thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  My whole family gets together, it is the start of the Christmas season, and that means the start of the shopping season!!  We start out the day by watching the parade and hanging around the house until we leave for my Aunt's house.  We get to see my Grandma's entire side of the family and I LOVE it.  This year was bittersweet because my Aunt Doris, who passed away in June, wasn't there with us for the first time.  We had a great time until we noticed that my Grandma Mary wasn't walking too well.  It turns out her toes had gotten really infected and when Caitie saw them, she made her go to the hospital right away.  Once we had gotten all of that settled, we went to Nick's Aunt Pammie's house.  I love seeing everyone over there and eating all of her amazing desserts.  After a few rounds of Mexican Train Dominoes and having Ellie play with all of her cousins, it was time to go shopping.  Black Friday was awesome as always, even though we got started much earlier than in the past.  Stores are opening around 9:00, but we didn't make it out until around 10:30.  Amie and I got finished quite early (around 1:30 or 2) and had a blast as usual :)

Ellie decorating the tree on Thanksgiving Morning.  I just couldn't wait :)

One of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving Morning... the ads!

 Sitting like an old man in her recliner during Thanksgiving Break :)

sold?!?!?!

Well, our house sold within six days on the market!  We only had three showings and we got $1,600 more than our asking price.  We are so very blessed.  With that blessing also came a huge bearing on us of finding our forever home.  The house that I had originally fallen in love with in Sterling Oaks (Chris and Amie's neighborhood) already had an accepted offer, and that has left me pretty heartbroken.  However, we went and saw a house two houses down from the first one and put in offer in and they accepted that day!  We are set to close in early January, with a move in late January.  This has all happened so fast, but I am so excited to be able to be within very close distance of our BFF's. I know this is the right move to be making in the long run, and I am so happy to have Ellie grow up in a beautiful home, neighborhood, and great school district. 

The flyer that Troy sent out to our neighborhood after our house sold so quickly :)

 

 

conference trip to indy

I had to go out of town for the National Gifted and Talented Conference.  It was being held in Indy this year and our district got a grant for all of those certified to attend.  April and I headed up on Thursday Night (after our school's cabaret performance) and got to Indy around 9.  We stayed in the JW Marriott hotel which is really nice, and it was also where the majority of the conference was.  Nick and Ellie met me up there on Friday evening and got to stay the weekend with me up in Indianapolis.  We went out to eat, played in the park, and went shopping.  Even though I was technically working, it was a great out of town trip for the three of us.  We also put our house officially on the market this weekend... crazy times ahead!

Ellie and Mommy at dinner in Indy

Our house is officially on the market!!  Now to wait and see...