Tags, Tags, and More Tags

Wow!  I can't believe that today is the last day of November.  Only 25 more days until one of my favorite holidays.  :)  I always look forward to celebrating Jesus b-day but do not look forward to everything that needs to be done to prep for the it.  I am thankful though that my work load slows down in December so that I can enjoy prepping for Christmas be able to reflect on the real meaning of the season.  Today I am going to share what I made and received for this month's tea swap.  It has continue to be so much fun participating in the tea swap each month because of the optional themes that Fran comes up with.  I think following the theme for the swap makes it a lot more fun.  This month the participants were asked to make Christmas tags.  This is what I made for Melanie.

These are the fabulous and super detailed tags that she made for me.  I love them all!

This is how the tag holder looks closed.  Along with the tags, tag holder, and the cute pocket tea holder

she also sent me a RAK in my favorite theme- a Hawaiian theme.  Check out all the yummy goodies and fun crafty items that she suprised me with. 

Melanie, thank you so much for all the hard work that you put into making everything and for your generous RAK.  Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Thanksgiving Cards and My New Friend

Happy Monday!  I hope that everyone had a good weekend and have recovered from all the eating for Thanksgiving.  Those of of you that went shopping on Black Friday I hope that you found some good deals. :)  I think I ate enough during Thanksgiving to last me for a month.  No Black Friday shopping for me this year since I spent enough on our trip to to SB.  Okay enough writing about eating and shopping.  It's time to share some Thanksgiving cards that I received.  Here are two cards that I received from good friends.

Aren't both of them just great!  Before ending my post for today I wanted to share with you one more picture from my mini vacation.  It's a picture of me feeding a giraffe. 

My son and I both had the opportunity to feed one.  What a fun, but scary experience it was.  It was a bit scary because we were afraid that his long, sticky tongue would lick us when we were feeding it a piece of lettuce.  I was lucky that it did not lick me.  I think my son received a little lick.   Thanks for stopping by today.

A Mini Vacation

I hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and took some time to reflect on God's goodness in your life.  My Thanksgiving was extra special for my family and I becausewe got to celebrate it with both sides of our family.  I also felt like it was more special because I had the whole week off from work which made celebrating Thanksgiving feel less rushed.  It gave me time to not only relax, but to take more time to reflect on God's blessings.  Since my kids also had a week off, my hubby and I thought that it would be fun to go on a mini vacation to beautiful Santa Barbara for four days.  We loved it there.  Everything from the beaches

to the restaurants, to all the buildings were absolutely breathtaking.  The SB Mission

and courthouse were my favorites.

Even though my family and I are do not like heights we were brave enough to go to the top of the courthouse clock tower to see a grand view of the entire SB.

Along with doing lots of sightseeing and eating

we also did some shopping.  Benson and the kids purcahsed an early Christmas present for me.  :)   Not only was I able to get my present I went into one of my favorite stores- Paper Source and took pictures of some awesome samples of cards, flowers, and 3D projects.  My favorite was this gigantic flower.

It looked so realistic.  I love making flowers so hopefully one day I will be able to make a flower this pretty.  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from my heart to yours!  I hope that you are having a wonderful day today reflecting on how much you have to be grateful for.  This year on the first day of this month God put on my heart to take time each day to reflect upon His goodness in my life.  On my way to work each day I usually pray for God blessing upon my day as well as on my family's day.  Along with doing that this month, God has brought to my mind each day one person to thank Him for.  I feel very fortunate for all the people that God has placed in my life.  Each one I know God has placed in my life for a purpose and thank Him for how He has used each of them to bless my life.  Like me I hope that you had a chance to be thankful for the different things and people that you have been blest with.  Have a blessed day everyone and try to not eat too much turkey!  :)

A Special Welcome Message

Welcome to the second edition of my blog!  I appreciate each of you for taking time to see what I have to continue to share as I continue on my blogging journey.  I hope and pray that as I start this new edition that God will help me to continue to use it to minister to others and share His love with others. If you'd like to look at my old blog you can still view it at 4hawaiianmonkeys.blogspot.com