My Favorite Picture of the Month - December from Happy Mom

Hello and Happy New Year!  December sure seemed to fly by, and here we are, embarking on a brand New Year.  I hope and pray that 2017 brings abundant blessings and much love to all!

For the Swap-bot swap "Favorite Picture - December," I've selected a few from my trip up to Connecticut and a few from Christmas.  I hope you like them.

I seem to have terrible luck when it comes to travel.  I was booked from Richmond to Dulles to Hartford, but got rebooked when my Richmond-Dulles flight was delayed and I would have missed the connection.  Instead, I went to Newark and would have arrived in Hartford at 4 instead of 2.  However, the flight from Newark was delayed several times, and to avoid being stuck in Newark overnight and missing the meeting in CT, I picked up a rental car at Newark and drove to Wallingford.  It was rush hour by the time I hit the George Washington Bridge, but I made it to CT by 7 PM, and was glad I got there in one piece!  The flight from Newark did make it, but it would have been after 11 PM when I got to the hotel.

Driving from Newark to Wallingford

Girl and her dog at the airport

The trip home was much less stressful, and it was good to be here.  I spent the rest of the month wrapping up as much as I could for this year's sales and finished with a great month!  

Here are some pictures from our Christmas.  My daughter is our tree decorator and she always does a beautiful job.  "Santa" was good to us this year, as you can see.

Lots of gifts!

My amazing kids 

My son came home for the holidays from Tennessee with plans to purchase a new car while he's here.  We got him squared away on Christmas Eve, and then my husband decided to trade in his car too.  He got his new car the day after Christmas.  Our driveway looks like a Honda dealership!

Michael's new ride

Jacob's new ride

My daughter started her new job on December 27th and really seems to like it.  She has her own cubicle and is so happy to be out of retail! 

Callie's Cubicle

Lastly, we went to dinner at Tazza Kitchen and snapped a group selfie on the way out.  

Johnson Family, December 2016

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few photos from this past month, and that your year was a good one.  There is so much to be thankful for and so many things to look forward to -- I wish you a cozy Winter, early Spring and many happy days ahead!

My Favorite Photo of the Month - November - from Happy Mom

Hello Swappers & Friends!  

Here are a few of my favorite photos from November.  

I so enjoy sharing them with you -- Even if you're not assigned to send your photos to me for the swap, I love receiving them.  It's so nice to get a glimpse of life around the world!  Thanks for sharing, and if we are partners on Swap-bot, thanks for posting a rating for me.  

A butterfly landed on my finger

These first few photos were taken on a road trip to Georgia.  A group on online friends were getting together in Atlanta to visit with one member who was visiting the US from Australia.  We went hiking, ate lunch and dinner together and had such a perfect weekend!  We've been online friends for years, and a few have met in person before, but for the most part, this was a first for most of us!

View from the mountaintop

 

Working Moms online group

These next photos are just some shots I took showing the different faces of fall.

Very foggy morning

The sun illuminated the leaves 

 

Finally started seeing some colors!

 Our Thanksgiving meal was delicious, and I was especially proud of my low carb pumpkin cheesecake with real whipped cream.  I changed my diet early in the month, and I'm eating high protein, low carb.  So far, so good.  I've lost 10 pounds - and have 20 to go!

My last offering this month is a graphic I found online.  I've been frustrated with the negativity and divisiveness after the presidential election, and I like the reminder from Galatians about how we act when filled with the Holy Spirit:

That's it for this month -- Thanks for taking a look 

at my photos and have a wonderful Christmas!

My Favorite Pictures - October

Hello Swappers and Friends!

Here are my photos for October - I hope you like them!

These first two were taken at the Metro Richmond Zoo.  I had been wanting to see the giraffes there for a few weeks, so one Saturday morning, I got up and went!  Our zoo's giraffe exhibit lets you get very close and you can feed them zoo food.  How fun!

These next 4 pictures are from a quick road trip to Virginia Beach for work.  I am a regional sales manager for my company, and I cover all of Virginia and parts of West Virginia.  I love staying at the oceanfront any time I head to the Tidewater area of the state.  The sunrises are spectacular, and even a cloudy, windy day can have amazing sights!  

And my final picture for this month was taken at Game 5 of the World Series.  This is my brother and nephew.  We are lifelong Cubs fans and it's so exciting to watch them play in the World Series!  

I'm happy that they got to go to the game.  

That's it for this month - If we're partnered on Swap-bot, please post a rating for me.  And even if you're not assigned to send your swap to me, I'd love to see your pictures too.  Have a great month, and I'll catch ya next time!

MY PET email photo swap - from Happy Mom

Oh yes --- posting pictures of my dog is always fun!  I'm sharing both my dog, Princess Leia, and my son's dog, Pica.  Both dogs were adopted from shelters - Pica as a puppy and Leia had been a stray.  Pica lived with us for 2 years because my son couldn't keep her at his college apartment, so she's been part of our family since the beginning.  My son moved out of state, but Pica's been back to visit several times and just fits right in when she's here.  Leia has to be the most tolerant and patient "big cousin" ever -- she lets Pica take the spotlight, but I swear she's happy to be the queen again when Pica goes home!

Leia is some kind of spaniel mix - black and white, and 9 years old.  Pica is a hound mix - brown and black, 4.5 years old.  Hope you enjoy these photos!

Leia loves her walks!

Walking the two of them together isn't easy!

Always sitting pretty!

Rough day?

Pica has such long legs!

Yes, as a matter of fact, she is the queen!

More walks - can't get enough!

Looking out the bedroom window

Leia loves getting in the water on her walks

Looking for treats!

The game is on, and we're rooting for the Nats!

Thanks for taking a look at my photos - Hope you enjoyed meeting Pica and Leia!

While you're here, I hope you'll check out some of my previous blog posts. 

I'm enjoying being able to share my thoughts on here!

All the best,

Ilyse - Happy Mom

My Favorite Picture of the Month - September - From Happy Mom

Hi Swappers & any friends who stop by!

For this month, my photos come from travels with friends and time with family.  It's been a good month, but I'm not ready for colder weather.  I started the month with a trip to Marco Island, Florida, with my best friend Margaret.  First is a photo from the pier where we had brunch one day, and the second is the two of us finding sea shells.  We were there just after Hurricane Hermine, so the shells were amazing!

We had a nice vacation, and it was so hard to come back to work!

I finally got to meet my son's new girlfriend, as they came to visit on September 10-11, and we all went up to Washington, DC for a Nationals Baseball game.  

Here's a picture of our group:

L-R:  Michael, me, Callie, Bria, Ande, Jacob


Here are some additional random shots I took or found this month:

Tobacco growing in rural Virginia

Pretty skies and vegetation

  

This is one I found online to use as my wallpaper on my phone

I'm trying to enjoy Fall this year.  Usually, I mourn the fading of Summer, but I'm really doing my best to stay positive this year.  It's been a challenge because the weather has been dreary and rainy, but there's lots to look forward to.  I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures, and feel free to read some of my previous blog posts while you're here.

Have a Happy Fall!

Posted with Love,
Ilyse - Happy Mom

Where I Live - swap from Happy Mom

The idea is to share photos and give your partners a good idea about where you live. I find it fascinating to see life through others' eyes, and hope you'll enjoy a quick visit here with me.  

These first two photos are from the front of our lot, looking up to the house from our driveway, and then looking up the street.  That mailbox is where I get my mail.  If you've ever sent me a swap via snail mail - that's where it was delivered.

This next shot was taken standing in front of the house, looking to the left side.  The garden is done for this year, and we really need to work on regrowing the grass in the back yard.  It's one big mud puddle right now.  If you look towards the tree line, you'll see a concrete angel sitting on a bench.

Here's a closer shot of the bench and the angel, along with my front porch angel too.  

And my "fur angel" always has to know what I'm up to -- That's Leia, my 9 year old English Spaniel/hound dog mutt -- You won't find a sweeter dog anywhere!

Also outside is the shed, AKA - the Man Cave.  The plan is to tear this one down and replace it with one for Christmas - My hubby spends a lot of time out there, and he deserves a decent place.  Right now, it's creepy- cobwebs, bugs - YUCK!  

Alright - Come on inside and take a look around!

First, we walk through the Living Room, and then into the kitchen.

 

We had our carpets cleaned today, so stuff is everywhere 

while the floors dry.  The first picture is taken from inside my son's bedroom, through his door and into my daughter's room.  My son moved out of state after college, so his room has become a guest room and storage space.  The second photo is a custom bookcase that my daughter's boyfriend built for her when he remodeled her room.  She never has enough room for all her stuff!

So - that's the tour of where I live.  This last shot is from the entrance of my neighborhood.  I hope you enjoyed the visit, and come back any time!

Thank you for remembering to post a rating after you've viewed this swap.

Cheers,

Ilyse  -  Happy Moom