Thanks.

I wanted to write not one but two posts encompassing everything I'm thankful for this year.  Because, let me tell YOU, it's been one heck of a year.  I'm blessed, lucky, fortunate, however you choose to look at it.  I have a lot to be thankful for. 

Life has happened though.  The kids and I will be spending Thanksgiving with my family in Arkansas and are leaving tonight.  (It's just the kids and I because Eddie has to work on Turkey Day.  SAD FACE).  We got back home late Saturday and I've spent the past couple days with children steady trying to crawl back in my body -- all while trying to unpack, do laundry, and get back in the swing of things because, HEY HEFFA, YOU AREN'T IN MEXICO ANYMORE (again, SAD FACE).

So there aren't two entries filled with prose-y stanzas.  Instead there is one full of cliche and lots of "DUH" moments.  But I couldn't let the season, this holiday, pass without taking a few minutes to write down all the things in my life that I'm so thankful for that I could just burst.

The other night we were eating TV dinner fettuccine alfredo for dinner.  Jaidan produced a few wooden skewers, handed a couple to his brother, and anounced that the two of them would be eating dinner with "chopsticks."  I suppose if I was a different type of mother I would've stopped them.  I mean, those things were sharp and we're talking about a six-year-old and four-year-old boy which means there was always the potential for a table-side sword fight.  But I allowed them to continue and laughed while they stabbed those noodles with the skewers and folded that memory up and put it in the little treasure chest in my mind so that I can pull it out when they're older and laugh with them about it.  I love how wonderfully weird my children are.  I love how, in their minds, a toolbox doubles as a treasure chest and how at least one of them has applied sunscreen (two hours after dark and when it was about 50 degrees outside) because he was "sweating."  I'm so thankful for my children -- for their innocence, for their weird, for the fun they bring into my life.

I'm thankful I have two boys -- and that my two boys have each other.  And I'm also thankful I have a little girl and that my daughter has a sister.  I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without the chaos that is four children under this roof.  And, oh my goodness, how thankful am I that every single one of these children is healthy?  The chaos and the noise and the "COULD YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN FOR JUST ONE MINUTE" is a sign that these children are well and healthy and whole.  And I could just end my thankful list right there because that's so much  more than what most people have and I could not ask for more.

I'm thankful that I have a husband who will buy tampons and even come in and tell me that he selected a particular brand because of how shiny and colorful the box was.  I'm thankful that last week, on our cruise, I was only mildly annoyed with him a couple times and never once felt the urge to throw him overboard.  I'm thankful that he works hard to provide for me and for our children and I'm thankful that his job allows me to stay home with our children right now when they're so young.  I'm thankful he and I see eye-to-eye on politics, that he does his own laundry, and that several years ago I decided to give him a chance even though UGH I was SO OVER MEN.

I'm thankful that I come from a very close family.  I'm thankful that my mom is my mom and my grandma is my grandma and sometimes I'm even thankful that my brother is my brother.  *Wink*  I never got a sister but the closest thing I have to one is my cousin Storme and, man, am I thankful I get to see her this week for the first time in six months!

I have the best girlfriends ever.  Hands down.  Don't bother arguing with me.  I wish they lived closer but it's cool because at least I get to have them in my life and have them as MY friends.

My little family has been so fortunate to be able to travel a lot this year and I can't even begin to express in words how grateful I am for the experiences we've had.  I love this country and I am so thankful to have been "Born in the USA."  We may not be in our best days right now, there might be a thing or two that I wish were different about our nation, but I always have been and always will be proud to be an American.  I'm thankful to come from a country that's as diverse and colorful as it is beautiful and awe-inspring. 

I am thankful for the roof over my head and, even though the living room walls are baby poop yellow and the kitchen needs a good updating, that my children get to grow up in a pretty house in a nice neighborhood with friends who live down the street.  I appreciate that we don't have to worry about where our next meal is going to come from or how we are going to manage shoes and clothes for our family.  We are so fortunate and so blessed.  So  many people in this world don't have those little things that we tend to take for granted on a daily basis.

I could go on to list a whole bunch of other possibly trivial and definitely materialistic things.  (Coke Zero, wine, whoever decided to stuff a jalapeno pepper with cheese, bread it and deep fry it, 90's on 9, college football, my iPad, the internet -- just to name a few).  But mostly my list of thankful comes down to what most of us are most thankful for: family, health, friends, food, clothing, and shelter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Turkey and Sweet Potato Pie

I don't know about you all, but I'm so thankful Thanksgiving is over and now Christmas Vacation will be on every night for the next month!  Woo Hoo!  It really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

Since we have a hard time staying home for any holiday and since Eddie was on vacation and we could be gone for a few days rather than a few hours, we decided to visit his family in Dallas for Thanksgiving this year.  My sister-in-law hadn't originally planned on preparing turkey and all the fixings so we had a rather nontraditional Thanksgiving planned: dinner at Texas de Brazil then taking the kids to the Gaylord Texan so they could act a fool while I tried to take their pictures for our Christmas cards.  (Two serious run on sentences in a row!  Holy!) But, early in the week, Eddie's sister texted him to let us know she was planning on cooking dinner.  So we went the traditional route.

And, maaaaaaayne.  Did she EVER cook dinner!  The stuffing was so good and the mac and cheese was to die for.  She made greens which meant my husband was beyond happy.  Karis - Karis!  My one and a half year old! - ate three dinner rolls.  It was just a dang good meal.  Desert was sweet potato pie* and when I made the mistake of asking what the difference was in sweet potato and pumpkin, I was schooled in "black people food vs white people food."

** It was so strange only having two pies (and both of the same flavor!) and only one variety of potatoes on the Thanksgiving dinner table.  When my family gets together, there is usually enough pie for each person to have their own.  As in their own ENTIRE pie.  And there are also no less than 18 different potato dishes.  We know how to eat, ya'll.

So, that was Thanksgiving.  Low key.  Good food.  Cowboys won.  I ran to CVS so I could buy two snuggies for $10 in hopes that, when the boys open them on Christmas Day, Eddie and I can finally get ours back.

Later in the evening, I went to meet my friend Kira because, ya'll, we had something we had to do.  It was time for BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING.

Black Friday is my favorite day of the whole entire year.  I love the bargains.  I love to shop.  I love how people get all worked up and angry.  I love how a bitch will claw you with her talons-for-fingernails to get the very last $5 Barbie.  I love how you always have the chick wearing an ill-fitting sweatsuit, hair pulled in a scrunchie, who is telling Black Friday War Stories from years past.

I just love it.

If this tells you anything: I took three pictures of Thanksgiving dinner.  Three.  I took almost twenty when Kira and I were out harrassing people shopping.

We started out at 9:00 at Walmart.  I stood by a pallet of Cars themed race car tracks that were, apparently, a very hot item.  Because approxomately 10 seconds after a loud "WHOOOP!" (that, obvs, had nothing to do with the Texas/ Texas A&M game) went through the store, those race car tracks were GONE.  Gone.  I worked my way through the crowds (even with a cart!) and managed to get everything on my list save for a game of Operation (Sponge Bob Ants in the Pants took its place) and a damn $10 Baby Alive.

I'm still a little bitter over the Baby Alive.

After Walmart, it was Macy's.  The only REAL reason we went to Macy's was because they were in the same mall as The Disney Store.  My local Disney Store was opening at midnight; this one was not.  It would've been a slight burnt run but Macy's had sweaters at buy one get one free (I got two CUTE ones for my stepdaughter for a total of $30) and Melissa and Doug toys were also buy one get one.  Awesome.

A Jack in the Box (we don't have those in Memphis, by the way) run and we went back to Kira's house to veg until it was time to head out to Sears to scoop up some $20 peacoats.  Oh, and by "to veg" I mean "to drink margaritas."

Let's just say the second half of our trip was much more interesting.

I crashed the bed these chicks were resting on.  This was at Sears.  Roughly 4:15 am.

Kira got in a "glamourizer" fight with this guy.  Also at Sears.

Still at Sears.  I think the sales clerk's face says it all.

We are [probably] never allowed back in that particular Sears.  Ever.

We really did buy stuff at Sears.  I managed to come out with three pairs of boots, a peacoat, and a pair of jeggings. 

After Sears, it was on to the mall, to JC Penney.  More shenanigans. 

The ladies in the lingerie department were full of Razorback spirit and agreed to call the Hogs.

Good times.  Good.Times.  Ya'll.

We found a store in the mall selling accessories at a dollar a pop.  I bought several stocking stuffers for Zhariah and - be still my heart - some Big Ass Bows for Karis.  For $1! 

After we left the mall, it was time for an [extremely tired] run to Target.  It was 7:00 in the morning.  They had been open for seven hours.  And I STILL managed to get everything on my list.  (A $12 Cabbage Patch -- my girl is getting her first ever Cabbage Patch!  I think I'm more excited about this than anything else the kids are getting!, some jammie and slipper sets, undies, and scarves and gloves).  Score!

In the end, I finished up about 85% of my Christmas shopping -- the boys are completely finished with the exception of their big gifts (and the hubs is in charge of getting those).  Zhariah and Karis each need three more of their smaller gifts.  All stocking stuffers are purchased.  And I came in about $200 under my husband-induced Black Friday budget.  I'm, like, a serious shopping ninja. 

---  BTW: I wrote most of this last night.  I woke up this morning to find out we are under a winter weather advisory.  In November!  In Memphis!  There's a 70% chance of rain and snow this afternoon.  Which seems like perfect weather to put away my fall decor and pull out the Christmas tree.  Also, to start packing my bathing suits and flip flops and FLY SOUTH for the winter.  Snow in November makes me think that February is going to be miserable!

Thanks for the Blessings

I realize it's super cliche to make a list of all the things I'm thankful for today.  I also realize it would be super cliche to list things like my husband and children, my extended family, our home, our health, my husband's job and the fact that he's a man who is not afraid of a little hard work, clothes on our backs, and food on the table.  I'm thankful for all of that -- those are truly the biggest blessings in my life.  But I'm thankful for so much more as well.

I'm thankful for the sound of a baby's laughter and the way Kyan tells his sister, "you're my best girl."  I'm thankful for children who sleep through the night and that 2/3 of my little ones are potty trained.  I'm thankful for social media that allows me to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away.  I'm thankful for boys who love their Mama and are still little enough to ask, "Can't Daddy just sleep in my bed so I can sleep in your bed with you?"  I'm thankful for Coke Zero and Diet Dr. Pepper.

I'm thankful for third row vehicles that aren't mini vans.  I'm thankful for the city of New Orleans, all the wonderful food it contains, and that I'll be there in two and a half months.  I'm thankful I was raised in a way so that I'm still close to my cousins even as we've gotten older.  I'm thankful the Razorbacks are having a good season.

I'm thankful for Goodnight Moon and I'll Love You Forever.  I'm thankful for my creativity and for TexMex food and for Disney Pixar.  I'm thankful for the relationship I have with my stepdaughter, a relationship that is right now better than it's ever been before, and I'm thankful for how much she absolutely loves and adores her baby sister (and her little brothers too -- though sometimes that love and adoration doesn't show through as much!)

I'm thankful that my blog does not generate any income so I am, therefore, not faced with the decision of just how moral it is to pimp out my family for clicks. I'm thankful I was born in raised in the south, even if we don't have basements.  I'm thankful to live in a country that affords us basic rights and I'm thankful for people like my husband who fought to preserve those rights.

I'm thankful for this picture from last Thanksgiving:

And I'm thankful for the memories of that day, for the last Thanksgiving we spent with our PawPaw.  I'm thankful we had him for as long as we did and that our faith allows us to know he's in a better place.

And most of all I am thankful for these four goofy little people.  Thankful they are in my life, that I can kiss them and hug them every single day, thankful that they're mine and that they make me want to be a better person.