Ten on Tuesday: A Post-Thanksgiving Edition

1. We are in full charge for the holidays now that our wonderfully relaxing Thanksgiving get-away is over. We alternate families at Thanksgiving and this year we spent it with my side at a cabin in Townsend, Tennessee. There was hiking, Uno, playing with cousins, and a lot of relaxing. I came back ready to hit the ground running for December which is a good thing.

2. This little guy is having the most fun with re-entry into regular life as he is having to adjust to not being held 24/7 by his grandma, aunt, 13-year old cousin, etc. See evidence below:

Exhibit A: Grandpa holding Ethan.

Exhibit B: Grandma holding Ethan.



Exhibit C: Uncle Boo holding Ethan and making him laugh. : )

3. The biggest girl got to go on a horseback trail ride and loved it! The little girls have already calculated that they will be old enough to go when we go back in two years and I'm just waiting for them to ask me how many days that will be. They were most envious.

4. In other current events, I had my gallbladder surgery the Friday before Thanksgiving and am SO glad to have that behind me. I won't go in to too many details on the old blog, but I was most uncomfortable for most of the weekend and Monday. I was so thankful that my sister took the 3 & 4 year old for the weekend and Travis and Noelle were home to tend to me and the baby for several days as I was on bedrest. By Wednesday I was on the upswing and thankful that I was feeling well enough to head out of town with my family.

5. My copy of Emily of Deep Valley did arrive yesterday. I am engrossed in it.

6. I am very thankful that we don't have a Trader Joe's near us. The kids and I made a trip there today and in one fell swoop we knocked out all our teacher gifts for the year (tutorial teacher for Noelle, Sunday School & Awana for all kids). However, all these other little goodies (holiday and not) fell in to my basket as well. A batch of peppermint coffee is brewing right now and I am looking forward to trying it as soon as I finish this post. : )

7. Pondering a year long project next year a la Project 365 like I did this year. I don't think I want to tackle an every-day-photo project again - I already take a ton of photos and have really been enjoying getting back to more traditional scrapbooking of late as I have found time. Thinking something along the lines of a simple gratitude album. Monika has a super cute and simple one on her blog that I love (scroll down this post to see it), but I may just go the route of a cute decorated notebook.

8. Also, courtesy of Monika and a free download, our family made a gratitude album while away on our Thanksgiving trip. I'll try to photograph and share soon. I love how it turned out!

9. December is big month here (for many reasons) but my best friend and I - who share a birthday coincidently, and who's birthday just happens to be New Year's Eve, and who both happen to be turning 40 this year - are working on a super fun family-friendly New Year's Eve birthday party. I'm starting to get a little excited! The invitations are done and in my hot little hands and I have some addressing to do! (No evites for me, thankyouverymuch!) I'm in serious list making mode for the event ... our husbands are throwing the party for us, but since invitations are kinda my thing, I went ahead and took care of it. : )

10. And, with that I've reach 10 and am off to have my cup of coffee and work on my lists. The little girls are watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and after they head to bed I have a date with Emily. It's a good evening.