Friday Love List

Well - another week, another list:)
No sweet talking...here it goes...

.:1:. Thanksgiving!! We have so much to be thankful for, and I was glad for the time with family to be able to bring that into perspective!! Although it also brings a LOT of other things into perspective as well...but whose family is all together right?!? Being positive, we are blessed! Truly! This year was very different from last year - being up north and having our own place, we were able to invite people over and I made the whole meal:) This year, being at my Mom's, she was in charge of the turkey and I made some delicious Cranberry Sauce...

from scratch!

Some stuffing...

from scratch and tried a new recipe for brussel sprouts - which was a hit!! An oxymoron, I'm sure, to those of you who feel the same way towards brussel sprouts as Jim! But for those of us who enjoy the added vitamin-intake...they were de-lish!

Oh Right...and who could forget my pumpkin pie?! YUM! Overall - a great day! Especially for the fact that I made it to that day!! Being one day after the Half Marathon...it was questionable for a while there:)

.:2:. My Dad...my Hero...my Inspiration to push past the stereotypes and strive for something greater! My teacher...for setting high personal goals and stopping at nothing to achieve them! Yup...I love him! And, on Wednesday, it was 9 years since he died! I can't believe that it's been that long! But in a way, it's encouraging! To know we ARE making it! We can do life without him. And, although we'd never choose to, there was a point in my family's life where we all felt as though life may stop, and we wouldn't be able to go on. But it didn't...and we are! And we are better for it! So, this week (actually, ever day, but this week in particular) I am reminded of the Man he was and how I long to emulate that!

.:3:. Finding out about community programs!! Love it!! I just found out about one put on by our school district that readies kids for Kindergarten - but it goes from birth - 5 years! So it's all about the things you can do in your home that will encourage and support learning so that your child will enter Kindergarten and experience things that are familiar rather than foreign! Anyhow - I just went to my first class for Avery this past week and it was great!! SO many things I can/will be doing with her! Can't wait for next week when I can find out some new things to do with Karys!

.:4:. Blustery, rainy days:) Love them! Not for too many day consecutively, but a few here and there! I love being warm and cozy and having the option of going outside for a walk and getting completely drenched! ....or not:)

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.:5:. Silence! In a house that constantly has any number of people coming and going...Jim, my Mum and I have been trying to figure out ways to keep our down time mellow! So...right now that looks like no TV and dim lighting....with a bit of soft music in the background, sometimes! Nice! I have also been leaving the TV off any time I am home during the days too, which is great!Not that the girls are any less noisy, but that's to be expected, and quite welcome! It's all that other noise pollution we can do without!

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.:6:. Finally getting to use my 'teacher' clothes! Not that they're anything to write home about, but definitely a step up from my 'mom' clothes! These garments have been packed three different times now in hopes of eventually being pulled out and used and now is the time!

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.:7:. This short work week! There's something about them that just makes things more manageable!? Even in the attitudes of my kids at school...don't know what it is, but I'll take it!

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.:8:. Finding Karys' birthday present on our teacher's buy and sell! What a surprise...and a good deal too! I wasn't really even looking for anything because we knew we were getting here a duvet set to help with her move from a toddler bed to a twin bed - which I don't see her having any issues with at all! But when I popped into our buy and sell and saw this really cute day-bed for sale, I inquired about it right away! And I got it! Yay! So I guess it's a bedroom themed birthday this year:)

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.:9:. That my coffee mug is done from a pottery party I went to with M! And by her needing to get it for me, it means that we'll just have to have another girly day together! Looking forward to it!

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.:10:. And...just really having it "sink in" that we are here...to stay! I know, we've been here for a month an a half already so you'd think we'd get it by now, but we're slow and we just really didn't see ourselves being here so soon! So...the novelty hasn't worn off because it's still sinking in:) And it's nice!

Here's hoping you have a great weekend - some quality time with quality people!