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Monday, November 23, 2015

Thanksgiving Week Is Upon Us

Thanksgiving week is upon us and here I sit, at 10:13 AM still dressed in pajamas watching my snotty, sniffly, sunnny little, eight month old struggle to open a board book.
This morning I have folded three loads of laundry (not because I was ambitious and washed all of that this morning, no, because I was lazy and have been putting off the folding every time I have washed laundry in the past week). I made a small pot of coffee to help with motivation on my to do list. And I am trying to schedule my week.
It is Thanksgiving week and not a single thing has been done in preparation for the big day. I haven't even gotten the Mexican Wedding Cookie recipe out let alone started them, buckeyes, or bon bons. I have gone over my Google Docs of Thanksgiving food and discussed it with my mother. So there is something. BUT my parents house doesn't have the fall decorations out yet so there is another thing out of place as we near the big day. Oh well, I am sure the things necessary to Thanksgiving will get done. Necessary, say, like the gathering of my nearby family to feast on foods we prepare and sit around remembering our blessings in this past year and most of all the fellowship of my family praising God for said blessings.
I need to write a list of the blessings and tape it to my family's kitchen wall as I do every year, people then add to it and word things their own way. This year the list will contain at least these: Birth of Jerusha Ann <3, birth of Crete Braxton, the new baby boy mommy is expecting, the new baby I am expecting, safety and fun on the trips Wesley and I made this year; Niagara Falls, Holden Beach, Ohio, the trips my family went on; Fort Morgan, Illinois to meet Crete, my parents trip to Florida, the trip to St. Louis my family and our family took together, the safety daddy has been blessed with this year driving for UPS, Daniel walking away unhurt from his recent accident, Wesley and I purchasing our first home, having our first family reunion, the safety and fun my siblings and or family enjoyed during sports, skiing, hiking, and the like, and I am sure there are many more little blessings that could be added to this list.
Whether or not we get every little thing done traditionally for this years Thanksgiving Day I know it will be my new favorite Thanksgiving as each one has become before, because each year we add more blessings, be in  new family members gathered round the table, or just new memories created throughout the year and on that day.
This year my in laws will be staying in town for thanksgiving, as well and I look forward to spending some time with them and participating in our family gift exchange. [We each have drawn another family members name and we give them a gift and express our thankfulness for something about them.]
I am also anticipating exchanging gifts with my husband. I already gave him part of his gift which were a pair of brown dress shoes, the rest he will get Wednesday evening as he works all morning Thursday. This tradition began when we were engaged and I added him to my list of immediate family, all of whom back in my more thoughtful years received gifts and thank you notes from me each year. Sorry guys,  I know, I'm slipping.

Also something I am thankful about.. I decided to go for the 50k words again this year and although I am still 2,656 words short I feel close enough that I can be excited in this success. I was able to be Jerusha's mommy, continue growing our new baby, and write nearly 50,000 words most of which I enjoyed and am happy with. So even if I don't find the time to write that last 2,656 words and win NaNoWriMo, it will be a success (and I will find the time even if it is not until 11 o'clock November 30th).

One more tidbit of news in my little bubble; I had my first midwife appointment and was able to hear my new itty bitty baby's heart beat <3 I have reached my second trimester and can not wait to watch my belly grow as the baby inside nears its day of arrival =)

Our Thanksgiving spread from last year..


 The things I am most thankful for <3





Monday, November 2, 2015

November

November has always been one of my most favorite months. It holds my absolute favorite holiday ever. Oh, how I love thanksgiving. I love the crazy hectic week before hand filled with sugary sweetnness of making buckeyes, bonbons, and mexican wedding cookies. I love spending the month reflecting on the past year and taking note of all the loved ones who have made my life better and better. I anticipate the night before that glorious thanksgiving day on which my sister, mom, and I stay up late rolling out pie crusts, making fillings, rewashing pots and pans, and over again and over again the cycle goes until the last pie, lemon meringue? is cooling on the counter. I love Thanksgiving morning, putting on an outfit, carefully selected and do my make up and hair; ready to create new memories. So, I'm looking forward to all of the above with great anticipation, with excitement, and with nostalgia of Thanksgiving's past and all the traditions and memories.

Thanksgiving is what I love most about November BUT five years ago I was introduced to yet another event that makes November just the extra best. NaNoWriMo; National Novel Writing Month.
There is a website to follow, fellow novelists to connect with, writing prompts, word warring, and so many other adventures over there. The goal is to write 50,000 words of fiction. To write a novel in one month. Once you hit 50k you are officially a winner, you can print off your certificate, buy your winner t-shirt, and consider editing the mountain of very, extremely, scarily, raw material that your fingers typed. Okay, so it is a very nerdy thing and oh, how I love it.

My first year, 2011, I made it to 50k on day 12. 2012 it took me 17 days. In 2013 my mother thought I should be too busy planning a wedding, hanging out with my fiance, and giving any extra time to her and the family and not noveling so that year I failed (no hard feelings mommy, I didn't really have any plot or ideas anyways). Last year, 2014, I "won" by the 19th, I loved everything I had written but as I had competed the immediate task at hand I closed the file having 50,872 words and didn't open it again until a few weeks ago. I never came close to actually finishing the novel. And where am I going with all of this? Here we are; November 2nd and I haven't signed up to do NaNo this year. I have a feeling I may debate writing this year until November 30th.. I really want to try but I'm so worried I'll fail and as long as I don't actually commit I can't actually fail.

But this book; it needs finished. But what if I don't have 50k words worth of story to tell?! Ugh. Still not sure what to do but I'm leaning towards jumping back in to the writing world with out actually signing up that way if I don't make 50k I won't fail since I never committed.

At least if I don't feel successful this month for completing NaNoWriMo at least we know it will still be a great November, because, no one can take away Thanksgiving ^_^

Hopefully I'll be back before the month is up gone to at least update you on Thanksgiving festivities.
~Haley