Wii Are So Blessed!

I have to be honest that I don't think I share all of the holiday cheer that is going on around me. I've heard of people putting up Christmas decorations weeks ago, but I am really having to pump myself up. As many of you know these are our "firsts" without my Daddy. First holidays, his birthday, those kind of things. It just happened that his birthday fell the day after Thanksgiving this year and I've been bracing myself. As much as I've tried to prepare myself mentally I just haven't known how I would react emotionally. I've learned that how you tell yourself to feel and how you actually feel are two very different things. And despite my best efforts to stay positive, focus on the blessings in my life, and celebrate what I do have, this month has been tough. I've realized that November will always be my Daddy's month to me. Football, Thanksgiving, his birthday. When we went to the FSU game and the drummer in the band started playing my heart ached a little. Because nobody loved a football game and good band music like my Daddy. Then, the band played "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" for the halftime show and I was back in a mini-van in 7th grade being educated on the awesomeness of the Beatles according to my Daddy. :)

Something I have realized is that we will have to redeem these times. I feel like losing my Daddy on a holiday was actually a blessing in disguise. There is so much to distract and keep your mind occupied. I have very few memories of last Christmas, but I know that the fact that I had to play Santa on what was the most painful night of my life was a gentle reminder that life was going to go on and I was going to have to go on with it. As much as my Daddy loved football and the Beatles and a good Thanksgiving meal, he loved my babies even more and he would be absolutely devastated to think that he took away the joy in their holidays. I know that for a fact. That was my Daddy. Our happiness always came first. So, whether or not I feel like it, I'm going to put on my big girl panties and do my best to embrace our new "normal".

This Thanksgiving we headed to my sister's house. My Mom and Phil were there, too. We were a little bit later leaving than we had planned (shocking, right?). In addition to leaving late we also got stuck behind this truck for the first 45 hours (I mean minutes) of the trip.

All I can say is that by the end of the weekend....I was wearing that sign home......

I know that I probably come across as an ultra conservative, ultra traditional kind of person, but the truth is, I'm really not. I am not big on tradition, mostly because I'm lazy and keeping up traditions takes a lot of work. :)   There are some traditions that are important to me, but for the most part I have ADD and like doing different things. I really think that has helped with the grieving process too, because we've done things so differently every year that we've been married. I think it would be a lot harder if we were always at my parent's house and there was a special chair my Dad sat in and all of that. With that said, my sister and I realized that night while we were in the kitchen prepping our food that this was our first Thanksgiving together in over 5 years!!!! Can you believe that? It was our first together with both of us being married ladies and doing the cooking. As we talked and laughed in the kitchen together I had such warm fuzzies and just felt so thankful that God saw fit for us to live so close to each other at this season in our lives. There was a time in our younger years when I never would have imagined I would feel this way, but she is one of my best friends!
(I look like I'm crying or in a lot of pain, but the sun was just really bright. :)

Thanksgiving morning it was time for some turkey frying. Josh and Phil had been given charge over that duty and neither of them had ever actually fried a turkey.....

                                                            They weren't nervous at all....

                                       And we were all very impressed with the results....especially Sarah.

We enjoyed some yummy food and good company. My Mama was in charge of dessert and she brought a plethora of pies, chocolate eclair and my favorite CAKE POPS!!!  After lunch it was time for some snoozing...

Well, almost everybody was snoozing, but these girls. This was one of my favorite moments. I woke up to these sweet girls playing quietly. Good thing we had an 8 year old to be the responsible adult while the rest of us zonked out!!!

Last week Josh had the honor of performing the wedding ceremony of his uncle and new aunt. We also welcomed a new cousin into the family and he just happened to give my kids his Wii. Can you believe that???? He is getting a PS3 for Christmas and had to get rid of the Wii. Since he had 3 controllers he thought of my crew. Isn't that the sweetest, most thoughtful thing you've ever heard of?  We even let the kids play it sometimes. :)

                    Everyone was very surprised at just how competitive I am.....but I'm not that competitve.....

                                But hey, why play if you're not going to win, right?????????
This was my favorite Wii moment. Phil and I were canoeing. We did a practice run in which we both ended up outside of our lanes going in the wrong direction. Phil stops it and says, "Okay, I think we're ready." LOL!! Truly it is our patience and work ethic that make us so great!! :)

                           You may think all we did was play Wii. No way. We skated too.

                                                          We played on the playground......

                                                  Kate and Luke reorganized his room......

                                             And of course, we attempted family pics....

I've decided that if Josh was standing behind me with the turkey fryer and a fire extinguisher, I would totally use this for my Christmas Card. :)

I hope that you all had an awesome Thanksgiving! Now, time to find a Christmas tree.....as tempted as I was we didn't pull one out of the ground in Ga. and haul it back on top of the Jeep Clark Griswold style. Maybe we'll start that tradition next year......