Thanksgiving 2009

With my due date being the Monday before Thanksgiving, we had no plans to leave home. Instead, my parents and one of my sisters came up to spend the weekend with us and hopefully get to meet baby #3. And let me tell you, I did just about as much as I could to get this baby out--but to no avail. We had a great weekend, though, and I am thankful for all we were able to get done before the little one arrives.

This was the first year I have ever hosted Thanksgiving and prepared the entire meal by myself. It was actually quite fun and nice to not have to travel anywhere. Matt and I are thinking this could be a new tradition for us! We also loved it because it was our first holiday in our new home, we had plenty of space, and I got to use my china and crystal from our wedding!! Yes, it's all been in boxes at my parents house for the last 7 1/2 years and now I finally have space for it!

My kids LOVE egg nog and got to have some in their 'coffee cups' after dinner--the official beginning to the Christmas season. And you can see just how much Sadie enjoyed her cup...

Friday morning I woke up at about 4:30am with some contractions and thought for sure this was the day. I never have contractions prior to going in to labor, so this must be it. I got up and did some online doorbuster shopping and my 6:30am my contractions weren't really progressing. So my mom and I headed out to do some more shopping with a twofold purpose--(1) get some great deals and (2) keep the contractions going and send me in to labor. Well, neither of those purposes were fulfilled. We were too late to get any of the deals we wanted and my contractions stopped. So by 9am we were back home.

After Matt and my Dad realized that the items they wanted to look at were not 'doorbusters' and therefore they didn't need to shop in the morning, we headed up to Cambridge, MN (70 miles away) to my aunt and uncle's Christmas Tree Farm. It is a beautiful place and I have so many great memories of Christmases spent there growing up.

I did, at this point, ask my family if they thought it was a good idea for me to go up there since I had been having contractions and so many of my friends had said earlier in the week, "Well you really aren't thinking about going that far away, are you?" But of course my family, like me, thought it was no big deal. I mean, they do have hospitals there if we needed one. So off we went.

Aunt Adie giving Wyatt, Nani, and Mary Jo a ride up to the house on the gator--probably Wyatt's favorite thing on the farm

My kids were enamored with all the 'wildlife' and hunting gear inside my aunt and uncles house......you can definitely tell that this is a house of 4 boys!

Wyatt is quite the observer and was watching intently as they put each tree on the machine that shakes all the needles out and then baled each tree. My aunt said they usually bale the little kids that help them out during the Christmas season, but Wyatt wasn't too interested in that yet. I do have to say that as I look at this picture, I can't believe how big Wyatt looks!

Family picture in front of the gift shop.....4 days overdue!

With Pops, Nani, and Mary Jo

Once we got home, my Dad, Matt, Mary Jo and Wyatt headed out to do some shopping while Sadie, my Mom and I began the Christmas decorating. Sadie started to dig through the boxes of decorations and found the stockings first....

I mean, where else would you put stockings, right??

She helped me put some of the lights on the tree, however, I am a bit of a 'light' freak and am very particular about how they are put on. I can't stand it when the cord shows and I really despise it when it looks like people just went back and forth across the front of the tree. I know, most people don't care, but for whatever reason I do. And my husband is actual thankful for my attention to detail in this area because our tree does look much better for it!

Enjoying the traditional bottled cokes while putting up the ornaments!

We were trying to get some good pictures of everyone and Sadie's only concern was being able to drink her coke without stopping! Good thing this is a once-a-year tradition!

The true "Coke-a-Cola Classic" drinkers....the rest of us opted for Diet

Our best attempt at a self-timer photo (we missed you Linds and Rob!!)

The sign of a great night!

My family headed home a bit earlier than expected on Sunday afternoon due to the baby deciding not to make its appearance yet. And here I sit on Tuesday afternoon still waiting. We are now 8 days overdue but I have to say that I am actually thankful it didn't come over the weekend because we were able to have so much fun with my family and get so much done.

It was a great Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for---(in no particular order)

*personal relationships with Jesus Christ

*God's grace

*our marriage--which is stronger today than ever before and we are still so much in love with each other

*Wyatt and Sadie--we are so thankful we get to be there parents

*a healthy pregnancy and baby--no fears in this household of having a preemie!

*Matt's job--not only a great job with a great practice, but also in the city we wanted to be in

*Amazing family--we are so blessed to have such supportive families that we both love

*Great neighborhood--we couldn't have picked a better place to live

*Freedom--living in a great country that gives us the freedoms we cherish

There are many more but these seem to top the list. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving (and hopefully we'll have another little one to be thankful for any day now!)