it's taken me all week to write this because part of me wishes i could forget.
it was the trip to end all trips.
(it's a long story but if you read it all you will be laughing (or crying) with me.)
there are pictures at the end…i promise.
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we went to my parents' this past weekend for an early Thanksgiving.
My grandma needed her car there also so she rode with me and craig drove her car.
20 minutes later than scheduled we wrangled everyone into the 2 vehicles.
all the girls (me, my girls, my grandma) in my Suburban.
craig and the boys in grandma's car.
oh yes…and waffle in the kennel in the back with me.
craig and i both get out of our cars twice to run back inside for forgotten things.
we pull out of the driveway…finally.
craig is leading.
we get to the last gas station at the edge of town.
craig pulls over…needs to fix sean's seat belt.
annie says "i have to go to the bath-frroom"
i park and take her inside the lovely gas station bathroom. talby shows up too.
ok…on the road again. 30 minutes late.
grandma and i chit chat while being constantly interrupted by annie.
constantly!
craig hits his brakes. i look for deer.
he comes to a stop and pulls over….i almost hit him from the back.
his back door flies open and we get a side view of scott's projectile vomit.
i am shocked.
and of course…like i always do at inappropriate times…i start to laugh.
bad mother.
craig throws his hand up, smiles and shouts "first puke of the day!"
(when someone spills at dinner we (try to) say "first spill of the day!" instead of yell)
i get out and help craig clean things up…as best we can.
the wind was so strong everything was blowing around.
scott changed his clothes and calmed down.
i gave craig my package of baby wipes…just in case.
sean announced "i'm going in mom's car!"
we get back on the road.
veggie tales is crankin' and grandma and i are talking again.
about 10 minutes has gone by…
i smell something.
i ask sean to look at the dog….and oh yes…
he has pooped in his kennel and is sliding around in it.
i call craig's cell & he says "i'm going to the station up the road…i'll meet you there."
i am on my own…in the wind…with the poop.
i pulled out his rug and blanket and toss it in the ditch.
goodbye forever winnie the pooh sleeping bag.
lauren is supposed to have waffle and she lets go…
now we have a dog running in the ditch of the highway,
a nicely dressed woman in leopard shoes cleaning up dog poop with notebook paper
and 3 kids shouting "ewwwwwwwww!!!!"
i get it semi-clean and we get back in….
sean announces "i wish i was with Dad now"
and talby shouts "first POOP of the day!"
we meet back up with craig and get the wipes back!
i think for the first time grandma was happy she'd lost her sense of smell.
lauren is dousing our car with her pineapple perfume and it's even worse than before.
i had to just put my nose into my shirt.
we drove onto lawrence (another 1.5 hours) with no more problems.
miraculously.
it felt like a never ending candid camera episode.
i told my grandma "i dare you to have that much fun on your way home!"
aren't you glad i had no pictures to go with that story?
here are some sweet pictures after all the insanity ended.
my mom put on a big spread for 20+ family members.
it was all very yummy.
my cousin came with husband and children all the way from minnesota.
that is so nice of them to make the trip. i love spending time with them!
the kids made glove turkeys…very cute.
aren't annie's twin cousins just as cute as can be?
she sure loved h
aving TWO four year olds to play with.
grandma turned 91 this week and talby helped her blow our her candles.
thank you for hosting mom and dad.
my uncles, my father, my husband, my sons, my brother-in-law, my cousin dave….all the men
were here also but for some reason there are only girls in these pictures?
i guess i should have gone in by the football….
Danielle - I recently started reading your blog, love it! I noticed the cups you had up top… when I was a little girl my grandpa would visit and stay at his families “old farm” a few weeks and weekends. Cups of all colors just like these were there 🙂 Every time I would visit I would go out to the pump and get myself a glass of fresh well water in one of these beauties! I have to get mine out of my hope chest. So many memories! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
deb meyers - Love your new header, looks like I Spy : )
deb meyers
eryn - OOOH, LOVE those fabrics. I just made myself an apron out of that cute blue fabric with pears and apples on it, LOVE it!
I did the late start shopping also. SO much nicer than the pushy crowds at Target at 5am!I would much rather be at a fabric store too…now, if only I could find the motivation to sew all those flannel jammies I aspire to finish by Christmas!
carissa - fifty cents… shut up!
we went thrifting too! way fun!
Jamie Sampson - love the photos!
Rebecca Kriner and Tom Burke - Meg- Thanks for asking! Tom Burke and I went to Wal-Mart at 4:20 a.m.!!!! Only the finest folks were there! We did get a great deal on a TV so it was worth it!!! Hey- Did the houses in your neighborhood sell?? Where are the pics? LOL!
Trina - Sounds perfect.. I love all your pictures of buttons, and boxes and fabric and things… ahhh! Stop by my site for a giveaway!
xx Trina
Jennifer P. - I only shopped online–but made out pretty well. I would have for SURE snatched up those metal tumblers at the thrift store! We use to have glasses like that when I was little and my Mom would make the best chocolate malt milkshakes to go in them!
I HAVE been reading all along, just not commenting as much. I’m sorry! It was so good to get a comment from you the other day! And I have LOVED seeing your photography skills being put to such good use taking pictures of others!
Happy December!
Kelle - Thank you for your lovely comment. I have loved your blog for a long time through my sister! Keep writing, photographing, loving, enjoying, creating and making life colorful!
Rachel - We stayed home and decorated the house and listened to Christmas music…it was great! I love your new header!
Amanda - I did not shop black Friday. I never have. I dont think I ever will. Bunch of crazy people desperate for stuff tehy dont need paying for it with money they dont have. (thats not cynical is it?)
But I do enjoy seeing what YOU got!
Many blessings-
Amanda
Kambria - What a lovely day…..
Jan - I just discovered your blog this morning via Bella Della’s Farm. Am enjoying! I hope it’s okay, but I linked to you from my blog because I wrote you a little thank you for just a little something you mentioned in a post.
I love your polka dot pj’s!!
McGee - What a fun day!
I had to work the morning of black Friday (I work part-time from home), but my workload was fairly light and I was done by mid-morning. We then went to Amazon.com and ordered a few things for Meredith. That was the extent of our shopping that day.
We spent the rest of the day putting up the (artificial) tree and decorating it. We made a massively long garland for it using some of my stash of scrapbooking paper. 🙂 And then we spent the rest of the day constantly telling Meredith, “DON’T TOUCH THE TREE” and “LEAVE THE ORNAMENTS ALONE!”
Joni - Meg. Can I just be related to you for ONE day so maybe you could share some of your inherent craftiness with me? You rock, and you inspire. Awesome.
michelle allen - This looks like my kind of Black Friday! I should have been there with you! : ) Those cups are FANTASTIC! So jealous! I think our thrift shops around here are shopped out, everytime I go all I can find is serious junk never treasures like these.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to see your Christmas decorating posts. : )
traci - nope, no shopping for me. i think i am kind of a scrooge that way. i should go later in the day. maybe next year. looks like you had a good shopping day. good for you? i need to get going.
Darby - Absolutely DELIGHTFUL… all of it- the chair, the fabric, the glasses, the buttons… and I’m jealous of time in the craft room with carols & coffee! 🙂
princess lasertron - aww, you scored!! your button jar even included special sprinkles 😀
we went to marshall’s and target later in the day…like 7pm. I had planned to get up early but I forgot to factor in how lazy I am in my morning plans and ended up sleeping till like 3pm.
I hope you and your family had a wonderful and relaxing thanksgiving.
Mary Beth Hunt - I am totally Jealous of those metal cups.
Kool-Aid tastes SO GOOD in those.
I wonder if Grown-Up-Kool-Aid (just add vodka) would taste even BETTER!!!
Princess Lasertron’s Mom!
Tami Reed - I forgot to mention that I also took my family to the thrift store and I found a brand new BCBG jean trench coat.Wore it today and everyone was like woo wee where did you get that coat? lol I told them I paid five dollars for it at the thrift store they couldnt believe it lol!
I also found a black sequin skirt in mint condition which Im going to pair up with a white tuxedo shirt and black patent leather belt and heels and thats my new years outfit! I loove thrift stores!
Tami Reed - Like a fool I got up, (which I didnt mind because Im a morning person lol)and drove to target down the street and the line was wrapped around the bldg omg! I did sponge the line once they opened doors I was not the only one lol. Found my daughters nintendo ds game and got the heck outta dodge.
I then went to the mall but really didnt see any cool savings. Came back home and went back to bed. My family is still in town, so weve been having fun watching movies and chit chatting. This is fun!
Lorilee - Fabric and Thrift stores are much more fun than the busy retail stores!! Oh, and I SO envy your gorgeous craft room!!!!
Blessings,
Lorilee
sara's art house - We slept in too- but now that I hear there was 50% off at your thrift store I am kicking myself that I did not check out our thrift stores around here. Love your pictures, as always.
jerusalem - Sounds like the perfect day. Sisters and thrifting are always a good mix.
kasey - i think i’ll go shopping tonight.
Staci - I never get up that early for anything! Not even a great bargain. BUT, my dear husband does! It’s a “family tradition” of sorts…started back when Connor (6 now) was 3. They get up at 3:30 and go to JC Penney’s (opens at 4:00) to get their yearly snowglobe. While I sleep in after all the feasting and festivities from the day before! This year…little brother (Jake-3) got to get his first snowglobe! And whoa! How exciting it was for them! Me, I was snuggled in bed…until the newest addition (Mac–our 9 week old little Westie) needed to go do some business! I’m so glad you got to go shopping with your sister and that Talby got to Build-A-Bear! Don’t you wish you would’ve thought of that!??!! Can’t wait to see what you do with that fabulous fabric!
Lanny Stanard - What fabric store did you get all that cute fabric at? do tell… Looks like a fun day with family, hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I sure did=)
LaNnY
PamperingBeki - I was one of the crazies at the mall eariler in the day. 🙂 LOVE it.
I wonder if the thrift store is still 50% off today? I’m headed back out in a little bit to do more shopping. I may have to pop in and see.
The snow couldn’t have come at a better time, huh? It just sets the perfect holiday mood! Shopping, music, crafting, coffee, chocolate… mmmmmmm. Happy Happy!