what i wore... for thanksgiving!!

thought the wishbone necklace was appropriate!!

you mean you don't wear sundresses for thanksgiving??

and this isn't your black friday??

david wanted to take us out on the sand bars.

it was really cool...

although it got a bit rocky...

at one point, nora asked why david wasn't fussing about his feet hurting!

such a different view of hawaii!

still pearl harbor...

then, they found some dogs to play with!

it seems to go on forever!

despite the pictures, it was bright out!

my sweet girl!

james was quite excited about something...

love when my car looks like this... packed for a long day at the beach!

we took mom-mom up to turtle bay...

it was SUPER windy

digging...

mom decided to bury david!

david in the sand!

my two kids... as different as can be! we went to the disney resort on monday...

today was kailua beach...

the water was amazing!

i about passed out blowing the stupid raft up, and it was taken by my four year old!

the life, huh? she also figured out how to use it to ride the waves... and got thrashed around pretty good... but got right back on it...

my mom and i (well, all of us) have been having a great time! sorry i sorta fell off the face of the earth! it's been such a joy to have her here... and the kids barely let her go to the bathroom by herself... she has two little shadows!

on that note, i have noticed that jamey is SO AFRAID of being left out. whenever we talk about something, he says, "i want to come too". or "don't yeave (leave) me"! it's precious!

today, we did leave them, while they both napped, to go run a few errands. it was so fun! yesterday, we got nora's Christmas shopping done while the kids were in school. tomorrow, we are planning a hike! so glad she'll be back soon, so we don't feel like we have to do EVERYTHING this trip!

that said, some of my sewing projects got pushed off this week... here's to the weekend!!!

linking up with lindsey...

speechless...

when my sister was in college, she studied in luxembourg her junior year. i happened to be living in san diego at the time, out of college, working. my parents were going to visit her in early november. (2004 i think?) then, my little brother and sister got to go. as a surprise. and my sister kinda figured that out. she "knew" they were going to come. well, what felt like last minute, i was able to get the time off work and go to europe with my fam for two weeks. my parents knew (they bought my tickets!), but no one else did. our flights connected in toronto, so we all flew there, and i waited for them to get off their first plane. my little bro and sis were shocked! it was such a fun surprise. then, we met stef in lux. we were at our hotel. mom and dad were in one room, and then byss and dd jumped out and surprised her. THEN, they brought her to where i was, and she was surprised again.

i woke up this morning, and tried to call my mom (david tells me my umbilical cord gets in the way sometimes...). her phone was off. let me tell you, it is NEVER off. i brushed it off for a few, thinking it was weird. two hours later, when her phone was STILL off, AND, she hadn't called me, i started thinking that was weird. i talked to my sibs and my dad (all who claimed they had no idea where she was, but was "probably out shopping"), so i knew some tragedy hadn't happened.

david and i were taking the kids to the beach. i turned to him and said, "is my mom on a plane to come surprise me"? he was so quick and said, "just because you can't get ahold of your mom for one hour, she MUST be on a plane?" (side note... not getting ahold of my mom is one thing. her phone being OFF is another...) at the beach, i teased him and said, "is that my mom's plane?" as a plane flew overhead.

we get home. still no phone call. and now NO ONE is answering their phone. and david has to "go into work". (which i totally believed because of some things going on at work this week...) and i started to think about time frame. from when i couldn't reach my mom to when david had to go to work, was about the correct amount of time for a flight to be coming here.

just before david left for work, i checked his phone. he called my mom this week. in the middle of a work day. WEIRD. so now, i couldn't rule it out. but then i checked the computer. no flight status checks. weird. now i wasn't sure. (side note- david told me he's glad he's never going to cheat on me, since i am so suspicious!!!)

and my hopes started to rise. my house was a mess, from kids yesterday, china out, christmas decor everywhere. i even started cleaning up, "just in case". and then david walked in from work. by himself. i teased him again, and said, "you don't have my mom?" again, he was quick witted. and he started helping me move the tv. (like i had been asking all day...) and then, my door opened again. and in walked my mom! it was so much fun. apparently, i scared nora as i screamed, because she ran and hid. and then was thrilled to see my mom.

david has been teasing me all day at how hard i am to surprise. i really don't want to be! there was something about today that was just weird. no one's answers made sense. my mom's phone is NEVER off! i just couldn't figure it out.

the best part was when she walked in to get jamey, who had been napping. he clung to her. for, no joke, the next twenty minutes, at least. he wouldn't even lift up his head. at one point, she even asked him if he was okay... he just clung to her. so sweet...

so sweet...

i mean, really... he didn't move.

tacky hawaiian

loving on the splash park!!

enjoying november... at 84*

my bunco girls... at our house last night!

another one of me in my mumu... so fun, huh? if you come visit, we can get you one!!!

oh, and the boy got a hair cut today...

we spent our morning at savers, a goodwill-type store. a post to come on that!! then, a haircut. then, getting ready for thanksgiving.

it will be only the second thanksgiving that we have not spent with family. the first one, i worked. (there may have been one or two more before i met david, but i really can't remember!!) i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas, and all that comes with it. i love the music, the lights, the songs, the decorations. it's taken everything in me NOT to decorate this week (i usually do, so we can come BACK from thanksgiving vacay to decor!!). but, we are hosting this year.

first year to cook a turkey. EVER. david might be a little nervous! and, as my mom pointed out, i don't have the cold outdoors to expand my freezer. although my garage geckos and cockroaches would LOVE that.

back to my love for Christmas. i love the snow, the time off from school/work/etc. there is so much about it i love. but thanksgiving. oh thanksgiving. some of my BEST memories have come from it!! i think i was in 7th grade when we started making this yearly trek to connecticut. we had these cousins (that were like 3 times removed or something... amos?). we didn't always hang out with them (and usually only saw them once a year). and at that once-yearly gathering, uncle fred would always ask when we were coming for thanksgiving. so, one year, we took him up on it.

icy roads, closed penna-turnpikes, missed hotel reservations, big maroon conversion van, sleeping on the floor (shh... that was SO LONG AGO, you were allowed to do that!!), watching vhs tapes on the rigged up vcr. and that was just to GET to connecticut.

once we got there, it was non-stop fun! we would go into the city (by city, i mean new york city). we would go to stew leonards'. the COOLEST grocery store. animatronics, pre made scones, soups, salad dressings... lasagna for dinner on wednesday night. (i use that lasagna recipe all the time, still!!) cards, movies....

THEN... we would get up at the CRACK of dawn. some more begrudgingly than others. and bundle up. and pile in said maroon conversion van. and head downtown to the spot of choice. i think it changed as the parade route changed over the years. and STAKE. OUR. CLAIM. (have i mentioned that i am krissy's daughter. i can hold my own for my spot that i was there before you to claim! don't even TRY to cross me!!). we would set up lawn chairs. and our stew leonards' scones. and someone would get coffee. and we would chat with the cops. and whomever else walked down the street. once, we even got interviewed by some soap stars about our trips there (it was 2001... ). i also got told (must have been 2002- since i had just signed my navy paperwork), not to get knocked up, cause that would get me kicked out of the navy. by a former army nurse, i think. (also, that rule has changed...)

i think for me, the best part of that was the waiting. the fun of being there at 5am on the streets. maybe it just seems more fun in my mind. it was cold. it was long. but, before we knew it, the balloons would start to appear. as would the moms and the children who couldn't stand outside for that long. and then the parade would be over.

we would pile back into the conversion van (moms and kids back on the train... beating us home, but getting dinner ready!!). one year, we pulled over to allow a certain younger sibling continue throwing up. in a barn. with horses. (she had already made a mess of someone's turtleneck...) and i am still not sure where there is a farm between nyc and darien, ct. (it's only, like, 45 minutes. like the 3rd or 4th train stop...)

it was magical. it was wonderful. thanksgiving dinner was always over the top. there was this turkey cake. a cake in the shape of a turkey. it was OUTRAGEOUS! incredible. there was drama. there was laughter. there was football... and football pools. but for me, watching the parade on tv has NEVER compared to being there. at 6am.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

thanksgiving wrap up...

really, he was happy! not terrified!!

the kids' table!

our "spread"...

our fam...

kiddie (and gluten-free) dessert...

my fridge this morning...

the table!!!

napkins.

here's how i did it... folded in thirds-ish...

flipped over, folded into the center...

then folded in half and stuffed with silverware.

and placed next to the wonderful chargers you made last year!!! that you got on sale after Christmas, and spray painted with chalkboard paint. and have been waiting all year to use!!

well, for our first turkey, we get a b. not totally done on time, but we got plenty to eat, and put her back in for more time. (note- two hours LONGER than the package claimed) but in all, a successful first thanksgiving. we had a blast and are so thankful for our ohana (family) here!

now, off to bed for us... we are so crazy that way!

savers=heaven in hawaii

a new frame. and my own "printable". based on proverbs 31.

another new frame. and i wish i could remember where i got the printable. i know it was from pinterest...

here it is on my wall...

16 new martha stewart ornaments. in the coolest white.

not necessarily intended as an outfit. the shirt is 18 m and the shorts 3t. the shorts are "children's place"

the shirt is ralph lauren

a new set of hangers. for visitors and such.

10 new books. including "the real mother goose". "the bunnicula collection" ("bunnicula" was a favorite growing up. i made friends in florida on spring break when i was little with the author's niece. her grandma and my grandma always had places at the same place, and we would be there at the same time each year. and she lived sorta near my grandma, so we would occasionally visit... wonder where she is now!), several "junie b. jones" books. some disney books. "charlotte's web".

so, i have REALLY been wanting to do some printables. you know, something cute for each season. something simple that i can just trade out with minimal effort. but that required more frames. and then, as i was doing Bible study the other day, i was really challenged and convicted by prov 31, and i knew i wanted it in my house.

HOWEVER, i have spent a lot of money on food, wine, etc this week. and want to be conscientious of spending money. so, spending more money on house decorations seemed like a bad idea. until i decided to check at savers...

for $29.90, i got all that i listed above. since it was military wednesday, i got an extra 25% off of my entire purchase. and one of the frames was 50% off. so i saved $13.09 by being military. not that $45 would have been bad for that lot. but a new frame is EASILY $30... so there you go. i got two frames and a TON of other stuff... and will go back to get more frames, that i will paint, etc....