Success!!

Success was achieved this morning. I rolled out of bed at 3am, got myself ready and was out the door by 4:10am. I picked Chely up and headed to West Plains. We got to Wal-Mart around 5am and headed to electronics to find the Xbox w/Kinect that was advertised. Of course, it was nowhere to be found, and after talking to several associates it was found, still buried in the storeroom. The sale didn't start til 6am, but I was glad that we got there early and prompted them into getting it located. They wheeled all the sale items out on the floor at 5:40 and we checked out with the Xbox at 6 when the sale officially started.  By that time there was quite a line. So Emily and Patrick (and Brad, too) will be thrilled on Christmas morning. Now, how am I going to work in a nap with all the good football games on today???

Black Friday

For the first time in years, I spent Black Friday at home. I had plans to go to Springfield (mainly just to go) and my shopping buddy cancelled on me. Plus I wasn't sure about the weather, so I decided to just sleep in.

It turned out really nice, I slept til 7, got up, fixed Doyle and I breakfast and have just chilled all day. Now tomorrow morning is a different story--I plan on picking Chely up at 4:30am and going to Wal-Mart to get the Xbox that they have on sale. That's all Emily and Patrick want from Mom and Dad, so we hope to get it in the morning. After Wal-Mart we're going out for breakfast, then back home for a nap! I hope to get the gifts out of my trunk and get them wrapped tomorrow afternoon, I'm getting anxious for Christmas. I love to see the kids unwrap their gifts, it makes it all worth while.

WTH

Not sure what happened on the previous post--I promise I didn't type it in that format. Finally after "fixing" it three times I said screw it, and just posted it. Don't know what went wrong, I've never had that happen before.

Thanksgiving 2010

Here's my top ten things that I'm thankful for:

10.) That sometimes the fact that things don't happen as you think they should turns out to be
the best.

9.) That I did grow older (and wiser). Think of the alternative!

8.) Friends--yes, they do make the world go 'round.

7.) My home, not just the structure but the feelings that it gives me to be "here", where I'm
loved and cared for.

6.) My family, which includes my Mother, Sisters, Brothers, and their families, Doyle's Mother,
Sisters, Brothers, and their families. As time goes by, I appreciate each and everyone of
more and grieve more for the ones we've lost along the way.

5.) My job--I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do something that I enjoy and that does "help"
people.

4.) My Grandkids!! They put a smile on my face every time that I see them. I could not imagine
life without them.

3.) My Son, Brad. Yep, he can still cause me to cuss, pull out my hair, and scream BUT he's the
best thing I ever did. Also my daughter-in-law, Chely--she puts up with what I created!!!

2.) My Husband, Doyle. He is my best friend, my lover, my confidant, and just a really "good"
guy. Not just any man could put up with me for over 28 years and still smile, HA HA!
Honestly, he is my rock and he will always be the "love of my life". I heard the song
"Endless Love" the other day--we had that song sung at our wedding and it made me
realize that indeed it was the perfect song for us, because through thick and thin we surely
do have that, an endless love.

1.) Lastly, I'm thankful that in the last few months I have been thinking more about my place
in this world and that I need to be a more spiritual person. I need to pray more, to just "be"
a better person. It's definitely something to work on and to strive for! I need to be a more
faithful person.

Ok, so there it is. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope that you shared it with the ones you love.

A Fun Day

I had a great day yesterday with Chely. We went to Springfield and got the kids some winter clothes. Some I sent home with her and some I kept back for Christmas presents. It felt good to get some of the Christmas shopping done, I hope to finish up on "black friday". I'm shopping with my ex-sister-in-law (she'll always really be my sister-in-law) and maybe Chely. Chely hasn't decided for sure yet if she wants to go again. It's a crazy day, but I love being right in the middle of it. I really haven't found anything in the ads that I "must" get, but it will still be a fun day.

Tomorrow will be our Thanksgiving, I have to work on Thursday. So today I've got to clean house, start the desserts and salads, etc.... I'm looking forward to having dinner here at our house, it's been a couple of years. We've gone to Chely's folks the last couple of years, which I enjoy going, but it's always nice to have your family together at your home for the holidays. Insert sappy commercial here!! Well, things won't get done by themselves so I better get off the computer and get started. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving spent with people you love!

Another Busy Weekend

I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving already! Where did 2010 go? I have so much to get done in the next few days. This is my year to work Thanksgiving day so we are having our Thanksgiving on Wednesday evening. Nothing fancy, just us and Brad's family here at the house. We will have the "traditional" meal with all the trimmings, yum. So that means that I need to get to the grocery store today (I want to beat the crowd next week). Luckily I took some time off work next week so I only have to work on Sunday and then on Thursday--that's it for next week. Monday, Chely and I are planning on going to Springfield to do a little Christmas shopping for the kidddo's and then on Tuesday I will need to get my desserts and salads done for Wednesday. On Wednesday it will be an all-out cooking day, inside and out. Doyle and Brad always want a fried turkey, but Chely and I want a baked one. So we compromised this year, we are frying a turkey breast and baking a whole turkey. Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday, I guess because it's not about "giving", it's about being thankful for who and what we have in our lives. I can't think of any better way to celebrate "Thanksgiving" than spending it with the most important people in my life and those that I love the most!!!

Ozarks Hayride

What a great time we had at the Abbey's last night! It just goes to show that it's not so much what you do but who your company in doing it is that makes for a wonderful time. It's like Kruse-a-Palooza, Ozarks style. We had a huge bonfire where the kids (of all ages) could roast their hot dogs, keep warm, and just visit. Some of us opted for the microwave route to "roast" a hot dog. After everyone had eaten, and Chelsea had gotten home from work, it was off on the hayride. I hadn't been on a hayride since junior high, so Doyle, Emily, Patrick, and I went together. Brad and Chely stayed at the bonfire with Cameron. The Abbey's had done a great job with the "hay wagon". They took a flatbed trailer, put a layer of square bales down, then made rows of hay benches that were the same height as the trailer. Steve pulled the wagon (very slowly) up the hill, around the cemetery, and then took the back trail through the woods back to the house. It was a perfect night for it, not a cloud in the sky, the stars were just gorgeous. It was chilly, especially down on the river where they live, but we took lots of warm blankets for everyone to bundle up in. All the kids there loved it, and us adults had a darn good time too!! When we got back to the house there was a huge pot of homemade hot chocolate waiting for us, yummmmmm! It was just a really fun night.