Thanksgiving 2015

We had a good Thanksgiving.

Since the two older girls have (thankfully) graduated from college

and have (even more thankfully) taken jobs that require them to sometimes work on the holidays,

we've had to adjust our holiday celebrations around their work schedules.  

We have learned to celebrate our time together, no matter when that may be.  

We did not think we were going to my dad's for Thanksgiving, but did. 

It was decided on the Sunday before. 

We (my little family) are trying to establish our own holiday celebrations, make new routines, work around work schedules and would love to rotate holidays around.

This is our fifth holiday season since my mom passed away and I just feel like it is time to change things up a bit to accommodate everyone's different lives now.

But guys, family dynamics are hard to deal with.

I just leave it with that.

Barrett was so excited to be in the kitchen baking again!

Living in a dorm on a college campus is really interfering with her hobby.

She was home all day Wednesday and did nothing but bake and cook.

We took this tray of miniature desserts to my dad's house.

Friday, Brooke drove home from DC. She (flight attendant) worked/flew Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and was on call on Thursday so was not able to be here on Thanksgiving Day. Her boyfriend, Mr. E, came with her. 

Brittany's fiancé, Mr. B,  was also staying with us.

He is from Raleigh, but is temporally working in Nashville until February.

Friday night we stayed in and grilled hamburgers and watched TV.

Saturday was the big rivalry football game here in North Carolina, University of North Carolina versus North Carolina State. 

Everyone in our family (boyfriends included) went to one of these schools except for me.

We had pans to tailgate and go to the game. 

Barrett's friend Kat came with us too.

Sunday, we celebrated Thanksgiving again since Brooke wasn't able to be with us on Thursday. 

This is the second year that we used one of Bobby Flay's roasted turkey recipes and it was delicious once again.

After dinner I forced everyone outside to take pictures.

Our camellia is outdoing itself this year and I couldn't help taking a picture of it on its own.

Is there ever a photo shoot at our house where there isn't bickering or where someone doesn't demonstrate what the other one is doing wrong? 

NOPE!

Brittany and Mr. B haven't taken engagemnt pictures yet, so I thought I would give him a little taste of all of the torturous things he is going to have to do.

Things like this are really out of his comfort zone.

We found all of the pictures very very funny. 

I'll share later when I start my Wedding Wednesdays after Christmas. 

 I'll leave you with this:

 Bubbles was feeling very very thankful and thought he had hit the Thanksgiving feast jackpot,

until Barrett took her fish back to school with her on Sunday!

Maybe next year Mr. Bubbles!

 

Catching Up On Brittany

Well Hello!

It has been way too long. 

Let's catch up!

Today is all about Brittany.

     Brittany - is turning 26 on Friday! For those who do not know, she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and is a NICU nurse. She had been commuting almost an hour and a half to work to a hospital in another town for a year, but thank goodness, she was offered a position at a hospital here in Raleigh. She started orientation last week and will be in the NICU unit in a few weeks. I am so thankful that she is no longer having to drive so far to work, especially after working twelve hour night shifts. I worried about her constantly.

   I thought after Barrett (18) went to college in August, life around the house would be sad and lonely. I was not looking forward to being an empty nester. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with myself.  Well, I have a confession to make: I am not an empty nester just yet. When Brittany's lease to her apartment was up in August, she moved back home to save money.

     So there is life and activity still going on here in our house! In fact a lot of activity and planning is going on because Brittany is engaged! 

     

     After almost nine years of dating...on September 11....in Nashville...Mr. B proposed! 

(Mr. B was formally know as BF1, but he no longer a BoyFriend.)

first date: Homecoming Dance 2006

summer 2015

Sept. 11 2015

Mr. B is temporarily working in Nashville - he'll be back in Raleigh in March.  Brittany went to visit him that weekend.

That night after he proposed, our family spent a lot of time face timing.

 facetiming Brooke in DC



This is the picture that Brittany and Brandon Snapchatted their group of friends.
They wanted to see who would be first to notice the ring.
I am guessing the girls noticed first!

When Brittany got home from Nashville it was time for show and tell and some picture taking! 

Lola approved!   

  

She couldn't stop smiling or looking at her ring. She has been waiting a long time for this!

      The date has been set for October 29, 2016 - so we have almost an entire year to plan. 

We already have the venue, band, photographer and dress. We are working on our guest list and on the florist right now. With so much time, we are tackling one thing at a time. More on these things and the process in the upcoming Wednesdays (Wedding Wednesdays)! Woohoo, I have something to blog about!!!!

Exciting times around here folks!

Stay tuned! 

Little Bear Goes to College

Barrett is all settled into her college dorm room and her first day of class was on Wednesday.

She is officially a college student.

She is a Carolina Tarheel.

Her dorm opened last Thursday and had three move in days -

Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Barrett's roommate, who is from Charlotte (NC),  wasn't moving in until Saturday. So we took advantage of living only thirty minutes away and took a carload each day and moved in slowly. 

It was so nice taking all of her clothes on Thursday and getting it all  put away before bringing in the other things on Friday and Saturday.

It started to feel very "real" when she started to pack her clothes last week.

I don't know how my girls destroy their rooms any time they start packing! 

Lola knew something was going on and she would not take her eyes off of me. 

She must have thought I was leaving her forever!

This was the load Barrett and I took on the first day.

We couldn't decide if her room looked more like a prison cell or a hospital room!

It is very small, but luckily the building was recently remodeled.

I am so glad they removed the carpet and added the wood flooring. 

There are two beds, two desks with a row of built in shelves above them.

Each person has a built in chest with five drawers and adjustable shelves above them in their own closet. 

There is a small area for hanging clothes. 

There is a vanity and sink that is shared in the room with a large mirror. 

Barrett and her roommate decided not to match their bedding, but did try to compliment each other  in color and style. 

Barrett wanted to go with blue and white chinoiserie with touches of pink and gold.

We used baskets for storage everywhere we could instead of plastic storage drawers and bins. 

Our progress the first day!

Friday, the second day, Art took all of the larger and heavier pieces, hung pictures and connected all the tech stuff.  Brittany also tagged along, but I forgot to take pictures! 

Saturday, day three, since Barrett's roommate was moving in, we didn't go back until later in the day so their family could spend sometime in the room themselves. 

Brittany was home sitting by the pool and came in to say good-bye. 

This really got me.

Seems like last week "Little Bear" was the one hugging her big sister good-bye. 

When we got there,

Art hung lights around the room.

(Lilly Pulitzer lights we bought from Target.)

Between the two desk, the girls have a mini fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. 

We painted the shelf and a lot of the frames in her room gold and added battery operated candles that come on automatically every evening. 

Brooke painted the two rams for Barrett's room and also the pictures of Barrett on the shelf above the desk.

(She is opening an Etsy store very very soon!)

Barrett and her roomate S.

(Barrett and I covered the cork board with the same fabric as her pillow on her bed.)

I didn't want this moment to happen!

We did eventually have to say our good-byes.

There is a very good reason why there are no pictures of me doing this. 

Hard time for this mom!

I hugged her forever (or at least wanted to). Wordless, because I could not speak.

I didn't want to let her go and when I did I held her hand as I got into the car and didn't let go until Art pulled away.

I was hanging on as long as I could.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

One of Barrett's nicknames is "Little Bear".

When she got back into her room she found a little surprise from me. 

A small trinket dish with a little fuzzy bear sitting on it. 

I have a second fuzzy bear sitting in the kitchen window.  

I found a letter Barrett wrote to me and Art in her room the next day.

It was the sweetest thing.

I love you Barrett!

You will always be my Little Bear!

**********

Sunday night two of Barrett's high school friends paid her visit.

It doesn't take these girls long does it?

And everyone on the hall is enjoying the "Carolina Cookies" Barrett baked to take.

She is so sweet!

I love that girl so much!