Our Thanksgiving...

I have always been a holiday lover, and I know that deep down somewhere I still love them. However, with a one and a half year old, I am not so much a fan. Noah knows his boundaries at home, at his sitters, at the store, restaurants, etc. However, when we travel to relatives houses full of breakable things, stairs, and tons of other "no-no's", it makes for a stressful time. Not to mention extra hard when Nathan has a cold and we are trying to not let Noah catch it so I have sole Noah duty. I felt so bad because I basically followed Noah around telling him no and trying to distract him every where we went. So of course Noah has melt down after melt down and looked like a total brat. I in no way expect every house we visit to be Noah proofed, that would take forever, he is smart and agile :) It is just his age and he is not compatible to the holiday get togethers. I was told by a few people that it gets better, and I was told the same thing during my sleep deprived days in the beginning of motherhood - and it did, so I have high hopes. This too shall pass, after the Christmas get togethers that is! AHHHHH!

The cutest little Indian I know :)

Garden Salad & Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We went to Nathan's grandmas and my grandmas on Thanksgiving day, then to my Mom's on Friday. Our families are good to try to schedule around eachother and I am thankful. I brought garden salad and my "famous" pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (only famous because it is the only thing I bake, ever, and they are delicious). Every year when we get home from all our Thanksgiving rounds I am starving. I am not sure how this is possible, but it is. Of course we never take any leftovers home with us because we are so full when we leave. I really need to remember this next year!

Noah enjoying Thanksgiving at my mom's house - the boy loves corn on the cob!

His cousin Eliza Nell insisted on feeding him and lazy bones let her! :)

Ever since I can remember I have went Black Friday shopping with my Dad. It is just something we enjoy doing together. We are both very patient and do not mind people and lines. We usually just stick with Wal-Mart. I get excited to shop that day - it is not so much that the deals are that amazing, it is the trip itself. I do not go shopping alone much at all, so this is the one day I can and I get alot of people on my list taken care of. I love that they moved the sales up to 10:00 Thursday night, so I can be home and in bed by 11:00! For the past two years my big deal has been the sheets - they are 600 thread count sheets that are normally $80 and are only $19.96 on Black Friday! So, that is where I started. All of the king sheets were on the bottom shelf and a girl had them blocked with her shopping cart. She said she would keep it there so I could get to them before other people! :) So, at 9:58 p.m. there I was on my knees, under someones cart getting my sheets when they announced we could shop! Nathan is so embarrassed :) But hey, I got my sheets, crawled out to safety and was on my way! I got Noah a train set, play tent, and legos also! Me, my dad, and my brother and his wife all got everything we went for!

Saturday we went to Russellville to take Noah to see Santa. Yet another thing I have always dreamed of getting to do as a parent! We knew Noah was going to cry for the picture. We were in shock he didn't last year, but he hadn't quite become so scared of strangers like he is now. So, we told them "he will cry, and we want a picture of it". I think it will make for a good memory later. We then went to Lowes and got our Christmas tree. Ever since I was little my mom has had a real Fraiser Fir and I love them! So, ever since I was on my own I have had the same. My mom met us there and we both ended up going with the first trees we picked up! It was raining when we got it so it is set up in the shop drying out before I put the lights on it - so stay tuned for the decorating.

Noah helping pick out our tree :)

Sunday we went to Church and then my awesome husband went to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 with me. I say awesome because he could care less about these movies, but he goes because he knows I really want to see them - also, he was still not feeling very well and he went anyway because he had told me we were going before he got sick. He is a keeper! This movie was the best in the series by far! I am not a reader, but I finally gave in and read these after several friends told me to. I loved the books, but the movies haven't been very good at all to me. It just didn't seem to portray all the emotions the book had in it  - but that is how it always is, the books are better. Breaking Dawn Part 1 seemed to have more character to it - lots of funny scenes and Edward actually had a personality! In the book he is so much more likable and fun! I can't wait to see part 2 next year!