So, the Thanksgiving holidays went something like this....
 
On Thanksgiving, we didn't have anywhere to be until supper time.  So, we basically sat around and did nothing most of the day.  It was like a normal day......like a September 14 or a February 6.  Around noon, while everyone was enjoying Thanksgiving lunch with their families, Davis went to the grocery store for me while I did laundry and Carson washed the cars.  Blair had gone to eat lunch with her boyfriend's family.  I'm sure the passing neighbors were thinking how sad it was that we had Carson out detailing the cars during Thanksgiving lunch.  Around 4, I was still in my pajamas and thought I was beginning to smell myself so I decided it would be prudent to get a shower before we left for my side's family gathering.

My family's Thanksgiving involved about 42-ish people.....17 of which were children.  Cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, brothers, sister-in-laws.  People everywhere.  So good to be with my big family and eat and eat and eat....and the next day do it all again with Davis' smaller, more low key family. 

It would be ok if that was all I did, but some of the sweet people I help with their Christmas decorations have been giving me goodies, too.  One gave me a big box of caramels which were handmade by nuns.  The Trappistine Nuns of Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey to be exact.  Says so on the box.  How could those be wrong?  Surely, these confections were ordained by God and not wanting to throw cold water on their ministry, I ate a few of those.  The next day, I was waiting at Papa John's for a pizza for Carson and the Baskin Robbins next door started calling me..........and I answered.  "Single scoop of chocolate almond in a sugar cone, please."  And today, I was given a box full of freshly baked tea cakes.....my very favorite.  I saw this as a sign.  I thought about that verse....."Taste and see that the Lord is good".  Yes, He is.  I was just going to have one......but five cookies and a pint of milk later, I was sure that the Lord was good. 

I've got to get control of myself and fast.     

So, Sunday, I went and picked out a Christmas tree.  I'm a real tree kind of girl.  We had a fake tree for a couple of years and I just wasn't feeling its synthetic needles and metal branches.  Something about a tree that you drag down from the attic just isn't the same as the smell of fresh fir.  So, I'm at the tree lot and you know how it is there.  They all look so small......I mean sitting out in the open and all.  I decided to skip over the $60 section and go straight for the $80 grouping.  Yes, I paid $80 for a tree that only has 3 weeks to live.  And did I mention that when I woke up this morning, I discovered that it's not drinking?  At all.  So, by Christmas, we'll have a 9 foot tumbleweed in our living room hooked up to electricity.  That's just the kind of risk takers we are. 

Anyway, we got it home and the thing is huge.  Way bigger than it was there.....you know, outside.  You know like how Clark Griswold misjudged that time.  "It's not going in our yard, Russ.  It's going in our living room."  The tree's awe-inspiring size is not so much in its height but its girth would be to an appropriate scale for, say, the lobby of The Plaza.  Anyway, we wedged it in our usual tree spot and let's just say......it fills it up.....to overflowing.  If you're sitting on the very end of the couch, you have to kind of lean your head to the far left to watch the television.  But, with a few minor concessions like that, I think it will work.  It speaks to me.  It says things like, "I belong in the White House."  But, it's here and I love it.   

One of the biggest blessings of my Thanksgiving week was having the chance to visit with friends who were in town for the holiday and others who just had a little more time on their hands than usual.  It's so good to sit across the table from friends and catch up and laugh until you lose all track of time.  Most of all, I was able to love on my beautiful friend, Amanda.  I told you about her several months ago and she's now cancer free after what's been a long year for her.  Thanks for praying for her.   

It's hard to beat a week full of family, friends, and food.  

I told you that my posts may be spotty during this season and this week is one of the very busiest for me.  I probably won't be back this week but hoping that next week will lend itself to more writing.

Y'all have a good one!  I'll see you in a few days!