Tis the Season

I am so excited that we get to see family this week but, seriously, going out of town is stressful! Here are my To-Do, To-Wear (*have* to write it out of else I will end up making 1/2 my closet thinking "maybe I will wear this...or maybe I will wear this..."!) and To-Pack lists:

This is ridiculous, right?? But its worth it.... So excited to see Cody's family tomorrow and my family on Thursday!

What are your Thanksgiving plans...?

Show Us Your Life: Pets

Cody got Tifi (Creole [language spoken in Haiti, where we met] word for little girl) for me as a surprise wedding gift a few days before we were married. I had wanted a dog for several years but had never lived in a place where I could have her. I don't know what kind of magic he worked but he got our landlord (who is also my boss) to let us have her in our apartment.

Apparently Cody doesn't listen when I talk. Otherwise"Tifi" would have been a male Yorkie instead of a female Chihuahua. I am so glad he didn't listen because I could not love another dog more.

She has become so much more than a pet; she is our little girl. She sleeps with us, travels with us and - although we know this shouldn't happen - eats with us (read: eats off our plates). She is super loyal and super loveable. She is a mommy's girl but loves her daddy too, except when (she thinks) he plays too rough with me.

Thursday Ramblings Part II

Oooh and how could I forget? New Moon comes out tonight. Are you seeing it?? I want to sooo bad but for some ridiculous, unknown reason I promised my sister, mom and brother that Cody and I would see it with them in Nashville on Thanksgiving night. What was I thinking??? I don't want to wait that long!

I thought about seeing it tonight and again next week but my sister said that if I see it without her she will [do something gross] in my mouth. Ugh...she is so gross. Unlike her, I am a lady so I won't tell you what she said. But if you really want to know, you should ask her. BethAnne07 on twitter.

Thursday Ramblings

I've been a bad blogger.....even though it seems I have abandoned my thankfulness posts, I am still thankful! I'm just busy....





• The past couple days I have been on a business trip. I love meeting new people and "marketing talk" but it really does wear you out!




• Although I didn't set out to find a new family at this convention, I ended up meeting eligible bachelors for both my grandmother and my sister. Probably nothing will become of either one but I thought the whole thing was kind of funny. The boy man for my sister told me to have her facebook him but the older gentleman asked for my grandmother's email address. And I gave it to him. I hope she's won't be mad. I haven't told her yet. By the time we parted ways I was calling this man Grandpa Jack. He seemed to really enjoy it. Cody can't believe I did that. He told me that I am completely ridiculous.


• Thankfully, because of all of our hard work, we went to some really nice restaurants. LOVE the area around Mary Washington University. It is full of adorable shops and restaurants.
  


• If you ever go to Fredericksburg, go to La Petite Auberge on William Street. I highly recommend the sea scallops. Garlic white wine sauce with pancetta and cheesey polenta. Ooh and get the creme brulee. Soo soo good!


• We also ate at the Restaurante Renato in the same district. Nice ambiance, nice wine list but I didn't really love anything else. I had the shrimp scampi and the tiramisu. Both were boring. If I'd been paying for it I definitely would have been disappointed.
  
• When I saw Lis's poster that she took to the Today Show plaza it gave me a mini anxiety attack. 36 days til Christmas?? Oh no oh no...SO much to do. I tried to look at Organized Christmas but there is so much info that it overwhelmed me! What's on your Christmas to-do list?? Any tips for getting organized and keeping the stress level to a minimum...?


• Next week my family - mom's brother/sisters + plus all of their children +all of their children - will gather at my grandmother (this is the aforementioned grandmother who I tried to set up...hopefully, I am still invited)'s house to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because most of my cousins are married now (and most have kids! My mom is the only one of her siblings who isn't a grandmother....and probably won't be for awhile. Sorry, mom!) and have to divide time between multiple families, this works better for us. Because we enjoyed the cookie table at my cousin's wedding so much, we are going to do one for our Christmas gathering.
• A little bit of back story: last year I made buffalo chicken dip and cake balls for this event. Apparently no one in my family had ever had either of them; both were a huge hit. Everyone liked them. Lots of compliments came my way. It did good things for my confidence level. I'm self-absorbed like that, apparently.
• Since I my ego would very much enjoy for this year to be a repeat of last year, I need to have the prettiest/tastiest/most creative cookies on that cookie table.
• So, I need your help! Send links and recipes my way, PLEASE!
  
  

I hope that you are having a fabulous week. I promise to catch up on other people's blogs SOON and to attempt not to be such a sparadic and random blogger. xoxoxo

Season of Thankfulness - Day 11

Today I am thankful for friendship that is not weakened by distance.

Me and my b. friend Alicia when I was in Nashville earlier this week

I have really great friends. Sadly, none of the girls that I consider my best friends currently live in the same city state as me. They don't all even live in the same city state as each other. But I'm so thankful that, despite the distances between us, I have great friendships with some really, wonderful girls. {Thank God for technology!}


What are you thankful for today?
Season of Thankfulness - 10
Season of Thankfulness - Days 7, 8 and 9
Season of Thankfulness - Day 6
Season of Thankfulness - Day 5
Season of Thankfulness - Day 4
Season of Thankfulness - Day 3
Season of Thankfulness - Day 2
Season of Thankfulness - Day 1

Season of Thankfulness - Day 10

Today I am so thankful for all of our veterans.

my dad, 1971

I get very emotional when it comes to patriotic things. Fourth of July events always involve tears for me. Last year I cried all for a good 10 minutes after a veteran from my church gave the offeratory prayer on the Sunday before Veteran's Day. I even sometimes struggle to hold it in at sporting events when the anthem is sung. I am just really, really very thankful.

Like I said last year on Veteran's Day, I wish I had the opportunity to tell my dad how proud of him I am or how thankful I am for his service. Both of my grandfather's served in World War II and I am immensely grateful for that as well. Since I can't thank any of them I will thank the veterans that are in my life and that I do encounter.

{Side note: I was really disappointed when my local Hallmark store told me that they had moved the military cards to make room for holiday gift wrap. And by moved they apparently meant "took off the shelves." Hmmmm...how rude.}

If you are really thankful to our troops and want to do something to show your support, consider joining Operation Baking Gals. I have done this before with the girls in our youth group and we received an email back from our solider expressing his gratitude. (Yep, cried then too.) It really is a great organization.

What are you thankful for today?
Season of Thankfulness - Days 7, 8 and 9
Season of Thankfulness - Day 6
Season of Thankfulness - Day 5
Season of Thankfulness - Day 4
Season of Thankfulness - Day 3
Season of Thankfulness - Day 2
Season of Thankfulness - Day 1

Season of Thankfulness - Days 7, 8 and 9

Today (and yesterday and the day before...and pretty much always) I am thankful for times that are so full of family fun and togetherness that I don't even have a second to blog.

Like I said in my last thankfulness post, I spent the weekend in Nashville for my grandmother's 80th birthday. As always, I had such a good time with my family and friends and can't believe I'll be back there in just two weeks for Thanksgiving! (Where did this year go...?)

Some highlights from Grandmother's surprise party...

Gift and guestbook table I love this idea for a guest book (I actually used it at my wedding): at the party guests sign 4x6 pieces of decorative paper (cut down with a butcher cutter) from 12 x 12 which are compiled into an album with pictures from the event

the {HUGE} delicious coconut raspberry cake that my aunt Judy got

Everyone singing "Happy Birthday!"

Me and Grandmother

My second cousin Sandra had my grandmother's engagement announcement - from SIXTY YEARS ago - enlarged and framed. So sweet.

Near the end of the party Grandmother realized - and announced to everyone - that she had worn two different shoes! Ha! Love it!

What are you thankful for today?

Season of Thankfulness - Day 6
Season of Thankfulness - Day 5
Season of Thankfulness - Day 4
Season of Thankfulness - Day 3
Season of Thankfulness - Day 2
Season of Thankfulness - Day 1