Poppa's sleigh carried the wide load...

to Lily's house this morning! Nonna and Poppa gave Lily her very own playhouse for Christmas! Over the past few months, Poppa has been spending his spare time building this extra special present! Not just any playhouse, this one has shingles, flower boxes, electricity, air conditioning, hard wood floors and even a human door on the side.

Very early this morning, we followed Poppa's sleigh for the journey to Lily's house!

Down Broadway the entire way...good thing there was not much traffic this Christmas morning...

We made it without a hitch and Lily came running out to see her playhouse!

She couldn't wait for it to be unloaded...

She wasn't sure what to think at first, so her daddy crawled in with her...

Then the unloading began...

Safely on the ground...time for Lily to really check it out!

Lily giving her Poppa a huge Thank you kiss...

What a wonderful way to spend Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas to all...

and to all a good night!

Prayer Requests...

Words can not express how thankful I am for everyone in my life. While 2010 has had some joyous occasions, one will remember it also had some trying moments. On this Christmas Eve, my heart is heavy for everyone who is lonely, sick, grieving or missing that special someone...there are 3 families that our heavy on my heart. I ask the Lord that he wraps them in his arms and comforts them through the long road ahead.

The family of Lynn Oswalt who had a massive heart attack and passed away on this Christmas Eve morning.

Lisa Jett (Logan's mom) who found out this week that she has a very abrasive form of Breast Cancer and a very long road ahead.

Anna O'Neal (Caleb & Emily's brother in law's sister) who is on hospice at home in Hot Springs.

Is it really Christmas Adam already???

WOW! I’ve definitely celebrated this year more than any in the past, but I have such a calm feeling…truly enjoying each moment of this season and feeling oh so blessed and not at all stressed.

So, as promised...some December highlights…

On December 3rd, my dear college friend, Torrey, and her husband Dan welcomed Savannah Smith Linder to this wonderful world…what a cutie she is and I can’t wait to meet her!

Went to Molly and Logan’s for the 1st Christmas party in their new house…Celebrated with our neighbors at an appetizer party...hosted two dinner parties, which were oh so much fun...I love our house decorated for Christmas!

Hosted all my Thursday night volunteers for a 2011 planning meeting and Holiday party…yummy food, fresh baked cookies and ice cream, and lots of spirits…very thankful for these wonderful women and everything they do for the Lester Community Center…

Painted a greyhound at the Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Christmas party and sand fundraiser…I even won the door prize (an adopted greyhound and basket full of treats…they are holding the greyhound for me)!

Enjoyed Dinner with the Memphis Delta Pi’s…oh what fun…

Enjoyed Christmas carols, Christmas bingo, Christmas foods and Christmas stockings at our Thursday Night Supper Club Christmas party with the families at Lester! The Lester community center is a huge blessing to me…

Now, the presents are wrapped and I'm off tomorrow (HOORAY!)! I plan to sleep a little late and do a little baking before heading to Christmas Eve service and dinner at mom and dads. Happy, Happy 2010 Christmas Adam to you and yours!

So much to recap...

so little time...What a wonderful time of the year! Been booked solid this month, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately, I haven't taken too many photos, but I have penciled in a blog update for Thursday night between present wrapping and Holiday baking!

Here for the Party...

Molly is hosting a party for the 'Ladies' of Success, so mom and I came to help her out...however, she doesn't need much help! She is quite the 'Suzie' homemaker! Their house is beautiful, their stockings are hung by the chimney with care and all 5 trees are perfect!

"All I need...

is a race car track, race cars and a baby swing."

On the 1st weekend of December...

we celebrated Emily's 29th Birthday with a sleigh ride through a winter wonderland! The A&P commission decorates a local park and several streets in West Memphis with major Christmas lights! I was very impressed...they even had 'snow'. We also roasted marsh mellows for smores and had hot cider, hot chocolate and what Lily called 'chino'. We could have karaoked, but since Caleb wasn't with us, we headed back to mom and dads for Ray's hot wings (per request from Emily), presents and cake.
Molly and Lily bundle up...

Poppa and Lily enjoy the snow in West Memphis...

Waiting for our sleigh ride...

Mom's roasting a marsh mellow for her smores!

Molly and Lily meet Carley...Lily loved his hat!

The family is all aboard...

When we got back, Lily wanted to help Nonna ice Emily's cake...

however she ate more than she iced!!

Helping Momma blow out her candles.

Sporting the bow from her momma's present.

Thanksgiving 2010 Recap...

In the fashion of our Thanksgiving traditions, we drove to Knoxville on Wednesday after work, so Ray could meet his buddy Mike for breakfast at Waffle House on Thanksgiving morning, then onto Kingsport for lunch, Michigan rummy and dinner and then to his parents house in Asheville for a few days. This year we went to Ray's aunt and uncle's house, Greg and Linda, on Thanksgiving day. The food was fantastic and a good time was had by all. To continue in the celebrating, on Friday night, Ashley, Ray's sister, got engaged to AJ...

The happy couple...AJ is in his final year at West Point. They have lots of adventures ahead of them...

All the children with their parents...

And the grandchildren...

Aunt Pam, Uncle Keith, Brandon and Kristen

Aunt Linda, Uncle Greg and Gregory

The Helsley Family...

Half time tradition...

I look forward to the half time of the Kentucky game each year for 12 days of Christmas! Honestly, I thought they were weak, but still fun:

On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
More parking spaces for UT
Second: A Bowl game for TN
Third: Another Super Bowl for Peyton Mannning
Forth: An Escalator for The Hill
Fifth (and best in my opinion) The Same Coach Next year
Sixth: 9 championships for the Lady Vols
Seventh: Free texting for every Vol
Eight: Lower taxes for every Vol
Ninth: Lower tuition at Tennessee
Tenth: Best School song in the South Eastern Conference
Eleventh: Peace on earth for everyone
Twelfth: Best band in the whole country

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

That's right...

79 yards on the kick off...let's go VOLS!!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

So Blessed...

I thank the good Lord everyday for all the Blessings in my life. As you all know, I've been Blessed with the best parents, sisters, extended family and friends a girl could ask for. I'm extremely thankful that both mom and dad have recovered from their surgeries...Ray's dad is out of the hospital and doing well...I'm thankful that I get to write my Grandma Deen a letter every week...for Lily and that she likes to spend the night and sometimes likes to talk to me on the phone...I'm thankful for the opportunity the Jr League has given me this year as a volunteer at the Lester Community Center and the relationships/difference we've made there...thankful for modern technology and this blog...very little work travel...for weddings and all the healthy babies that have been born to dear friends and the babies on the way...for smiles...Thanksgiving at Ray's Aunts... good attitudes and outlooks on life. I'm thankful for life, love and all the possibilities of ever after! Here's to the Holiday season...
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Thank you...

Postmaster and magazine editors for filling our mailbox today...makes the drive across Tennessee that much easier!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Busy Cooking...

Lily's busy cooking...while I'm 'busy' working! Emily said when she turned on the mixer and powdered sugar went everywhere, Lily said "I'm a mess!"
This picture made my day...

Oh yes it is...

Pumpkin Roll time...which can only mean one thing...Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Ray just let me know that he needed a dessert for a potluck at work tomorrow...good thing I just happen to have the stuff for a pumpkin roll. I'll be making another tomorrow night to take to Ray's families Thanksgiving or I might make the pumpkin cheese cake along with some of the almost famous Mississippi Mud Brownies (that his grandmother loves), homemade salsa and another dip...I LOVE this time of the year!

I HATE...

Internet Shopping...I just checked my credit card statement and realized that since Monday, I've made 8 online purchases...8 and the sad thing is that only 4 are presents...I have to stop this madness...The bright side is that none of them are from drunk ebay (Ray)!

Hello, My name...

is Brooke Helsley and I have an internet shopping problem. I LOVE being able to make a purchase with a few clicks and the product arrives on my door steps in a few days. I LOVE to have the opportunity to shop in all my favorite stores that Memphis is not lucky enough to have (Nordstroms, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Lands End, Coach Factory, etc). I LOVE being able to search for the best price around and to use promotion codes. I LOVE not having to drive to the store, search for a parking place, battle the crowd, sweat in the stores that think the heat should be on when it is 70 outside, smile at the saleswomen (when you can find one) who tell you everything you try on looks great, wait forever in the check out line and carrying your purchases all over the mall. Now I'm not a scrooge, I still LOVE going in the little shops...the Davis Kidds and the Merry Magnolias of the world, but really that is where my LOVE for shopping ends these days!

Ray has always LOVED to shop online, so I guess that is where I got it from...look how happy online shopping makes my LOVE...

I just LOVE...

this time of the year...I LOVE fall and cool weather and changing leaves and the anticipation of LOTS of family time over the Holidays.

I LOVE Downtown Dining Week - We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Felicia Suzannes' tonight. My Chicken crepes were so light, yet filling and the White Chocolate and Fresh Coconut Bread Pudding with warm TN Whiskey Sauce and Spiced Cream was fantastic.

I'm in LOVE with the pumpkin cheesecake that Molly posted several weeks ago and the new Club Multi-Grain crackers and Wickles (you must try them...Emily sells them at Lily's along with lots of great food baskets) and so far I LOVE Ray's new job (where he doesn't travel as much)!!

Finally I LOVE this picture of Lily and I on the Merry Go Round from the zoo last month...I kept forgetting to post it!

My LOVE post is To Be Continued...

I Fly Again...

Last weekend when Lily spent the night, she was laying on the pillow on the floor while I put my make up on...well Ray thought it would be fun to swing her on the pillow...little did he know he would get a major arm work out as Lily kept saying 'I fly again, pleeeease Ray!'

Ribbon Cutting

Yesterday at lunch, I went to the Ribbon Cutting of the updated computer lab at the Lester Community Center. Check out the story that WREG ran.

Click on the Good News tab on the top of www.wreg.com.

Only in Memphis...

'I mean this pushes Memphis up 5 notches' per Ray Helsley
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Let's go VOLS...not off to a great start...

Let's hope it gets better...
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Good Morning...

Were watching cartoons with our babies and our three teddy bears! Looking forward to visiting an Aardvarks' class later this morning!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Showing off her masterpiece...

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Lily and Ray

Color as they wait for their dinner.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

I love...

Birthday Cupcakes...
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Maybe we should rewrite...

7-7!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®