THANKSGIVING IS A 3 DAY EVENT FOR US...

and it goes something like this...

WEDNESDAY: Most everyone in the family arrives for the Wednesday night SINGING at church. A whole hour of different song leaders leading us in praise! It's a lot of fun because our family loves to sing and about 15 of the song leaders are from our family. The youngest was 7 years old! After that we head over to my in-law's house for a dinner of appetizers and start playing 42 and Liverpool!

THURSDAY: It begins with the "Turkey Trot" 5K race out to the cemetery and back! Here we are waiting for the kids to run in from their "Fun Run!"







Here's a part of our group enjoying the Thanksgiving meal...can you see the new construction? We're excited for this because they host 30-40 relatives each year for this event!









After the meal, there's the PUMPKIN BASHING around the corner at Uncle Joe and Aunt Lori's house. Every year they grow lots of pumpkins just for this event! We initiated a new in-law this year by letting him hit the first pumpkin. Little did he know the most rotten one was selected just for him. It went everywhere! Here's a pic of my daughter and her cousin taking their traditional "standing on the biggest pumpkin" picture and also one of her turns at bat!















After the excitement there's a lot of game playing...42 and Liverpool Rummy, mostly! But this year we learned a new game, Take Two, and The Last Word.






I can't believe I'm seeing this...our boys have graduated past the toys in Grandmother's toy room, played years of card games, and now are into the real mans' game...42!





FRIDAY: It's not over yet! Shopping for some and the movies for all! We went to Lawton and saw SCROOGE. Definitely worth seeing even if you have seen it a million times! We feel like we own the theater when we're all there together!

GOD IS GOOD! We are thankful for fun times with our family. This year was especially meaningful because my husband's father is doing well with his chemo treatments, new construction which gives us more room is exciting, EVERYONE got to be there, even the Tennessee group, and SURPRISE! The first great-grand baby is on its way...due next summer! Congrats to my niece, Shanelle!

TRY THIS AT HOME...

Just a little something to impress our company (does that word date me?!!). Why is it kids feel compelled to do something they would never do any other time when you have friends over? Despite my motherly fears of sugary soda being spewed out of the empty cans, the floor stayed clean and dry...

IT WON'T BE LONG...

till she's home from college for Thanksgiving break! Yep, that's her, the one doing SEAFOOD in this picture taken by her friend. I stole it from Facebook! Not sure why, and I remember explaining this to her several years ago, but something about college brings out the kid in you. You know, in high school slides and swings are for little kids. But all of a sudden when you get in college they're cool again. Anyway, I'm sure that's what this picture is all about. I'm glad she's having a good time!

P.S. Note the nutritious breakfast cereal in the back!

KILLING TIME...

when you're waiting for a colonoscopy stinks! LOL! Since I've been up since 4:45 a.m. drinking my Magnesium Citrate, I've been totally entertained by blog-surfing and found this neat stuff:

Fish-in-a-bag soap (look up June 12 post)

Washer necklaces (see August 13 post)

Weekend getaway scrunchy scarf

Monogram placques(see November 3 post)

All of these ideas came from j-a-girl's "I Can Make That" party held on November 9! I think I looked at over 150 posts from her party!

A DAY WITH MY 93 YEAR OLD GRANDMA LOOKS LIKE THIS...

Starts off with getting her a Vanilla Diet Coke at Sonic..."My mouth is sooooo dry...."










Eating at our favorite place in Norman..."what's that thing I like again?"












Yeah, I hope I can eat quiche and Italian Cream cake at that age!













Checking out at Walmart after buying everything on the list and more!


You know it's not all fun, though. There's no pictures of the moving slowly from house to car to bank to restaurant to store. How many times I had to repeat what I said for her failing ears. Watching her eat for a half-hour after I'm finished. Hoping the wheelchair shopping cart is available. Telling her we really have to leave and we end up making just "one more stop" somewhere. Feeling guilty about forgetting something on the list. Passing by the nursery and hoping she doesn't notice and want to buy pansies for me to plant.
But then I am reminded of all of those who don't have Grandmas anymore, and Bible truths that remind me to give to those who cannot repay you (Luke 14:14). I didn't always enjoy being with my Grandma, and I believe you go through stages in that relationship just like others. Somewhere along the way we found that we enjoyed shopping and going out to eat together. Hopefully someone will take me out for Italian Cream Cake when I'm 93!

TAILGATING PARTY...

no, you know we're not into sports that much! This is what the performing arts kids do at EMHS, after 4-5 days of tryouts for the talent show! They tailgate while waiting for THE LIST of acts that get into the show. My senior came in this afternoon, raided the refrigerator and freezer for hotdogs, buns, and condiments for the L-O-N-G W-A-I-T! I'm sure a real fire would've been quickly extinguished by the administration, but these kids are resourceful. They got an extension cord and grilled their dogs on a George Foreman grill! Their patience was rewarded when the teachers finally posted the big news on the door for all to see!

ADDED BONUS: thanks for the George Foreman grill, IPOD, and IPOD tuner left by kids in my son's car...better claim 'em quick!

6 AM BASKETBALL PRACTICE...

Really? REALLY. That's what happens when you have 8 teams in one school all wanting to have gym time...we'll see how much these 8th grade boys really like basketball....

NOT WINNING ANY CONTESTS WITH THESE...

My tomatoes that I planted way back in June are finally producing! They aren't very pretty, I admit. But if you take a knife and cut off the worm holes and splits, believe it or not, you will have at least half a good tomato! It reminds me of how God sees me. He overlooks the bad stuff, and sees something good there. "MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART." I SAMUEL 16:7 I hope we all are looking past appearances and seeing people's hearts.

My sister-in-law is rubbing off on me, I guess. That's a good thing! When she started blogging, she decided if she was going to spend the time doing it, she would share her faith. She writes about daily life with four kids and ALWAYS finds a spiritual connection. She also maintains a recipe blog with her mother and sister. Check out her "Shine Like Stars" blog!

HALLOWEEN TEENAGER-STYLE...

My Indian boy actually would pose for me outside with our ghostie! No trick-or-treating for him this year, he went to 2 parties...
























and here's my 6 ft. Simba...yes, he really did wear that! He borrowed it (maybe from a toddler?) and wore it to the church's fall festival and to school on Halloween! He went to a party with friends on Halloween and was a deejay. Didn't really get any good pics of that one, tho...


























and my college girl was thrilled to get to go to a local home with her friends and carve pumpkins...hers is the fancy one...she should major in pumpkin carving, I think!