Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Karen's house.  The food was delicious and plentiful!

Karen makes delicious dressing!

I took very few pictures, just a couple of our family.

The weather was beautiful!

Emma Taylor and I made a pumpkin pie on Wednesday before Thanksgiving to take to dinner.  I mostly just supervised.

It was delicious!

I spent much of the weekend putting up Christmas decorations.  We're getting our Christmas on over here!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been a slow picture week but that doesn't mean it hasn't been busy!  The kids have been out of school all week so I've been busy with them.  There's always activity around the house!

In the midst of all of our troubles, we have SO very much to be thankful for!  God continues to bless us even though it's so undeserved.  I'm so glad we serve a god who blesses us in spite of our shortcomings! 

We will be with my sister Karen and her family tomorrow in Red Bay.  We always look forward to our annual Thanksgiving with them, though we will miss the rest of our family who cannot be there. 

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Wax museum and birthday celebration

It's a rainy day today.  The tornado sirens woke me up about 2:00 this morning...Doug slept through them.  Fortunately it was a false alarm. 

Harrison's wax museum yesterday was cool.  He was the guy who invented Legos.  He did the research and gave a good speech (with a little help from note cards!).  He hates doing things like that.

Emma Taylor delayed going to school so she could go with us.  Heather was teaching so she didn't get to be there but I made a video for her.

He looks less than thrilled!

We had pizza and ice cream cake last night to celebrate Ben's 39th birthday. 

This kid loves his daddy!

Another year older...the years are flying by!

Happy birthday to Ben!

I almost forgot to wish Ben a happy birthday!  His last year in his 30s!

This was taken last year.

We are getting together for pizza and ice cream cake this evening to celebrate!

I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my "baby" is 39!

ET school picture

Here's Emma Taylor's 7th grade school picture.

She's such a young lady!

Harrison has a wax museum program this morning that we will be attending.  He's not crazy about having to do things like this but I'm anxious to see him give his little speech!

Otherwise we are still recuperating from helping Heather move!  We were back again yesterday helping get things in order and Doug, bless his heart, has worked himself to death hanging pictures, blinds and shelving in the closets.  We are ready for a break today!

Moving is hard work!

We have moved Heather and the kids for the last three days.  We're making a final sweep of the old house today, then we should be totally finished! 

Heather had to work on Friday but this is what we did while she was working.  We loaded hundreds of boxes!

And drove them to the new house to be unloaded.

She had her work cut out for her when she came home on Friday! 

Saturday morning we took a break to go to Cameron's football game...more on that...then back to work.

We hired Two Men and a Truck and they did a great job getting everything moved. 

By the time we left yesterday, the new house was looking good and like home.  Doug hung several things on the walls and that makes all the difference.  I think they are all ready to be settled again!

The Mighty Mights won their division championship and played their Super Bowl Saturday morning.  It was a heartbreaking loss for them but they had a great season.  Cameron is #3 in the center.

So proud of those boys!

Moving on!

We are starting to move Heather into her new house this weekend.

We don't officially close until December 18th but will be renting it until closing.  The house is just perfect for Heather and the kids.  I think they'll be very happy in their new cozy home!

Veteran's Day

Emma Taylor's Veteran's Day chorus program yesterday was wonderful!  They did a great job!

 

Emma Taylor and her good friend KK.

It was a very touching program.  There were many Vets there and they were asked to stand.  Then the anthem for each branch of the military was played and Vets from that particular branch stood up.  Some were very elderly and even in a wheelchair, but they proudly stood for their anthem.  They were very emotional as well.  We can't thank our Vets enough!

I drove by Veterans Park, which isn't far from our house.  They also had a service yesterday morning.

The flags fly every day at this park.

There was also a dedication of this F-105 Thunderchief.  It was just recently added to this park.

It serves as a monument to one of the POWs who lives in Tupelo.  He was in captivity for six years.  I can't imagine the amazing strength and courage that took! 

A big THANK YOU to all of our Vets!

District Champions!

Cameron's district championship game was last night.  It was cancelled last Saturday morning because of rain and rescheduled for last night.  Unfortunately we already had a Car Club potluck dinner to go to so we missed the game...and they won!!

So happy for them.  Cam is #3 in the center.

They will play on Saturday morning in the "Super Bowl." 

Emma Taylor has a chorus program this morning to celebrate Veteran's Day.  I always love the patriotic programs and I'll be there watching her sing! 

Thinking of my mother today as it's her birthday.  Wish we could celebrate it with her like we always used to.  I'm sure she's having a great celebration in heaven!

More photo shoot

These were some of my favorites from the photo shoot.  We drove around downtown Tupelo and on a Sunday it was very quiet.  Lots of good spots for photos.

Ben declined our invitation to go on the photo shoot but we got a quick snapshot with Cam's phone before we left.  Ben looks bald but that's just the gray hair after a really short haircut!

Have a happy day!

Busy weekend...but aren't they all?

The days and weeks are flying and before you know it, Christmas will be upon us! 

The Christmas open houses are starting at business around here.  They seem to start earlier and earlier every year.  Marie, Sharon and I went to the Room to Room open house on Friday afternoon.  It's a furniture store with the most beautiful furniture.  In addition to furniture, they have beautiful accessories and Christmas decorations.  We always look forward to the food at the open house too!

These little Christmas mice are so cute and tasty!

They are made with a Hershey's chocolate kiss and a chocolate dipped maraschino cherry, leaving the stem on for the tail.  The ears are slivered almonds and little dots of gel for the eyes and ears.  The kids would love these too!

They had many food stations but this one is a mashed potato bar with all kinds of toppings.  Sharon and Marie are partaking!  Of course, I did too!

There was a hot chocolate bar, a fruit and cheese bar and I can't even remember everything else!  I'm beginning to get in the Christmas spirit!!

Sunday the kids and grands came over for lunch and then we had another photo shoot, this time of all of the kids.  Heather wanted to get some pictures for Christmas cards and I wanted to get some pictures of the three grands.  Fortunately it was a beautiful day and I got some great pictures!!  I'll post some of those later but here are some outtakes...

The crazies!

Striking a pose!

Annoying her brother just like Heather and Ben used to do, except back then it was Ben annoying Heather!

Just for fun!

We asked for a serious face but I think they mistook that for a sad face.

We took some pictures in an alley downtown, then noticed the Coors beer boxes to the left...oops!

I did get some that I absolutely love like this one!

I can't believe how grown up they all look!

Harrison

Harrison got his school pictures yesterday.  He's in fourth grade.

Heather and I were both struck by how old he looks!  What a handsome dude!

It's a rainy day but that's not going to stop me and a couple of friends from going to a Christmas open house.  Maybe that will bring me a little Christmas spirit!

Have a great weekend!

Moustache!

When picking up stuff for your Halloween costume, why not pick up a fake moustache and pretend to be Papa D?

He asked Papa D if his real moustache itched like the fake one did!

Halloween!

Happy birthday to my sister Pat!  Her birthday was Halloween.  It was a busy day for both of us but I finally got to talk to her yesterday to wish her a happy birthday!  Halloween birthdays are fun!  Can't believe it's November!

Cameron got another pumpkin carved just in time for Halloween!  He traced the design from a book but did all the carving by himself.

He was very proud of his work!

His first playoff football game was Saturday morning and another Win!!  Looks like we'll be at the football field again next Saturday morning!

I made special Halloween treats for the kids.

Emma Taylor had a hayride trick-or-treating evening Friday night in some of her friends' neighborhood.  It was supposed to be Halloween night but was rescheduled because of predicted rain.   Emma Taylor was Daisy Duck.

These were lifted from the internet.  Friends Lee Ellen and K.K.

It was a rainy day on Saturday but the church was having a trunk or treat, which was moved inside, so Ben took Harrison and Cameron to that.  They had a great time.  I had no idea our pastor could make balloon animals!  They got lots of candy there.

As if that wasn't enough, they went trick-or-treating after the church festival.  Here's my ninja and Dracula.  Since it was rainy, Ben didn't put the full makeup on Cameron. 

Cameron's face painting was done at the church.

Thankfully it stopped raining long enough for them to go golf cart trick-or-treating with Heather and some other friends.

Here they are checking out their loot...the funnest part!

Another fun Halloween!

Kaydee sent me this precious picture of Luke. 

Cutest puppy ever!