Where does the time go?

Okay, so I started doing this blog during Thanksgiving week and I obviously haven't posted anything since then. I always wonder where my time goes but today I realized where it has all gone in the last 2 weeks. Our family has celebrated Thanksgiving, Jake's and Joe's birthdays, planned and organized one Christmas party, attended another Christmas party, decorated our house with Christmas cheer, completed our Christmas shopping (almost), and kept up with the usual routine of house cleaning, laundry, cooking, Young Women's activities and meetings, working late hours and being on-call, running kids to basketball, piano, dance, preschool, scouts, and playdates, and Christmas is less than 20 days away! My, how the time flies!

Anyway, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our family alone. It was the first time we didn't have company or we weren't the company for someone else. It was a great day and this year it was Jacob's birthday as well. Joe did his favorite tradition of playing in the Turkey Bowl and this year Clark got to participate too. They had a great time and it was a little chilly that morning so it felt even more like a true Thanksgiving. Kate helped me in the kitchen while Jake and Carlee watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and played with toys. We ate our dinner about 2:00 in the afternoon. The turkey was divine, Kate's mashed potatoes creamy, the gravy okay (I need to work on that one), the raspberry Jell-O salad delicious, the rolls golden brown, Clark's deviled eggs scrumptious, the green beans tasty, and Joe's apple and pumpkin pies heavenly. It was a great dinner and we discussed all of our blessings over the meal.

Jake then opened his birthday gifts--a big Buzz Lightyear Hot Wheels race track, a transformer, and a Power Ranger costume. He decided to go see "Bee Movie" at the theater. It was a pretty good movie and Jake loved it. Then we came home and had pie. What a wonderful day!

On Black Friday, Joe braved the crowds at 5:00 a.m. looking for a specific gift that was sold out by 5:20. All I know is that he crawled back into bed around 6:00 and said that people were rude and they turn into animals. I guess he won't do that again. Jake had a few little friends over in the afternoon to play and then had pizza, cake and ice cream. We tried to start some games but those boys just wanted to have sword fights with balloons and race matchbox cars so they just had a great time with their toys. Jake was excited to have a little "birthday party" with some friends and he even got to open a few more presents. Thanks, friends!