Thanksgiving, #40 and #41

It seems like forever since I’ve sat down to write anything.  My past few weeks have been packed with so many things  PACKED!.  Much of the past few weeks have left me feeling like I’ve been pulled in opposite directions.  I’ve been stressed, tired, and not always the most fun to be around.  Luckily Mr. C is very understanding and I know he always has my back. I’m so very thankful for him!  Amidst all the pulling and stressing of classes, work, and random commitments, I have actually worked in some fun though!  I can’t really remember that much of the past month or so (fuzzy from tiredness, not from drinking!) but I do distinctly remember thanksgiving so that’s what you get to read about!

Thanksgiving has never been one of my favorite holidays.  I never really understood what all the hype about stuffing one’s face was all about.  I don’t’ like gravy, mashed potatoes are okay, and stuffing just grossed me out.  I’m sure you’re reading this with your mouths hanging open in shock or disgust!  I don’t enjoy watching football either so that’s not really a game-changer.  Did you get that…game-changer!  Ha ha.  Ok, I’m done making jokes.  So, it’s surprised me how my feelings have changed since moving to AZ.  Every year thanksgiving seems to mean a little more to me.  It’s hard knowing my family is getting together and I’m missing it another year.  I’ve come to appreciate the time with family even more now that it’s pretty limited.  Apparently I did also care about the food because every year I find myself missing something – the twice-baked potatoes, cranberry salad, stuffed celery, or deviled eggs. 

Lucky for me, Mr. C’s family is here.  Every year there’s a moment where we’re all together, playing games usually, and I just think of how amazing/crazy it is that these people have all let me into their lives and their traditions.  These people that I didn’t know about eight years ago have become so special to me.  While things may be different with them, they have their own unique offerings.  This thanksgiving I appreciated the candied yams, a VERY long game of dominoes, the um…interesting….things that came out during “the game of things”, and the family that treats me as if I was always there.

Mr’s C’s aunt who we’ll call Aunt W. is an amazing quilter!  As you may remember, learning to quilt and making a quilt were things on my 101 in 1001 list.  I’m super lucky that Aunt W. knows how to quilt and was willing to teach me because I may have been out of luck on this otherwise!  She helped me quilt a pillow and by helped I mean that I would have been totally lost without her!  She was very patient and said that “we” needed to fix things whenever something was wrong, never that “I” needed to, which I loved.  It took a few hours but the pillow turned out great and it’s the perfect Christmas addition to our bed!  While it may be awhile before I’m doing a full quilt, I did enjoy it and am very thankful that I had such a great teacher!

The quilting happened Friday afternoon, after a super exciting morning of Black Friday shopping!  I never really NEED to go out that day but I just like it.  Maybe LOVE it.  I started going out the day after Christmas which is when I stocked up on most of our amazing decorations that make up like 10 tubs in our garage.  Eventually I realized that if I liked the day after Christmas, I would probably love the day after thanksgiving also.  So, one year we headed out to target around 9am to get a Christmas tree.  We decided to actually wait in line for the stores to open the next year and it was great.  I think we got luggage.  That was a dumb idea.  Dragging huge pieces of luggage through the crazy shoppers was not fun!  Waiting in line outside in Phoenix is a piece of cake.  Now this year we waited in line in Flagstaff.  Let me tell you that it was cold.  Apparently it was 7 degrees.  We arrived to Target around 2:15 and got in line.  We had a good spot too.  I asked what time it was and my response was 2:20.  After what had to be an eternity of shivering and trying to imagine being warm, I asked again what time it was, convinced that it had been forever.  Mr. C told me it was 2:30.  I tried to be ok, I really did but it was SOOOO cold.  My feet were the worst.  I didn’t make the best decisions regarding footwear and I couldn’t feel my toes.  I imagined myself telling someone “yes, I lost my toes in 2010.  I was waiting for a GPS that I just HAD to have.”  After repeating that story in my head over and over and Mr. C asking me if I wanted to go, I decided I couldn’t take it for another hour.  I know I used to live in Nebraska but I’ve become a wuss in my seven years here.  I know, I need to work on it.  I’m all over that.  Anyhow, we got in the car and drove to McDonalds to get breakfast only to be disappointed that they don’t serve breakfast at 3am.  Now tell me, what would you be ordering at 3am?  I can’t think of an instance when I would not want breakfast at 3am if I was at McDonalds.  Anyhow, we ordered, waited over 20 minutes, received a messed up order with a coffee that was leaking everywhere, and then drove back to Target.  We got in line again further down and waited for about 35 minutes.  In that time we reviewed our map and strategized.  The last five were by far the hardest. The no toe story popped back in my head but I held out.  The line finally started moving and we all cheered!  We got inside and powerwalked to the GPS and then split up to find the rest of the stuff.  As always, we got everything we went for!   Of course the stuff we went for wasn’t the most exciting but it did make it to the ad!  I don’t know that I should share this but if you’re reading my blog then you must be super cool (or super bored) and I appreciate you reading so I will share a bit of our Black Friday knowledge with you.  The line was wrapped around the store.  I think it was wrapped around twice actually.  The electronics line was about ten people long.  Every year we choose the electronics line.  It rocks!  We walked out with all our stuff about 5 am, an hour after opening time.  After sleeping for two hours we were as good as new!

So, all in all the weekend was great.  I spent thanksgiving being thankful and grateful for my other family.  I spent Friday enjoying the crowds and a patient teacher…and being thankful for my toes.

I also would like to mention how thankful I am to my readers. My group may be small but they are dedicated!  I’ll buy you dinner when I get famous!  I wouldn’t plan on that anytime too soon though….

I hope to be writing more often soon.  My brain feels like a mess trying to keep everything straight but I believe I have three tests and two projects/papers due in the next week or so.  After then my sanity will be restored, I’ll have more time to blog, and I may even find my motivation to work out that’s been hiding all semester!