Thanksgiving is for giving Thanks!

Thanksgiving is for giving Thanks! is one of my favorite Thanksgiving books. I have read it to the boys for years, they are probably too old for me to keep reading it...but I do anyway!

Yesterday I made lefse for the first time in my life. And when I say "made" lefse I mean, helped roll it into balls, and then turn, and cozy, turn and cozy...that was my job! Allison did all the rolling, and from what I hear, its probably best, or we would have ended up with letters for lefse instead of round!! But it was fun to spend the day with her doing something that has been a tradition of hers for as long as she has had kids.

Brian and Benjamin along with Paul and Bennett had a cub scout outing in LaCrosse to attend, (in the FREEZING COLD!!) so Christian and I spent the day with Allison and Jackson. We didn't plan on staying as long as we did, but when we were ready to go, we found that Brian had the keys...so we were stranded! It was super to just enjoy the day, and not worry about running around, or cleaning, or laundry...better yet, we came home to a Christmas decorated house!

I can't wait to spend Thanksgiving Day with ALL of the Meurers on Thursday! Each year we go to Brian's Aunt Helen's house for the day. The house is always full of people, and food, and fun! It really is a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to it every year! Then Saturday we will spend the day with my family at my mom's house! 2 Thanksgivings this year, means I should fast for the next couple of days!

I have so much to be thankful for this year! The blessings are many for me in 2008. I have found long lost friends, I have strengthened existing friendships, and made new friends too! I have found work that I truly enjoy, and I look forward to going each day! I am thankful for our church and the wonderful things that are happening there, and I am excited to see them come to life! I am thankful for my family, near and far, they are wonderful in ways that I learn about each day. My two wonderful boys amaze me and humble me, and I am everyday grateful to be a part of their lives! And most of all I am grateful for my husband. I am thankful that he loves me and the boys, and I am thankful that God brought us together in marriage this year!
It has also been a bittersweet year, having lost my grampa, but I know he is where we all want to be, and for that I am thankful too!
Ok ok ok...enough giving thanks!! Have a wonderful week! Eat til you can't eat anymore!

Another beauty

This has been another full, and fulfilling week!
Wednesday I had a PPT meeting. This particular PPT meeting involved quite a bit of info regarding our status as a PTSA, Family Association, dues, members, etc. Admittedly, some of this information was a little over my head, but I learned alot too. I am grateful that we had this meeting during my elect year, so next year I will be better prepared for being co-president!
Thursday was conferences for both boys, ski registration, book club for me, and a scout meeting for Brian. It was quite a whirlwind! Both boys had wonderful conferences, their report cards were great starts to the year, and overall I am a proud mama! Book club was of course superb! Cathy hosted this one, and we sat in her uber-comfy couches, ate some delicious Afghani food (We read the Kite Runner) and drank pomegranate martinis! My book club consists of Elizabeth Glowac, Cathy Nathan, Cherie Falk-Philpott, April Ekblad, Allison Robelia and I. We have a perfect blend of women in this group and I am so so excited to meet each month. The December meeting is going to be held at our house, and this months read is Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Jesus Christ's Childhood Pal. I'm told it is hilarious! I can't wait to get started!

Friday night was dinner club with the Kerrs and Robelias. We had a great time eating, drinking, singing and playing guitar. XBox style of course!
The kids played downstairs while the adults took over the upstairs. We look forward to future get togethers with these families, and hopefully the Goblirsches will be able to join us next time!
Saturday morning Brian and I woke up and hung out in bed. It was sooo nice to be able to snuggle together and talk. We had some great debates about religion, politics, the kids, budgeting, and each other. At 11 we finally decided we should get up and do something. So after getting ready, we went to the MOA to do some Christmas shopping.
No purchases were made, except one from Brian to me, but I don't know what it was. I was in the LEGO store at the time. We thought we would get some things at the LEGO store, but their prices were the same as Target...so I saw no advantage to buying them there since Target has sales! (I love a good sale!) We walked the entire mall and went in all the stores we wanted, drank some coffee and gawked at the crazy girls FLOCKING to the new American Girl store! After a stop at IKEA and some inspiration for organizing toys and closets we came home.
Today was GIFT and church. In GIFT we had a great discussion about traditions. It made me reflect on the traditions that Brian and I have started for our family. With the holidays coming I am thinking about our family traditions and it just gives me the warm fuzzies! It also makes me look back on my childhood and think of the wonderful tradtions we had growing up, not only during the holidays, but year round. Indeed I have been blessed over the years!
After church we went to Brian's parents for the game. As soon as we walked in and Benjamin hugged Gloria hello, we discovered that he is officially the same height as her! Oh boy, my little boy is not so little anymore! During the game the boys and I walked to downtown Wabasha to do a little chocolating and shopping. There is a chocolate shop downtown that is fantastic! The huge array they have of confections is overwhelming. After a cinnabon and hot chocolate we went down to the only other shop (other than ace hardware) that is open on a Sunday. It is called the Shepards Nook, and it is a Christian book shop. It is brand new this week, and its very cute inside. I was actually able to do a little Christmas shopping in there. I got gifts for their Sunday School teachers and Brian. A wonderful dinner that was a recipe of Gloria's mom, a game of scrabble and dogplaying rounded out the day.
This week promises to be a little slower. But it seems the less I have going on...the less I get done!

Calm, peaceful, relaxed

This is how I feel today. After buzz, buzz, buzzing around for so many weeks, I have finally had a day where I actually had energy to do "stuff". "Stuff" that hasn't been getting done (not by me anyway... I love my husband!) In addition to "stuff" I have done laundry, made potato soup, and washed the many dishes that is involved in making that soup--I cannot wait to have my dishwasher back!!
I do have this to say though, I'm going to ENJOY this winter! This year I am not going to complain about the snow, I'm not going to grumble about the cold, I am not going to fuss about the wet floors from boots. Nope, not me, not this year! I am actually looking forward to playing in the snow, building snowmen, drinking ho-ho mochas (thanks Sara!) and snuggling together as a family to play games and build puzzles. This year is going to be different.
Now I would like to point out, that this is how I ALWAYS feel leading up to the holidays. I love to capture the spirit in our home for the boys. However, every year right around January 1st...that all goes away and I join everyone in the traditional grouchiness that the long winter always brings. And that is where I am going to be different. Christian's birthday is in January, followed by Benjamin's in February, so we will plan a fun activity for their days. Benjamin is on ski club this year, so he needs snow, and quite frankly, I live in MN. If I don't like the snow, I should move...so this year, its a new leaf!

I fully intend to maintain this attitude, so if you need someone to join you in your grumbles, you'll have to find someone else...however, if you need a pick me up, and someone to remind you how beautiful and fun the snow can be, give me a call!
Ok...off to make their beds with their comfy flannel sheets, my estate sale quilt find, and cozy velour blankets! Snuggle in, its going to be a cold winter!!

Here is Brian enjoying the fruits of his labor from fixing the nintendo...he was actually able to make it to Mike Tyson! Now passing Mike is taking a little more time, but at least the nintendo works! Paddington was helping, she got right in his lap and purred away!

Life is good...

Tonight was the Fall fun dance at school, and the boys had a terrific time! I got to see a side of Benjamin that we don't get to see often, as he danced, and jumped, and danced...wow did he dance! He was with boys that he doesn't see much outside of school and he really was a different kid! Very fun! Of course Christian and his buddies didn't really care much for dancing, they were more interested in running and playing. But the music was geared toward their age range so they enjoyed that! The moms and I actually danced a few times too, gratefully we aren't at the age yet where that is unacceptable. First was the cha-cha song, and then the Macarena closed out the night. Boy, I don't think I've done the macarena since I was about their age, so it took a few rounds for it to come back to me.
Brian was at the football coach banquet. Unfortunately, with the exception of our head coach (who is also the president of RYFA, so very busy tonight) none of the other coaches for our team were there. Brian didn't know very many people, so he mingled for awhile, but didn't really get as much out of it as he did last year.
This weekend promises snow according to the weather man. I am not as disappointed as I thought I would be. I actually purchased myself a new columbia coat and some snowpants so I can actually play in the snow with the boys this year...I'm looking forward to it...kinda!
We have an audiology appointment tomorrow morning for Christian, he has not been passing the hearing tests that are done at school so we are taking him in to see whats going on. Then we have the whole afternoon!

Brian fixed our NES--you know the old fashioned nintendo, so our games work really well...I have a feeling it may be a nintendo day. I've been a bit of an electronic nazi lately, so the boys have probably earned a little electronic time.
Tomorrow night it is Sushi Nashiki with some friends from the pharmacy. I CAN'T WAIT! Brian and I are really excited! Saturday is a long awaited day with the Hoekstras. We haven't seen them since our wedding so we are really looking forward to spending time with them. Sunday morning the boys get to do a reading for the congregation during worship. I'm looking forward to that. When they were asked at our Bible study last night if they wanted to do it, I was very proud of them for saying yes! So thank you Lisa for thinking of them. It should be wonderful!
Sunday afternoon is the Packers/Vikings game...no plans for it yet, but we can't miss it so I'm sure we'll find some way to squeeze it in. I wanted to go to the cities to visit the jewelry store that my wedding set is from. I'm not happy with my wedding band, so we need to exchange it, and I was hoping to get to to Trader Joes...not sure if it will happen this weekend though...we'll see!

We got some very sad news today. Joe Stanich who was a fantastic teacher at Lincoln back when Jadee and I went there, passed away from cancer over the weekend. Here is part of the email I received with the news...I couldn't have put it better, so I will post what Beth wrote:

He was the well-loved teacher who helped start Lincoln K-8, and he is the man responsible for the saying,” Welcome to the greatest school in the universe.” When Joe was teaching in the building, he began every morning with a friendly visit to every teacher. Whenever he noticed a visitor in the building, he greeted the person with a happy smile, a handshake, and his famous quote,” Welcome to the greatest school in the universe.” Joe was a revolutionary who taught kids NOT a subject. He is the reason we have circle discussion and Uppers electives at Lincoln. I never met anyone who didn’t love and respect him as a great teacher and a greater man.

Joe is the reason I made it through my first year at Lincoln. He was an incredible mentor and friend.

I am a better teacher and person for having known Joe.

He touched many lives and he will be greatly missed. Please keep his wife Gwen and their family in your prayers.

Lord, God, you are attentive to the voice of our pleading. Let us find in your Son comfort in our sadness, certainty in our doubt, and courage to live through this hour. Make our faith strong through Christ our Lord.

Full weekend!!

My sweet husband left this on the mirror for me to wake up to this week. I do I do is a Mojo-ism for I love you. When we first said I love you to one another years and years ago, it felt so good to say it out loud that we would say "I do" over and over. Now I do I do simply means I love you, to the 100th degree!

This weekend started with the boys and I making chocolate candies for the halloween party we went to on Friday. Benjamin did not want to have a costume this year. He (like me) is not really interested in halloween, he doesn't care for the dressing up and trick or treating, so I don't force it. However, for the 3rd year in a row, he decided at the 9th hour (20 minutes before we walk out the door) that he does indeed want a costume! So we pulled together a Hobo costume for him, and it turned out really great! He wore one of Brian's flannel jackets and I used eyeshadow to make him dirty, rumpled his hair and he wore one slipper and an old ducktaped shoe of Brian's. Not bad for last minute for sure! Christian went as a spook, he really wanted the glow in the dark scream mask to wear with a black cape. So thats what we did! He was a scary spook!
Here they are with the spook getting the hobo.
Here is where Benjamin wanted to get into character...and did a SUPER job of giving a vacant look! He was totally into character there!

Brian and I were not going to dress up for the party, but we too decided at the last minute that we shouldn't go w/o costumes...but what would we wear? We don't have anything to pull together...hmmm??? Bride and Groom! So I put on my wedding dress and he put back on his white linen and off we went! I started to get a picture of the 2 of us before we left, but Brian pointed out that we have over 700 pictures of us on our wedding day in our duds! Point taken, so no pix of us! We had a great time at the Kerr's. More Lincoln families that Brian and I have not had a chance to get to know were there. Its nice to be able to see these people outside of Lincoln and get to know their spouses too. The boys got to play with kids that they don't usually play with, all in all it was a fun night!

Saturday was a surprise 40th birthday for one of Brian's coworkers in the Pharmacy. We went to the Best Western Soldiers Field and ate some dinner had some drinks, watched him get "roasted" and hung out the Naptons. We see Darin and Beth frequently through out the week, Beth of course is Benjamin's teacher, and they go to our church as well, but we have never had an opportunity for it to just be the 4 of us. Brian and I had a good time. We are very spoiled to have had 2 parties back to back with 2 very different guest lists!
Today we have an event for Christian at the church, maybe we'll carve our "Thanksgiving Pumpkins" (we missed out getting them done before halloween) and then I have an emergency PPT meeting tonight. Sigh...then we are back to the work/school week! Its been a great weekend, I give my thanks!