Thanksgiving thoughts. and the low down on how it really went.

I hope you had a DELIGHTFUL thanksgiving.

I'd be remiss if i failed to mention things i am thankful for, in no particular order...

1. my fabulous, helpful, supportive husband. i couldn't do this without him. the kid raising or hostessing. (and definitely not the 45 loads of laundry he did in the last 3 days.) i don't know another husband that does as much as Lance does. and he's fun to be with too. we have the best time laughing about silly things late at night. or watching our kids do goofy stuff. he's a rad hubby. i wish everyone should be so lucky.
   
2. my kids. they make me crazy sometimes but I'm thankful they are mine. and they totally stepped up and helped tons this week. they are always surprising us with the things they say and do, and leaving us laughing. they are smart, and fun, and cute and i love that they love each other, and are often so sweet together.
   
3. my mom. she is the sweetest ever. she loves my kids, and enjoys spending time with them. i love to have her over.she is willing to come help often even though she knows i don't like help.she never pushes too hard. and always shows me she loves me and my family.
   
4. my FAMILY- siblings. i love them. they are the most talented, fun group of people ever. i love to spend time with them.i like my nieces and nephews , my brother and sisters in law. they are all not just family but considered friends too. we always have fun together. (even when they mock me and post unflattering pictures of me on Facebook)
   
5. my friends. fave friends, blog friends, old friends, bunko friends, girls night group friends, ALL MY FRIENDS. they each fill a different space in my heart. and i love them all. (thanks for being my friend.)
   
6. i'm thankful for a mother-in-law that loves our kids. loves to have them over and spend time with them. i'm thankful for the support that she has been to us. especially while lance was in school. we couldn't have done it without her.
7. a house to live in , that serves us well. it might not be spectacular,or spotless but it's ours.
8. Lance's job. he loves it. it's secure (as far as we know) he loves the people he works with, and the freedom from working from home is RAD. it saves us tons in gas. and in this economy i'm glad we have a job and that it is sufficient for our basic needs.
   
9. the Internet. entertainment,information, validation, and support all in one. gotta love that!
   
10. AZ sunshine. especially on days like this it reminds me i don't love to be cold, i love AZ winters. and the warmth of the sun. i need to see the sun often. constantly. always. (now i could totally do without the extreme summers but it's worth it for winters like we enjoy here.) and i'm thankful for days like this that remind me.
    
11. i'm thankful for cars that run. they may not be the coolest out there. but they get me where i need to go. we don't have payments. and they serve us well.

i could go on and on. but i'm stopping here.

wanna know how my thanksgiving went? here you go....

Thanksgiving ended up fine. great. fabulous.

remember i'm a reluctant hostess. So i don't really get off on having everyone over.

but it went well for the most part. and I'm always glad when it's over.

there were some things that didn't go as planned LIKE ...

Lance making his pies the hour before everyone was due for lunch.

everyone getting here while he was in the middle of making a pie. including rolling out the crusts. and cutting the apples.
ON THE ISLAND where the buffet was supposed to be.

i didn't yell.

i didn't pout. but i could have.

everyone came ready to eat and we had to wait to clean the island off.and put stuff all over until it was clear.

but the bright side?

the crusts i made for him from scratch were delectable. perfectly flaky.

and the pies were DELICIOUS!

and his rad apple pie beat the green apple one. (i voted for red apples, and it was a test/contest)

the NEXT thanksgiving wrinkle?

in an inadvertent Email faux pas (involving the t-day plans being forwarded to random people on a joke email from my sister to the family and clients ,instead of a new email)

my dad(the gay one) was invited to come to thanksgiving.

he came alone. without his partner(the one he matches with everyday). but the fact he was here was a SURPRISE.

but it wasn't unpleasant. just a surprise (if a little funny).

it was nice to have him here. (it was pretty sad when he realized my kids have no clue who he is. and he doesn't know them either.)

by the way: he thinks liberty looks just like i did. well Duh, that's been obvious for um, how many years?

but other than those two things, it was a fabulous day. the kids had a grand time. it was sunny enough, and not raining to play or eat outside if they wanted. while adults sat inside chatting.

everyone stayed for a LONG TIME. which was fun. and we relived some of the BEST Family stories EVER! while some of the kids played wii.

we didn't rush off to pack dinner in with Lance's family since we were hosting. which made for a little more relaxing day.(for me)

i come home from thanksgiving exhausted every year because we go to both family events and traditionally i don't sleep much this week. so it was nice to not run all over town.and while we did miss seeing his family , we have a family party tomorrow night. so we'll see them this weekend anyway.

so i got a much needed nap. and had no problem falling asleep. even after drinking a 7 hour energy drink. and have i mentioned how nasty those are? DISGUSTING!

Joy was funny today. when my mom came to help get people ready for the day and dinner, she said something about getting dressed i can't recall what, since i was listening from the other room but i heard Joy say, "but we don't match".

um yeah

i replied," no need to match when we are staying home and i don't have to spot you in a crowd. "

i haven't planned what i'm buying yet tomorrow. i was too tired to concentrate on the ads. and we really don't need anything. SO , i need to FOCUS, and decide what i want to get, what we REALLY need, and what i have money for.

we are meeting here at 3:30 am. i'd better get going on that.

I Hope your black friday is all you dream it could be. whether that means relaxing at home and avoiding the stores and crowds. or running through stores and beating people to that special item you seek. and getting a start or finish on your holiday shopping! whatever it means to you. i hope you get it. and that it's FABULOUS!