Thanksgiving goodness

I know, I know. I'm late on the Thanksgiving post. It seems a bit odd to be posting about this holiday when I can just look out my window and see snow falling to the ground. I am not ready for winter. (I mean, where did Fall go?!) Nevertheless, Fall is gone and winter has arrived. I am getting really excited about Christmas - it's my favorite time of year! But first, let me reflect on Thanksgiving...

Keith's parents came to visit and we had so much fun. It was a weekend filled with good food, great conversation, football, napping, shopping, and rummy tile tournaments. It was a bit strange not having Darcy and Joel there with us, but we still had a lot of fun. As I reflected on things I am grateful for (and there are A LOT of them!) I began thinking about the events over the last year. It was this day a year ago that we announced to Keith's family that we were pregnant. To think that Connor was just a tiny little speck in my belly a year ago and now he was sharing the dinner table with us. For this I am most thankful.

After a day filled with cooking and eating, Teresa and I ventured out for Black Friday. It has become a tradition - one that I look forward to every year. We left the house Thursday night and didn't get back until 6:30 AM Friday morning. We had so much fun fighting the crowds and getting some good deals. I think I enjoy it so much because there is never anything I really need; therefore, I don't get stressed about literally fighting the crowds in order to get one of the few tvs advertised.

Well, now that snow is in the air, temperatures have dropped, fireplaces roaring, Christmas tunes blaring on the radio, and Lifetime/Hallmark Christmas movies on TV, it is time to put up the Christmas decor and shop for the last minute gifts. This is absolutely my favorite time of year! But, not because of the before mentioned, no - but because it is time to be with family and to truly celebrate Jesus' birthday. And to me, birthdays are a pretty big deal! I can't wait until Connor is old enough to understand the meaning of Christmas so we can celebrate in style - a true birthday celebration with cake included :) But, for now, we are beginning a tradition with Connor. Every year we will pick an angel off an angel tree that corresponds to a child Connor's age and we will get gifts for that child. What better way to give than that?