Thanksgiving

We chased her into the woods. How in the world did she escape? And how did she get Mom's apron?! This was going to be a Thanksgiving like no other.

Although I am a big fan of gratitude, I am not a big fan of Thanksgiving. I don't like to cook or do dishes and those are the main events of Thanksgiving. But I do love to eat and I love the Macy's parade so I put up with everything else.

A number of years ago I pared down the dinner to only the traditional foods we really like. No yams, green bean casserole, or orange jello with shredded carrots in it. This year I'm having boneless turkey breasts. I know, I know-where's the tradition in such a no frills feast? Well...

• Because I don't make a big deal, my kids spend the day with their spouse's families- which means I get them for Christmas.
• I get to sleep in (no getting up at the crack of dawn to put the turkey in the oven) until the parade starts.
• We get to go to the movies instead of staying home to baste the bird.

But, like I said, I am a fan of gratitude. This easy-going Thanksgiving gives me time to remember how much I love my life!

I have a home that is a haven for me and my family and it is often filled with laughter, running feet, crashing hot wheels, guitar solos, and silly dancing.

My children love their parents and each other.

I get to express myself through silly doodles and drawings and occasionally through great big paintings.

And how could I express gratitude for my life without including my membership in the true church of Jesus Christ. This blessing makes all of the others more sweet and more important.

So... to everyone, whether your Thanksgiving is big or small, fancy or no frills, I hope you are happy.

Now...bring on the shopping! What time does Target open on Friday?

IS IT CHRISTMAS YET?!

My Veteran

This is my veteran.
Rich joined the navy in 1973.
We got married in 1974 after he was stationed in Guam on the subtender Proteus. Sandy was born there.
In 1976 he entered NESEP (Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program). He went to the University of Washington and graduated in 1979 with a degree in Aeronautical and Astronomical Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign. David and Kelly were born during this time. During the summers he went on these practice cruizes and left me with little kids at home. I was being prepared for the DEPLOYMENTS.

Our first duty station was Brunswick, Maine with VP26. He left me there in a little cabin in Cundy's Harbour and went on deployment. Let me tell you, I had to grow up fast. I moved us into Navy Housing alone. I got Sandy to school alone. I went to church and wive's clubs meetings to make friends and get support. But I missed him and was mad at him for leaving me and was always so glad to have him come home.

I was especially glad there was no war.


These pictures are from the Iceland deployment-his second. I was more prepared for this one-I knew the "ins" and "outs"-

• how to start a huge project the day he left so I wouldn't cry all day (once, I refinished and recovered a living room chair).


• how not to blame him for everything (except when the washer broke down)


• how to make it fun for the kids (when he was gone we would have homemade bread and icecream for dinner).


• how to keep a list by the phone of things to talk about when he made his once a month phone call (boy, they have it easy now with email and cell phones).


• how to go to bed every night and hope he wasn't having too much fun without me (and I prayed for him too).
  

He's the one under the arrow. It's hard to tell them all apart.



He went on a lot of deployments in the 16 years he was on active duty. But he always made it home for Christmas and he stayed true to me and the kids.

His last duty station was aboard the USS Enterprise (he was there when they filmed "Top Gun"). He was discharged in 1990. He went on to serve in the reserves until he retired in 1999.

I know he misses flying and the guys he flew with. I don't know if he misses the deployments (I don't).

I'm glad he's home and didn't have to serve during a war.

Yesterday I was busy shopping with my girls (enjoying the day off). That's why I'm writing this today. Rich wore his flight jacket with all the patches on it from all the places he's been and stuff he did while in the navy and went to Applebee's with Harry and had dinner for free (Yay! Applebee's).



Rich is my veteran. I'm proud of him and I love him.

Snow White and the Seven Magical Apples

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. Her name was Snow White. Not only was she beautiful, but she was the best pie maker in the whole county. Every year her pies won the blue ribbons at the fair.

Snow White had a mean stepmother (the wicked witch). She was very jealous of Snow White’s pie making skills. So one day she sent Snow White into the apple orchard to pick apples and while she was there, the mean stepmother (the wicked witch) put a spell on her that made her forget who she was and how to bake pies.

Snow White was lost and afraid and hungry, and she didn’t know who she was. She wandered in the orchard until the 7 magical apples found her. Each one was different, beautiful, and delicious. There was Fugi, Gala, Golden, Red, Granny Smith, Pippin, and Cameo. They recognized Snow White and so they took her home with them to their magical Apple Tree.

The 7 magical apples took very good care of Snow White. They taught her how to bake pies again. Soon she was just as good at it as she was before her mean stepmother (the wicked witch) put a spell on her. One day while she was baking, a big black crow was watching her. He was a spy for the mean stepmother (the wicked witch) and he flew right home to tell her about Snow White’s pies.

The mean stepmother (the wicked witch) disguised herself as a pie peddler and went into the apple orchard carrying a poisoned apple pie just for Snow white. No one knows how she got Snow White to taste the poisoned pie but she did and Snow White fell into a deep, deep sleep.

When the 7 magical apples found her they didn’t know what to do. No matter how much they shook her, she wouldn’t wake up. They thought and thought and finally came up with a plan. They decided to squeeze a little juice out of themselves and mix it together. After all they were magical weren’t they? Perhaps their juice was just what she needed. So they mixed their juice and put a spoonful into Snow White’s mouth. Sure enough she woke right up. Not only did she wake up but she even remembered who she was.

That night she made the most wonderful magical apple pie. The next morning she took the pie to her mean stepmother (the wicked witch) and begged her to take just one bite. When the mean stepmother (the wicked witch) tasted the magical pie all of her meaness (and wickedness) dissolved away. She hugged Snow White and thanked her for the pie.

And they lived happily ever after.