Our Thanksgiving

It was a gorgeous day. I started it out by shredding and ended the day by eating my second dinner.

Honestly. 

I didn't take a single photo (of people) all day. I always regret it when I do that. 

We have so much to be grateful for this year. Health being number one. It's always around this time of the year that we remember three years ago when C was diagnosed. It's also around this time of the year when he goes back for a check up, and my heart starts beating a little faster until the tests are done and the results are in. 

I'm certain he feels the same way. 

We also have a cute new place to call home this Thanksgiving. We are so grateful.

Not to mention my weight loss journey. I'm kicking this weight thing in the ass. Between The Shred and Weight Watchers, I'm winning. But that's a whole 'nother post. I'm so grateful.

More about what else I'm grateful for coming soon...

Oh and? I'm BACKKKKKK!

Merry Christmas!

Today (this morning), we are celebrating Christmas at our house with my dad and brothers. There will be seven of us.

Later, we'll go over to my aunt's house and celebrate/have dinner with them. Count the stockings to find out how many of us there will be-

Twenty. 

Holy crazy house batman. It's sure to be loud. I can't wait to have everyone I love in the same house together though. This is the first Christmas since my grandpa passed away so I'm sure we'll have some sad moments, but we have so much to be thankful for and I know he'd want me to punch my brothers in the gut and be happy. 

So I will. 

I tried to get a picture of the Christmas tree at my aunt's house, but I couldn't get the whole tree on my phone. It's over the top. But the best thing about it?

All of those little gifts nestled in the tree branches. I love that.

And as for our little tree, I'll be sad when we take it down. I love that it gives us just the right amount of light in the evenings. 

Don't make fun of my bow-less gifts. I'm totally using my Jaycie as an excuse as to why we didn't use bows this year. She would have just played with them. 

So there. 

I'm glad we don't have to travel all over Texas on Christmas day. I can't imagine doing that when we have kids!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like

Fall. 

The trees around here are just now starting to turn golden and the leaves are starting to fall.

So what if Christmas is less than a week away?

We are Texans after all.

I snapped this while driving to my aunt's house last weekend. So pretty.

It might start looking like Christmas around here in February.

And then by March, the locals will be busting out their shorts and flip flops.

Who am I kidding? I wear flip flops year round. But still. We'll enjoy this while we have it!

Preparation

If you know me, you know I'm a planner. I've known for over a month that my dad and four brothers are coming for Christmas. I've been planning the meals I'll be making while they are here since the day I knew they were coming.

They get here on Christmas day!

Today I'm putting together the grocery list. The one that is over the top. It's actually two lists in one. Sam's and the regular grocery store that we go to weekly.

I'm freaking out over how much money we'll spend because I've been bad at clipping coupons recently. That, and the fact that my kitchen is super small and I'll be cooking at least two meals a day, for five days in it. 

Oh dear.

And? I'm trying a couple of new recipes while they are here. 

What am I thinking? 

So, today we are planning, shopping, and preparing.

We.

 I'm so thankful to have such a helpful other half. And he doesn't complain a bit.

I Got The Spirit

Less than 2 WEEKS until Christmas! 

I. AM. SO. READY.

All of our Christmas shopping is done! except for two people. I'm awesome like that.

As much as I look forward to Christmas and my family that is coming to town, I also dread when it is all over. I try not to think about it though. 

At work, we've been listening to the most obnoxious Christmas CD. So, I'm taking matters into my own hands and taking this one when I go back on Wednesday.

Multiple people told me how much they liked it, so I listened to the demos on iTunes...and I loooovvvveee it! So glad I bought it.

It doesn't hurt that it has my favorite Christmas song EVER on it either.

I tend to lean toward more instrumental music around the holidays. That's why the one we've been listening to is so obnoxious to me. This one is perfect. 

So yeah.

Go buy it. And stuff.

And? Finish your Christmas shopping/get everything wrapped. THAT makes me feel accomplished when I can look at the tree and the gifts that are wrapped. 

The rest is all about enjoyment!

THE Sandwich

I really wish I had one of these-

You know. The sandwich.

The one you make with the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Two days after Thanksgiving.

The one with piles of turkey and just a bit of mayo.

Yeah, that.

We are most likely going the non traditional route for dinner this Christmas. I'm thinking chili and tamales. Something good and easy and warm that feeds a lot of people. We are having a lot of people visit this year for Christmas. 

Chances are, I won't be having another one of these lovelies for about another year. 

How many days until Thanksgiving?

One Minute A Smile, The Next...Not So Much.

I really get into the spirit around the holidays. I do. We have so much to be thankful for this year that it is not even funny.

But there are things that people do/that happen around this time of the year that make me cringe.

Oh, you want examples? 

Okay.

Exhibit A. 

Now, I'm all into decorating everything/anything that doesn't move around the holidays but this? This drives me crazy. Please don't randomly put a bow on my car. It looks so tacky to me. And the antlers that you can put on your car windows? Please, people. Grow up.

Something that did put a big fat smile on my face was FINALLY finding a string of battery operated lights to add to the wreath I made 2349 years ago. 

That bad boy is hanging on our front door. And the best part? This $5 string of lights has a timer. It's amazing. I don't have to do anything. They come on for 6 hours and stay off for 18 hours. This makes the lazy in me happy. And? We haven't had to replace the batteries at all yet.

What else brings out my grinch face? Wrapping oddly shaped gifts. Like these-

Dear Fisher Price- Why can't you just make the box, a box? Why does it have to be all open and impossible to wrap? Please. Love-Ashley

I mean really? I don't like throwing gifts into gift sacks unless I have to. I like unwrapping gifts, so I figure most everyone else feels the same way.

This is the best I could do with those-

Stop laughing.

Something that really makes me happy? Is coming home from work to my warm house and seeing this every day-

You guys. We have a house. A warm one. We have nice things. We have this Christmas tree with lights and ribbon that I think the cat likes to re-arrange and family to be close to during the holidays.

It puts a big fat smile on my face.

I'm 5.

Really. Sometimes I act like a 5 year old. Especially around the holidays. 

For instance, so what if I woke up nearly every morning last week and ran to the tree to see if Chris had stuck any gifts under the tree for me? 

Who cares?

I'm like a 5 year old sometimes.  I admit it .

And you know what? One morning it paid off. Why? Because I found this-

Heck yes. There's only one thing on my wish list that needs a box this big.

Now, if only I can get through all of my holiday baking without Chris begging me to open it and use it using this bad boy...

We Were THOSE People

We participated in Black Friday for the first time this year. We had everything all planned out. 

So we got in line at Kohl's at 10pm. It was lame. There were like 12 people in front of us and 3 people behind us for that first hour. Here's the parking lot in front of the store at 10pm-

Here's the same spot around 11:30-

It was Kohl's you guys. I never shop at Kohl's, the only thing I ever buy there is stuff for our apartment. The clothes always shrink, and the prices aren't that great. But anyway, there were at least 100 people in line when the doors opened at midnight. 

It. Was. Crazy.

And I didn't even mention the very large hispanic family who tried to cut in front of the line. I got scared.

BUT! We ran in there, grabbed what I needed, checked out, and ran out all in under 15 minutes. It was pretty sweet. And I had an awesome coupon. 

There was seriously no need for me to "run" but I wanted to get out of there before people started fighting over the Fiestaware.

And yes, We stood in line for two hours in order to get one stock pot for my dad. That's all he asked for for Christmas, and Kohl's is the only place I'd ever seen them. Don't judge me.

So, by this time it was 12:15 and we decided to run over to Best Buy. Oh dear. 

That place was insane. 

This was the check out line that snaked through the entire store.

We stood in line for an HOUR for an OTTER BOX that Chris has been wanting for a while that was on sale.

 

LAME. My back was hurting so bad and it was hot in there and it was just a mess but we stuck it out and he got his silly gift. Heck yes, I'm wrapping that sucker and sticking it under the Christmas tree. 

We were planning to hit up Target as well, but I didn't really have a list for there and I was more than done standing in line so we just went home.

Next year (if we're THOSE people again) I have a better Black Friday plan...

Decking Our Halls

I luuuuurve decorating for Christmas. Like, really. I don't go all out, but the things that we do do, have to be perfect.

Cue OCD.

We haven't put up our Christmas tree the last two Christmases. In 2009, we were knee deep in chemo treatments and in 2010 we were too busy working our butts off to pay bills to celebrate Christmas. Yeah. I said it. We were grinches last year, this year we are making up for it.

Regardless, when I unpacked my ornaments Thursday night I found this-

My favorite ornament. Busted. I was sad. I found this pink sparkly one at Pier 1 the second Christmas Chris and I were together. Sad face.

However! I recently picked up a tree skirt at Hobby Lobby that I love. For real. I don't know what it is about it, but it's traditional, without being old. If that makes any sense.

And I grabbed two of the matching stockings for us. I'm never matchy-matchy like that but I love them. 

Speaking of stockings, who would ever buy/use this?

Tacky right? Yuck.

So yeah, the only thing left to do is add ribbon to the tree and wrap gifts to go under it.

The best thing about this Christmas though? My brothers and dad are coming to spend it with us! I can NOT wait. 

I love the holidays.