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Something you don’t get to do when you live in a big city in Texas…cut your own Christmas tree!! That’s what we did this morning and it was pretty cool! So many trees to chose from, so little time, so many crying/whining kids!! We finally settled on a beautiful Douglas Fir and my 3 boys cut him down! Came home and the trunk is too big for the tree stand we purchased. So now Joey is out searching for a bigger stand - oh and also going back to the storage shed to get our tree lights which we store in the box with the tree. You can never get it all in one trip!!

Tonight I got to visit with my favorite little 4 year old girl - Lydia. She is like a girl version of Ethan - known her since the day she was born and can’t get enough of her. I asked her what she wanted “mostest” of all for Christmas. Her answer “Paintballs and a gun”! That’s my girl - oh, she also loves rubber lizards and snakes too!!

Up and at’em to cook the big feast. Apparently we are not fancy enough in our house because when we put the table cloth on today, Ethan asked why Nana had put the rug on the table. Carter was thankful for “Mommy & Daddy” Ethan for “Mommy & Daddy” Molly for “gibagaikk” (what ever that is?) Daddy for “family” Mommy for “a healthy family” Papaw for “all nine grandkids” Nana for “getting to come visit us for the holiday.” The most fun today was that it snowed! Right in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner the flakes just started coming down! It was so beautiful - lots of it! Nothing would stick b/c the temp was too high on the ground, but the boys played outside with Luke (neighbor) for 1 1/2 hrs in the snow.

So this is my first year hosting Thanksgiving at my house. I don’t like to cook (and I’m not much of an eater, either). So when it comes to me, this is really a holiday best left for others to prepare. All that said, my parents came to visit for Thanksgiving so I’ll have to do my best!! Monday was to be the big grocery shopping day and my mom was going to go with me. Well she did this wonderfully nice thing that morning, and said she would stay home with the kids so they didn’t have to suffer through the commissary (whew!). I get half-way through the store and realize I have to buy the turkey ALL ALONE!!! I call my mom, “how can I do this alone? How big should it be? 5 pounds? 20 pounds?”. I knew there was a reason she should go along. She talks me through it and we decide on a lovely 9 pounder via the cell phone conversation. Tonight we get it out so we can make the giblet gravy and rub him down with some oils (does anyone else do this??). My mom has been thinking it looked a little strange since the day I brought it home and now we can see why. I have purchased a QUADRAPLEGIC TURKEY!! No legs - no wings….just a torso!! The poor guy won’t even sit up in the pan - he just keeps falling over!! The best part is that I don’t even like white meat…