and great-grand babies. (we're only missing the three grown ones)  She is our "Ms Kay" and anybody who knows her can tell you she could flat out give Ms Kay a run for her money when it comes to cooking. I ain't even kidding.

Me and the birthday boy.

We go waaaay back.  I woulda never thought it back then that he would end up being one of my favorite people in the world.  I have never met a greater servant and harder worker than him...not to mention crazy talented.  He can build pretty much anything.  He's one of the sweetest daddies I know and he and Joice are such a godly  example to others when it comes to their marriage.  I have the utmost respect for him and am so thankful we are family.....plus he's got THE whitest, skinniest legs on the planet and they make me giggle just thinking about them.

(hey...it was getting too mushy up in here)

He will definitely hold the record in the family for wearing a beard for the longest running time without shaving .. 20 years is pretty rockin!  BUT I have to say...

I think his big brother has him beat with  the  best looking beard.

His white whiskers are pretty legit.

It'll always be my fave.... Jack!

Stephanie :)

Perfect

I have two grand daughters.

They love to have tea parties.

They love to have tea parties with their Honey.

While  here at Christmas, I promised Rosalyn I would "have her over for tea"....
and she doesn't forget a thing.

My house was a wreck.

There was stuff all over the counter, dishes in the sink, boxes everywhere.

We were all still in our pajamas, no one had brushed their hair or put on makeup.

It was not an environment conducive for a fancy schmancy tea party.

But we did it anyway.

In the midst of the chaos, I grabbed a tablecloth and a single crotched doily and threw it on the table. We all grabbed a hat from the dress up box and viola'.....

Just like that...

 we were having fun.

We used plain old sweet tea and Oreo cookies..

Their Paw Paw was the kind waiter who served us that day.

We used imaginary sugar cubes and cream for the tea and used words like

smashing and scrumptious.

We all held out our pinkies exactly the way you're supposed to to properly drink a spot of tea.

We pretended we were all dolled up in our fanciest best.

It was one of the best tea parties I've ever attended.

I'm so thankful I didn't wait for the perfect environment.

I'm so thankful we didn't take time to get all gussied up.

If we had....we might have missed this moment together.

This memory.

This smile.

Don't miss out on living while waiting for "perfect".

Perfect is already here.

Stephanie :)

My Word for the year

 Tap tap tap.  Hellooo?  Eh hemm.  Hi there.

 I'm Stephanie. I used to blog here all the time. I took a small break because ...well....because of no specific reason really.  It just kinda happened. It wasn't on purpose... I mean, I had lots of things to share. I have lots of stuff to still document...to put into words and share snapshots of moments in time so that my family has them forever ...my thoughts.  But time just kinda got away from me.  And you know what?  It's ok.   Totally ok.  But I do value this little space I affectionately call The Honey Pot.  Through it, I have met friends I know I will have til the Lord calls me home.  Friends I would have never known apart from this little blip on the big ole wide web....so I don't take the possibilities of amazing stuff resulting from this place lightly. 

 I have missed sharing.  I have missed connecting.  I have missed y'all.

It's good to be back.

I've been thinking about my word for 2013. 

 Last year I chose "embrace".  

 I was amazed how often that word was an anchor for me as I went through all the change that 2012 brought with it.   The tough moments that in my own strength I hated.. but with God's grace I was able to embrace with open arms. It was amazing.  

It's not in me to be at total peace with my daughter and grand kids moving 12 hours away from me. 

 It's not in me to be totally OK with not having all my chicks here with me for all the holidays and special moments of our family.
It's not in me to handle change really well.

 I firmly believe God in His mercy, poured out His overwhelming grace in a supernatural way as I specifically sought His help to embrace all that He had for me instead of merely enduring it.  I believe that some of you actually prayed for me (thank you!!) and that God honored those prayers. And I believe in being accountable to the body of Christ.  I knew people were watching...I had a desire to honor God and make His name known through my life.  So yeah...I think that little word "embrace" that He placed on my heart was instrumental in my walk this past year.  More important than His word?  No.  Was it a magical formula of sorts, like a fortune cookie or something?  Um.. no.  It was just a boundary for my wandering heart and mind that I named embrace.  A quick way to keep me roped me back in ...  I found myself many times telling myself "embrace it Stephanie. embrace it".  I'm thankful for all I've gained from doing that...from choosing that.

SO.   What's my word for this year?
I had several on my heart.
I really want to simplify my life...in my heart and in my home. To declutter all the unnecessary. And even though these are things I need and want to do,  I knew it wasn't my "word".

I want to be intentional this year.  I want to make all that I do count for eternity...for what I do to have purpose.  The older I get, the more valuable my time becomes and I see it is my most treasured asset to be valued.  I want to spend my time wisely.  But neither of those words were settled in my heart.

Then it came to me. Something I need to be more of.  Something I needed to be reminded of that Jesus always is in the midst of whatever comes my way....

Constant.

definition:  unchanging, faithful and dependable.


I so want to be that person.  I know that is a weak area in my life. I feel like I've been so scatterbrained with so many irons in the fire that I have lost some of my dependability.  I want to be known as that rock solid person that if she said it...you can count on it.  I am so sad to admit, I found myself apologizing for my forgetfulness more this past year than ever.  That is not good and I desire to change it.

And I want need to be constant...unmoving when it comes to my time with the Lord in the mornings.  That has suffered more this past year than it has in my entire walk with Him over the past 15 years. (and the word for that is sin...another word..repentance.  I'm thankful for His kindness that leads us there.)

I want to be constant .. unwavering... when things are good and when things are bad...just trucking along steadfast and unmoved.  This is one of Nick's greatest qualities.... it's always before me... lived out in front of me.  And it's a beautiful thing y'all.  His steadfastness and neverfailing consistensty in the midst of whatever comes our way is so attractive...  To me, to the body of Christ and to a lost world in need of hope.

I need to be ever reminded of how constant Jesus' love is for me.  It never changes... no matter what I do.  His love is constant.  He is constant.  Yesterday, Today and Forever.  Gosh, we can stay right here for years trying to wrap our finite minds around that one.


2013 will usher in an empty nest for me.   Nick will transfer his authority and protection of Lauren over to Blake just like we did with our other two daughters to the men the Lord created them for.  And when he does...my chicks will be gone.  It will be a new way of life for us. Everything will change. In the midst of this change I want to be constant.  Not knocked off course, but looking ahead to what is to come. Steadfast and full of hope.


Constant.

"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians  3:13-14

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."  Acts 20:24

If you've never heard this song, 

"I am" by Jill Philips, I encourage you to bask in it's goodness.

Stephanie :)