Thanksgiving 2008

We had a blessed Thanksgiving. I have a new outlook on Thanksgiving. I am trying my best to give THANKS each day with a grateful heart. Every new day is a blessing from God.

My Thanksgiving Holiday actually started on Monday when I got off from work. Chase and I drove from Huntsville to Birmingham. The boys and I had dinner with my parents. Good old greasy cheeseburgers and hand made french fries. My dad is a great cook! He even had chocolate pie for Chase. This was a real treat.

The boys had plans to play basketball with some friends later that night. I sat at home by myself and overdosed on TV and Internet. I stayed up past midnight catching up on life. We could not get cable or Internet at our apartment until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Chuck stayed in Gadsden until Wednesday evening taking care of this issue.

On Tuesday, I did work from home and then the Holiday began. Chase and I cleaned house for our Thanksgiving guest. I picked my Great Aunt Melba (she is 81 years old.) up in Homewood around 12:30 PM. We had lunch at the Paw-Paw Patch. It was delicious! We went to Ross in Fultondale. Around 5:00 PM we picked my Mom up and went to Tanya's in Warrior. Please keep in mind that at this point I still have not been grocery shopping. Around 6:00 PM we dropped my Mom off and picked my Dad up and went grocery shopping at Wal-Mart in Gardendale. I finally got home around 7:00 PM. I had to do a little more work for my job before kicking back to relax and enjoy more TV and Internet. The boys played basketball again on Tuesday night.

Chase and I started our Wednesday off with breakfast at my parents. My nephews were here from Dothan. We enjoyed a great big pancake and bacon breakfast! Next, my mom, aunt, and myself went back to my house to start the Thanksgiving cooking. We made the dressing, pecan pies, lemon ice box pies, mac & cheese, potato salad, and cranberry sauce. Tres had to work. Chase went to help Missy with the Thanksgiving meal at Reno Refractories. At this point Chuck is still in Gadsden by himself.

When we finished our cooking Mom, Aunt Melba, and I went to do a little more shopping. We got back home around 5:00 PM. Chuck rolled in around 5:30 PM. Our family Holiday started. We went to Chili's in Fultondale for dinner. The boys went to do something with their friends but for the life of me I can't remember today. Chuck and I went to purchase our youngest niece a Christmas gift. Of course what we decided to purchase for Kennedy is one of the top 12 toys this year. I had no idea. Chuck saw the advertisement and said that's what we are going to get her. You know Wal-mart was out. They told us they had 6 coming in on the truck that night and it would be on the shelf to purchase on Thursday.

Thursday morning the dressing goes in the oven and things are running smooth. We are watching the parade and enjoying life. Chuck and I decide to make a quick run to Wal-mart to purchase our top 12 toy. The shelves at Wal-mart had not changed one bit. Disgusted we went to Kmart to see if by any chance they might have it. They did! Yeah! By the way we have never gone shopping on Thanksgiving morning before. I felt a tinge of guilt shopping on Thanksgiving morning.

Back to the house we go. The dressing is ready and the mac & cheese is baking. Chuck makes his Thanksgiving gravy and I am baking the rolls. Our families are arriving bringing their holiday dish. There were 22 of us to sit down at our Thanksgiving meal. We are BLESSED!

For the first time my brother walks in with a box of casseroles with his new wife and all the children. It was a weird site watching him come in with food in his hand. It was weird but also thrilling. We had a peaceful family Thanksgiving. Again, I say we are BLESSED!

At the same time we are experiencing a real family feeling on my side of the family we are facing an obstacle on Chuck's side of the family. God is good all the time. All the time God is good. We are counting are blessings and believing the Lord for many more blessings! We are BLESSED!

On Friday, we put up our Christmas decorations. Later Chuck, Tres, Chase, Charlie, Sissy, Sallie, Kennedy, and I went to the movies. We saw Four Christmases. It was cute.

Saturday, Chuck and I went to purchase his dad's birthday present. Next it was off to purchase food for the Ironbowl. We all went to his parents to watch the Ironbowl. ROLL TIDE! We enjoyed watching Bama beat Auburn 36-0! Chuck and I had to hurry back to our house and grab our things. We left to head back to Gadsden.

On Sunday, Tres, Chase, Charlie, Sissy, Jeff, Missy, Megan, Shane, Sallie and Kennedy all joined us in Gadsden for church service. After church we all went to Top of the River for lunch and to celebrate Charlie's birthday. After lunch they came by to see our new apartment.

That was our Thanksgiving week! Again, I say we are BLESSED!