Thanksgiving went well here on my homefront. I hope it was the same where you were. We had it at my house this year, and I was apprehensive. Trey worked hard and got the house really, really clean. I wasn't much help, but I can honestly say that this last week I have basically been doing good to stay awake and function at all. I had a LOT of work with my three paper jobs, and Trey's schedule wasn't exactly meshing with mine, so sleep wasn't much of an option. Anyway, it worked out well. Grandma and Grandaddy came over to our house for the first time since we moved here, and Grandaddy was really good (he has Alzheimer's, and he gets nervous and acts out when he's not in his usual surroundings). We figured they'd stay long enough to eat, then have to make a run for home, but they ended up staying over two hours. I took Grandaddy for a walk after we ate, when he started to get cranky, and everything worked out well. I thought it was kinda funny when they left, b/c he got mad when I put him in the car and started yelling at me. I think it's b/c he wanted to stay. I kinda don't blame him...my neighborhood is a change of scenery from the 2-3 walks a day around the few blocks he can go in! I wanted them to stay so Grandma could just hang out and be untrapped from her house for a while, but she was worried he'd start really acting up, so they left. Still, I'm really glad they came.

Oh, and the food was good, too. I made sweet potato casserole/souffle (I don't know what the hell it's called!). I was frustrated when shopping for the ingredients, b/c to buy a bag of finely chopped walnuts it was about half the price of the ones that were just chopped somewhat. I was trying to save money, so I got the finely chopped ones, but I really wanted the others. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that those tiny walnut pieces were just perfect. They added just the right amount of flavor, but weren't so chunky in your bites. I'm glad I did it now! I also made mac and cheese in my crockpot, and it worked out well. Last year it came out dry, so I'm glad it was good this year and that it was good enough that it was the only thing that was completely gone before we even got close to finishing eating! Not that I was necessarily happy about that, since I love mac and cheese, and I kinda wanted some leftovers!

Anyway, I do hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving and a good time stuffing your faces. If you didn't have Thanksgiving, then I hope your Thursday was great! Talk to you later!

Yesterday, the day before, and several hours of the day before that, I listened to 95SX, the local pop Top 40 station, for almost the entire day. I walked around with either the radio in the house on (banning all tv for the day!), or with my Zune plugged into one ear so I could hear every song they played. Why, you ask, would I do such a silly thing? Well, I answer, b/c they were having a contest in which they play a certain song each day, and when it comes on, you text them. If you are the 95th texter, then you win.

Yesterday was the last day of the contest, and it was getting down to the wire. I suffered through many a song, including Britney Spears and Avrile Lavigne, all for the sake of winning. I knew that they would play it sometime in the afternoon hours, so I would not be taken from my radio. I even missed naptime, which I was not so happy about. Needless to say, they finally announced at 4 pm that the song would be played before 5, so I at least had a time frame to look forward to. Naturally, they played the song at 5:00 on the dot! Whatever, the time to text had begun!

I texted to their number with the word "IPhone" at least a million times, or so it felt. Thankfully, my phone has that cute little keyboard, so I could type relatively easily, but it still took forever on each one. I just knew, though, that I would be texters 94 and 96. I never win anything...Oh, and on a side note, I prayed to God to help me win, knowing that it's not really right to ask God for stuff like that, but telling Him that, well, I just really want to win something!...

I waited and waited to hear the phone ring, and nothing came...until, about fifteen minutes later, it rang! I WON, I WON! I sounded pretty darn good on the radio, too. I'm thinking maybe a career in radio? Hmmm...

Anyway, wanna know what I won? I won an IPhone and an IPod Nano. Isn't that cool!? I'm so excited! I have zero need for an IPhone at all, but yet, I want one so bad. I looked it up online last night, and I'm pretty sure I'll need to get a "professional" career just so I won't look like a weirdo walking around with it. Something tells me that not too many stay-at-home moms are carrying around such high-tech pieces of equipment! It also looks like it might eliminate the need for my Zune, so perhaps I can make a few bucks selling that (on craigslist, of course!). Trey even wins, b/c he's going to get either the Nano (depends on how much I love it, even though the IPhone has an IPod built in), or my Zune. Looks like my Christmas shopping for him is done!

Isn't that so cool! I can't wait till I get them at the end of the week! Sadly, I don't have AT&T, which, from what I understand, is the only service I can use for it. However, I've been wanting to ditch Alltel for a while now, so this might just be my moment.




Anyway, I've gone on long enough. I hope you're having a great day, and I'll see you later!

We have not had the internet at our house all week. Apparently, we have a bit of a "rodent" problem, and they think that the phone line that runs under the office is quite tasty. Rats suck.

Anyway, we have it back now...for how long I don't know...and I am so happy. It's funny how many websites you hear about that you just MUST go to when you just can't. I did go to my mom's house the other night to use her computer, and I completely blanked. I paid a couple of bills, then I had no idea what else to do. Trey thinks we should get rid of it, b/c we've spent so much time together this week. I say forget that! Igh, time together?! That's the recipe for a ruined marriage, my friend!

Speaking of spending time together, TJ, Taryn and I planned to have a family night tonight. Trey was scheduled to open, so we knew he'd be home. The kids decided we would rent Ratatouille(which was no small feat in itself!) and watch it all together as a family. They got really excited when I told them we could have popcorn, candy and hot chocolate. They have talked about it nonstop for the last few days, and the few hours up to Trey's arrival from work were crazy with them asking about the movie and when we could turn it on. I made them eat a healthy dinner first, and then it was time. Taryn calls it "Ratatoonie", and she must have asked when we could turn on "Ratatoonie" at least a thousand times. Even Cole was excited, although I'm sure he had no idea why. We had a good time. We cut of the lights, and I let them eat in the living room (which worked out pretty well, considering). They were good until about 3/4's of the way through the movie (it was pretty long, I thought), when the candy kicked in and they couldn't sit still anymore. Trey asked me if I gave TJ crack, b/c he was insanely hyper and jumping on anything and everything. It was a fun time, and I know the kids loved it. It was a pretty cool movie, too. I highly recommend it, for kids and parents both.

Cole's hair had gotten to the point of just looking silly and dirty all the time. Taryn got into her Halloween candy while I was sleeping the other day, and got a big, gooey ball of it stuck in her hair. It wouldn't come out. So, I took them yesterday to get haircuts. I must say, they were cute before, but now they are by far the cutest kids in the world (TJ didn't get one, but he was already extremely cute!)! I am just in love with Taryn's haircut, it looks so cute! Cole looks so much older, almost like a two year old now! Yesterday, after the haircut, Taryn's hair did a turn under on one side, and a flip out on the other, which I think just made it that much cuter! The woman who did their hair was truly wonderful.


So he won't feel left out, I added a pic of TJ doing what he does best...correcting me on something, b/c he knows EVERYTHING.

Have a great day! I'll see you soon!

I sat on the porch with a two day old baby and handed out candy. Not this year!