Thanksgiving Dinner again

Last week I talked to Tina and she said she had wanted to do a Thanksgiving dinner with us but things got hectic with her family and we planned to go out of town. We talked about it a bit and decided we could get together today when we were all back and things had calmed down a little. I finished up the laundry from our trip this morning and then we were ready to go. We headed over to Tina's a little earlier than we had expected, that never happens. We wanted to be sure to have enough time to hang out with Tina and Noah but still be able to get home in time to get the kids ready for school tomorrow and me ready for work. We got to Tina and Noah's and the boys went off to play computer games while the girls played a couple board games and Tina and I talked. Rena came over around 1:00 and we took a walk with the girls watched them play outside a bit. Tina had prepared all the food and around 2:00 she started to heat everything up. Dinner was delicious, as expected. We had ham instead of turkey which was a nice change and all her sides were different from what we had at Steve and Heather's house too. We all filled up and then had chocolate peppermint cupcakes for dessert. After being completely stuffed for the second time this week it was time to go back home once again. Thanks Christina and Noah for the awesome Thanksgiving Dinner. As always, the food was wonderful and the company was even better!

On the Road Again

Peter and I got up bright and early this morning just before 5am. The drive straight through would take us 12 hours and we wanted to get home before it was too late and we were too exhausted. Peter and Steve packed up the car and we said our good byes. Tyler was still in bed but the girls went in and said good bye, they told him they would miss him and gave him a kiss too. To start off our trip we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a sweet breakfast before we got on the interstate. Before we knew it we were in North Carolina and watching the exit numbers as they counted down. Javan was really tired and started to get cranky. We didn't want him to fall asleep before lunch so we decided to pull off at a rest stop in South Carolina. Steve had gotten us some rolls from the store and last night I packed up some turkey and mayo so we could have sandwiches today. I also had some applesauce containers so we stopped and enjoyed our healthy lunch, much better than fast food. We took a quick potty break and then we were back on the road. Javan and Abbi both fell asleep shortly after that but they were both up by the time we got into Georgia. We were making pretty good time and there really wasn't any traffic. There were other cars but there was no congestion or accidents along our route. As we were passing through Jacksonville our Worship Pastor, Jason, texted Peter to see where we were. They apparently were headed back home from SC and we figured out they were just 20 miles ahead of us. Too funny. 1600 miles later we finally got to Orange City and picked up some Chick-fil-a for dinner. Before we got home Peter ran into the grocery store to get some staples for the next couple of days until I could do so real shopping. Finally home, Lucy Goose was super happy to see us (our friend, Lisa, had been coming by to feed her) and I was so happy to see my bed. We all unloaded the car and unpacked and I even did a load of laundry before getting the kids in bed. It wasn't fun getting up so early on a day I didn't have to work but getting home earlier was well worth it.

Last Day

Today is our last day here in VA before we head home tomorrow. After being in the house for the last two days I was ready to get out and apparently I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Although we didn't really want to do the Black Friday Christmas Shopping we decided to join the crowds just so we weren't cooped up inside any longer. We started off at Target in the morning and went around to a couple other stores in the stripmall. Peter and I actually bought a few presents for the kids and our White Elephant gift exchanges we do with various groups. After the early shopping we went back the house for some lunch and attempted to get Javan to take a nap. He didn't seem to be in there long before I heard him calling which was fine because we had some afternoon plans. We all loaded up in the van again and headed to the nearby mall to watch Toy Story 3 at the cheap theater. The girls were very excited because they had wanted to see the movie since it had come out months ago. We had heard good things and they were all true, the movie was great and I was glad that we had bought a couple copies ealier at Target for $13 (shhh, don't tell the girls). After the movie we explored the mall and got Bresa a couple more books for the ride home (she had finished two of her Junie B Jones books on the car ride up). Santa had arrived at the mall too and there was no line so when the girls asked if they could see him we decided it was a good time to go. They both told Santa what they wanted and after Tyler got a turn too Heather got a picture of all of them with Santa. By the time we left it was dark out and time for dinner. We all decided to go over to Friendly's where we enjoyed a nice dinner and ice cream dessert. A wonderful end out to our great trip in VA. We had a good time but we were looking forward to getting home to our own beds tomorrow. Thank you so much Steve and Heather for all your hospitality! We always enjoy coming to see you and getting to hang out and spend time with you. We will miss you when we return home!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

By the time I got up this morning Heather already had the turkey cooking in the oven and the house smelled great. Heather had everything all planned out and there wasn't really much for me to help with so I just sat back. Steve and Peter made a last minute run to the store and the kids worked on cleaning up the room. Dinner was ready in the afternoon and we were all excited to taste everything. The kids got their plates loaded with a taste of it all and then sat down at their table to partake. Us adults filled up our plates too and after Peter said the blessing we eagerly filled up our tummies. Everything was wonderful and we were all full in just a short while. Heather made pumpkin pie for dessert but that will have to wait for a while yet. A bit later we took the kids to the playground again because they were getting a little riled up being inside. After some dishes and vegging around, Steve and Peter and I played some dominoes and then watched a tv show called Punkin Chunkin where contestants use rigs they built to see who can get a pumpkin to travel the farthest. It was entertaining and kind of scary. Pretty soon we will be eating pumpkin pie.

Just resting

The high today is 54 degrees, quite a difference from yesterday. We didn't have any plans for the day which was nice. Steve got home in time to have lunch with us so we ate and just hung out. Later on Steve got out his Legos from when he was growing up. We all had a good time playing with those and it was fun for me to see all the old Legos I use to play with when I was a kid. Peter has a bunch of his Legos from when he was little too but they are different from the ones I am use to. Javan took a nice long nap and I actually had to go in and wake him up because I didn't want him to sleep so long he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Later on we all watched Charlie Brown specials together before dinner and retiring to bed. We all wanted to make sure we would have plenty of rest for tomorrow's turkey events.

Exploring

I was hoping for cooler weather when we got up here but the high today was mid 70s. Tyler had school in the morning so we made plans for the afternoon when he got out. While we were waiting the girls wanted to go play on the playground outside of the apartment so we went out for some fresh air and energy releasing. When it was time to get Tyler they washed up and we all left to pick him up. We had decided we would go to the Norfolk Zoo since our Central FL Zoo pass got us in free here too. On the way we stopped at a place called Doumar's that is an old style diner where you order from the car and eat in the car (like Sonic's but it was established in 1907). This restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives (some tv show) where Heather had heard about it, apparently the founder of the place invented the ice cream cone. We ate our lunch which was nothing spectacular but it was a cool experience. The zoo was just a mile or so down the road so we got there quickly and started to explore. We took the train around the park and then set off on foot to see the animals up close. The zoo was really nice (but they all are in comparison to the CFZ). There were lots of animals, giraffes, meerkats, lions, kangaroos, zebras, and so forth that we don't usually get to see. Abbi liked the giraffes best of all (surprise), Bresa liked peacocks, and Tyler liked the zebras best. The kids all had a good time and ran around a lot so hopefully they will fall asleep quickly tonight. On the way back to the house we stopped by Doumar's again and got some ice cream. This time we went inside to try and maintain the inevitable mess. Bresa ended up dropping her ice cream on the floor (the scoop rolled right off the cone when she was eating it) but the waitress brought her another one so she was happy again. The kids played at the house when we got back. Steve eventually came home and then we had dinner. I have seen on Heather's blog that she has sushi parties where they roll their own sushi. I told her that was really cool so she arranged to have that for dinner tonight. She uses only cooked meat so there was no raw fish here. She heated up the eel and prepared the crab, cucumbers, avocado, and rice for the wraps. Heather even made Japanese Miso soup which was really good. The kids ate PB&J but Bresa was brave and tried some sushi with eel in it. She liked the insides of the wrap but didn't care for the seaweed around it. Dinner was delicious and I was stuffed in the end. Once the kids were in bed we even had Japanese Green Tea ice cream which wasn't a hit but still a cool thing to try.

Seeing colors

Jackie had to work this morning but Robert was home so when we all got up he made us a yummy breakfast to give us some energy. Steve and Heather live just 4 hours from where we were so we weren't in any hurry to get on the road just yet. I took the kids outside to play in the beautiful weather and show them the cool cotton fields and talk about the pretty different colored leaves and why we don't have them in FL. The kids played a nice long time while Peter and Robert talked about guitar things and showed each other what they had been working on. Just before lunch we loaded up the children again and headed on our way. We drove for less than an hour and then found somewhere to get off for lunch. We stopped at Panera and ate outside in the nice weather. Once we were through we stopped at a local Target to pick up a couple things we had forgotten (there's always something). Peter wanted to take a break from driving so I took over for the rest of the way to Steve's. We finally pulled up at Steve's place and got everything unloaded again. It was only about 5ish when we were all settled but it was already starting to get dark. Heather was working on a delicious dinner and after we ate it up we just sat and talked a while. Steve has to work tomorrow and Wednesday but will be off after that.

On our way...

Peter and I decided last week to go up to Virginia to see my oldest brother and his family for Thanksgiving. It was quite a last minute decision so there wasn't a whole lot of planning or anticipation with it. After church I took the kids home and fed them and loaded the car while Peter finished playing the opening for the second service. When Peter got home we were all ready to go so we strapped in the kids and off we went. We were off to a good start and there wasn't much traffic on the roads. We assumed everyone had either left on Friday or they weren't leaving until Wednesday. When we got into Georgia I called my friend Brenda who was driving home from SC where she and her husband had spent the weekend. When I called they were just pulling off at an exit we were coming up on so we stopped to fuel up too. It was cool to see them in GA in passing. We talked for a little bit and then prayed together before we each headed in our opposite directions. Peter and I knew we weren't going to make it to VA in one day since we left in the afternoon so we called up our friends, Robert and Jackie, who live in NC to see if we could stop there. They were excited that we would be coming by so we drove until we reached their house. When we got there we chatted a bit and then I put the kids down. Eventually the rest of us went to bed for the night too. This picture is one we took in SC at a rest stop, I just liked the pretty leaves.

Accessing the Scene

Upon arrival it seemed a tragic accident had occurred but upon closer inspection it appeared that the little boy had purposely tipped his wagon so he could lie down and play with the wheel, one of his favorite past-times. Scenes aren't always what you expect, it is good to keep an open mind and come at them from many perspectives.

Life Group Thanksgiving

Tonight we had our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner with our Life Group. Brenda and Bill opened their house to us once again (since Peter and I lead the group and host each week whenever we have events or socials we go to another members house) and everyone brought a couple dishes to share. As always the food was exceptional and everyone was stuffed. I was too full to even try any of the delicious desserts but I took some home with me for later. Every person from our life group came to share in the event and the fellowship was even better than the food. After dinner a couple of the guys brought out guitars and started playing some praise songs and ended in a Christmas tune. One thing I am extremely thankful for is our Life Group, the people in our group are so committed, not only to God but also to each other. When one of us is down the rest are right there to help them up. I know my ladies have been there to hold me accountable and to bring me a smile when I didn't have one of my own. I pray our group stays strong and continues to do life together in the years to come.

Fish Frenzy

A couple of weeks ago our friend, Kelly, asked us if we would take her fish from her, apparently she had won a fish at a fair about 7 years ago and the thing was still around. She wanted to get rid of the tank but needed a new home for the fish. She asked if she could put it in our pond out front. Of course we said yes to that. We only have four fish left in our pond so we weren't too afraid of losing them, if anything it's a good reason to clean it out and start over. Well Kelly brought over the fish today and this thing is huge. You can see his size compared to the others in the tank, the big all orange one is one that I bought about 2-3 years ago and we thought he was big. Peter's cousin Nicole won a fish at a fair about 15 years ago and that things was still going the last time we went over. I guess the thing to do is win fish at fairs, they seem to have longevity on their side. When Kelly brought over this gold fish she also brought over a plecostomus (sucker fish) that was about the same size. Hopefully they will both stick around for a while, we are enjoying having some new company.

Sooo Buttons

Today in the mail Abbi got a surprise. A big manilla envelope addressed just to her. I handed her the package and she opened it very cautiously as she had no idea what it was. When she looked inside she smiled real big and grabbed out a handful of buttons all packaged in little plastic baggies. She kept pulling out more and more and then found the note that was inside too. Apparently, when Aunt Janell was moving to her new house she found a hidden stash of buttons and since she knew Abbi collected them she sent them our way. Abbi is very excited about her new buttons and has been going through them and looking each one over. She can't wait to add these new gems to her growing collection. Thanks Aunt Janell for the bag of buttons!!

Day 2

Well last night I ended up staying up and talking with Karen and Lisa until almost two in the morning. I had to get up early again today to meet team and pray and prepare before all the ladies showed up for the new day. The knowledge that not many other women would not have gotten a great night's sleep was a little comforting but I was still so very tired. Somehow I managed to get up and showered and to the suite to meet the team by 7am. We each took turns praying for the day and then quickly set up the breakfast we had. As the sun started to rise over the ocean I was just taken by the beauty of it. I am use to seeing the sun rise over the lake on my way to work and it is one of my favorite things but it had been a while since I had seen one as beautiful as this mornings. I walked out to the balcony and just stood in awe of God's glory, what a way to start the day! Soon the room was filled with ladies and talk and the day was officially started. The schedule we had set had the ladies doing their quiet time (reading and studying God's Word) starting at 8:30 and then free time from 9:00-12:00. I grabbed my camera and headed out to try and get some ladies in action (from a distance). I got some great shots of women finding peace and some coming to what seemed to be revelations. 12:00 was lunch time and it was delicious. Directly following we headed in to Session Two where Shelly spoke about forgiveness, conviction, and shame. After that session we broke into predetermined (this is so we can meet new people) groups and went through a list of questions the speaker had come up with. Each member of the team was the leader of a group of 8-9 women and I think I had the best group. I knew about half of my ladies and had the pleasure of meeting 4 new ladies. All of the ladies contributed which was wonderful (but not pressured) and we were so deep in our discussion that we were the last group finished. After our breakout groups we ended with a survey and prayer and then everyone was dismissed. I had a great time and though I missed being able to just go and attend the retreat and relax with no duties, the idea that God may have used me in some small way to bless other ladies and further His kingdom brings me joy beyond expression.
When I finally made it home I was exhausted but my mom had come back with me so she watched the kids while Peter and I went out to nice quiet dinner. He was looking up movies to see too but I told him I wouldn't last that long so we rented one to watch at home instead. I had a great time at the retreat but there is nothing like being home with my best friend and our children.

The Women's Ministry Fall Beach Retreat

It was finally time for our church's Ladies Retreat and not a moment too soon. I look forward to this retreat each year and it always seems to go by so quickly. This year was a little different since I am on the WM team. The last several weeks the team has been meeting weekly and planning and figuring out all the last minute details. The retreat is only a one night stay but it sure does take a lot of preparation before we can kick it off. This morning I had to meet the team at the church at 9am and from there we headed up to Daytona Beach to The DB Hilton where the retreat was taking place. Registration wasn't until 4:00 for everyone who was coming but we had a lot of set up to do before then. By the time 4:00 rolled around we were ready to get started and things went pretty smoothly. After everyone got and ate their dinner we met up for session one with our speaker Shelly Brown. She had an amazing testimony and I could see the effect she was having on many of the ladies. I already knew a good part of her story since we had to all decide on who was going to be our speaker but it was still an eye opener to how God can use anyone and how no matter what we are never alone. After the first session we had all the ladies meet up in the Hospitality Suite where we had dessert waiting. We did it a little different from last year when we asked all the ladies to wear their pajamas. We weren't sure how it would turn out and how many ladies would participate but there wasn't a single lady not dressed in their PJs! We all had a great time and the team gave out three prizes for the best dressed. One of the prizes ended up going to mom and Brenda who dressed alike and did their hair up and were carrying stuffed animals. It was awesome and everyone kept asking if they were sisters. After the party I headed back to my room so I could hang out with my roomies, Karen and Lisa.