11-30-11

Thanksgiving Day

Our day started out with Mike having to go to Walgreens because somehow...ahem...I left my bag of toiletries at home. In fact, I had a major meltdown the night before when I realized I didn't have my trusty, fake blue leather Winnie the Pooh bag that I have carried out of town with us for many years.

While he was out finding me a round brush, deodorant, and hair care products, my sister came to see us at the hotel. Then, we went to Jessie's house so I could make the Blueberry Delight that Trevor requested. We were able to spend some time with them and then we headed to Jessie's brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner.

It was great. They had a wonderful spread of food. Everything was delicious. We were thrilled to spend another Thanksgiving with the Williamson family. After dinner, we headed out to a field for a game of touch football.

John (Jessie's Dad), Matt (Jessie's brother), Daniel (Jessie's cousin), Trevor, and Jessie with Zadie

This picture makes me laugh because Jessie is holding Zadie like she's the football:)

Shelby, Abby, Justin (Jessie's oldest brother), Stephanie (Justin's wife), and Luke (Jessie's brother)

After the big game we came inside to hear some good music. Jessie's family is very talented so they played some good stuff.

11-29-11

This is going to be short and sweet because I am recovering from the day after traveling.

I have done loads of laundry, went on a massive grocery shopping expedition,was the chauffeur to choir practice, and the whole day just felt pretty sluggish.

I think the worst day after vacation is the very first day back in reality. I came home to a spotless house (thanks to Jessie and Mom:) and now it looks like a bomb exploded~a clothes, shoes, suitcases, toys bomb.

It did feel good to sleep in my bed last night. It was so comfy and cozy.

I'll be back tomorrow with more about our trip.

11-28-11

I didn't post for three days because there was just so much going on and I was trying to soak every last bit of it up.

Wednesday~ we left around 5 am and stopped at Hardees for a fine southern biscuit for breakfast. We had only a slight deviation from the itinerary for a quick stop at Walmart near the Tennessee line for a coat because one of us left theirs at home. We had to stop for lunch at Pal's for a Pal Burger and some Frenchie fries. After we fortified ourselves we made the trek through the beautiful Smokey Mountains to Gaitlinburg and up Ski Mountain Road to Ober. Ski Mountain Road is the kind of road that has a sign at the beginning saying, "In the winter months only cars with chains are allowed." Mike and I thought this would be a good way to break up the long trip and it was.

We rode the ski lift up to the Alpine Slide. It was quite chilly on the side of that mountain so one of us was really glad we stopped and bought that coat. We picked up our sleds and got in line for our trip down the mountain. They let you go two by two so I rode on one slide with Shelby and Mike rode on the other with Abby. Abby was a little apprehensive because she had never done it before and you can go pretty fast. Well, somehow we weren't even in line so Abby went ahead of us. That wouldn't have been so bad but a guy lost his cell phone on the track and they wouldn't let anyone go until it was located and all the pieces cleaned off because it could've caused someone to wreck. Mike and I were getting a little panicked because Abby is going down this huge slide on the side of a mountain and we were stuck at the top waiting to go. We thought for sure she would be at the end and freaking out because she was all by herself. We shouldn't have worried. When they gave us the green light all three of us took off down that mountain to "rescue" Abby. She wasn't even to the end yet. We laughed and laughed because she was going so super slow that Mike caught up with her before she even realized she was alone.

After that ride, we rode the ski lift again but this time we rode it all the way to the top of the mountain. I'll tell you one thing, that view NEVER gets old. I have mountain blood running through my veins and the sight of them just makes me feel at home. It was really, really cold on that mountain top.

After that little detour, we got back on track just in time to get stuck in some holiday traffic. When that busted loose it was smooth sailing all the way to Jessie's house where we followed her and Trevor to our ridiculously cheap hotel room. Not cheap as in a bad room, cheap as in "we feel like we're stealing this is costing us so little". The room was perfect.

Stay tuned for more detail rich posts about our trip because I want to document it for our family.

11-24-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the love of God
• my husband
• my children (all 4 of them, that means you, Jessie:)
• my family
• my friends

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.~Psalm 106:1

11-23-11

Today I am thankful for:
* safety of travel to Nashville
* a good day
* riding a ski lift to the top of a mountain

11-22-11

Today I am thankful for:

• homemade goodies ready to eat and share
• random hugs from 2 certain tween girls
• comfortable shoes
• anticipation
• hearing, "It smells like Christmas in here" when I am working in the kitchen
• Thanksgiving poems read by aforementioned girls
  

11-21-11

Today I am thankful for:

• one more day til Nashville
• the soft glow of lamp light at night
• an unexpected gift brought to the door by a sweet friend
• my African violet is still alive
• loofah sponges
• snacks lined up waiting to be packed for our trip

11-20-11

Today I am thankful for:

• memories
• a clean kitchen
• a clean bathroom
• suitcases ready for packing
• my little family of pilgrims. They make me smile when I look at them.
• engagement pictures of Trev and Jessie
• my church family
  

11-19-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a fresh haircut
• meeting a new sister in Christ that just happened to cut my hair. We had a great conversation surrounding spiritual things. I want to remember to pray for her as she wants to be a witness to her friends and co-workers.
• popcorn
  
• getting things ready for tomorrow
• talking to my brother
• nice, warm socks

11-18-11

Today I am thankful for:

• working together to rake the leaves to the street so they will get sucked up tomorrow
• an organized attic where we can actually find what we are looking for (a first in our 15 years of having an attic:)
• crisp, cold air
• bad days that make us appreciate the good days
• rocking chairs
• being able to walk 5 minutes to the local pizza place for some hot, fresh pizza
• lazy Friday nights with 3 of my favorite people in the whole world (one in particular is my absolute favorite...forever:)
• a phone call from my sister
  

11-17-11

Today I am thankful for:

• TV shows on Netflix
• scarves
• one last Almond Joy in the Halloween candy bowl
• For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 ESV
• forgetting something I packed away in the winter clothes and being surprised that I own it. It's like going shopping and getting something new without spending any money.
• going to see Mike at work and only having to walk through the backyard
• marking things off the "to do before our trip" list
  

11-16-11

Today I am thankful for:

• my Pastor;)
• a rainy day that makes me want to stay in and read
• medicine
• a place to walk indoors when it's raining
• good conversations
• my vacuum

11-15-11

Today I am thankful for:

*my big comfy bed that I am climbing into in 5 minutes
*corner stores with little treasures like peacock feathers
*smartphones that I can do blog posts from
*my husband doing the dishes tonight

11-14-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the nice breeze that blew through our windows
  
• the attic, where we can hide things:)
• being able to listen to stories being read aloud by my daughters
• $10 coupons that make your purchases add up to .82 cent
• ice cold milk
• crunchy leaves under our feet during our afternoon walk

11-13-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a surprise lunch date with my beloved
• a BOGO coupon that we were able to use on the aforementioned date
• iTunes
• ministering with my husband and helping hurting people that God sends to our church
• the ability to see how my past hurts make me sensitive to others
• Benadryl and a long nap when my sinuses feel like they're on fire
• the beginning of a new week packed with possibilities

11-12-11

Today I am thankful for:

• getting something done that has been on my to do list all week
• pinto beans cooked in the crock pot all day
• hangers to hang all the laundry I've done this week
• so many clothes we have to change them out with the seasons
• the bag of giveaway clothes to bless someone else with this week
• my families' forgiveness when I get wound up and start to lose it

11-11-11

Today I am thankful for:

Every person that has served in the US military.
Every person that is currently serving in the US military.
Every family that serves along side their soldier because when one person in the family is in the military the whole family sacrifices.
God Bless America!!!!

*photo taken by Mike at the Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery in July '11

11-10-11

Today I am thankful for:

• rain
• my van
• window shopping
• $5 Charlie Brown DVDs
• sharing
• cameras
• beautiful leaves that get laminated to enjoy for a long time

11-9-11

Today I am thankful for:

• an uneventful day
• new notebooks
• prayers that are heard and answered
• my laptop
• warm blankets on cold mornings
• packages with goodies in them

11-8-11

Today I am thankful for:

• hot showers
• the opportunity to teach my kids at home
• the anticipation of seeing people I love in Nashville
• almost 90 minutes of alone time this evening. Sometimes you just need it:)
• living in the city

11-7-11

Today I am thankful for:

• a leisurely Monday after a busy weekend and the beginning of a busy week. Should I admit that the girls and I didn't get up til almost 10:)
• going over to the church and coming home to the girls taking turns reading to each other
• nice surprises
• a husband that really wants to know me and does~very well
• hearing my phone ring and seeing that it's Trev
• chatting with my mom
• new recipes that get good reviews from my family
• windows that open and pleasant temps
• library trips
• afternoon walks
  

11-6-11

Today I am thankful for:

• Bath and Body Works Wallflower Fireside scent
• God not leaving me where I am. He stretches me in ways I never thought possible
• hot rolling baby girl's hair before church
• hope for the future
• being able to welcome a daughter in law to the family in less than 5 months
• leftovers (Tonight is C.O.R.N.~~~ Clean Out Refrigerator Night)
  

11-5-11

Today I am thankful for:

• the true reason for Thanksgiving Day
  
• the view today from Skyline Drive on the way home from the NorVa district meeting in Harrisonburg
• getting to see the new church building at Harrisonburg Free Will Baptist Church
• seeing the sun rise this morning
• mercy
• comfy pjs after a long day
  

11-4-11

Today I am thankful for:

• lovely fall days
• freshly laundered clothes
• my broom and dustpan that sees a lot of action
• a quick trip to Target with my family
• being able to serve my family full time
• grace
• my soft pillow
  

11-3-11

Today I am thankful for:

• listening to my girls talk to each other like best friends
• making plans with friends in Nashville over the Thanksgiving holiday
• talking to Trev and Jessie via Skype (and getting to see the cute dogs:)
• getting things marked off my daily list
• hearing great news about a friend's mother who has cancer Praise God!!!!
  
• buying cool Halloween stuff for next year and paying way less than they would have cost 5 days ago
• seeing Mike walk through the door for lunch

This is my 400th post!! So glad I have a small record of our lives over the years.

11-2-11

Today I am thankful for:

• great smelling shampoo
• cleansing tears that don't have to be explained
• having hope amidst trials
• the loving arms of my man
• snail mail
  
• a clean guest room especially when it's the only room clean in the house:)
• questions that An Almighty God can handle and the peace from knowing He can
• changing seasons
  

11-1-11

Today I am thankful for:

• warm clothes
• the colors of fall
• the whole Body of Christ
  
• the single Mom that has started bringing her son to our church
• the things S & A do everyday that make me smile
• a good turn out for our first Halloween Bash
• family that gave their precious time to come help us at the Halloween Bash
• getting a phone call from Trevor
  
• cuddling