Thanksgiving 2012

The Thanksgiving holiday has came to pass. We were blessed to have lots of family and friends to spend it with again this year; and for that, I am THANKFUL. Our first stop was in White County with my family for Thanksgiving lunch at 1pm. Our second stop was with Stroker's family. There is always too much food to choose from there. There are usually about thirty of us that gather for dinner. My favorite is sweet potato's with macaroni. Nan made some really good chocolate pies too.

Black Friday sales started earlier this year. Some stores were opening at 8pm Thanksgiving night.  I do not enjoy the craziness of Black Friday shopping like my sister does. Every year she asks me to go, and every year I decline. I gave it a try a few years back and I told myself that I would never again put myself through the agony. My sister headed out (alone) around 7:15 Thursday night and shopped until almost 8am Friday morning. Insane.  She was so excited to tell me about all her purchases, but I was still happier to have gotten my good nights sleep in our nice warm bed.
My plans for Friday was to scrub bathtubs, bathrooms, swiffer the house and reorganize the kitchen cabinets. What I actually got accomplished Friday...NOTHING.  For five solid days, the four of us have been home with no work or school to go to and we have become lazy couch potato's. Well, other than all the cooking and visiting our families that took place on Wednesday and Thursday.
I hope we get our Christmas tree up soon. I usually put it up on Black Friday, but not this year.  Maybe we will get it up and decorated this week.

Thanksgiving Eve

I woke up this morning and went out to the grocery store to get a few items that I was lacking for my dinner preparations. I had slept in a bit, but made it to the store by 9am.  Luckily, I beat the crowd. When I arrived back home, I wound up stripping the beds, doing laundry and organising the desk and kitchen. Wait...those were not on my "to do" list today. That was just my "Attention Deficit Disorder" kicking in. It took me until 4pm to get back on track for dinner. Partially because I got finished up in a book that I started earlier this week.

Brookelynn helped me out quite a bit with my cooking. She and I have made another dish of dressing, another seven layer salad, more corn, another cheese danish, and two squash casseroles. I'm feeling accomplished this evening. Looking forward to feasting with our families tomorrow. Feeling exceptionally blessed to have multiple dinners to attend.

My heart saddens for those who do not have a meal or family to spend time with tomorrow.

Show Up Sunday

Today was our annual "Show Up Sunday" and "Feast of Thanksgiving" at church. Darlene and Gary joined us. I helped out in the kitchen through most of the dinner. I also turned on the ol' oven at home and cooked up some corn, dressing for the turkey, a cheese danish and made a seven layer salad. That's more food than I normally prepare in a month.
Our church dinner was one of those situations where there is too much food and not enough plate. I am so thankful to have found a church where we feel at home. Brookelynn wants to be there every time the doors are open.

Day of Parties

Today was the perfect day for an outdoor party...hehem I mean the perfect day for a Pirate Party. Jett celebrated his 5th birthday today with family and friends. We roasted hot dogs over the fire, ate cake, had a treasure hunt and Jett opened lots of new gifts.

Speaking of treasure, Brookelynn's friend Treasure also had a party today.

Treasure and four of her friends went for a spa pedicure at the end of the birthday party. They both came back to our house to spend the night. Of course they both stayed on their iPod's constantly.

Giving Thanks

Have you ever sat down at church and listened for the first five minutes only to realize God has sent the message specifically for you. Not only is His message speaking to your heart, but it was also delivered with perfect timing. Wednesday night Bible study was exactly that. I wish Stroker would have been there to share the message with me.

I am striving to be a Godly woman…. and it is difficult in this unGodly world. It is hard to not lose track of my emotions and start grumbling. I am striving to have a heart for Him…. not just the right words.
The Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” ~ Isa 29:13
And rest assured…. Satan loves nothing more than to attack us when we’re doing all that we can to grow closer to God. He has been rotten lately…. and I have struggled so much with his attacks as much as I hate to admit it. I am stumbling. But I am making progress.
Right now- I am at a place…. where I am striving to figure all of this out. Striving to be a wife that my husband wants to spend his time with. Striving to be the mother that my children can look to for joy and guidance. Striving to make giving thanks a daily habit…. not just in the month of November…. but always.

This Thanksgiving season and always….. I want to keep striving to be thankful in all circumstances. Because when I am…. I am acknowledging His will for my life. I am allowing Him to lead the way……

Doctor Doctor

Traveled to Knoxville early this morning for Devin's appointment.  The test took 10 minutes, but it took about an hour to wake him back up. The doctor said teenagers are always the hardest to wake up. Once they fall asleep, they are OUT.

 

He was kinda groggy for a while. We were all hungry by the time we got out of the hospital. We ended up at Hooters for lunch because they have good chicken sandwiches and it's not often that we get to enjoy them. We also tried fried pickles for the for the first time.

It was a rainy day. Stroker drove all the way home in the pouring rain. We laid down for a nap as soon as we got back and slept for over three hours. Whew...what a day.

Shop Till You Drop

I spent the most part of last week getting over my head cold that I caught during Brookelynn's slumber party. I am finally feeling like myself again.

I'm glad that I felt up to our shopping adventure to Christmas Village on Thursday. It took us around four and a half hours to make it through all of the vendors. I made off with some neat items. Most of them was for my self.  I should have been more focused on Christmas shopping I know.

On Saturday morning Maleigha and I went out on a shopping spree and didn't make it back home until almost 11pm. We didn't spend much time going through lots of items at each store, we just browsed around, bought a few things that caught our attention and moved on to the next place. Time passed so fast on Saturday. We didn't get to visit all the stores on our list, but what can you do? They start locking the doors around 9:00. Most of everything I bought on Saturday was for other people. That means that I have officially started Christmas shopping and if you would have seen all the bags in Maleigha's truck, you would think I was finished with Christmas shopping.

Sunday morning was my groups turn to bring breakfast at church. I made a cheese danish and smokies. We had to get there a little early so that I could help serve.

After breakfast, I helped in the sound booth by running the PowerPoint. That keeps me focused. No time to let my mind drift when I have to keep up with the projector.
Sunday afternoon, Devin and I took a trip to White County to visit mom. Devin drove part of the way.

I Vote for a Day of Shopping

Today was such a fun day for Brookelynn. What a great treat to have schools closed on your actual birthday. We like to say that schools were closed because of Brooke's birthday, but in reality, it was the presidential election that kept the kids out of school today. Most of the schools in our county are used for voting precincts. It just worked out that this year, election day fell on Brooke's birthday.

Brooke and I started the day off early this morning. She and I headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

While we ate breakfast, we discussed our agenda for the day. Originally, we wanted to take a big shopping trip in a city with lots more shopping options, but since we both came down with the crud over the weekend, we didn't feel like traveling far.

I took Brookelynn for a birthday manicure.

After her nails were neon, we hit a few outlet stores, before heading to Kohls.
She had a panda jacket there that she had wanted to buy. She was so excited to get to wear it out of the store. This evening, Stroker and I visited the polls to cast our ballets. Brookelynn went along with us to shadow us.

Aunt Darlene picked Brookelynn up at our house around 4:00 and took her to pick out birthday gifts from her and Gary. They shopped for a couple of hours before meeting up with us at Olive Garden for Brookelynn's birthday dinner.
We hung out at Olive Garden for almost two hours because "when your here, your family" (slogan).
We had dinner and cake and laughter. The presidential election was our topic several times too.

If Your Reading This...

If you’re reading this…. I said a prayer for you today.

I said a prayer for you because we all need prayer. We are all in desperate need of God’s grace…. whether we’re on top of the world or feeling utterly lost. And goodness knows that you can go from one to the other in seconds.
I said a prayer for you because I need a prayer said for me sometimes… and it’s comforting to know that someone might be saying one.
I said a prayer for you because my words go from my lips to His ears… just like yours do… and isn’t it incredible that He loves us so much that He will listen?
All the grieving and pain and sin in all this wretched world and all the people who are so much worse off than I am…. who are dwelling in far worse circumstances…. and He listens to me. He listens to every single one of us. It all just takes my breath away.
And when I’m having a day when I don’t feel special and when I feel alone in this busy ever-moving world…. I can sit still, ask for His comfort, and know that He hears my voice. I can know that He loves me with an everlasting love that even I, as a mother, can’t comprehend.
And even if the words don’t come out right…. and it isn’t any sort of eloquent prayer- I can still be faithful that it comes as music to His ears….. because just as I am delighted in His love for me- He delights in my love for Him.
I believe that He wants what’s very best for my short life…. that He has a future full of HOPE and prosperity…. that He will continue to guide me through good and bad circumstances and teach me to live rightfully through them all. And I believe that He is doing the same thing for you.
And how beautiful is it…. that we can sit down in peace and quiet, knowing these truths, and we can ask of Him whatever we desire.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.- Psalm 37:4
If you’re reading this…. I said a prayer for you today because I need prayer…. and because I am confident that you do too. We are all imperfect, we are all struggling in one small way or another, and we are all in need of some form of healing or forgiveness.
If you’re reading this…. I said a prayer for you today because…. we are blessed to serve an incredibly graceful God…. who loves us all just the same…. and listens to us all just the same, as well

It's the Thought that Counts

At some point over the last week, a germ managed to weasle itself into my body.

Yesterday afternoon I began sneezing so I took a singulair tablet. After about an hour of more sneezing, I decided to take a Zyrtec. Neither helped. After we got home from visiting mom, I was feeling pretty cruddy.

Stroker wanted to watch a football game last night, so I dosed up with Nyquill and hit the bed.
According to Stroker, I snored all night. I won't argue with that because everytime I woke up, which was a lot, I could not get air through my nose at all.
I didn't feel all that much better today either. My head was woozy and congested. I couldn't focus at church, and I felt achy all over. We had plans to attend a dinner for Bee's birthday at 2pm, so I asked Stroker to stop by Wal-Mart after church to pick up Bee a gift.
We purchased 3 items at Wal-Mart and went through the self check out. 2 packs of Sunkist orange drinks and a wireless computer mouse for Bee.  I remember putting the receipt in the bag with the mouse so that we would have it in case Bee had already bought himself a new one.  As we left the store, Stroker picked up a box of drinks with each hand (so he says). I walked out of the store placing my change back in my purse. I guess the kids walked out empty handed because when we got home we realized that no-one picked up the bag with the new computer mouse.

I called Wal-Mart, but no one had turned it in.

Of course noone turned it in I thought. They found an item in a bag with the reciept that had been bought with cash. Somebody's "lucky day" I guess.

When we went to dinner, we told be that it was "the thought that counts."

TTU Homecoming 2012

After a late night to bed last night, we got up this morning to go watch the Tennessee Tech Homcoming parade. This has become tradition over the last few years, as you have seen from my previous posts. A couple of the girls from the sleepover joined us this year. We met up with my brother-in-law and mother-in-law there. We had breakfast while we waited on the parade and the kids loaded up on hot chocolate even though the weather was in the 60's. They also got temporary tatoos and played on the giant slide.

I am so glad that we roll our clocks back one hour tonight for daylight savings time. I could use an extra hour of sleep.

11th Birthday

This year, Brookelynn wanted to celebrate her birthday by hosting a sleepover. We set a 4 friend limit, but that immediately grew to 5.  We made these invitations a couple of weeks ago.

We ordered this cake an picked it up Thursday before gymnastics. I thought it was sooo cute with the girls in their sleeping bags.

I started the decorating around 2pm Friday and Stroker went to pick up the kids from school around 3:00.
The party began as soon as the girls arrived home. There was giggling, squealing, laughing and all that fun stuff that comes with sleepovers. We roasted hot dogs over the fire that Stoker built. The hot dogs were followed by smore's (and flaming marshmallows). The girls had Stroker to look up dance moves on You Tube and we finally headed indoors.

While inside, the girls decorated a sleepover pillow case, played a nail polish game and wound up with some pretty wild nails, sang "Happy Birthday" ate cake, and Brookelynn opened her gifts.
This year, she received:
1. Mani/Pedi certificate from Treasure and Kali
2. iTunes gift card and lots of Mr. Bubble stationary from Ansley.
3.Panda earrings and a shirt from Cassidy.
4.Birthday card with $20 inside from Jalyn
5.New Boots, jean jacket, winter coat and a new iPod touch from Mom, Dad and Devin.

She was very pleased with all of her gifts.
We ended the night with a movie. When we tried to determine every bodies sleeping arrangements, all the girls wanted to sleep on the air mattresses. I never would have thought that air mattresses would have been such a hit. We finally got everybody settled down for bed and called it a night.
Brookelynn had a great birthday party. I am glad that I decided to make these nifty personalized cups, it saved me from throwing away unclaimed half full drinks all night.