Maybe I’m a week plus late with this Thanksgiving post. But I’ve been filled with thankfulness for ten weeks. Here’s my Thanksgiving weekend in photos.
Friday we skipped the late night & early morning shopping in favor of cinnamon rolls & sleeping in. Mom, Nana & I still got a few deals at belk & Victoria’s Ragpatch before enjoying a water-front seafood lunch. We celebrated Mom’s bday {a lil early} as well as kinda mine that night with cake & a few gifts.
Friday filled with family & food & thanks.
Jason & I traveled down to his parents’ place Saturday & enjoyed a day full of yummy food out, attempting to hug the new pups & visiting with the back yard geese.
Saturday & Sunday
Sunday we drove back in lots of traffic. Enough to make our four hour ride last close to six. I couldn’t help but take photos of South of the Boarder where we actually didn’t have traffic.
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Holidays to me mean family. And decorating, traveling, shopping, wrapping, opening & passing gifts, laughing, drinking & eating {those come along with my family}.
This year will be different.
My Ma {my Mom’s mother} passed away last year around 2am Christmas morning. Jason & I had driven down to Charlotte that Christmas Eve day. As a family, we’d held Ma’s hands & been by her side most of the time last fall & all the time those last days. My mom, aunt & I felt drawn to my grandparents’ Christmas Eve 11p church service {Dad & my other aunt stayed by Ma’s side}. We cried, prayed & sang along with the beautiful music that night. Then we returned to the nursing home where I read Night Before Christmas {a never missed tradition} to Ma & my family before Dad, Mom & I headed to an apartment for the night. Soon after, Mom heard from her sister & our Christmas mornings will never be the same.
We celebrated “Christmas” in the food & gifts sense the following weekend with my immediate family & my Dad’s parents. That’s when I opened my DSLR & took 200+ photos that first weekend including this one of my Mom & Nana.
"Christmas" aka New Years Eve 2010
While things will be different this year, holiday comfort will still be sought & found with each other. We will once again gather in Charlotte a few days before Christmas. We’ll still over-eat though now at a buffet at my grandfather’s retirement community instead of cooking for days. But I’ll still make cookies & hopefully we can recreate Ma’s green beans.
This year, instead of Christmas green Madori martinis, I’ll be drinking water & ginger ale along with my cousin’s wife who’s also pregnant. We’ll be having our family’s first great-grands in the spring/summer.
We’ll hug & laugh & celebrate the exciting changes 2011 has brought. All the while our Ma & her sister Virg, who recently joined her in heaven, won’t be far from our thoughts & hearts.
Then my parents, my Dad’s parents, my brother & sister-in-law, Husband & I will continue the holiday together in VA. We’ll open gifts, look at wedding photos, shop & eat {I’m calling dibs on Nana’s cheese straws}.
I can only imagine the changes there will be next year as babies enter the picture. But like the changes since Christmas 2009 & 2010, holiday comfort for me will still best be found in family togetherness.
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I’ve seen everyone’s cute Halloween posts this week. Since it rained on Monday & we didn’t have a single trick-or-treater, I don’t have a post of that night. But Saturday night I dressed up, made my buffalo chicken {crack!} dip, & drove around the corner to my friends’ Halloween party.
I’d found the perfect costume online for me {Ketchup ~ by far my favorite condiment} as well as the paired Mustard tunic for the Husband. {Next year we’ll wear them again~maybe with future baby{s} as salt or salt & pepper?!!} Sadly, Jason worked late & I couldn’t convince him to join me at the party. With my new sober partier status, I was tired & didn’t stay as long as I’d have liked but long enough to take these fun photos of my work friends & their friends.
Such creative costumes
Jenny aka the hostess with the mostess aka Jenny the Price is Right contestant aka Jenny one of two coworkers who knew my secret was having a great time. Her husband Matt {also my coworker} kicked ass as a seventies basketball player. Their house was decked out for the party. It was perfect.
My boss Roseanne & her boyfriend Trent went as the couple from Madame Butterfly. The other couples above were Jenny & Matt’s neighbors & friends. I loved the Flintstones & the Ohio State coach/cheerleader ideas.
Halloween Party Fun
My coworker Scott changed his mind last minute & showed up as a eighties work out dude {his costume had a battery powered fan in the back to keep it blown up!} while his girlfriend was a cute witch. My coworker Tammy {so creative! & crafty!} rocked as Rainbow Brite while her hubby Scott was a cowboy {maybe?}!
Cheers to Halloween!
There was a keg, jello shots & some honey whiskey brought out. I carried around a half empty solo of undrank beer then gave up trying & just had a cup of water. I think everyone in this crowd was having too much fun to notice. 😛
The second half of our Easter long weekend was spent at my in-law’s new-to-them place in Garden City, SC {which is south of Myrtle}. Jason & I arrived there around 11a, unpacked, & checked out the place.
We got in the car for a quick drive over to Murrell’s Inlet. The ILs have become regulars at the Dead Dog Saloon. We sat outside on the water & their regular waiter, Jason, took great care of us. Cold beer {Magic Hat then Bed Select 55 for me} with a blackened fish sandwich. Look at this view~ how awesome right?! Life doesn’t get much better! We thought the place was awesome & the food great. I couldn’t resist getting one of their pink koozies.
After our leisurely lunch, we walked along the boardwalk. The restaurant next door looked cool too. Might want to try it next time. The island I zoomed in on below is called Goat Island. There’s wild goats & peacocks who live there. Random right? I just wondered how they got there! But they seemed happy, so that’s cool.
We drove around Garden City before heading back to their community. The four of us jumped on their new golf cart & took a tour around their new neighborhood. I woke up from a little nap, hearing Beth & Jason talking about the birds outside.
Bill grabbed a loaf of bread & to the back yard we went. We perched on the picnic table & admired the momma goose on her nest {Dad was near by in the pond making sure other birds didn’t get too close}.
A family of ducks {with 6 babies} swam near by & walked along looking for food.
Turtles crawled out of the pond/canal to pick up the bread that hadn’t made its way to the birds {Jason & Bill weren’t always the best throwers}.
Later that afternoon, the ILs & I took another golf cart ride. This time we discovered a swan family. The parents were huge. I didn’t have my DSLR but after cropping & zooming you can kinda see just how cool & beautiful they were.
Oh & Mr & Mrs Goose were taking a swim. Turtles {or something} was bothering them in the water so back to the nest Mrs G went & Mr kept watch.
We ended the night with dinner at Texas Roadhouse, followed by NBA playoffs & reading. The night morning, Jason & his mom ran a few errands & fixed her computer while I slept in. We went to their around-the-corner pancake house {yep, they’re regulars there too!} for eggs & pancakes. Sufficiently stuffed, Jason & I packed up, mapped out our trip & headed home {we got lost a little on back roads but still made it home in less than 4 hours}. We’re both looking forward to our next beach trip soon!
