Weekend Update: Thanksgiving Edition, Part 1

Last time you saw me, I was enjoying some raspberry pancakes the last full weekend in November, and here we are in December!  CHRISTMAS SEASON.  Oh, tidings of joy to you.  :)

What have been up to since then?  Well, on Tuesday, I made this awesome apple pie:

(Yes, it was as delicious as it looks.  And that is a leaf, not a tree cut-out.)

Because I was exhausted Tuesday night, I got up super early on Wednesday to make baked beans, only to find my onion was spoiled.  So I took Zach to work, grabbed another onion, and spent a few hours at home.  Then I went in for three hours before the college closed early!  Score!

We headed home, loaded up the car with our stuff and "Pancake," and headed down to central Arkansas.

"Pancake" was such a good little pilgrim!  She sat in my lap the whole way, purring and purring.

Thursday meant Thanksgiving, and here are a few many photos from the day:

This is what happens when the photog and back-up photog are in the picture...and your back-up back-up just had shoulder surgery--iPhone photo!

That cranberry JELL-O sauce in the middle is one of my favorites of my mother-in-law's!

our nephew Sayer some of the peeps

husby ready for a nap

Sayer decorated the tree, but it took five people to hang the star!

my mother-in-law pretending to be the Statue of Liberty :)

the finished product later that evening

Sayer and Momo who is NOT happy about her too short haircut

silly Sayer

some of the animals from the weekend (Phoebe, Sasha, and "Pancake")

Pancake went to her new home Thanksgiving night, but unfortunately, she escaped out the door the next day!  I am clinging to these verses (Matthew 6:25-34).  Pray that she found a better home and is not in the cold--hungry, afraid, and missing us.  We just cried when we heard.

I did a little shopping on Black Friday by myself.  I didn't get out until 11, but I still got everything I wanted and more!  I hit up JCP, Children's Place, Old Navy, and Michael's (and Walmart--but not for BF shopping).  The crowds weren't too bad except at Old Navy, where I waited 30+ minutes to check out, BUT I got a coupon for having a pence in my pocket.  :)  (They were doing a scavenger hunt-type thing.)

Friday evening, we headed to NLR, but I will have to post about our adventures there tomorrow.

What did you do this Thanksgiving?

Five on Friday

1)  You've probably seen the macaroni-and-cheese-boiled-in-milk pin/recipe floating around for a time, but I finally tried it on Wednesday.  It was very decadent and filling, but I approve.  The only thing is, I over salted it.  Blurgh.  I will have to try again soon.

2)  To put me in the holiday mood further, the Christmas trees went up on campus this week AND we had our annual Thanksgiving feast today.  In our meeting this morning, we early Christmas celebrators were chastised with the song here.  It was coincidental considering I tried to convince Zach to let me listen to Holly on route to work today because I was feeling bad, but no dice.  For the Thanksgiving lunch, my suite mates headed over 20 minutes early, so we could get in line first, and half of us braved the freezing temperatures (literally 32 degrees) to walk across campus there.  But it was worth it!  I'm so ready for turkey day and the Christmas rush.  :)

3)  I watched this video, and now I am obsessed with learning more about Hasidic Jews.  I love learning about other cultures, and I was really touched by one man's description of his soul being attached to God (I immediately thought of an umbilical cord) and how nothing can severe that connection or break God's love for him.  (He worded it much better than me.)

4)  The night before Veterans Day, we were visited by a little grey cat.  Then that Thursday, I heard the cat mewing when we got home after my long night of teaching.  This kitten was so sweet, purring and rolling around so we could rub its tummy.  It was clearly domesticated and not feral.  So we made it a box with blanket and put out some food since it was getting skinny.  Little kitty got upgraded to a carrier and a warmer blanket, and we started calling him "Pancake."  Now, we have found him a home with my SIL's coworker, so we are keeping him inside where it's warm.  Meet Pancake!

5)  Zach and I are "adopting" a little boy for Christmas through a program at work.  I am very excited to serve and go shopping for him over the coming weeks!!  I've already spent my lunch breaks all week combing through Amazon and Black Friday previews for a game plan to maximize our budget for the most blessings.  :)