Wow! i can;t believe it's been a month since I posted. A lot has happened in the last month. I can't bore you to death with the details of the tour of the correctional facility and the fire department, except that I got to climb the hook and ladder- that was way cool! The firefighter following me up was huffing and puffing- I thought I might have to catch HIM! Work has been crazy busy. I seem to be almost caught up at work- we'll see how much farther I can get this week.
I have my PT test on Tuesday. My first haircut in 9 months is tomorrow as well. I got it cut pretty short before I deployed and it has taken this long to get back to a normal length. Plus, I just haven't had time to get to it!
Thanksgiving was a welcome break from the hecticness of life lately. On Friday before the holiday, my parents arrived from FL. We had gotten a futon the was special extra long so normal people can fit on it, but apparently, I didn;t think about the crease in the middle. If made my dad crazy and he couldn't sleep on it. So they moved upstairs to the game room on the air mattress. Saturday I had a jewelry party. I had gone to a jewelry party a couple of weeks ago and I agreed to do a party so my hostess could get some extra free jewelry and so I could get a lot of free stuff! I ended up being able to get about $700 worth of free stuff- awesome. Our school had their state championship game that day and we won, so that was pretty awesome. Sunday was a day of relaxation. I had to go to work Monday and Tuesday, but I took the afternoon off on Wednesday. It felt weird! Like I was playing hooky! Even though I put in 7 hours by 1:30! We spent the afternoon cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving. Jack's family arrived on Tuesday and that was the day my parents went to their hotel. Jack's dad and his wife stayed at the hotel, as did his sister and her husband. Their three kids stayed at our house, along with Jack's mom and her husband, During the day, we all hung at the house, in the evenings the others went to their hotel. The kids had a great time hanging together.
Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. The cooking was low stress. The food turned out wonderful! I made the best mashed potatoes I have ever had in my whole life!!!! I hope I can recreate them again some day. We ate at about 230 and then laid around the rest of the day. Oh yeah! I had a great bike ride Thanksgiving morning after I got the turkey in the oven. I was so full after eating our meal mid-afternoon that all I wanted for dinner was pie! Yum!!!
We got up at 0300 on Black Friday and went to Kohls for shopping bargains. I've done that once in my life and planned to never do it again. not sure what got into me, but I did it again and it was great! It was me, and Heather, and Jordan and Jason (niece and nephew) and I got clothes that fit! Mostly. I still have to take several pairs of pants to have the waist taken in and have them hemmed, as usual. But they mostly fit.
Everyone left on Friday and Saturday. Saturday night the Mullises got here and we had a great evening with them eating thanksgiving leftovers and had smores for dessert. Plus wine and cigars. Got up today (Sunday), went to church, looked at a couple of new cars on the way home (but the dealorships were closed) and then top the commissary to pick up a few things. Made my salad for the week, chopped some fruit, and then hung up some artwork we bought on the cruise last year. Lost my energy before I could decorate the tree!
it was great to have several days off and to have the whole family here. It was great to be home from the desert and it was great to have Theresa home from the desert as well. there's nothing like being gone for 6 months to make someone appreciate being home with the family.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and weeks like this remind me why. I love my family and I love my life.
