Wow, what an amazing Thanksgiving weekend we had!  I am truely greatful for all of my many blessings that God has so graciously blessed me with! 

Thursday morning we got up and watched the Macy's parade, then got dressed and was at my Mom's by noon.  Of course it was some yummy food to be had there, I think my Mom is one of the best cooks I know but I guess we all think that, huh?  I hope my girls say that about me one day.....

And let me just say that her dressing was very, very good this year but my fav-O-rite dish at Momma's was broccoli casserole!  Ohhh man....fabulous!!!

After lunch, Kara Brooke was ready for a nap while she was napping, Kaylee, Mom and I headed to see some of my cousins that I have not seen in probably twenty years.  These two cousins found me on Face Book, they are on my real Daddy's side.  I must admit I was a little nervous but everything was just fine and I am so glad they found me!

Later that evening we went to Kris' mom's and ate again.  My favorite thing at her house was the potatoes and rolls!!

I am ashamed to say that I only made the following three pictures....sad I know!!!  

After we finally got back home, we had to read the Elf on the Shelf book in hopes that our Elf would make his way back to our house from the North Pole.  We were pleasantly surprised that he did on Friday morning.

Friday morning I had to work while folks were out shopping, I did get a couple of things ordered and then ended up getting off work at two so I ran to Murfreesboro to get an item that was on sale.  After finishing that up I headed back to my Mom's to meet up with Kris and the girls.  My step brother and his family were coming in from Indiana.  We always have the best time when they are here, sadly they couldn't stay long, but I am very thankful for the time that they were here!

We finally got our Christmas trees and decorations up Saturday and Sunday.

This is the family tree in the den, I just love it. 

There is just something about all the lights off and nothing on but the glow of the Christmas tree.  It is so calming and cozy to me.

This is Kaylee and Kara Brooke's tree in the other living room.  They always have a lot of their ornaments from previous years that we end up not putting on our big tree so we got this tree for them this year.  I love it too and the girls especially love it!

And this is Kaylee's little tree in her room!

Once again we are looking forward to another busy week...busy month for that matter.  Something almost every night and something every weekend.

Kaylee will be starting basketball probably this week and today she started boot camp with her new softball team!  I'm guessing she will be a little on the sore side the next few mornings.  But I am very thankful that she worked so hard and she is meeting so many new friends!  God is so good!!!

Have a great week!!

Thanksgiving & cupcakes!

Round one of Thanksgiving 2010 was celebrated Saturday night at Kris' Dad and Step-mom's house!  It is always wild when this bunch gets together, there are five son's and now all have a girlfriend/finance and their are 4 grandchildren, my how this family has grown in the last tens years!  Shelley, my step MIL is an awesome cook and makes the best dressing EVER!!  I LOVE it, even better than my Momma's and you know what kind of Momma's girl I am, seriously it's that good!  So I also look forward to that, I didn't even eat any dessert just got an extra helping of dressing!  haha!

This is our nephew Dylan!

And niece Taylor!

Kara Brooke did not want to stop and get her picture made and I think Kaylee was still at the table eating more ham.  That is always her favorite thing that Shelley cooks.

Here is some of the gang!

We really had a great Thanksgiving with that part of the family and I am very thankful that they are all a part of my life.

Sunday we didn't do much of anything.  I did lots of catch up laundry, cleaned out my closet and cleaned house, trying to get our house ready for Christmas decorations!  While I was busy in the closet, the girls were in the floor making cupcakes!!

They were about to serve it to Daddy-looks like Kara Brooke did a little taste test first!

And the finished product, looks soooo yummy, huh???

Two days of school this week for Kaylee, that makes her real happy!!  This week is looking pretty packed for us, high school basketball tomorrow night,  Jr. Pro drafts and a gold buying party Tuesday night.  Have you ever been to one of those??  I have not but I'm really excited about it!  Wednesday we are going to start working on Christmas decorations and then of course Thursday is THANKSGIVING DAY!!

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving week!

Busy Saturday

My goodness today was a whirwind kind of day but we had so much fun and enjoyed every moment of it! Saturday morning we got up, got Kaylee picked up from the slumber party she went too and got ready for our family photo shoot with my dear friend Julie Armstrong Smith, you can find her on Facebook under Relieve Photography.  She does such a good job and I love her to pieces!!  She did send me a sneak peek, and I know if you are on FB you have already seen these but I do have other family members not on FB so enjoy the pics again.

Thanks again Julie...I LOVE THEM and I can not wait to see the rest!!

As soon as we were done we had about ten minutes to get to an awesome pirate birthday party for a really special four year old, Slayden.  He is Kara Brooke's teacher's son!  Again it was a pirate theme and they out did themselves....

They made a ship, they walked the plank, had their face painted and tattoos put on, threw cannon balls, busted a candy filled shark and went on a treasure hunt.  The invitations were adorable too, it told the kids to come dressed as pirates or ship mates.  

Here are my two pirates!

Kaylee's shirt has sculls and cross bones on it, she didn't really want to "dress up" as a pirate.  Ummm...I think she is growing up too fast!

Captain Slayden walking the plank!

Kaylee walking the plank.

My sweet pirate girl!

Tossing the "cannon balls"!

Captan Slayden has his own chicken coop and while he was waiting for the other pirates to walk the plank, he went and caught a chicken and was carrying it around like it was a little puppy or something.  Too funny, we laughed at that kid for the longest time!

Here is the awesome pirate ship that Joy {Slayden's mom} and her Dad {Pa Alton, as KB says} built for the kids to play on.  It was perfect, they did an amazing job with it.  Joy has the best imagination ever and can do anything!  I'm so thankful for her and her mother, they have been so good with KB.

Here is were X marked the spot at the end of the treasure hunt.  Mrs. Joy even had to dig it up, all the kids are so excited and so amazed!

They got the treasure box up and unlocked it to find....

...lots of gold, jewelry and money!  Captain Slayden so graciously shared his treasure with all of the other pirates and shipmates.

Kara Brooke so patiently waiting for her turn to dig through the treasure box!

KB getting a good lick on the candy filled shark!

Kara Brooke and her BFF Kaegan counting their "dollars" and checking out the loot!

Kaylee busted it and candy went fling out!!

Happy Birthday Slayden!

Thanks Mince family for a great party!  We enjoyed our selves and we love you guys!!!

As soon as the party ended we headed to Unionville for a benefit auction that my cousin was heading up.  Once again we got to see a lot of family and old friends from my high school days.  They girls were getting tired, KB had NO nap all day but was the best little thing, so we headed home for he evening!

It was a fabulous day spent with lots of family and friends, just the way we like it!!!

Gearing up for another busy week, high school basketball starts this week and of course we have several other things planned.  Our Thanksgiving family time starts this weekend too, so that is something to definitely look forward to!

Alumni basketball game 2010

Tonight was our Alumni basketball game at my old high school and let me just say.....WOW, everything does change after 30!!!  hahaha!  We did have a great time and it was so good to see some of my old "basketball sisters"!  I haven't played in four years and since Kara Brooke came along, man my body was hurting.  Oh well...it was worth it.  I did however have a fan club there, thanks friends for coming, I hope you enjoyed yourselves.  

This is the group of girls I graduated with in 1997.  It is so funny how we very rarely see each other but when we get together, especially in the gym, its like we were just together.  I guess spending so much time in the gym together for at least six years of our young lives makes it that way!

And let me just add we did win the district championship our senior year, something that had not been done since the 1940's!!  We were very proud!  

Here are a few more of the girls that played tonight, they are the girls of 1994, except for one.  These girls were such great mentors to all of us and I am very thankfully for the time we all spent together!!

And of course Kara Brooke!!  Kaylee had already left to go to a birthday party!