Monday, December 9, 2013

Happy Mandala Monday with fruit and Happy T time with friends and TREE

Happy Mandala Monday!! How was your weekend? Mine was busy, cold and GREAT!! I have a fall mandala to share with you today. This is from that few weekends ago when Rich helped me gather some berries to use. We also found another surprise... pears! They were on the ground and not too yummy looking but still good enough for a fruity mandala, right! I had a hard time getting those berries in the middle to stay there and not roll all over, took many tries to get it this way, lol. I love having new things to use in my mandalas and hope to be this lucky now that winter and snow has arrived. I can't even find any leaves good enough to use and it's so cold out I don't stay out to long.
 
Thank you Dawn  for inspiring me each week with yours, so thrilled to see yours.
 
I will be out tonight and tomorrow is babysitting day so here is my early T Time post for you too.
I'm going to share pictures for my busy and fun weekend. First up was Friday night, we had our secret pal dinner at church. At this dinner you find out who your secret pal was all year, LOVE THIS!! I got something so awesome, will have to share another time because no picture of it and deserves a  post of it's own. We had a wonderful night of food, laughs, surprises and love.
Saturday morning I was right back to church for breakfast with Mary and Joseph, LOVED IT!! So fun doing these activities thru the church for the kids. We have more for this weekend coming up too. Thankful for the wonderful and sweet church friends/family I have there. Not sure how I went all these years without them but SO THANKFUL to have them now.
 
Kristin texted me the morning of this and said how awesome it is that we are taking this newly faith journey together, I was just thinking that very same thing the last two days. So thankful for her being home and on this journey for us. She just went to Ecuador this weekend to become a Godmother to one of the little girls she meet there this past August. So very proud and happy for her. She is so ready to share her faith and her story with others and will be a strong, Christian, loving leader.
that afternoon Rich and I went out and got a REAL Christmas tree from Wal-mart. We haven't had one in 6 years I think. We have used an artificial tree for 17 years now. The kids were a little weird about it but once we brought it home and put it up, THEY LOOOOOVE IT!! I LOOOOVE it too, all I want to do and have been doing is sitting by it and just feeling warm and happy. So far only lights are on it, not even sure if we will decorate it, lol. So happy we bought it!
here it is that night, love the reflection too! HAPPPPPYYYY!!!
After this I went to the village in the Christmas with my sister.
here is my bundled up sister and my second beverage picture for this T time post, YAY!! They pass out cookies and hot chocolate, so nice to do this. They also have a Santa here for you to visit but we didn't need that line. By the way we are both bundled up in about 5 layers and double socks and boots. We can barely walk and kinda waddle instead, haha. This is what you have to do though to stay warm out here in the cold and snow. She has never been out for this before so it was nice we did it together this year. The school choir team is also here playing music, sorry no pictures of them. But they do have some cute snowman made out of wood and decorated for our snowman contest. I did get pictures of them and hope you enjoy them like we did, so CUTE!!
Aren't they awesome and fun! The Elvis one and this last snowman won the prizes. I might have to do one of these next year, I love snowman. After that we headed home, slightly frozen.
 
I want to say a big THANK YOU to those who visited last Tuesday, sorry if I didn't make it to your blog. It's been crazy here and will be again probably thru the month but will do my best to visit when I can. Thank you for your visits today too, always nice to share with you.
 
Remember to share what your doing this Tuesday with Elizabeth, as long as you have a cup, mug, bottle or another creative way to show a beverage come by and say hello and share your day too.
 
Thank you Elizabeth   for sharing your Tuesday's with us and letting us share ours!!
 
Have a great week and stay warm!!

22 comments:

  1. Dear Dawn, It is so nice to see you having a wonderful time in this month despite the cold and snow. The snowmen look adorable. I always love to see your creative side working with the mandalas, it has come out very pretty. Have a good week
    Hugs
    Susan

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  2. I'm here to see your mandala, and will wait till tomorrow to see the T part of the post. This is a gorgeous mandala. I agree that my yard has NO leaves in it, and Dawn is very lucky to have so many leaves to work/play with. I noticed any time I tried to even move a leaf, they would all move. I can only imagine what those little berries must have been like.

    Do pears really grow where you live? They would never grow here. I would have them eaten before I finished the mandala, because this is my all time favorite fruit.

    Happy Mandala Monday. I'll be back tomorrow for T!

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  3. Looks like tons of fun over there, I love snowman too, it is too bad that I haven't seen one since we moved here.

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  4. Mmmm, I miss the smell of a real tree in the house.

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  5. You have been busy. Haven't participated in a Secret Pal thing for years but I always thought it was a lot of fun. So exciting when there is the big reveal.

    Darla

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  6. Fun to see you and your family enjoying this beautiful and special time of the year...
    Enjoy ♥ Enjoy
    and thanks for sharing!
    Your mandalas are each so special and pretty!
    Happy T day to you from snowy Virginia
    oxo

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  7. Back for T. I guess it's a good thing I wasn't judging that snowperson contest, because I thought the Grinch was the best of the bunch.

    Your tree is awesome. I love the night view. I bet people can really see it from the street, too.

    Thanks for joining me for T today. It was a real treat!

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  8. oh...loved the Grinch snowman...and the OSU flags on that one snowman make me suspect that you are in Ohio like me! =) it is so cold I am right there with you beside the tree with hot chocolate! happy T day and enjoy!

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  9. It looks like you're having a really nice Advent. Stay warm!

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  10. Hi, Dawn :). OMG, I felt so cold already, the rain outside is not helping though love the sound of the rain, made me all sleepy. If I were there with you, waddling in the snow ... my lips would numb!. But, it looked gorgeous out!. My fav snowman is the grinch!. Ha. Love your mandala, especially pretty when all you see now is snow and ice :). Must love sitting next to a X'mas tree, the aroma of pine needles and hot cocoa. What a great week you have there!. HUGS.

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  11. OMG your mandalas just keeping getting more and more beautiful! I think this one is my favorite so far! Great photos too, I especially love the one with the manger scene! Have a great week Dawn!

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  12. Boy Dawn you sure are busy,busy! Looks like many fun things though. One day I'll participate in the Mandala Monday...-LOVE the Grinch snowman!!

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  13. Fun photos! You table looks wonderful...very inviting.
    Happy Tuesday!

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  14. Hi Dawn, first I want to say thank you for always hitting my blog and leaving so many wonderful comments. I delight in reading them.
    Your Mandala is wonderful, I may have to join in after the first of the year.
    It is very cold here in SOCAL, down in the 20's at night, but warming up to 50' this afternoon, yesterday we didn't get near 50'.
    I do miss the smell of a live tree, but not the mess afterwards. With a wood burning stove in the living room it didn't take long for it to die, even with watering it constantly.
    Looks like you had a fun time with your sis, and the Mary and Joseph picture is adorable.
    The snowmen made me chuckle, my favorite? I think I fell for Elvis......LOL
    Happy T Day

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  15. Hi Dawn, thanks for stopping by my blog, so I'm happy to return the favor! What a great T for Tuesday (and Monday mandala) post you have. I love the photo you took of the berries - even if they kept falling over on you. Everything was so symmetrical. And, I got a kick out of the snowman decorating contest! Such a great idea.

    Hugs, Super Stamp Girl

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  16. Well that Elvis snowman melted my heart! Big Elvis fan here, although I do think the Grinch should have won something! Have a Happy T Day!

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  17. Happy Mandala Tuesday! lol It is a beauty this week.
    This time of year can be busy. I love looking at all the festive pictures you've shared.
    Have a great evening!!
    ~Dawn

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  18. Your mandalas always make me smile.
    You were able to find an awesome tree. I love how they look with lights only. I can not have a real tree in the house because Goldie is allergic to pine. I am looking forward to being able to have real trees again.

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  19. Hi Dawn! you are one of the lucky folks near the Lake! well, I always think of it that way anyway. I imagine 'lake effect' snow can be interesting... I am Southwest of you near Marion, OH. Just an hour North of Columbus. Go Bucks!! =)

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  20. Hi Dawn! the snowmen are all amazing and really wonderful. Looks like you had a great time! And it feels like I was right there with you, my friend! And I absolutely love your mandala and t-time photos, too. And I love the idea of having breakfast with Mary and Joseph! Your photo of the event is wonderful. And last but not least, thank you for sharing your Christmas tree photos! Just great!! Happy Holiday Season, Dawn! HUGS!!!!!

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  21. Hey! Look how late I am. Love the snowmen. Hot chocolate sounds really good. :) Belated Happy T-Day!

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