Christmas season has begun🎁🎅🎄

Friday marked the start of the Christmas season❤️ I spent most of my Friday afternoon setting up my families 12ft Christmas tree!! 

There is still tons of work to be done for the decorating process and more lights to be strung! While in the process of setting up today my dad and I found ourselves being frustrated with the lights not all working and the tree not fluffing properly when we stopped and realized... Some people will work to save every penny they have to provide some sort of a Christmas for their family of they provide any Christmas at all and we were sitting here frustrated with our tree and it's imperfections. 

Christmas in my family is usually on a whole other level! White Christmas will be watched about 50 times and national lampoon will be played on repeat most days! Frank Sinatra or Kenny Chesney will be our Christmas music of choice and you won't walk in with out smelling a Christmas tree scented candles!! It's honestly the most wonderful time of the year! Not just for the presents but for the tradition and the memories! Along with my awesome start to the Christmas season I was able to eat dinner with three  of my most favorite people at my most favorite place! 

Like I mentioned earlier this week if you are in the lake weir area you must stop by Eaton's beach sandbar and grill and get the Cajun sweet fried chicken! It's amazing😍 I finished my awesome day by coming home to my sisters awesome redecorating skills! 

Still some finishing touches to be made but looking super adorable and in the Christmas season! 

Tomorrow is the big college game Florida vs. Florida State and unfortunately I think we all know the victor of that battle😔 I'm excited to share some of my gameday goodies tomorrow which include some bacon wrapped smokies and guten free 7 layer dip!

  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with all your family and friends.. I look forward to sharing all of my gameday goodie❤️

Turkey day and family fun❤️

I feel so blessed to have had the week that I have. I have enjoyed spending so much time with family and friends catching up and creating amazing memories❤️ 

I also had time to go and check out my family friends awesome deer farm and spend time with previous baby sweet tea and see an albino deer! Make sure to check out Galaxy White tail solutions!! 

It's weeks like this that truly just make me appreciate were I came from and the people I am surrounded by!

  My family spent our Thanksgiving out on my aunt and uncles farm enjoying the redneck things in life like mason jar cups and trash can turkeys! Before you judge on the thought of a trash can turkey it's this process of pretty much smoking the turkey! It was deliscious😍 And as always we held our annual Thanksgiving kickball game and unfortunately my team was the losing team. You win some you lose some though the best part was just to have everyone in good health to play and participate! 

It's all the little things that matter!! 

Now that Thanksgiving is over we stRt the Christmas season which is my favorite time of year from the food, mood, and movies there isn't anything I could say is much better! I can't wait to share my favorite movies and Christmas goodies with you for the next month! Well again I hope you enjoyed your holidays and the your cup overflows with love and joy and may your holiday season and rest of this year bring you good health and prosperity!! 

Thankful Tuesday 🙏❤️

It's thankful Tuesday❤️ have you sat and thought of why you are thankful on the wonderful Tuesday?

 Besides the Thankful Tuesday challenge I am challenging you to sit and answer the Gratitude Challenge: 

• write 10 living people you are grateful for

• write 10 people who have died that you are grateful for

•write 10 material possessions you are grateful for 

•write 10 things about nature you are grateful for 

•write 10 things about today you are thankful for 

• write 10 things on earth you are thankful for 

•write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for 

•write 10 foods you are grateful for 

•write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful

**Also Make sure to stop by my poll and answer what you are most thankful for this week**

(Working on my list still) I would love to hear comments or see pictures of the list you make! 

It's amazing some people may sit and answer these questions with no issues but some may struggle. I'm not gonna lie there were times on this list I found it difficult to answer some of the points. This issue comes from not taking every day to its fullest. I find myself somedays rushing through and not noticing the things happening around me. I myself is taking the challenge to grow in my gratitude not only for others but for God as well! I refer back to the statistics I qouted the other day cause they just strike so hard with me!!

   "If you own just one Bible ... you are abundantly blessed. 1/3 of all the world does not have access to one.

   If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
   If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
   If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
   If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.
   If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
   If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States.
   If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
   If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.
    If you prayed yesterday and today ... you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
   If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God and as your Saviour ... you are blessed as being part of a small minority in the world ... A men ... 2jesus"

   I woke up this morning thankful to get another day with the people I love doing what I am passionate about. I woke up thankful to be surrounded by family on this holiday season I woke up this morning just simply feeling blessed. It's heartbreaking to know that there will be children and families this holiday season let alone any other day of the year that will not be able to afford food and gifts. This past Sunday at my church they asked that if anyone was willing to please stop by in the concourse and pick up a card that would have a child's name, age, and the one thing they were asking for Christmas. My family chose a young girl and boy and all they asked for were some clothes. This blew my mind that these children could ask for any one thing and all they wanted was some clothes. I can reflect back and remember Christmas list of mine that I am pretty sure my parents would have had to take out mini fortunes to pay for but every year all the things on that were not only on my list but my siblings list were under the tree. It's crazy the things we take for granted. So this Christmas season challenge yourself to find ways to give back to the community. There is a great website called www.DoSomething.org and they are an organization that sets up campaigns through out the year to raise awareness about different causes and one really awesome one right now is Jeans for teens! Make sure to go check it out. Well I wish you all a blessed day and will check in at the end of the day to see how your thankful Tuesday has been. Have a blessed day!

Orange Blossom Gals fun❤️

Blessed was my Monday today❤️ I had a wonderful day spending time with my grandmother eating lunch at a one of my new favorite places Eaton's Beach. I recommend if you are in The Lake Weir area you stop in and try because the food is amazing. 

This is a pic of the yummy food I had today called the Louisiana sweet fried chicken😍 besides lunch and a great day with my grandmother I spent the rest of my afternoon and most if this evening working on my online jewelry, clothing, and monogramming boutique called www.orangeblossomgals.com

We spent the weekend taking pictures and added a bunch of new jewelry and clothing!

So many new luxe tops and adorable statement necklaces and dangle necklaces❤️

If you haven't checked out the website make sure to go do so and share with all your friends!! I'm so excited that I have been able to make a passion of mine a reality! 

Along with my great Monday I am looking forward to Thankful Tuesday! Be looking forward to an awesome deal tomorrow with www.orangeblossomgals.com and for my thankful Tuesday post❤️ Have a great night all! 

The Power of Gratitude

Today I attended church with my family at  Church at the Springs like I do most Sundays when home from college. With the holiday season upon us this weeks message was one I felt so powerful  about and felt like I should share❤️ 

The message this week was called The Power of Gratitude.. Thanksgiving for Christians is not a holiday but a lifestyle. It's something that we as human beings should show everyday! The service started out with the benefits of gratitude.. The first point being: 

1. Gratitude improves my relationships. 

We as human beings tend to take those around us for granted. We think these pleasant thoughts in our head but don't always express how we feel about one another from day to day. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 it says, "so encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." Meaning continue to show thanks.. Gratitude is said to be on of the healthiest relationships an individual will ever have. Which brings us to another point of today's sermon which is "gratitude develops my faith.." And "Remember that everything good comes from God." Pastor Ron made one of the best analogies in my opinion for this, "stop trying to make something happen and let the ball come to you." Meaning put your faith in God even when times get rough and don't try to force anything cause God will lead you in the right direction. 

Pastor Ron left us with these two food for thoughts at the closing of today's sermon he said 1. "STOP COMPLAINING," there are only 38 days left of this year so stop he read off these statistics:

"If you own just one Bible ... you are abundantly blessed. 1/3 of all the world does not have access to one.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.

If you prayed yesterday and today ... you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God and as your Saviour ... you are blessed as being part of a small minority in the world ... A men ... 2jesus"

His final point for the day was start a daily discipline of thanks. He challenged everyone with the idea of with social media on Tuesday we get Thankful Tuesdays going. You share your reason of why you are thankful for God and all his work. So I challenge everyone to do so as well. 

So as I close my Sunday evening I sit down with my bible and my God's girl devotional and realize how blessed I am to just have came from dinner and a great night of bowling with my wonderful family and friends and that tonight I get to sleep in a warm bed with a roof over my head and food in the fridge. God bless you all and have a wonderful rest of your Sunday evening.. 

Man I ❤️college..

These are the best years of your life they say.. Well whoever they are got it right! I'm living every minute of this crazy journey and can't wait to share with you along the way❤️

From football games to concerts I have done it all this semester! Made new friends and lost a few old ones❤️ But I'm enjoying every minute of this crazy beautiful life 

The holiday season..

With the holiday season approaching and the end of my first semester of college near I decided it was a good time to take a look back and reflect on all the things I have learned these past couple months and give thanks!

This first semester has been a crazy ride! It has had it's ups and it's down but in all honestly mostly it's ups!! In this first semester I have secured two jobs which by the way if your are not busy in Thursdays go check out the Florida lottery and you can see me do the midday draw!

Along with the two jobs I have launched my own little online retail and monogram boutique. The best part is I have done all this while maintaining my grades and making it to a football game or two! Through this whole journey though I have to thank my parents for all their love and support they are constantly reminding me at how hard I have worked to get to where I am and how much harder I need to work to get to where I want to be!  I'm so excited for what the spring semester holds for me  but before that I can't wait to enjoy this holiday season with my wonderful friends and family!
     The holidays are a time for good food, family, and memories! I am excited for great times with my family. I wish all of you a happy holidays❤️

P.S.: two years ago at the ranch I went to long for a pass and ripped right through my jeans.. Lol