Post It Note (For This Rainy) Tuesday

Thanksgiving - The Day To Be Thankful

Well my Thanksgiving plans changed slightly from the what they originally were.

We had planned on going to my Grandparents as we do every year. But at the last minute my Step-Grandmother was feeling under the weather and really wasn't up for company so we decided to reschedule so she could rest up and get to feeling better.

So instead my mom, Marine and I attended Thanksgiving with his family. If I haven't said it before (or even if I have), I LOVE Marine's family.

They welcomed Mom and I with open arms. The house was bustling with aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, parents and grandparents. The food was abundant -- Marine's step-dad is the cook of the family, in younger days he was a cook in the Army. So when I say he cooks enough food for an Army..... I'm not joking!

 I ate way to much. But hey thats part of the holidays!!

After diner we all sat around visiting and laughing the way families always do after a big meal. The story telling of days gone by.

I missed my usual traditional Thanksgiving but I enjoyed making new memories with Marine's family.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and reminded me of the many, many, things in my life I am thankful for.

Thanksgiving In Heaven

I am thankful for the people in my life but at the holidays I can't help but feel sad because I miss the loved ones who are no longer with us. I have a relatively small family, one that seems to get smaller every year. I have a large distant family, but they are scattered all over the country and many I've never met. 

I miss Thanksgivings of my childhood. 

This year I am thankful for my Mom, my Granddaddy and my Step-Grandmother and Marine and his wonderful family I will soon marry into. 

One this day I will be with family but can't help but imagine the Thanksgiving that is going on up in heaven.

It's a small farm. A simple white farm house, surrounded by flourishing pastures and serene mountains. An old barn can be seen in the distance of the house. 

Horses graze freely - there are no fences in Heaven.

The outside is peaceful and inviting. Yet from the front yard you can hear the hustle and bustle from within.

My Grandmother will be making my favorite dressing - you know the recipe she took to the grave with her. She'll think about that as she pulls it out of the oven. She'll smile an innocent smile, when in fact she knows it's true and knows she did it intentionality because NO ONE was allowed to make better dressing than her. 

My Grandma will be putting the finishing touches on the desert. On earth she was a diabetic but in heaven she will be able to finally eat all the wonderful deserts she bakes. 

Grandmother and Grandma will be talking as they set the food up around the kitchen. 

My Dad will be sitting at the table, sipping on un-sweet tea (because he seems to not realize that since we are from the south we drink only sweet tea) and chatting with my Grandpa. 

Grandmother will announce that diner is ready.

Dad and Grandpa will follow the delicious smell to the warm and inviting kitchen. The food will be displayed on the counters and each will grab a plate and make their way around dishing up along the way. Once their plates are full they will return to the table where they will join hands and Grandpa will ask the blessing.

I imagine as they sit down to eat we here on earth will also be sitting down to eat. They will be looking down on us. Watching over us. And even though they may no longer sit at the table beside me I know they are there with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

*Photos taken from Google Images*

Thanksgiving Tips

I wish I could tell you I had a witty, entertaining post for you today.

But I don't.

If your planning on shopping the Thanksgiving Day sales check out my sidebar --- New York and Company has a great offer that flashes up on my ad's.


If you're bored at work and looking for something to read check out my post for today over at my other blog Letter's From Home .

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!

My Thanksgiving tips:

Eat to much, laugh to much, enjoy the time with loved ones..... and if cooking - don't burn the house down!!

Thankful Post It Note Tuesday

Pass The Torch Please

Friday after work I headed to AT&T for a little early Christmas present to myself.

I think I've said before that my old Blackberry Pearl was dying...... that puts it mildly. It had lived a long life and was just barely hanging on. So before we reached the rather eminent bedside death scene, I decided to end its suffering and I upgraded to the new Blackberry Torch.

I LOVE IT! It's touch screen but also has a keyboard - best of both worlds. And it has a great camera (well anything was better than old Pearl).

Such a great present to myself! Marine and I have been on a budget-diet since his return from deployment. We are trying to save as much as we can so that when he gets out we'll have money to pay our bills till he finds a job. So when I told Marine I was getting a new phone even though he didn't say it, I knew he didn't really see the point. 

Marine is not a techie-person and therefor seemed to think even at $99 Torch was a wasted expense. Let's just say I sent him a few pics that made him change his mind. He may now be the biggest fan Torch has. 

Hey don't judge, you got to keep the romance alive somehow when your separated by 500+ miles. 

Friday evening Vixen, Babbles and I had a movie and pizza night ~ Little Caesars pizza and Date Night. 

It was nice to sit around and play catch up with my friends. 

The pizza was good, the conversation was good, and the movie was hilarious. 

If the movie wasn't already good this would have totally made it a great movie on any charts....

Saturday was Marine-Sis's 16th Birthday. I met her and Marine-Mom early and headed to the mall for a day of shopping with them.

I was along to window shop seeing as I had spent my 'blow' money of the week (ok month).  I think Marine-Sis went in each and every store there was.

Whole new meaning to shopped till we dropped. 

When I walked in the door at 8 pm I headed straight for my bed where I crashed and didn't move till the next morning.

Awe to be 16 again.

But to know what I know now.

Natalie: [after throwing a gob of spaghetti at him] I'm NOT THE ONE FOR YOU!?

Ted: I, I'm sorry I thought that was the mature thing to do, I...

Natalie: It's my birthday!

Ted: Yes, I know it's just...

Natalie: It's my birthday, and you're telling me I'm not the one for you?

Ted: It's no big deal. It's odd, like you lost the lottery-

Natalie: Oh, so dating you's like winning the lottery? [Ted stammers] So what's the problem?

Ted: I can't explain.

Natalie: Try!

Ted: Well, it's just ineffable.

Natalie: Oh, so I'm not 'F-able'?

Ted: No, no, no, ineffable means it can't be explained.

~ How I Met Your Mother ~

I'm Versatile and Stylish!!! Who Knew?!

Anytime I find out I've received an award I immediately drift off into the dreamworld where I am in a stunning black dress and walking up on stage to receive my award and give my thank you speech. But then I trip (yep I'm even clumsy in my dreamworld) and I snap back to reality. 


Thank you R over at Romancing Rachel who has presented me with the two following awards:

AND

Thank you so much Rachel for awarding me with both of these awards! I always enjoy reading your comments and reading your blog as well! :)

Now with every award comes a set of rules..... lucky for me both rules are about the same!

THE RULES:

1. Thank and link back to who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Pass it along to 7  blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.

4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award.

Once again thank you to R over at Romancing Rachel!

At this point I think you all know me pretty well. But I still may have a few pieces of dirty laundry laying around I'm sure.... So here goes, 7 NEW things you may not have known about me!!

1. Sonograms creep me out. ------ Strange. I know.  If it's someone I'm close to it doesn't bother me so much. But when people I haven't seen since like high school post sonogram pics on Facebook....... I don't know..... it just........ welllllllllllllllllllllllll.............. creeps me out! 
2. Don't think I've ever admitted it out loud but after the first weekend I knew Marine was the man I would spend the rest of my life with. Call it crazy and I never told anyone but I actually had a dream a few weeks before he made it back from Iraq and when we actually went out I knew. Crazy. I know. That's why I never told anyone. 
3. I want everything neat and orderly ----- have you looked at the top of my blog lately? I even categorize my life!! Yes, I have 2 other blogs. The deployment one was so I wouldn't drive all of you crazy. See I'm nice. I need to keep it up now that I feel I can talk about it without jinxing myself. I learned alot that I would like to share with others it may help.
4. For lent this next year I have decided to give up Dr. Pepper for 30 days. So when you flip on the news and see a short girl thats gone crazy..... yeah that'll be me. 
5. I cannot keep a plant alive. Instead of green thumb I was born with a red thumb.
6. I would cut my hair off short if I didn't fear it would make me look 15.
7. My mind goes blank every time I have to come up with a certain number of things  (like this list). Blank. Every time! 

So now I have to pass along the awards!

I would like to award The Versatile Blogger award to the following:

Date Girl @ The Date Girl Diaries

Nicole @ Breakfast at Wal-Mart

Amber @ Goodnight Moon

Phoebe @ The Girl That Dreams

Now not saying the girls above aren't stylish! But to split it up I would like to award the following the stylish blogger award: 

Birdie @ No Model Lady 

E @ The Perkster - Ramblings of a hungry fat girl 

Vivi at (Mis)Adventures of a “what if I do?” girl

A Marine's Babe over @ Long Distance Love

Spending Veterans Day Weekend With My Favorite Veterans

Since this past week was Veterans day Marine received a 72 this past weekend which gave him just enough time to drive home for a long weekend. He brought two of his Marine friends with him; Roommate and Harry.

Both Roommate and Harry are northern city boys per say, so Marine was looking forward to introducing them to country living.

Their country experience included (but was not limited to):

• Deer Hunting
• Learning how to shoot a shot gun
• Horseback riding
• Riding 4-Wheelers
• Hiking

Before bringing them home Marine and I had a conversation similar to the following:

E, "So what do you plan to take them to do?"

Marine, "I plan on taking them hunting one morning."

E, "Have either of them ever been hunting before?"

Slight pause

Marine, "Besides Taliban? ....... No."

Needless to say neither of the guys was much for getting up before sunrise to traipse out in the woods to then just sit and wait for a deer to come along.

I can't really say that I blame them.

Other than that we took them hiking at the state park thats less than 15 minutes from the house. Despite the fact it's that close it had been years since I had been hiking there.

After that we stopped by the barn and I let both of them ride one of the horses. They both did good for beginners but weren't brave enough to attempt a short trail ride yet.

During the trip I think they ate more food than the normally would in a week!! Southern Fried chicken, BBQ, wings, fried oreo's, mexican ---- you name it.

Marine's grandmother insisted on cooking breakfast one morning for all of us. And who can turn down a grandmother's home made biscuits? We couldn't!

It was a fun and beautiful weekend!

And because it's still November and I still have bloggers block (my version of writers block) I'm going to post some pictures from the weekend and let them do the talking.

Old Fort We Hiked To

Marine and Heidi - Exploring the World Together

Let's go for the overlook....

Beautiful view!

King of The World

Queen of The World

Hiking Trails

Lots of Rocks

Fall Colors