Thanksgiving week, family time, Black Friday

My mom and I / Below: Tristan and Daniel
Below: Jeff has the ball! (we were cheering so loud for him that he is glad we're not close enough to always go to his games! :) )

This last week we were able to spend the entire week up in Oregon with my family. It was really nice to be able to be there for so long. Usually it's a fast 3 day turn around - which is really short when you include two 10 hour drives on in there. Then it really goes by quick. And then we have our amazingly cute neice - almost 3 - who can easily take up the remaining hours which doesn't leave room for anyone else. But this time we were able to have time to be with everyone - although I could always have more. 

I felt like I was able to fit right in to the normal go around at my house - food, going to school with mom, watching movies, going for a walk around lake Marie, watching Jeff (my brother) play his first Basketball game of the season (GO BRAVES!) and lots of time laughing, talking, and teasing each other. 

Thanksgiving day was fun. I love how my mom creates a wonderful meal without it having to be a big deal. We had all the traditions and yet somehow she wasn't in the kitchen all day slaving away - she's amazing. We had Ben and Della and their kids over for dessert - that was fun (we talked them into boxing on Wii which is always funny to me).  oh - and we spent hours pouring over the ads for Friday mornings sales. 

Black Friday has been a tradition in our family since I was about 6. It started because my dad loves to shop and loves to buy the deals (he rarely will buy something full price). So he started taking my sister and I shopping and then out to breakfast. Well my mom decided after a few years that we were having too much fun and she wanted to go out to breakfast too - so she and my brothers joined the 4am shopping trip. Melissa described it well this year - she said "We go for the entertainment of watching all these crazy shoppers." And yes we do buy things - but I don't think we fit in the crazy category - except that it is at 4am! We have gotten lots of people into this tradition with me. I even talked my in-laws to go with me one year. :)  

It was nice to have the break of being out of town. Tristan and I find that we have a really hard time relaxing and taking a Sabbath if we're in town - there's always too much to do and not enough time. But this last week we rested and played.