So Thankful

Thankful Dad and Anne were here to help us decorate the Christmas tree this year!! It was really hard to wait until after Thanksgiving to put it up. But, well worth it!

Thankful for family, and family recipes! Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without them. Both.

Thankful Grannie Annie has a great sense of humor! Even when Liam ambushes her with a nerf machine gum. She got her licks in.

Thankful I have It's A Wonderful Life on DVD. And we were able to sit and watch it together!

Thankful for family game night. Sammy style. Never knew there were so many adjetives that start with an N before.

Thankful I was at least able to get four of them smiling with eyes open at the same time. You can't everything...

Thankful Bobby and Blake were able to stop by last night. It made Dad's evening to see them.

SO THANKFUL

Thanksgiving Tidings

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Garrett clan yesterday. The turkey was exceptional, as was the company! The one big mar on the day was that I realized when we were 45 minutes into our drive home that I had forgotten my camera at Kay and Rod's house! I wanted to turn around and go back for it ~ but I unfortunately was not in the position of power to make that decision (ie. Jon was driving). So, I am currently without my camera until the cookie bake in two weeks!!!!!!! I'm not really sure how I forgot my camera? I mean, sheesh, I remembered my dishes. I remembered my kids. I even remembered to grab a pie! And somehow I walked off without my baby!!! As we drove through Marysville and Jon just kept driving forward, instead of turning around, I found myself wishing I'd left one of the kids. They are as important to Jon as they are to me...he would've turned around and gone back if we'd left one of them. Now, to be fair, he did offer to drive back after it today ~ but even I can't justify making a 200 mile round trip to go after my camera when I'm going there myself for in two weeks. Turning around half way home, in the dark, and the rain when everyone is tired and stuffed...that I would not have thought twice about if I'D been the one driving! Especially because later today, Dad and Anne will be arriving for the Schley thanksgiving. And I won't have a camera!  Now do you understand? Alas, I've lived through worse. I'm sure I will be fine...but Jon will be ready to kill me by the time it's over. Because we all know me well enough to know that the dropped hints will be heavy.
"Gee, that would have made a great picture, huh? What a beautiful moment to not have a camera...(sigh)".
All that aside, I had a thought to share when I signed on here and believe it or not, it had nothing to do with my camera. I was thinking on the way to Springfield yesterday about Christmas fast approaching ~ and how everyone keeps telling me not to skip Thanksgiving. After much thought I have an answer to this advice...
"Thanksgiving is nothing more than a lead in to the Christmas season ~ that is it's purpose. To be honest I don't believe Thanksgiving is a day. Thanksgiving is a state of mind!! And I furthermore believe that confining it to one day is shameful. I am thankful every day of every year. Thankful for my God and my Savior Jesus. Thankful for my loving husband and my beautiful annoying children. Thankful for all of my family, extended family and friends. Thankful for my home and all the provisions a merciful and graceful God have provided to me. I'm not saving all that up for one day. It wouldn't fit! So, I say...let the celebration of the birth of said Savior begin!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Update

Sorry, I've been negligent. I've been very busy, but I should not get so busy I don't tell y'all what's up!

The BIG news I have is that the trestle table Jon made for me is done. For now.

We are both pretty unhappy with the finish. We used the self leveling pour on stuff for table tops. Which makes sense right? Well, when we talked to the lady at Lowe's about what would be best to use to finish the top she apparently didn't understand what I meant when I told her that it was "rustic, not level and not supposed to be". The intent and desired look for this table was that it look like it's approximately 200 years old and that there was no such thing as "power tools" when it was made.

Because the top isn't level, the self leveling stuff went on like total crap. Really, you can't tell in these pics but it looks bad and I feel awful about it. Jon didn't want to use this finish for the top. I convinced him this was the way to go. And I was WRONG! It was NOT the way to go. After the holidays we're going to sand it down so it will take a new finish and put a satin polyurathane on it. Still,

even with the uneven finish...it's pretty gorgeous. I am in love with the red chesnut color. And of course the style.

Yes, I know the chairs don't look so hot with it. He plans on making benches that match, but that can wait.

Other than the table...we've been getting ready for the holidays. Dad and Anne are coming for Thanksgiving and Mom and James will be up for Christmas so we have LOTS to look forward to!!! Moments to treasure!

I have all but one Christmas tree up. The last one...the big one...in the living room we are going to put up while Dad and Anne are here. I've already made 5 types of Christmas cookies AND we only have a few presents left to buy. The rest is DONE!!! Like I said, we've been busy!

I'll try to do better keeping in touch on here though. Love you all!!!

Oh yeah and GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introducing...The Oddity Odyssey

Here she is, the newest member of our family.

To be completely honest, she's not everything I'd hoped for.

But, beggars can't be choosers. We got an awesome price on her.

She's bought and paid for.

No, she doesn't have leather seats or a navigation system. No dvd player, no heated seats, most importantly no keyless entry. I know, I'm a spoilt brat. Nevertheless, I'm very happy with her.

She has a huge trunk space, stow away bench seat in the back. She rides and drives like a dream and she's eager to make a trip to North Carolina. Oh yeah, and did I mention she's bought and paid for!?

Love you all!!

Keepin' Busy

Sadly, Jon has still not heard anything definite about the job at Nationwide. We are still waiting. Lest you

think he's been lazy...THIS is what he's been up to.

A friend of ours had wood from a train car circa 1930 something. God bless them ~ they gave us the wood he needed to make the table I've always wanted.

Well. Okay. Maybe not always, but for awhile anyway.

And he has done a mighty fine job on it too.

I'm quite excited to get it finished ~ a dark reddish brown.

We are hopeful that it will be done for Thanksgiving dinner.

Hope you like it! Gotta go...

Before we can stain and finish it, I have to beat the snot out of it with this chain.

Love you all!

Not a Creature Was Stirring??

Ok, so I confess. I didn't stay strong for more than 1 day. Which is not the point of this post, so we will just gloss right over that part. When the kids and Jon and I put out the nativity as a family, Liam was playing with a tiny rubber mouse he'd gotten from some bubble gum machine or something...
He decided to put it in the nativity with the rest of the animals...there were mice in the stable, right?

When he originally put it in there it was in the stable. I laughed and humored him.Sure there were mice in the stable honey...that's fine. As long as they aren't nibbling on Baby Jesus' toes.

Then yesterday I noticed that the mouse was on top of the stable. And I said nothing.

Today, I was sitting on the couch and looked back to see the mouse in still another new spot.

Still, I have said nothing. But I've got my eye on him and his mouse.

Love you all!!

Beauty and the Beast

So, obviously, Maggie is the beauty. I know, I know, you thought this was going to be about me and Jon didn't you? Well... you were wrong. This time... although I can certainly see where the title may lead you to believe such a thing. Maggie came home very excited today on two fronts. They have started learning about Indians at school and she's my eager one. Do YOU remember this book? She came in from the bus and informed me that "OHIO Indians didn't live in teepees ~ they built longhouses, Did you know that!?" At the risk of bursting her bubble I said, "As a matter of fact, I did know that. C'mere." And I pulled out MY 5th grade social studies book. Well, same book, but different. MeeMaw gave me this copy, which happens to be the same text book I used. Which also happens to be the same book my Uncle Johnny used and there's only like 20 years between us. I guess you don't have to update history books much... history doesn't usually change.

So she quickly curled up to read all about the "Ohio Indians".

Then she remembered...her big news for the day. She got a necklace for Honor Roll, straight A's!

She's very proud of it.

As opposed to Sam, the beast. He made Merit Roll (All A's and B's) and I found out from another parent (not him) that he got a real nice card stock certificate for it. When I asked him about it, he informed me that it was somewhere in his locker. He could care less. I've decided that while it would be nice to have the achievement certificate, it's certainly not worth an argument. I'll let it go and just be glad he actually made Merit Roll!

I love you all!

Hush Baby Jesus

Not a lot has been going on with us lately. I quickly put away all the Halloween decorations Sunday. I am SO done with Halloween. And I think we all know why. The Christmas decorations are calling me. I've been strong. The sun has been shining and I've said "Now Ya'll HUSH ~ I can't pull you out yet. It's just too early." I've been strong.

But...

Well, it's kinda snowing right now. And I'm growing weaker. I can hear Baby Jesus from my antique nativity crying in his rubbermaid tote downstairs and I can't leave a baby to cry. Right?

Right?
Stay strong, Cheryl, stay strong. I'll try to not look at the big, fluffy, fuzzy, fat snowflakes outside. I can wait. I can do it. I just have to take it one day at a time.

"Hush now, baby Jesus, soon. I'll get you soon."

I'll keep you all posted. I love you all!