2 YEARS gone ... Already??

Ethan got his braces off yesterday.
Amazing.
I remember when he got them put on.
I felt so bad for him.
I knew he would never be able to eat or speak normally
over the next two years.
He was going to waste away into a waif.
Nope.
Didn't happen.
He survived, and grew like five inches or something crazy like that.
All I know is that when he got his braces on, he was a
scrawny young boy.
Now he is a towering (handsome) young man.
I have the footage to prove it at the end of my post...
Eth is back to eating and chewing whatever he wants!!
Welcome back buddy.
But now he talks funny again because he has his new retainers in.

Thanksgiving was a fun filled day.
We ran the annual Suntree Turkey Trot.
Gooooood Times!
I love that we do this together every November.
Our gang is getting stronger and more skilled.
There was no barfing along the trail at all this year,
and every ones race time improved!

We had two families over for dinner.
That was fun and interesting.
I also realized how exhausting and how much pressure that is.
It is a LOT of work, dang it.
Kev was a great partner in the kitchen.
Honey hurry,
please slice that log of butter and stuff it up
under the turkeys skin.
Yes, yes, just use your fingers.
K, now, please take this pan of stuffing and gently
pack it into every open cavity you can find in the turkey.
Yes, not too hard though because it will expand.
Good, now......
take this stick of butter and....
I need another stick of butter....
where is the butter?
More butter please!
Get in the freezer and get another Sams pack of butter out.
BUTTER!!
Good Grief.
Ryker and McCauley were also big helpers.
My pumpkin pie was superb.....made my own crust for once.
I am sure you have all been doing it for years,
I was really nervous, but it worked great.
My gravy got RAVE reviews!
Even Ethan went on about it more than once.
That made me very happy,

The day after.

Black Friday....I partook of shopping at Dillards.

I had such a wonderful, and successful shopping trip.

I was Gleeful!!

Why can't money grow on trees?

Why is it such a rush to get items at 

50 - 65% off 

+

an additional 50% off

+

an additional 10% off

+ 

$10 back on every $50 spent?

Just typing that out gets me excited all over again!!

I splurged on new curtains for McCauley's room.

I have hated her old ones since the day I made them out of some

 hodgepodge fabric I scrounged up.

I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE NEW ONES.

Sometimes I just go in her room and sit and look at them.

These are very expensive, lined, heavy fabric.

Beautiful.

The pictures DO NOT do them justice.

Plus.....shhhhhhh....I purchased her a new bedding set!

The old set has served us very well for the past 13 years.

I am pretty sure I paid top dollar at Walmart.

They still are not too bad on the eyes,

but I could not resist....

who would even try at those prices?

The dominant color of the new spread is sage green,

with dark brown accent swirls.

I can't wait to bring it out at Christmas for her.

I snatched up throw pillows for her bed as well as our couches. 

You can get a little peak at the couch pillows here.
They are yum.
I don't usually partake in black Friday...
but this was a lot of fun.
It was not jam packed and crowded at all at Dillards.
It's too classy for all that nonsense. 

Last Collage: Random Wrap up.

Vanessa and I made a recent temple trip.

There she is getting her makeup bag from her sister's vehicle....

whose alarm went off in the Target parking lot.

M got her retainer removed, her cross bite is fixed.

Doesn't that look sore?

When she opened her mouth to show me chills and 

shivers shot down my spine.

YIKES.

It looked red and raw....I tried not to show emotion.

Believe me when I tell you again....this picture is not giving the full effect.

Our new insurance cards came.....hefty new higher co-pays.

yippie.

not really even sure how that ended up in here.

The blood bath.....

V's daughter Claire was here playing the 

other day,

they were playing a game where they were walking around w/

blankets over their heads,

and what do you know?

someones head hit her nose,

which caused a MASSIVE nose bleed.

I kid you not when I say the bathroom was spattered from

sink to mirror.

It was a crime scene in there.....

this pic is just a sampling.

She was and is fine, thank goodness.

Why not take a minute and re-enjoy the hamburger shake video.

Bye - Bye..... see you next time : )

ps - guess what???

I just had to PURCHASE a photo storage plan on Picasa.

No matter what I did, it would not let me add one more photo,

not even to a new post.

Boo.

So I am finally a paying customer...

I don't like that much.