End of November

We are gearing up for a busy December.  I feel strongly that we should give November and Thanksgiving it's due, so I really am not in the Christmas spirit as of yet.  My house is decorated, but I think I'll wait until we start our Advent calendar to really be merry.  Our Christmas cards did come in the mail today and they are exactly what I wanted and they will actually go out before Christmas Eve this year!  We did shop for our Christmas angel this week and Sylvie insisted she needed a horn, indicating the picture of the trumpeting angel on the card.  Not quite there with understanding charitable giving, but we'll get there.  I also ordered Parrish the perfect Christmas gift.  Well, I think it is.  He'll probably send it back like most things he receives.  He is kinda hard to shop for, to say the least.  We will really start the season with the parade, pancake breakfast and our children's choir performance this weekend.

We've celebrated tons of family birthdays this month, and mourned the extreme loss to UA at this year's Iron Bowl.  That was abysmal and doesn't even bear talking about.  I chatted with friends and kids the whole time, so I was spared the massacre.  Not so lucky for Coach Chizik, who is now looking for work elsewhere.  Bless him.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving with dinner at Nana & Papa's, lunch at our house the next day, naps and more food that night.  Sylvie was under the weather and not quite herself, but thanks to some modern medicine (and after wrenching Daddy's arm to get them) she is much better this week.  I think the best part of the holiday was that Parrish, Bill, Dad and Ronnie went on a quail hunt on Friday morning.  I love that my dad went along, and equally love hearing him tell tales on Parrish for being such a good shot.  I can't help but be proud of my husband for all of his talents, even shooting captured and then released quail.

Parrish is now busy with coaching high school soccer.  He is thrilled and acting like a teenager.  I'm so glad he's having fun, although it will leave me a single mom in the evenings this spring.  Oh well.

Going to feed the Elmore's pet deer, Bucky.  He just lost his spots
and follows them around like a dog.

We took carrots and oranges.  I have never touched a deer up close and loved it.  He was so sweet.  And a pig for oranges.

Bunnies...this was a real working farm with cotton, cows and lots of animals.
Sylvie was in heaven since I'm more of an indoor mom.

Sylvie's Thanksgiving lipstick.  Pretty, right?  I also conned Aunt Beth into letting the munchkin do her makeup too.  Need a photo of that.  Sylvie was oh so gentle and Beth was oh so patient.  

Beautiful girls for the ballet's annual program.  Halle can't take a bad photo, I swear.  

Ride 'em, cowgirl.  Only Nana would make this horses as favors for every child at Porter's birthday party.  Wow.  Sylvie naturally picked the orange and blue one.

My attempt at a real Christmas cookies.  Just proof positive that Chrissy Schubert
will get my business for many years to come.  Yikes.

God Bless and merry pre-Christmas,

Katie