That church is so pretty.
Glad you had a great weekend!
I had an unexpected house guest this weekend. My best friend from high school came in. We had a friend from high school that most of us lost contact with pass away. His memorial service was Friday night. I was shocked at how many of our old crowd came. It was sad since most of us remember how he was from age 16-22 not how he was most recently. I had only spoken to him once since my girls were born. I could tell he was calling as part of his 12 step program. He rented the basement apartment in my house for a couple of years, till one day he disappeared. We had to call his mom to make sure everything was okay. Turns out they forced him into rehab. His parents came and started to clean out the apartment. Then they left it all. DH and I had to clean out the rest. It was a very surreal experience. Since we realized how much we enabled him, by letting him live in the apartment at a very low rent, including him in family gatherings.
I can't believe that thanksgiving is in 10 days. I have nothing planned for the 15 people plus 3 babies ( well one is going to just be one - so i'm planning on making him a birthday cake).
Thanks!!!
Fun to have a friend - sad for the circumstances... It can be very surprising the paths that some lives take... Sending you hugs, as death is such a sad and hard thing, especially when it's so unexpected.
I agree!!! It looks like we may have a change of plans for Thanksgiving... We'll see...
Your wedding outfit looked great and very put together. Boy what a great deal at Target for $6 for Allison. Your church looked beautiful. I went to a very old and beautiful church in St. Paul and was lucky to be married there.
We went to Universal on our last trip. We actually walked right by the entrance in the wall, LOL. I really hadn't researched it very well as we had been there before all the HP stuff. The first days were with my sons and the wait for Gringott's was 10 minutes and we didn't even get there early. Then we went during spring break with my daughter's family and the wait was 75 minutes. Just so totally crazy busy that day and we did both parks open to close. We were able to do so much though and we all really loved it! My husband and I will be going back at least one day this trip for a little more relaxing day. I really want to visit all the shops that we missed and my husband talks about getting the butterbeer. He only tried the frozen, but it was really hot and it was so refreshing.
Not sure if we're going out Black Friday shopping this year. The last couple years I've ordered so much on
Amazon. My daughter and I usually go though and always have a great time, but now that it's so early it just doesn't seem the same. One year she dropped me off at 1 AM and kept going all night!
I went out yesterday and cut down the last of my flowers. They were mums and still looked pretty good, but I wanted to get them done for our compost pick-up today. It was a beautiful day to do it and it's finally getting a little colder. Not looking forward to winter, but I keep telling myself to think of our trip in Jan. and that will get me through.
Thank you - I really liked it... And I was able to find Allison a dress too at a reasonable price.
I really love our old Catholic churches here... There is some beautiful history and craftsmanship that you don't see in more modern churches.
I agree - had we not been there with Santos in January - I probably would have walked right by it too. LOL I am certain that was part of the reason for the crowds too - just the time of year and the time of day... Oh well. I hope you are able to get back and try the other forms of butterbeer - I know V enjoyed the ice cream immensely.
The girls and I only started BF shopping a few years ago... We tend to start at about 3-4am... It's very dead then, and shop for a few hours... Then go out for breakfast and head home around 9 or 10... It's fun... We typically don't buy much, but we just love to get into the holidays that way.
It looks like it's supposed to be nice through Thursday - and then we are going to start to drop... I've enjoyed our extended fall very much!
I really loved having a trip in January last year... I hope, in a few years, that it's something I"ll be able to do every year.
The church is so beautiful. It reminds me of the one I went to as a child. I'm glad you could find a dress for Allison. $6 is a great deal.
I do like my Alta. It's so much slimmer that the Garmin. I did notice that the band was hard to snap. At least it won't come off. What color is yours? Mine is teal.
We were way out in Amish country yesterday. We had a lot of fun looking at the covered bridges. We stopped for pizza aplace that was originally half of a covered bridge. It was very good.
I hope you have a good day at work
Liz
Thanks! Yes that was a great deal - we were very lucky!
Yes, me too - I do like my Alta too - I just hate trying to get it on. LOL I got a black one... I figure it will go with everything - however - I love that we can get different bands for it too, at some point, I may look into another color.
Fun - it does sound like a wonderful day!
It was a good day at work - thanks!
Oh I am such a harry potter fan, and love that part (those parts lol) of Universal!! Glad V loved it too. Breakfast looks decent and Butterbeer delicious! It is too bad about all the necessary lockers, that gets old quickly (still in stroller phase but I do hate having to leave everything behind!)
LOL - Yes, I really love those areas as well, so well done. Personally - I prefer Diagon Alley over Hogsmeade, but that's just me. LOL I agree - the lockers were such a bummer. Next time I will make sure to have something with me that I can stuff under my shirt or something, so we can have our phones on ourselves - I forgot that last time Santos put all of them in his shorts pockets... So, I didn't even think of it for this trip. Oh well - we survived - just not a lot of great pictures, and really none of us together.
The church is BEAUTIFUL!! And you all cleaned up just lovely for the wedding I love getting all dressed up for weddings since I don't go anywhere else but school or work otherwise!!!
Sorry Santos couldn't join you for Universal! I remember it looked like you had such a blast with him on your trip with Allison. Looks like you're off to a great start enjoying the HP areas though. Can't wait to hear more 
I really should have squeezed in a Universal day on our upcoming trip because I would love to check it out, but when I'm planning, I just can't give up any Disney days!! SOMEDAY I'll do it!
Thanks!!! LOL - I wish we would have gotten a photo of the 3 of us together, we had talked about it, but we didn't get it done.
Yes - it was such a bummer, we sure missed having him with us!
It's so hard to plan Universal days - as awesome as it is, the expense is so astronomical... It's very difficult to justify it. It will definitely NOT be something we do on every trip, unless the girls pay for all of us themselves... I am pretty much done paying for full trips now - they can start kicking in a bit of cash... Their own airfare or park tickets or something... IF we do another girls trip - it's looking pretty grim over the next year...
I hope you do get the chance to check out Universal one day... The HP areas are the best part - I have really no interest in the rest of the park - the rides are just too thrilling for me.
How about keeping the tree skirt 70" this year and see how it looks under the tree. If it looks weird you can trim it down to 60" after Christmas so it's ready for next year.
How great your eating is going awesome. J
Josh grilled bratwurst for dinner last night - they were very good. It was just him and I, as both girls were working. Keep up the good work
How great that you don't have to work at Target on Thanksgiving or Black Friday or the entire TG weekend
I'm sure you will find a way to get your food prep done even when you have to work the day before Thanksgiving. Setting V to work sounds like a good idea.
I hope you have a great day at Target
I wish I could - with what I am planning to do with it - I am using the edges, so if I cut it back later, I'll lose all of the extra work I've done. You'll understand better what I am talking about once you see it.
Maybe I'll lay it out on the living room floor today just to see the size, it's hard to tell when I am holding it up in my sewing room.
Thanks! It's been a very tough few months - I am hoping that I am over that hurdle now.
It looks like we may have a change of plans for Thanksgiving... We'll see...
Just stopping in. It's been insane at work. working in the evening etc....
You and the girls looked great fro the wedding. Universal looks like fun. Love how you leave us hanging.
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Lynee!!! It's great to see you!
Hahaha... Well, I do need you to have a reason to come back to read, right? LOL
Thanks - same to you!! Take care!
It's good to hear you had a good weekend.
I'm also getting very excited for Christmas! Before we know it it will be here. Has your Starbucks gotten in the red cups yet? I love all the pretty designs, it really puts you into the Christmas spirit!
That's great news about not working on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, especially Black Friday, I have never been to a Target that day but I would be afraid to find out how crazy it would be!
I hope you had a good day!
I know - right!!! I just can't wait to decorate... I am still trying to figure out how I am going to do everything. Now that our house is so much different - it's fun - yet difficult to figure out how I want to do it.
Yes - we have the red cups, however, it's still quite warm here, so I haven't switched my Iced Americano to a warm one yet - and the iced cups aren't nearly as pretty as the warm ones.
Yes - I think all of us lucked out, except for Josh - he works Black Friday. LOL Not sure how that worked out? We all work retail hours type jobs, yet he is the one that works early. Poor guy!
Thanks! Same to you!
I'm so happy to read that you are at peace with your life. Beautiful.
So sad reading about burying your mom on Christmas Eve. I'm so sorry.
Good kid staying away from SB!
So nice that you are off Thanksgoving and the weekend. I thought you would surely be working!
Off to check my giant meatloaf. Have a lovely evening!
Thank you - it's been a long road, and it's very nice to be at the spot I am at.
It was a tough time for me, and it took me a long time to move on.
Well, I've been trying... I didn't have any SB over the weekend - which was a miracle, considering how much driving we did on Saturday. I did cave and have SB yesterday though - it was good.
I thought so for sure too! I didn't dare tell any of my coworkers - they would all be pretty upset, I think.
Oooh - yum!!! Enjoy!!!
Have a great day!
Awesome trip report! Just to chime in regarding migraines, I always get migraines after eating garlic?! Hope you find exactly what causes yours. I totally understand as I lost my Dad the day before you lost your Mom...difficult Christmas for sure. But we remember them and think of the good times and smile!
Thank you... I still have several days to write about though... It could tank fast! LOL
Interesting... I don't think I have an aversion to garlic - as I do eat that quite often. I am definitely journaling my food intake though and I am trying to pinpoint if something I am eating is causing my headaches. Thanks for the suggestion!
It's so hard to lose a loved one anytime, however, during the holidays is especially difficult. I agree - it's so much easier to remember the good times now, and the missing her hurts much less... There will always be a void there though. Sending you hugs!
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I don't have much to update today - so hopefully I can get a quick TR update done.
I worked out yesterday morning - it was a good work out.
Then I worked at Target all day yesterday, I was off of work an hour later than normal - so that was a little strange... I had to rush a little bit to get V from school. However, I did have time to purchase one item that I really wanted for decorating for Christmas... I can't wait to show you all! I am very excited about it!
Josh was home sick from work yesterday - nothing major, just not feeling right... He planned dinner and it was wonderful - home made steak fajitas! Delicious! I was a little worried, because of working at Target yesterday and the meals I chose for breakfast and lunch - I only had 400 calories left for dinner (if I ate my favorite bed time snack)... Thankfully, fajitas are high density and low calorie - so it worked out perfectly.
I was able to eat a reasonable amount for dinner plus have my bed time snack.
Then I sat around like a bum all night on Pinterest and FB. That seems to be my nightly ritual these days.
We did receive an invite for Thanksgiving dinner last night, which we are seriously considering - if we can make it work logistically. So, if we do this - we will go for Thanksgiving, and then maybe do our own small Thanksgiving here on Saturday? We'll see.
That would alleviate my stress of working the day before and trying to meal prep all week.
Today - It's a heavy lifting day for me - so I will do that right away this morning...
Then I am home working all day. I am running right on schedule upstairs, so it should be a good week up there. I just need to stay on schedule over the coming week, so I am not thrown off by the holiday.
I hope you all have a wonderful day! Sending prayers and pixie dust out to all of you!
D~
