How is it December?

I mean, It was just October last week? Thanksgiving was wonderful. We had such an incredible 4 day weekend! My aunt, Gloria, came to spend "American Thanksgiving" as she calls it, with us again this year. What a wonderful tradition that has become. Haley was most excited to see what color Aunt Gloria's hair was going to be! Apparently the red from last year made quite an impression on her. Well, her hair was a little more toned down this year, but Gloria looks fabulous! As always, it is just too short of a visit, but I look forward to having her every year.

We celebrated Bill's birthday last weekend with a full Krassan family dinner at Bucca di Beppo. We sat at the Pope table. Some Irony there. Surprised we didn't get hit by lightning or something?

Out Thanksgiving table this year was beautiful. Erin made the place cards out of little turkeys I cut out with my Cricut machine (scrapbooking tool of the GODS I tell you!). Having her write out the names was such a nice touch. Haley helped set the table and put the little leaf cut out place mats around. Ira, once again, made a most delicious Turkey. He may have missed his calling in life as a MASTER TURKEY CHEF! The girls each made a special dish for the meal. Haley made the traditional homemade cranberry sauce (that nobody ever eats but we make because it looks nice and is fun). It still was hardly touched. Everyone prefers Sandy's cranberry sauce with the pineapple rings, which has its own funny story for another post. Erin had a very special dish. She had gone to the local farm on a field trip a few weeks ago and picked the biggest sweet potatoes I have EVER SEEN! She picked them, washed them, peeled them, cut them, mixed them with butter and brown sugar and cinnamon and baked them. She arranged marshmallows on top to melt in the oven. What an amazing experience! Now, if she would only have EATEN them.... kids, sheesh.

Then, on to BLACK FRIDAY! I have to say, I was disappointed in myself this year. Every year, I am up and out of the house by 5:00 a.m. faithfully. I meet my mom for some crafting at Michael's or AC Moore, then we meet my dad and Ira with the girls for breakfast. This year, I don't know why.. the sales were not enticing.... I didn't have anything in particular to buy... I am on a limited budget after the addition on the house... I just didn't have my shopping mojo flowing. I slept through all the early madness and didn't go out until 9:00 for breakfast. I was a Black Friday slacker. I made my dear, neurotic friend Aubree get up and go shopping, but I slept. Even the year Haley was born, at 9 months pregnant, I got up, I shopped, and I gave birth the next day. {sigh} Don't know. Just wasn't feeling it. Blame the economy. When I did get out, I was sad to see that I didn't have to fight for a parking space, there were shopping carts available in stores that in previous years you had to stalk for one, and the lines were not long at all. It is a sad statement for the retailers when this most hallowed day of shopping festivities seems so, well, sad?

Saturday morning Ira and I were awakened by a little girl jumping on us yelling, "Get up you lazy bones, don't you know you have a 5 year old now?" Yup, it was Haley's birthday. She was all about being 5 at last. We took the girls into Philadelphia for messy cheesesteaks (chicken cheesesteaks at Tony Lukes that we eat in the car, a family favorite) and then to Ikea to get Erin and Haley a double desk for the new office at home. Saturday night we celebrated her fiveness with a family dinner. Table for 22 at Friendly's. Yeah. I don't think I need to explain that one. It was fun. Loud. Crazy. But fun. To top it all off, we had my sister's kids (Samantha, Jake and Deanna) all sleep over so Lynda could go out to celebrate her birthday as well. I don't think Lynda minds sharing her birthday with Haley, but somehow Friendly's wasn't exactly her type of celebration :o) So this gave her a chance to have a much deserved grown ups night out.

Now we have Ashley's birthday to look forward to this month. Erin has already asked me at least 400 times what Aunt Sue and Lindsay are planning for that occasion. Can't we get through one thing at a time?

When Sunday finally rolled around, it was raining and cold and we were all happy to spend a day doing something quiet and relaxing. SO what do I do? I take the girls and a friend for each of them to McDonald's for lunch (imagine the playroom there on a rainy Sunday?) and then to the movies to see Bolt. Yeah. Relaxing. Right. They were so cute, so good and had a tremendous amount of fun.

While I was gallivanting about town with a cart load of kids, Nancy and Phil were at home decorating the Christmas tree with Gloria, Robin and David. Now that Rachael was back to school, I figure the Schaffers were relaxing and having a good time being on their own again :o)

It was one of those "This is what being a mom is all about" days. I did enjoy it... mostly :o)

As if that wasn't enough... there was one more teensy little thing. We got a Guinea Pig. She is a hand-me-down, and, she is adorable. Erin's friend Rachael had her and couldn't keep her. So we got her. Her name is Miss Piggy and we love her. All of us. Except Ira. So far. But he didn't love Rufus for a long time either.... or Isabell.....now that I think of it. He has issues with pets. It is only a matter of time if you ask me...muahahahahaha!

It was an exhausting yet fulfilling weekend. Filled with family, filled with food, filled with love. How blessed we are to be able to share times like these not only with each other, but with our extended family. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins.... cousins home from college :o) My girls are surrounded by people who love them like nobodies business. It simply fills me with joy to see how them grow and flourish knowing that these people are a part of all the important events in their lives. Always a constant. Always there. They count on it. We have a tradition in my home on Thanksgiving. When we sit at the table, we each take a turn saying what we are thankful for. It is a little wishy-washy and we all say the same things each year. Health, family, all that. But it is important to say it out loud. Not take for granted those you hold closest to your heart. Those that mean the most to you. This weekend was certainly a busy one, and I know I went on and on and on like I sometimes can do, but there was a reason. I wanted to put into words all the things, or people I am thankful for. You see, they are each one a part of my weekend. Each and everyone of them was mentioned in here!