Thanksgiving Week at the Quinn Home

It's always a fun time here when the holidays role around. I am working on taking it slowly this year and doing what we can do (while not stressing over the rest).


The children only have 2 days of school and Artie has 3 days of work. It's always better when everyone is here. I am not that mama who hates to see her kids on school holidays. I miss them when they are not here!!!


We will be celebrating Thanksgiving twice this year as usual - once with the Clary family and then again with the Quinn family. I'm still working on my menus to bring and share...



During Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas and Easter are the times I miss homeschooling the most. I am trying to figure out the best way to keep teaching the children even thought they are in school a lot of the time. We had such a fun Advent study two years ago when the girls were homeschooled. I am hoping to add in what we can this year. We will be reading an Advent book the children got at church last Sunday. BTW, I love our church. After having a couple years without a church, I sure am thankful. Ours is a giving church, always into something. Last week we participated in the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. This weeks begins the first week in Advent. The churches I grew up in didn't study or prepare the way through Advent, it is something I learned about over the Internet. I am glad my church teaches these teaching preparing the way. I can't wait to get to church Sunday and sing of His coming!!!


We are currently reading An Old Fashion Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott. I'm hoping the movie will get shipped by Blockbuster in time to watch Wednesday or Thursday night. I have never seen this movie, but hope it will be good. They are enjoying the book so far.



I'm also trying to get ready for Black Friday!!! :-) This has got to rank up there as one of my favorite days of the year!!! My mama would have loved this day too!!!! I am trying to get all the sale papers so I can make my plan. I know they are all listed online, but I am a touchy feely ad shopper. I have to hold them in my hand and circle things I like and then work from there. Always part of our Thanksgiving day ritual is to find a gas station open who still has a newspapers so I can get all the ads!!! I wish there was a week between Thanksgiving and Black Friday (and a paycheck!!).

Holiday Grand Plan

Yeah, the Holiday Grand Plan started this week. I love it. Lists, list and more lists!!!

This week is List Week/Front Porch. I have:

started my new Christmas notebook (updating the one from previous years)

- sorted through last years papers and filed the gift lists

-new Internet shopping list to keep account of items ordered

-new shopping list to work on (items for the house)

-new gift lists for this year - including Christmas eve presents and stocking stuffers

-new size list for the children (already have Brian and his girlfriend, Lauren's sizes all posted - now I just need the children that are living here~~)

-new to do list

-new present ideas list

Bought:

-book of stamps

Beginning to work on front porch... still lots to do for this week.....

So, even though I haven't gotten near all that is suggested for the week, I've started.

Is anyone else working with the Grand Plan???

Valentine's Day

It was the most beautiful Valentine's Day I can remember in a long time today.

Troy started the day with an Upward basketball game. He has been a volunteer coach for a third grade basketball team at church with his friend, Kellen. He has so enjoyed it. He loves children (wonder where he developed that love?)

Then tonight he went to his first formal with a good friend. I so love friendships.

Brenda was recently hurt by a friend and another friend stepped up and made her Valentine's day special. I think he probably touched my heart more by befriending her than he did hers. It's so hard to see your children hurt, but then so joyous to see them happy.

Artie and I went to dinner as Brenda babysat the littles for us; just basking in the joy of knowing our children were happy tonight. We have had many evenings out where sometimes it seemed like the worries of the day would have sunk us under if we had allowed them. But tonight was so different - very light and breezy and full of joy. We got to reminisce on our own prom nights (we had three of them) and growing up days. Its is such a blessing to be married to my best friend and to have grown up together as well. I loved him when he was just a boy and his daddy was driving us to the mall!!! Ohhh, love....

Christmas at Papa & Karen's

Everyone had such a fun day. We drove up after church and cooked out hamburgers and hot dogs. Then it was time for presents.

The favorite ~ the Wii!!! They loved it. Artie and I had played at our friends' Jack and Nikki's but the kids had never played before.

Terry and Papa

Brenda's video is too long, but her moves are so funny to me.

Troy trying to beat Stephen boxing.

Yeah!! All Christmas pictures are posted!!!!! I made it before January was over!!!

Christmas Eve PJ's

Every year the kids get one present to open on Christmas Eve. Usually it's Pj's. This year we couldn't disappoint.

(2008) (2007) It's fun to look back and see how the girls have grown from last year.

Brian wasn't with us for Christmas Eve this year - but we still made sure he got his pj's - you can never be to big for monkey pj's...

Thanksgiving

We had such a full Thanksgiving this year. The children all being in public school this year, have picked up every type of virus going around. It has been a mess!! I still haven't caught up on all the laundry yet.

We missed Thanksgiving with Artie's family but were blessed to all be well finally the day of Thanksgiving. We went and had dinner with all my granddaddy's brothers and sisters and all their children and grandchildren. It was so much fun. I love to be around my mimi and grandy all I can!! My daddy and Karen were there and all my first cousins who I hardly get to see. I wish we all lived closer and could visit more.

Mimi is getting ready to have surgery in a couple of weeks for a hernia in her chest. We are all praying for a quick recovery for her. She has been sick for quiet a while with reflux and they are hoping this is going to fix it all.

It was good to eat her dressing and gravy for lunch. We took turkey, gravy and green beans. There was so much food. I didn't hear a count of how many people were there, I'm guessing about 50? I hope this becomes a tradition. Brenda and Emily and I have cooked Thanksgiving for 2 years now at home; but, I so love being with the big family more.

At the end of the day, we all got together and Artie lead us in a prayer to God for what we were thankful for. The children make me smile so. Terry was thankful for Thanksgiving, Brenda for family and friends which prompted Terry to also be thankful for Mama and Daddy. Bobby was thankful for Squanto :-) (see, he is learning something in school) and Troy said he was thankful for second chances. There are such moments of brightness shining through the days here and there. Artie was most thankful for Mimi and Granddaddy and being able to share Thanksgiving with them - his grandparents have all passed away, so he's adopted mine as his own. He loves them so. And I was thankful that Artie is still my best friend in the whole world. The next day we celebrated being together for 26 years (we started dating when we were in junior high).


By the way, the children have all been well for a whole week now. They went back to school two days and I already have 2 home sick with a stomach ache and throwing up!!!! There are some things I'm never going to like about public school. Mrs. Coggins (the office lady) said they had so many sick now, I had been hoping while they had all been separated over the holiday they would come back to school all well. Maybe by the end of Christmas break???

Valentine's Day

Here's a picture of the roses and card my sweetie gave me for Valentine's Day. There's also a card from Brian and Brenda. It was a nice surprise. (I'm just a little behind posting my pictures!!)