Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope everyone had a relaxing day and plenty to eat! We're up in St. Louis this weekend and had Thanksgiving at my parent's house. It was delicious as always! I can't wait for leftovers the rest of the weekend! Because today always reminds us to focus on the things we're grateful for, I made a quick list I'm thankful for this year...

- our wonderful family and friends that we love

- being able to SEE and VISIT those family and friends

- an amazing husband that works so hard every day and NEVER complains

- that same husband who is allowing us to spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas in chilly St. Louis this year

- our (family and friends included) good health

- the delicious Starbucks hot chocolate I got at the airport this morning

- the Shout and washer/dryer that took the hot chocolate stain out of my jeans when we arrived in St. Louis (I was pretty clumsy this morning!)

- a FIVE DAY weekend (including Monday!)

- talking with my brother in Italy on the video phone and his safety overseas

- our freedom and safety

- being able to celebrate with Katie and Erik at their BIG DAY tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the leftovers!

Christmas Survey

Usually I don't take the time to fill these out. But I was cracking up with some of the answers my friend Leah sent. So I thought I'd do my own!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Absolutely wrapping paper! I love having nice 45 degree angles and sharp corners on my presents. I look forward to spending hours on end getting them just right!

2. Real tree or Artificial? That's a no brainer for me! Real!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually sometime soon after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Typically the end of January unless it has become a fire hazard from not getting enough water!

5. Do you like eggnog? Not so much.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I'm not sure. The only thing that comes to mind is an air hockey table. It was very fun!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Probably Greg...I honestly don't know that I've ever gotten him anything that he's really liked! What can I say, I like practical gifts...Greg, not so much!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Mom and Dad. They always like what we get them (or at least pretend to!)

9. Do you have a Nativity scene? No, but maybe that's what I'll ask for this year!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Unfortunately sometimes they are more like New Years card! Oops!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I think I'm pretty easy to please and I've liked everything I've ever gotten!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Hands down...A Muppet's Christmas Carol! Love it! And I just got the special edition on DVD last year! I could watch that movie 100 times each year!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Throughout the year, but mostly after Thanksgiving.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I doubt it. I tend to like the gifts I get and want to keep them for myself!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I'll agree with Leah on this one and say "everything"...except cheesecake.

16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? In order to see my family travel is required.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph! (I took that from Leah too!)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angels

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both with my family!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? I don't know. I can't think of anything right now. Ask me December 26th!

23. What theme or color are you using? Again, no clue! Let's go with..random!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and lasagna!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I already got it! A lateral file and a scanner for receipts! So excited! I'm going to be so organized!

Oh Happy Day!

Hopefully you all won't have that song stuck in your head like I do! Anyways, I'm so happy because we got my car back yesterday! It looks great! They replaced both bumpers, both back lights and a front light along with something called a rear end panel. And they washed and vacuumed it! Oohhh! Very nice! And the trunk closes! What a luxury, I know! It's so nice to drive my own car again. But I did go ahead and double the mileage on the rental car in the 3 weeks that we had it! Off to start the weekend! Have a great one!

Eagles, all-you-can eat sushi, babies and veterans!

We had awesome fall weather in Dallas this weekend. It was in the low 70's and sunny! Perfect weather for being outside. Greg and I went up to Plantation Golf Course in Frisco, which was a pretty nice course. On two of the holes you literally drive through the middle of a pond! Good thing Greg was driving! I would have turned around because I thought we were going the wrong way!


This is the view right before you drive across the pond. I was a little frightened because there was moving water on one bridge we drove over! I thought we were going to get swept away!

Greg played really well. Look at that perfect form. He made several birdies and an eagle throughout the day! Very nice!Greg multitasking...it's hard to see, but he's talking on the phone while chipping the ball left-handed onto the green. Don't worry that he's so close to the fence! I think the previous shot went a little too far to the right!

After golf, we met up with friends at an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. Fortunately no records were broken this time! The last time we went Ryan ate 49 pieces of sushi! He tried for 50, but all the rice expanded in his stomach and he couldn't fit another one in! This time we all left full, but not too stuffed!

This weekend we also found out that some of our friends welcomed their new baby girl into the world! We can't wait to see pictures! We're so happy and excited for them! And tonight I'm going to visit a friend from Pate whose baby is a couple months old! I'm so excited! I haven't seen her since I left.
Enjoy Veterans Day tomorrow! Click here for a brief explanation of Veterans Day.