Eating is my hobby, passion, extra curricular activity, and favorite past time. That’s why I LOVE Thanksgiving. A holiday based around eating is just awesome. OK…so I’ve gained a few pounds this last year…it hasn’t been the best year for us but it is turning out pretty good. I have ALWAYS loved eating. This last year I have gone a little overboard and I suppose I should watch it. That’s what New Year’s is for right?? Joe and I focused on the good things this Thanksgiving and there are lots of good things!

Our 5 happy and healthy kids are number 1. Every day they make us laugh and appreciate life and the innocence of childhood. I am thankful that Joe is home each and every night safe and sound. Sometimes it’s not until 8 or 9pm but he makes it home. He works really hard but I get to see him each night unlike lots of wives whose husbands work out of town or are in the service or aren’t in their lives.

I am thankful for our busy schedules. Without a busy schedule I think too much. It also means my kids are excited to participate in activities and are capable. Some people might not like the fact that we have about 5 family parties to go to for the holidays. I think how lucky I am that Joe and I are blessed with such a big, healthy and close knit family. On both sides!

I am now thankful that we are still in this tiny little house on a small highway. There was a reason that it didn’t sell… we weren’t ready to build after all. Good things come to those who wait right?? I am thankful for the patience given to me and my opportunity to use it (I should have my daycare license right after the holidays). We have so many things to be thankful for.

Our 13^th annual Saturday after Thanksgiving shopping trip to Jackson was a success. The group has gotten much smaller but it’s still my favorite day of the year. We can’t do the early black Friday shopping. I just can’t go through that madness.

The Saturday after still has good sales and it’s more leisurely. This year the Duggar mobile made its first shopping trip and it treated us well. We always go to the Toy House first and then to the Jackson Crossing Mall. The Toy House is a really cool store. It has some toys that are overpriced but it also has lots of unique toys you can’t find anywhere else. I was quite worried about parking the bus at the mall but I did a good job. No one was injured, no other vehicles were harmed, and I didn’t hit a single thing (so last week I backed into 2 shopping carts at Meijer…big deal) I am sad the day is over already.

Last year my sisters, mom and I thought we’d just check out the Tanger Outlet midnight madness sale for fun. We got all bundled up in hats and gloves and scarves because we figured we’d have to walk a little. Mom even said “that parking lot is usually always empty so there should be lots of parking!” We were so excited to go. Mom even took our picture all bundled up before we left for our first midnight madness shopping trip.

We’re driving down the highway and see some spotlights and we’re trying to figure out where they might be coming from. We thought how crazy that would be if they were from the outlet mall. As we get ready to exit the highway in Howell we notice headlights as far as we could see. Cars were getting off the highway to go to the mall from the other direction and basically shut down that side of the highway. It was out of control. We exit and see crazed maniacs parked up on the hill dragging their loved ones down the embankment to stand in line for hours to save some money. We couldn’t believe what we saw. We laughed so hard at ourselves. We had no idea the extent of shopping madness!

The holiday home tour this week was so much fun. It benefited the Webberville food bank this year. I missed the first year but the last 3 have been so nice and festive. Here’s what happened this year…All the ladies met at the high school for music and refreshments first before the tour starts. It was so nice. The band director is entertaining us with beautiful Christmas music with his sax and keyboard. The desserts are delicious and everyone was dressed in their festive clothes...particularly my mother in her Christmasy shirt (we always think of the part in Grinch when Jim Carrey has the light up sweater on).

A certain someone shows up from practice and sits down by Carla and I. My mom comes over and says something to the certain someone and laughs and walks away. The certain someone starts blushing and says she is so embarrassed. Carla and I don’t know what is so funny until I look over by the dessert table. There in the middle of the cafeteria floor near the dessert table and in the middle of some 40 older ladies is a pair of hot pink and blue stingy underwear just chilling. Sitting there mocking that certain someone. That certain someone says “I don’t know what to do!” She got up shortly after that, scoops up the undies and was gone until the buses got there to pick us up!

Joe and I went to the new (to us) Wild Wing Café in Okemos. It’s where Bennigans used to be and it was awesome. Definitely a sports type bar and anywhere you sat you could see at least 4 flat screen tv’s. The wing menu was amazing and I swear Joe and I ate 20 boneless wings each. Yum. I had a chimichanga cheesecake that was so good and a $3 vodka drink that tasted like Kool –aid which I thought was the best drink ever. We will definitely be going back.

I’ll leave you with this vision – as Daisy and I are putting up our tree I get the skirt out and Daisy asks “why does the tree need a skirt? Is it cold?”

“Grant me patience to deal with my blessings!”

Bye for now!

Jordan Fuller

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