Thanksgiving Day 2009

We had a perfect Thanksgiving Day. We are certainly blessed and grateful. The sun was out and the sky was blue. The family came over for a feast. The kitchen was filled with dishes and happy people. The Blessing was said and we all dug in. Every single dish served was delicious. Thank goodness I did squeeze in a workout today. I am thankful everyone enjoys coming to our house to eat. Mike and I love having the family over. MaMa Hulsey brought her sweet potatoes. This is a recipe I have never successfully replicated. Charlotte made Jamie fresh mashed potatoes. He only gets them for her. I will not even attempt them. Mom made the relish tray and apple cider. I made dressing and green bean bundles. All of our specialties in one perfect meal. Of course the puppies enjoyed some ham and turkey also. The only things missing were the Gatlin and Sample families. After lunch we watched some football and looked online for bargains.

Smell The Pumpkin Pie

'Tis the day before Thanksgiving and there is sooo much to be done! Cooking and cleaning and more cooking and cleaning. Today I made pies and cornbread for the dressing. Everything I could prepare early I did. It smells heavenly around here. I'm not sure what smells better the pumpkin pie or Chex mix right out of the oven. I had to chase Mike away from the kitchen. Snacking is not allowed. We are ready for the big day.

Try cleaning your house on a bright sunny day. Every piece of dust and dirt is evident. Oh my. The kids both spent the night at friend's houses last night. When they came home they both had lists of chores waiting on them. They were not thrilled.

Pre-Turkey Workout- 20 minutes of Turbo jam and 40 minutes of Cathe's Weighted Legs. No doubt I will sleep well tonight. I hope to fit something short in early tomorrow morning if I can get out of bed in time.

Currently reading- The Dome by Stephen King. I am not a big fan but could not resist this story. I am just a few chapters in and I still think this man is crazy. The story is about a small town in the middle of nowhere. One day a huge dome suddenly appears and completely seals the town and its people off from the outside. You can just imagine the resulting consequences such as lack of supplies, local politics, and panic. People are dying left and right in true King fashion. He definitely has a dark perspective on humans. The book is huge. I think every single person in town has their own chapter.

Piano Recital

Friday night Jamie and Sarah preformed at the annual piano recital. They both played beautifully. Jamie chose selections from Pink Floyd. They were haunting and beautiful. Sarah played the Little Drummer Boy and Where is love. I am proud of them both.

I have spent most of this weekend cleaning and getting ready for Thanksgiving. Most of the family will be coming over for turkey on Thursday. Sarah is so excited. She is already talking about the ham and pumpkin pie. I think I better step up the exercising.

Mike and Jamie went with the church to a paintball park today. They had a blast. Jamie came home with a bit of a war wound. He has a huge red spot on his neck. It must have been a direct hit. Looks painful to me but they still claim it was fun.

Sharp Shooter

How do you get Jamie to pose for some shots? Let him play with his gun. That was easy. Everybody relax it was NOT loaded. We did some practice shots this afternoon. I really like them. Now he wants to actually shoot the thing. Daddy will have to help with that.

A Perfect 10.

This week we celebrated my baby girl's 10th birthday. Wow. That is as hard as turning 40. I can't believe my baby is 10. She truly is a perfect 10. She brings great joy to all of our lives. Topping her wish list this year was a scooter. She is zipping around on that thing with no fear. I am a little nervous but she rides it with confidence. Sarah is all about enjoying life. She and I went skating this morning. Talk about a blast from the past. That took me waaay back. We recently bought her a pair of skates and she has been practicing in the garage. It was the best time together. I love all of these shots of her. I am so blessed to call her mine.

Mike enjoyed his first day in the deer woods. A doe and fawn walked right up to him and enjoyed corn from his feeder. He is a good man and would not break up the family. I think he is going to have to start taking the camera instead.

Happy Halloween

We had a fabulous Halloween. The kids both dressed as hippies. Jamie was Woodstock/John Lennon. His t-shirt features the festivals poster. Sarah is a flower child. I'm not sure what that says about the politics of this family but they were cute. We had perfect weather, cool with a full moon. I had such a good time. We ate chili dogs and burgers at the Ayres' house before we started. We walked all they way through Hartford Hills. Sarah was laughing with her best friends. Jamie was happy just to be with Alyssa. The kids got more candy than we will eat in 6 months. I got to visit with my friends along the way. It was perfect. Jenna James gets the award for most creative costume. She designed and hand lettered her "Flo from Progressive insurance" costume.