Week (and month) in Review

Bullet-points, or I'll not get it all in...
This last week has been BUSY...

• Thanksgiving, November 24
• Heather's birthday November 25
• Drive back to VA from SC on Saturday, November 26
• Church on Sunday
• Put the "not-boyfriend", 2 little girls, 1 neighbor girl, and the 14-year-old to work raking leaves...4 bags out to the street.
• Kids back to school on Monday
• Jason and Laura raked 10 more bags of leaves out of the back yard.
• Laura finishing final projects on Monday
• Monday also included kids to venturing, one kid to PT, and Jason to a birthday party.
• Laura back to school Tuesday (ALL day)
• Tuesday the dogs got out and wandered the neighborhood for 4 hours...lots of worry and tears...
• Wednesday was a work-day, and shopping at the exchange.
• One kid to PT on Wednesday.
• Thursday was a work-day, and a relatively quiet evening at home.

November also included:

• Jason completed his year in Bahrain and arrived home on November 5th.
• Frances got her class ring stuck on her finger, and had to have it cut off. 
• I had to get two tires replaced on our 2008 van.
• We traded in our 2008 van for a 2012 van...2 weeks after the tire change.
• We all survived another month of school.
• We got the new Christmas tree set up...but no decorations on it...still need to find the box of ornaments.  

I know it's not November any more...we're going to a Christmas party tonight!!  And two kids are going to a Leadership seminary.  And Jason is running a 10-mile race tomorrow.  Whatever happened to calm and quiet weekends?!?

Thanksgiving in South Carolina

We had an amazingly relaxing few days in South Carolina with Jason's parents...we got to SLEEP, and to EAT (and deep-fried a yummy turkey!), and the kids went FISHING, and we DECORATED for Christmas....  Thank you to Nana and Papa for letting us come spend a few days at your wonderful retreat!!  (It was GREAT to see Papaw, too!!)

The homework still had to be done.

Nana getting the tree just right.

Jason and Jon wrestling the bird.  

Jon trying to get away with drinking MY Cheerwine.

Leah and Papaw spent *almost* every day fishing. 

We celebrated Heather's 14th Birthday.

Paxton family pictures...4 generations!

Penny, Robert (Papaw) Shipp, and Chuck

Nana and Papa with 6 Paxton grandkids!

Nana with the girls.

Great-granddad (Papaw), Granddad (Papa), Son (Jason), and two grandsons.

Thanksgiving, 2009

It's a beautiful day outside...finally. It was nasty all day yesterday (Black Friday), which suited my plans very well...I stayed home for most of the day, doing practically nothing.

We slept in.
We moved one of our 20-somethings in with the other one.
I cleaned the living room.
I did laundry.
I did some work (a very little bit!)
I ran the dishwasher.
We ate leftovers.
We got out all of the Christmas decor and put up the Christmas tree.
We watched the Alabama/Auburn game (NOT my choice!).

It was an awesome day.

But it was NOT what we had planned.

We were supposed to be in SC, spending the day with my parents, who I haven't seen since last Christmas. We were supposed to have had the money to accomplish this a MONTH ago(thankyouverymuchPSD). I am trying really hard not to be bitter about this. Today was supposed to be spent with Jason's parents, helping with their Christmas decor, and enjoying a relaxing day at the lake house.

So, this is Thanksgiving. I have to give thanks. I am thankful for a relaxing couple of days at home. I am thankful for an understanding family. I am thankful for all that I've gotten done in the last couple of days. I am thankful for the wonderful meal we were able to have with our 20-somethings, and the parents of one of them. I am thankful that my kids have friends all around us to spend their empty hours with.

I am choosing to be thankful...because otherwise I'll make myself miserable.

What are you thankful for today?

Thanksgiving in NC

Welcome home, now call the police....

We're back from a WONDERFUL time with family in SC and NC. It was fun. It was relaxing. It was nerve wracking. It is GREAT to be home again.

So, we pulled in the driveway, and I looked over at my husband's car, which we left sitting in the driveway while we were gone...something didn't look quite right.... I got out and looked inside to see that EVERYTHING on the inside had been rifled through. The glove box contents were dumped. The coins from the trays had been dumped. The car was unlocked. Oh, Grrrrrr..... Some days I HATE living in Virginia Beach!! This is NOT the first time this has happened. Fortunately this time it doesn't look like anything was stolen. The CDs were still in their place, nothing was disturbed in the trunk. We think they were looking for electronics....and we did not oblige them.

Now I am going to bed. I have church in the morning, and work to do, and laundry and unpacking....oh, and 300-ish pictures to go through and post for everyone to enjoy the lovely Smoky Mountains near Asheville, NC....and all of the family fun we had....

G'night!!

Remote Posting: Happy Thanksgiving!

We are away for the weekend, spending some much needed, much enjoyed time with our families. I hope each of you has enjoyed a special time this week, as well.

We each have MUCH to be thankful for...

What are you Thankful for today?

I am thankful for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with my grandmother, who is failing. I am thankful for time with my aunt, uncle, cousin, siblings and their spouses. I am thankful for safety on the roads. I am thankful for too much to eat. I am thankful for a wonderful time with my in-laws, sister-in-law and niece and nephew. I am thankful for a camera crammed with great pictures of extended family...to be posted when we get home.

WHAT are YOU thankful for?