This is What Happens When Your Husband Quits His Second Job

Well, I have been scouring Craigslist for the past week or so because I found the most AMAZING brown leather furniture that would look absolutely perfect in our (still empty) living room...and then lost them to someone faster than me. So...I have become obsessed with finding cheap furniture for our house. Well, I finally found something else worth getting excited about and this time, I won (I know it's not really winning when you have to pay for it, load it and put it together, but that's how I felt)!

So, this morning we set out to pick up our brand new (to us) bedroom set, with absolutely no idea in mind of how we were going to get a dresser, mirror, queen bed frame and mattress set into the Explorer. Well, we did it (and I am so ashamed that I did not get a picture). Even the guy we bought them from complimented us on our moving and packing skills (after we loaded it all in a small elevator and took it down 15 stories, but that's another story). We got the dresser and some of the bed in the truck and the rest went up on top, held down only by some (pretty thin) rope. It was quite a sight.

Once we got home, we unloaded everything, put it together and now...I'm in love. I feel like our house is finally coming together. Master bedroom...check. Guest bedroom...check. Next up...the living room.

Here's our new bed...

And dresser (for the record, that is all Don's junk, not mine)...

The new guest bedroom (the paint color will soon be changing...I HATE it!)...

We even hung some hooks in the mudroom for all our winter gear...

Well, if this is what happens now that Don works only regular hours then our house should be done by next weekend!

Thanksgiving 2009

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone, but the difference this year is that I don't have nearly as many pictures to show for it as I normally do. Although I had my camera with me at Pokagon, we were so busy that I forgot to take any pictures! I remembered about 10 minutes before we were to leave so Don and I sat down on the bed and tried to take a picture of ourselves since no one else was around. Here's what we were left with...

Can you say goofy?

Yikes!

Doesn't he look like one of those bobbleheads (sorry honey)?

Uh, no thanks.

Does anyone remember that episode of "Friends" where Monica and Chandler are trying to have their pictures taken? It was kind of like that.

FINALLY!! Not my all-time fav pic of us, but it'll work.

And, just because I thought it'd be fun...here's the only other picture I took all week. Don and one of his older brothers...don't ask.

Oh well...even though I didn't get many (good) pictures during our trip, I am still thankful for so many things and have some great memories from yet another awesome Thanksgiving trip to Pokagon.

Autumn Fun

Yesterday, we discovered two things about Hoosier:

#1-He loves to jump in the leaf piles that Don and I spent forever raking, sending the leaves flying all over the place.

#2-He does not love to be thrown into leaf piles by his daddy.

Is this not the most pathetic look you've ever seen? He was absolutely immobile until Don uncovered him...then he ran like the wind!

I think he's asking himself what is wrong with his parents that they so love to torture and humiliate him.


Well, since there are 14, yes 14, more leaf piles just in the backyard, I'm sure Hoosier will be having lots more fun this autumn.

Show Us Your Life-Thanksgiving Traditions

Every year, Don and I go to Pokagon State Park at Thanksgiving. There is a lovely inn on the property, Potawatomi Inn, that we stay at. This is a tradition that Don's family started probably about 30 years ago. Usually, there are anywhere from 20-30 family members that make the trip. Thanksgiving has come to be my absolute favorite holiday because of this trip.

Here we are in 2006 with the inn behind us...





The day before Thanksgiving, we drive up north and meet up with the fam. We always eat dinner at the inn's restaurant (best chicken noodle soup EVER) and then we just hang out, usually outside by the bonfire. On Thanksgiving morning, we typically take a dip in the pool and hot tub and then meet up in the great room for a board game or to read and catch up. Later in the day, we head over to the banquet hall for Thanksgiving dinner. This is a HUGE buffet with all the fixings. After dinner, some of us usually head outside to hike the trails then visit the craft room with the kids to paint something. The next day, the tobaggon run opens...which I've never actually done because Don works on Friday so we head back Thursday night.


This is Thanksgiving 2007...that's Lake James behind us...absolutely beautiful!

Hanging out in the great room Thanksgiving 2008.



I can't wait for Thanksgiving to come! I will definitely post pictures from our trip in a few weeks.