Thanksgiving and Black Friday...

This Thanksgiving was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable I can remember in a very long time. Probably because I didn't cook the meal! It is wonderful to have adult children that willingly pitch in and share the burden of such a huge meal. I cooked a ham and a turkey breast, Leslie took care of the scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn casserole. Becca brought the spinach dip & bread bowl, cheese ball, and green bean casserole. Her friend Adrienne brought broccoli & cheese casserole and pineapple upside down cake. Scott baked homemade braided bread and rolls. Mom, Dad, and "Mrs. Smith" supplied the pumpkin and pecan pies. (Ed wasn't able to be with us because he is still in Iraq, and Ryan was still on the rig in Oklahoma.)

After a delicious meal, the kids sat down with the sales ads from the paper to map out our plan of attach for the Black Friday sales. I don't think any of us actually had intentions of buying Christmas presents. Leslie wanted a Shark steam mop, crock pot, sheets, towels, and pajamas for the girls. Becca wanted a new crock pot because she had to toss hers after her pumpkin chili dumped all over the back of the van (long story). Scott only wanted the sandwich maker at Target. I didn't have anything in mind, so I went back and forth all evening about whether or not I was even going to go. Anyway, the girls planned our shopping trip, then we played board games until the magic hour of midnight.
Once the time arrived, I decided to go along. I grabbed shotgun, Becca drove, and the rest of the gang piled into the back of the van.

The funny thing is, Scott hadn't intended to go at all. At the last minute he decided to tag along to Wal-Mart. He ended up staying for the long haul.
I think he actually had a blast. He and Leslie got in the line at Target (we got there around 2:00 am) while Becca, Adrienne and I sat in the car. Around 3:00, Becca decided to move the van closer to the exit so we called to let them know the van was being moved. They talked Adrienne into joining them in the line. Becca took a quick snooze in the van, and I watched the crazies camping out in tents in front of Target, Home Depot, and Best Buys. It was unusually cold so people were huddled together with blankets. It was amazing how jovial everyone was!
Anyway, I think the total list of purchases included the Shark, Rubbermaid storage containers for all of us, sheets, towels, pajamas, a couple of fuzzy blankets, a couple of crock pots, Paula Dean cookware, a sandwich maker, and a bag of chocolates. Did we collectively save enough to make it worth staying up all night? I think so; maybe not in monetary value, but we laughed and giggled all evening.

We ended up getting back home around 5:45 am and had such a good time that we are looking forward to next year. Scott says we need to wear matching outfits and plan even more stops.

Family Dinner...

Every Wednesday evening, the family gathers at my parents' home for Family Dinner. It is one of the highlights of my week. Last week I remembered to take my camera! Here are a few random photographs.

This is my father...
Here is one of Scott and the grandkids feeding Red...

Leslie, Scott, and Rebecca hanging out...

Ron, Mom, Sophie, and Leslie...
Dad, Seth, and Ron...Sophie, Maggie, and Seth...

Sophie & Dad behind Seth; Maggie to the right...

and Sophie.

Listen to the still small voice...

Life sometimes has a way of getting so busy and hectic, that recognizing prompting of the Holy Ghost can easily be overlooked. But, when I do heed those promptings I am filled with wonder and gratitude. I feel like I need to share one recent event in which I did not ignore those promptings.

I usually leave for work at 6:15. This makes it possible for me to miss most of the heavy traffic that drives into Fort Hood. As I drive, I drink a travel mug of either juice or hot chocolate, and eat a couple of toaster waffles. On Tuesday morning, I started my normal routine of filling my travel mug and getting the toaster out, but as I reached for the toaster, I had a strong impression that I needed to go to the trouble of making breakfast and sitting down to eat it. I thought about the fact that I have hallway duty this week, the graded papers that needed to be filed, and almost talked myself into leaving at my normal time. But, the prompting came again and I put the toaster away, got out what was needed to sit and eat breakfast.

I ended up leaving the house at 6:35. I glanced at the clock on my dashboard as I drove out of the garage and instead of feeling a little concerned because I was getting such a late start, I felt unusually calm.

When I drive into school from Temple, I take a county road instead of driving on the state highway. This also helps me miss the majority of the post-bound traffic. At one point on the road, there is a steep down grade that ends in a blind curve. As I drove down the road, I notice that the oncoming traffic was flashing their lights. I was annoyed at first because I thought it was just a bunch of dummies that mistook my nifty VW headlights for high beams. But, as I rounded the curve at the bottom of the down grade, I saw the aftermath of a fairly bad accident. A utility truck, an SUV, and 2 sedan's were involved; scattered along the sides of the road. Shocked by the sudden appearance of so many wrecked vehicles and debris on the normally empty road, I realized that had I left at my normal time, I could easily have been one more vehicle crumpled at the side of the road. The joy that filled my heart and mind as I realized that the Holy Ghost had protected me from this accident was indescribable. I am so thankful for this precious gift.