The week after Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving holiday was fun and full!  We went up to Springfield, MO on Wednesday night and had dinner with my parents, then headed over to my aunt and uncle's house in Republic on Thursday for lunch with my Mom's family!  It was wonderful to see my grandparents, and aunts and uncle and cousins, some of whom I hadn't seen in over two years!  I also got to meet a sweet new member of our family, Miss Taryn, who I may or may not have snuggled with most of the day:)

I'm the youngest grandchild (thought there are now lots of great grandchildren) on both sides, and there's a bit of an age spread between my cousins and I.  So, growing up, I kind of felt a little behind- they were graduating college when I was starting middle school.  They were having babies when I was in high school.  Just not a ton in common.  Plus, I was also the annoying little cousin that asked lots of inappropriate questions such as "When are you getting married?" to my oldest cousin and her boyfriend, (who is now her husband, so I think I've been forgiven- sorry again, Amy and Steve).

But, it seems like as you get older, the age difference becomes less of an issue.  We're now the grownups- there are family recipes to share, babies to hold, and hunting stories to compare (I'll leave that part to Blake).  And, my cousin Amy is a blogger, which left us talking about our Internet friends and attempting to convince my aunt and mom that we're not crazy:) 

And so, this Thanksgiving left me especially thankful for my family, and for the opportunity to reconnect.

The week before Thanksgiving.

I adore Thanksgiving.  It is so wonderful to have a holiday set aside to spend time with family, eat amazing food, and remember all the blessings in our lives.  When I was little, right before eating we would always go around and name something for which we were thankful.  This was quite possibly my favorite part of the day- this and my Grandma's mac n cheese (Grandma makes a mean mac n cheese). 

The other day, I was checking out one of my favorite blogs: YoungHouseLove.com and found this post: http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/11/thanks-glassing/

I MUST DO THIS.  When I hit the Black Friday sale, a glass container and that etching stuff is on my list.  I could go beforehand, but I make it a rule to only step foot in stores when I have to:)

The Election

This past Tuesday was a big day for Blake and I.  He had a big test (which he did well on), and the election was Tuesday as well.  My boss was up for re-election, so there was a lot of nervous energy around the office.  I drove precincts that evening, calling in numbers, and then Blake and I went up to celebrate at the watch party.  My boss won by quite a bit, and it was a huge relief for Blake and I as we suspected my job was in jeopardy if it had gone the other way.  So glad it's over!

This weekend we're heading up to Lamar for the opening day of duck season.  Blake is hunting with his brother and dad, and we're also going to all attempt a family photo this weekend using the fabulousness that is a tripod.  We'll see how it goes.

I'm thinking of trying to make my own curtains in the dining room and my studio.  I found some material I loved for the dining room, but I think it's been discontinued.  The search continues!