New Year's Eve

It is New Year's Eve. I have been looking back at all the photos I have taken this year. Even though I took a lot I still wish I had taken more. I love looking back at those little memories on paper. Each one represents an event, a day, something fun or memorable that we did together as a family.

If you read my newspaper blog at all you know that I am big into traditions. My Mom is to blame for that (blame in a good way). She developed our traditions as we were growing up. We love them... even the ones we pick on her for like her singing jingle bells that she turns on each Christmas morning.

Now I enjoy making traditions for my boys. Who knows if they will love them as much as I do, but I can't seem to give them up. I've seen both sides... families with tradition and families without tradition. I prefer the traditions.

New Year's Eve is tonight so that means we are going to play games, have breakfast, and give the boys new calendars and devotional books. It may not sound exciting to anybody else, but it is what we do. We love to have people join us, but the basics stay the same: breakfast and games.

This is our favorite muffin recipe. My sister made it last year for Christmas and it became a breakfast favorite.

Southern Living Sausage Cheese Muffins

1 (1-lb.) package ground pork sausage
3 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can condensed cheese soup
3/4 cup water

1. Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and cool.

2. Combine sausage, baking mix, and shredded cheese in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

3. Stir together soup and 3/4 cup water; add to sausage mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans, filling to top of cups.

4. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Our Year In Photos

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

What A Game!

If you had to pick a Mississippi State game to go to this year, we picked the right one!

When we rolled into Memphis on Friday it was raining and I was convinced that it must be raining some football fans also with the amount of people roaming the streets wearing team colors.

Our hotel was in downtown Memphis just seconds from the Peabody Hotel which meant we were in the thick of the Bulldog fun. My ears, and probably the entire city of Memphis, are still ringing from all of the cowbells.

Here are some of our highlights from the weekend:

Favorite numbers: 10 - 3 The score of the game, of course!

Favorite sight: The smile on my husband's face at the football game

Favorite sign: "I need less cowbell!" -- from a UCF fan sitting in front of us.

Favorite request: My son's request for hot chocolate... not to drink, but to pour in his shoes to warm up his toes at the football game.

Favorite fun: Jillian's three story arcade and an empty heated indoor pool

Favorite food: Strawberry and banana crepes from The Crepe Maker

Least favorite discovery: The lines for the bathrooms at the football stadium. One ladies bathroom had 72 women in line!! (Yes, my 6 year old and I counted!)

It was a great weekend and we plan to do it again next year when Croom takes the Dawgs to their next Bowl game!