Turkey Day Recap

We had our first official Thanksgiving in our new house. I have hosted Turkey Day before, but this one was so exciting because everyone was so close and could stay as long as they wanted, because we were not living in B.F.E.!!! We had my best friend - Shonna, my mom, Keith's mom, Keith's brother, a family friend - Carlos (and Keith's dad dropped in for a few minutes.) It was nice and cozy and so much fun! Shonna & I had a blast making the sweet potatoes, and Keith even let her help him in the kitchen (which I am STRICKLY forbidden to do when he is on a misson like Thanksgiving dinner!) so Shonna ranks pretty high in Keith's book - let me tell ya! Here are the three of us being silly in the kitchen. I am SO HAPPY that Shonna joined us for Thanksgiving, it made it PERFECT having her there because she is my sister and it just "ain't" right when she isn't around. :o)

We had Chicken & Dressing, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn, brocolli/cheese/rice casserole, cranberry salad, beau monde dip served with veggies & hawaiian bread, cocktail franks in a "secret sauce," rolls, brocolli salad and for dessert - Banana Pudding and Shonna's Death By Chocolate (see picture below!!! OMG SOOOOO GOOOOODDDD!)

Here is an up close picture of my centerpiece and the place-cards I made for everyone who attended. I made these with my digital die cutter. The pumpkin was designed by Tammey Brown who graciously posted it to a web group I am on for us to use. I designed the place card around it and then added the names. I inked the pumpkin and I think they turned out pretty good for my first project with my Klic-N-Kut (digital die cutter.)

These next two pictures are all of my festive decorations. (Also the first pic on my blog today.) I made all the pumpkin topiaries. Some hot glue and raffia pumpkins - pretty cute, heh? Also you can see the china cabinet and china my MIL gave to us a few months ago. I LOVE IT! And it was the perfect place to add a little something festive.

Here is how the table looked before we all sat down to eat. I was so proud of all my little things I made. My centerpieces were from The Dollar Tree: leaves, gourds, brass pails and all! I think I spend a total of $10.00 on EVERYTHING I used to decorate with, oh and the little stuffed pumpkins are from Dollar General. I'm so creative!!! (said with much sarcasm!)

Tonight we have worked on taking down all the Turkey Day Decor, and putting up our Christmas Tree. It isn't complete, but I'll have pictures to post tomorrow. It is MUCH TO DO for an OCD girlie girl, b/c I take so much time in how I pack things away, how I take things out, we have a new pre-lit tree and I was VERY picky about putting it up. And the decorations have to go just so. But it is all worth it to me b/c I love how it looks. Now my angel is NOT SO SPIFFY on the top of my new tree, so we are on the hunt for something to top our lovely tree with tomorrow, along with buy lights to put outside. So more tomorrow! I just can't wait for Christmas!!!

Turkey Day is a comin'......

Can you believe that this time next week we will be getting ready to have Thanksgiving dinner with our families? I can't! This year has FLOWN BY! It is so hard to believe that in a month we'll be getting ready for Christmas - YIKES! I guess I need to get busy on my making my Christmas Cards.

My mom is still at the rehab facility here in town. She is staying through at least the end of this week. But she is walking so much better, and she walked up and down the training stairs yesterday. WOOHOO! Tomorrow the occupational therapist is coming to help her learn to do some more things on her own, so when she does finally go home on her own, she will be ready.

Keith went back to work today after a 9 day vacation. YUCK! I miss him terribly, and wish he would hurry up and come home, but he is closing so it will be a while. But during his vacation we finally got our garage cleaned out and organized! It looks so nice, even with the few more boxes that need to go to our local animal shelter & GoodWill.

I am on the hunt for a reasonably priced pre-lit tree, so I can hopefully have it up next week when I host Thanksgiving for my best friend, both our mom's and I think Keith's brother. My brother and his family are spending the day with her family, and Keith's dad will be goodness knows where, and of course Keith's step-dad will be in the Smokey Mountains riding a horse. I am sure my mom's brothers and sisters will have a dinner on Friday, but I am just not up for that since I will be getting ready to host my own dinner all next week.

Well I am off to search for my Christmas tree, and hopefully get some artsy type projects done that are overdue- whew!
Blessings and Love!
Lori

busy little bee, I am.....

My mom had surgery a week ago yesterday (Friday.) I was so thankful they went ahead and did the surgery. It was rough stuff, and we had a bad day or two at the hospital. But she is now at the rehab facility here in Columbia. I am SO SO SO happy everything went smoothly and that she got to have the surgery. She has been at the rehab facility since Tuesday night, and the first night was rough, but we now have her in a private room, and she has plenty of room to move around, a big bathroom and a nice comfy chair. She lifted her left onto the bed by herself on Friday!!! That was SO AWESOME! And today she walked down the hall and back with me. She is still riding in the wheelchair to meals, but I won't be surprised if she is walking next week sometime. She is very independent, and today she said "NO - let me do it - I have to learn to do things for myself." I am SO VERY PROUD OF HER!!!

My birthday was nice. I came home from the hospital on Saturday night and slept in my own bed, so I could wake up here on my birthday. I was VERY upset when we left the hospital, it was nearly 10pm and my brother was still "on his way." Men - I swear! But he got there, and he spent the day with her on Sunday so that I could have lunch/dinner with my husband for my birthday. I want to go to a movie or something else but I was so dang tired! So, we slept till 12:30pm or so, and then got dressed and ate at Outback. Our waiter was so sweet, he brought me dessert and even put a candle in it. :o)

This week I have been going back and forth to see my mom every day, and making sure her laundry is done, and anything else I can do for her. She has gotten so many beautiful cards and some flowers, and a goodie basket. I got her a Jack-O-Lantern full of candy for Halloween, and I fixed a little cell phone holder she could wear around her neck while at rehab. She is using that b/c she doesn't have a phone in her room, so it is nice that she always has it with her when Joey (my brother) or I call. My mother-in-law even stopped by to see my mom and brought her the most beautiful flowers!!! I thought that was so sweet! Mom was in therapy when she came, so mom didn't get to see Pam, but I just was so moved that she stopped by. And today while I was there, our stamping friend - Lynn, dropped in. She brought mom a really cool card idea book to read while she is "rehab'bing". So sweet.

Tomorrow we are having a little football party to celebrate Keith's birthday which is Monday. His dad and a friend are coming over and we are having wings and fries and such. The best part is going to be watching my Colts play! WOOHOO! We have to go to the grocery in the morning to get some last minute stuff, and drop by and see my mom, and then we'll settle in to watch the game (oh and we have to watch the Titans too! LOL!)

I've been playing with my new Klic-N-Kut (computerized die cutter) as much as I can. I cut mom's name out to display in her room, and cut out a couple of simple designs. I am still cutting out of patterned paper, but I feel comfortable with it now, so I think I will move on to Cardstock next. I'll post pictures of some stuff as soon as I cut something I remember to photograph.

Oh and we started down the road to my birthday present from Keith on Friday. I'm not going to say anything more than that right now, I won't be able to get it until the end of November, but I am very excited! It is something I have wanted for a long time and I cannot WAIT to have it!

Have a super rest of the weekend, and oh I found out this today after taking a Desperate Houseswives quiz: