Thanksgiving

We were all so excited to head to Thomasville for the long weekend and see the fam! Unfortunately everyone else was also on the road at the same time so the drive was much longer than normal. The kids were very anxious to be out of the car by the time we got to Mema and Pepa's. Erik and Faith were already there by the time we got there so we all went out to dinner together at Beef O'Brady's. After stuffing ourselves full we headed back to the house to visit and hang out some before the busyness of the next day. Thursday morning we got up and headed to Tallahassee to Auntie Jo's for Thanksgiving Dinner. There is always a lot more food than anyone can eat and the leftovers are just as wonderful! Before dinner we snack on veggie trays, Erik's famous deviled eggs, and a relish tray. We had a great time catching up with family members that we only see on holidays. The kids were busy as well. Auntie Jo has a wagon with hay for the kids to go on hayrides up and down the long driveway and the kids always love feeding the geese in the backyard by the lake. I brought some activities to occupy them: pin the feather on the turkey, Thanksgiving bingo, coloring pages, and a Thanksgiving matching game. They kept themselves occupied with the activities while the adults kept themselves occupied with the talking! When dinner was ready the real fun started! We piled those plates up high with all the good stuff: turkey and dressing, ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans, Mema's mashed potatoes, Aunt Cindy's baked ziti, rolls, and salad. The only decision to be made is whether to eat too much of the real stuff or wait for dessert time to eat too much! Aunt Cindy's cheesecake is the best! But we also have pecan pie and cookies. About half of us eat in the den in front of the football games and the other half eat out on the lanai. There is always a lot of talking and laughter throughout the day. For all our faults we love each other and when push comes to shove no one else messes with our family! By the time we headed home the kids were exhausted. Mema and I looked at the sale papers to decide when we were going to head out in the morning. There weren't any door buster items we just had to get so we decided to sleep in and go shopping a little later. We still managed to get everything we wanted to get and everyone was in much better moods! We had a lot of fun at the mall and finished up our shopping, what a relief! We headed home a little early to meet up with Erik, Faith and Anna. This was the first time we met Erik's girlfriend since she is in school in Texas and hasn't been home for an extended amount of time since summer. We got the picture albums out so Anna could see pictures and hear stories of Erik when he was younger. That was hilarious! As is our tradition, we went to supper at Crawdaddy's in Thomasville so the guys could have all-you-can-eat crab legs. I think the waitress was surprised by how much they can eat! Mema's friends Ricky and Ann came to so we had a full table or two or three! We always love eating at that restaurant, it's the best seafood in T'ville! After dinner Mema had the waitresses sing to Roy since my family didn't get to celebrate his birthday with him last week. He was quite red and I can't believe we didn't get a picture! He was very excited that they had gotten his watch fixed for him. We wore ourselves out for a second day in a row so we headed home after we finished eating his dessert. Saturday morning dawned bittersweet, we were sad to leave but anxious to get home. We planned a family breakfast in Tallahassee at Cracker Barrel so everyone could meet Erik's girlfriend Anna and Will's girlfriend Chelsea. Fitzgerald party of 20, your table is now available. It was a mad house but we had so much fun. The cousins all sat together and visited. I never know just how many stories we are gonna tell or who will be picked on this time but it is always a lot of laughs. It was so great to spend more time together! As if we hadn't packed enough into this weekend, we also decided to let the kids open some Christmas presents before we headed home. It was a whirlwind! We had so much fun and were sad to leave everyone but I have to admit I was glad to be home too!

Caleb's Thanksgiving Play

Caleb's kindergarten class put on a Thanksgiving play for their family and friends on Tuesday. It was at lunchtime so that made is easier for me to be there. He was an Indian in the retelling of the Thanksgiving story. They all had a part to play and they did a great job. They also sang a couple of songs and recited a poem. I was especially impressed that they put so much emphasis on the religious aspect of the Pilgrims coming to America. Usually in public school they tend to gloss over that part. I am so thankful his teacher is a Christian and allows the students to discuss these things in class. After their program they sat down to a feast. They said a blessing as a class before they ate! One of the parents brought venison for them to try, Caleb loved it! It was his first time tasting it so I was interested to see if he would like it. They also had turkey, raw veggies, popcorn, pumpkin cake, rolls, and juice boxes. Okay, it wasn't exactly a traditional meal but the kids loved it! He did a great job, I was so proud!

Awana Carnival

Sunday night was the Fall Awanas Carnival. All three kids are in Awanas this year so they were very excited to get to attend. They had a blast! This year we had the carnival in the gym at the BX so there was plenty of room for everything and everyone. They had the inflatables, cookie walk, marshmallow shooting range, bowling, t-ball, football toss, baseball toss, face painting, tattoos, pretend first aid center, balloons, popcorn, pizza and cokes. I can't think of anything that they didn't have! The kids played until they were exhausted and then played some more. A big thank you to all of the workers who made it possible!

Tree Trimming

Every year Roy wants to put up the tree as soon as possible because he absolutely loves having the house decorated for Christmas. Since we are going to be out of town next week for Thanksgiving Roy and the kids convinced me to put up the tree early because we won't get to do it the weekend after Thanksgiving. All week long he and the kids have worked on cleaning the house so we could get the decorations out today. The kids put up the trees in their rooms and helped decorate the tree in the den. We will wait to put up the live tree in the living room until December! I left most of the decorating of the house to Roy this year. He loves to do it and last year he missed out because he was working so much. I also am a creature of habit and would have put everything back where I had it last year. It was fun to see where he put stuff compared to where I would have put it. Now we have a house that is decorated for the Christmas holiday when we get back from Thanksgiving weekend in Thomasville. That will be so nice to come home to!

Abigail's Thanksgiving Dinner

Abigail's class had it's Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday and I was able to get off from work to come eat with her. Many of the children had parents or grandparents there to enjoy the turkey and dressing with them. It was nice to have a chance to talk to some of her friends and their parents. I was glad I got to spend the time with Abigail even thought being away from work for so long made the day hectic. Abigail was thrilled to have me there so that made it all worth it!

We had one little boy who sat with us that didn't have any guests with him. He shared some stories of his home life that I feel certain his parents wouldn't have wanted shared! You never know what your children will share when you aren't around. It was a true wake-up call for me. I need to watch what I say and do even in the privacy of my own home because there are eyes watching!

Roy's Birthday

Friday, November 21, was Roy's birthday. Before I left for work and the kids left for school we gave him his cards, gift, and sang to him. He was surprised because he didn't realize we were going to do it first thing in the morning. He also wasn't fully awake and had bed head but that just makes the pictures all that more fun! The kids are always excited every time there is a birthday so they talked about it all day. Both of their teachers knew it was Daddy's birthday and wished him a "Happy Birthday" also. Several friends called, emailed, or sent cards so that was nice. Erik and my parents each called to wish him a "Happy Birthday" too. I think he enjoyed the attention on his special day! That night was conveniently Parent's Night Out at church so we also got to have a date night. We had a coupon for Big River Grill, which was a big treat for us. I think that was only the second time we have eaten there since we moved here two years ago. It was very nice to have a meal alone and actually get to talk and eat our food while it was still hot. After dinner we walked around Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million until time to pick up the kids. Any of you with children know what a treat that is. We just browsed and talked. After we picked the kids up it was time to head home and get them in bed. We relaxed in front of the tv for a while and headed for bed. All in all I think it was a good birthday!

Girls Weekend in Gatlinburg

We had a group of eleven ladies from our Sunday School class decide to take a trip together to Gatlinburg. Although our main goal was to make a dent in our Christmas shopping without our children along, we also wanted to just get away and have some fun "girl time". We had a blast! Friday evening we talked and laughed and played "Apples to Apples". Now that was interesting and maybe a little scary to see how some people's minds worked. We also had a visit from the cabin's pet raccoon, Bob, and fed him some bread. He wasn't the least bit scared of us. Saturday morning dawned cold and rainy but we would not be deterred from our mission of having fun and shopping. After a trip to Starbuck's, we spent the day at the Tanger Outlet Center, lunched at The Chop House and shopped some more. We arrived back at the cabin exhausted but happy with the day. That night we just relaxed at the cabin and ordered pizza. I was the only one who would brave the hot tub but it was wonderful and relaxing. We got up Sunday morning and headed home. It was so nice to hang out with old friends and make some new ones. Now I am wondering how we can fit another trip into the schedule/budget soon!

The Enchanted Maize

This is Abigail's fall field trip, the entire first grade at RPS went to The Enchanted Maize. With students, teachers, and parents there was a total of 102 people who went. It was a mad house. Abigail was so excited that Roy was able to go with her. He followed her and her friends around taking pictures and having a good time. They had lots to do other than the corn maze: hayride, playground, tractor-coaster, photo ops galore! Friday was also team spirit day so Abigail wore her UGA jersey. After they finished at the corn maze they went to the park near my office to eat their lunches so I met them there. It was nice to get to be a part of a field trip without having to take a day off from work. I didn't tell Abigail ahead of time that I was going to try to attend so it was a surprise when I met them there. I got to sit with her and her friends while they ate lunch and play a little on the playground with them until time for them to head back to school. This is the stuff that memories are made of!

Kittens

A year ago, the day after Thanksgiving, two pitiful looking kittens showed up in our backyard while the kids were playing outside. I made the mistake of feeling sorry for them and feeding them. That was the day we "adopted" two kittens. I am not much of a cat person plus I am allergic to them so it was not my intention to have two cats. I put up signs and called the animal shelter but no one claimed them. Of course, the kids were overjoyed with our new pets: Brownie and Stormy. About eight months later we had three new kittens. The kids thought it was perfect because now we each could have our own cat ... never mind that I didn't want a cat! The kids each got to name a kitten: Abigail named Gabriella (Black/brown), Caleb named Jasmine (grey/brown) and Lydia named Princess (fluffy grey).

Here Lydia is playing with "her" kitten, Princess. I am amazed at how much they will take from her. They let her pick them up, carry them around, drop them, pet them, squeeze them, what ever she wants! Unless it is raining, she goes outside to see them everyday. I think she is the cat lover of our family.

Pumpkin Head

This was Abigail's homework for school the week of Halloween. On top of the regular reading, math, and spelling homework she had to decorate a pumpkin for a contest on Friday. She and Roy looked at bunches of pictures online for inspiration (Roy was thinking elaborate: Cinderella's carriage and Abigail was thinking something much more doable: Spongebob). She chose to do a silly face and name it "Pumpkin Head". She did all of the painting by herself and made the silly hat with very little help. She was so proud of herself for doing it by herself. (She is growing up so fast, oh where has my little girl gone???) She won the award for the cutest pumpkin. The pumpkin is decorating our den and the award is on the fridge.