The Tree is Up!

As is our tradition, the Saturday night after Thanksgiving we put up our very real Christmas tree. I emphasize the "real" because I know some people who go the fake route and I have such a hard time not holding it against them. I mean, for starters, what about the smell? And so what if there are some pine needles on the floor? That's why they created vacuums and brooms. Anyway, we enjoyed a nice supper at Ron & Elaine's and then they accompanied us on our hunt. We first went to the place we got our tree last year and it was a giant disappointment. I don't know if they were on a tight budget because of the economy or what but they probably had only 10 or 15 trees in stands. They tried showing us some that they had wrapped up but that was a complete waste of our time. How can we possibly tell if a tree is suitable when the branches are all crushed? We moved on quickly.Location # 2 had their act together. They had dozens and dozens of trees in stands and I found "the one" within the first two minutes. Of course, I gave a cursory look around but I went back to my original choice. Yes, I'm using the pronoun "I" instead of "we" because it is usually I that picks out the tree. Duncan is usually willing to let me assume the task. The trick is that you don't want to act like you like the tree that much because of course, you don't want to pay full price. The price tag said $60and we were thinking of offering either $45 or $50 but in the end, I had to pee so badly that I just asked if there was any flexibility with the price and they marked it down to $55. It was a deal. We're very happy with our tree that stands about seven feet tall. By the time we got home with it, it was Calleigh's bedtime so she hasn't yet seen it with the lights and decorations. I can hardly wait for her to get up in the morning so I can show it to her!

Here's a video of her this evening. We had gone into Ron & Elaine's while it was still partially light but after we ate and it got dark, we took her outside to see the lights. And yes, she's wearing a necklace. She loves to get in Grandma's jewelry drawer. What can you do??



We had a very nice and relaxing Thanksgiving Day. We got out Calleigh's bike to let her try again. She got it from Aunt Wanda for her birthday and she's slowly growing into it. Her feet just barely reach the pedals but she gets so excited just to be on it. In the late morning, we took Calleigh to the playground where she enjoyed herself as usual. It was nice to have Daddy with us since he was able to take Calleigh on the big slides. She goes down the smaller and medium size ones on her own now. During Calleigh's nap, we watched some football, I looked through the ads, took a short nap, and made an apple pie. Once she got up, it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for our Thanksgiving meal where Elaine and I split the cooking duties. Aunt Wanda graced us with her presence during the meal preparation so we were able to visit with her for about 45 minutes. The four of us adults enjoyed the meal very much but Calleigh, for some reason, had no interest. She didn't want to eat anything. I was wondering if she didn't like the food (although she's eaten some of it before) or if she wasn't truly hungry (very hard to believe). So I tried the tried-n-true test. I asked her if she wanted some cheese. And oh yes, she sure did. She gobbled it down. Clearly, it was the type of food that she had a problem with. As I expected, on Friday evening I was eating the leftovers while she ate some pasta and she started eyeing my squash. I gave her a bit which she tentatively put in her mouth. As soon as she swallowed, she said "More squash!" I knew it!





After we ate, we headed back to our place since it was just about Calleigh's bedtime. Ron & Elaine came with us and we watched the football game, ate pie, and sipped tea. It was a nice ending to a very nice day.

Friday morning we didn't get up at the crack of dawn or anything crazy like that. We did go to a couple of stores in the late morning. We stopped in at a consignment store (got a cute dress for a Calleigh and a free book) and then went to Khol's next door. It was very crowded and we loved it! I know it sounds crazy but we love the crowds. It reminds us that it's Christmas. I found a really nice Christmas dress for Calleigh which is what I was there for so mission accomplished. I did have to wait in a long line of about 50 people to pay but it was only about a 15 minute wait. And since Daddy was there so supervise Calleigh as she ran through the aisles, it was fine with me! Next we went on to the mall which was also delightfully crowded. We had some pizza in the food court for lunch and it was a challenge finding a table. Duncan was able to get a vest to wear to the Pops so that mission was also accomplished. Once again, I didn't buy anything for myself. I reminded Duncan of that fact because I am sure I will be buying some maternity clothes in the not so distant future!

We had a very nice time at Church today. Mark Finley preached as this is the last day of the Discoveries '08 series. It was a wonderful sermon titled "God Still Moves Stones." One of the points he made in the sermon was that if you ask God for help because of a challenge you are facing, sometimes he will move the mountain or sometimes he will give you the strength to go over the mountain. I thought that was a neat way of looking at it because some people may wonder why they pray and have the faith that Jesus will heal them or what have you and it doesn't happen. Another nice treat was that Charles Haugabrooks sang two special songs. He is definitely one of my favorite singers (ever since I heard him sing "God Bless the USA" many years ago...) To top it all off, Calleigh even made it though about 80% of the service so we were very pleased.

At Sabbath School, we had a moment that absolutely made our day. When we sang "Jesus Love Me" Calleigh sang the chorus. I was so excited! Of course, she has sung it many times at home with me (or sometimes just on her own out of nowhere) but I was so happy that she sang in public as she sat in her little chair waving her "I Love Jesus" flag. It was a really great moment. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me to capture it. But next week, I'll definitely be ready!

I think that brings us up to date. Tonight will be a little bit of a late one as I'm waiting for the call from David to pick him up at the airport. His flight from Providence is supposed to arrive at 11:30 although I'm expecting it to come in early. Boy, we sure had an interesting time getting he and Megan to the airport on Wednesday evening. I would have written about it then but Megan was surprising her family so I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Anyway, two hours before their flights were to leave, Megan arrived her for us to take her and locked her keys and luggage in her car. Just about the worst thing you could do! Duncan had to drive her home to get her spare key and then race back here to get the luggage and then on to the airport (meanwhile, I took David without a problem). He managed to get her there at 6:10 with her flight leaving at 7:01. Fortunately, there weren't long lines and she made it. Whew!