What a Thanksgiving……

I am exhausted, what more can I say. I think I may have earned a few more grey hairs in the last couple of weeks. If you have been reading my blog you know that we were having wood floors put into our living room and dining room last week. The floor man promised that he would be done by last Saturday. Due to some complications, he finished putting in the last slat Wednesday night around 8:30pm. There was a fine layer of dust all over the furniture all over the house. I had been cleaning and trying to get the rest of the house in order for the “big” day. I kept wondering how in the world we were going to pull this off. I did as much work in advance as I could, for that I am grateful.

My day started at 5:00am. The ham went into the oven and worked was started on the dressing and stuffing the turkey. After putting the turkey in the oven, my husband and son started moving the large pieces of furniture, including the dining room table, back into the rooms. Bonnie, who came in the night before, woke up and helped TF dismantle the computer, move it back to its original spot and reassemble it. In the mean time I was trying to get the kitchen and nook floors clean. I felt like we were doing an episode of “While you were out” and praying that we would have everything back into order before the family arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. It was extremely stressful, but somehow we pulled it off. Dinner was great, we all enjoyed each others company and before long it was all over. We took our traditional Thanksgiving picture and the older kids left to go to the movies. I agreed to baby sit so that the older kids could have some time together. The clean up procedure started. Jocelyne had a fever and after a while started crying. Her nose was running and she was drooling and chewing on her fist. I gave her some infant Tylenol and tried to entertain her. Thank God her mom and dad came home when they did. I didn’t get to bed till 1:30am.

Bonnie needed to be at the airport for a 2:15pm. flight back to her current job site. I was surprised that we had no trouble getting to the airport. There was no traffic and not that much going on once we got there. On the way home from the airport, I fell asleep at a traffic light. I realized then that I had better get back to bed and get some much needed sleep. I slept for six straight hours and woke up feeling much better. My muscles hurt from all the work but all in all I feel fine.

I really do have much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful family, a roof over my head, food on my table, a love for my Heavenly Father and a good life. I am grateful for all of the blessing my Heavenly Father has given me, what more can I ask?

Want to see pictures of the new floor check out my husbands blog at: http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/11/almost-there_24.html

His rendition of Thanksgiving: http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/11/thanksgiving-2006.html

Just a question: How many of you made broth/soup from your turkey carcass? Mine is still simmering on the stove.

All of this before Thanksgiving

Check out the picture on my husbands blog to see what we are doing now.
http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/11/progress-is-being-made.html

Pray with me that we get it all completed before Thanksgiving or our guests will have to sit on the floor in the den.

Yes, I’m still here…..

Felicia on the left ..... Me on the right.

I know I haven’t updated in a while but life is going full speed ahead and I am holding on for dear life. Many of you know that Felicia has been in the process of moving since January. Her friend Virginia and I have been helping her pack and get ready for the actual move. Well that has now happened and I am in a bit of a funk because I feel like I just lost my best friend. Actually she is more like a mother to me but we have become really close the 16 years she has been here. Felicia got an offer on her house and it was accepted. All the workings of the sale were put into action and it was time to get Felicia ready for the actual move. Her son had signed a lease on and apartment in a “seniors” building and got it ready for his mother.

Virginia and I stepped up the packing. As many of you know, we started packing last March. We packed up the best of her kitchen items, packed her dinning room hutch, her closets and emptied the entire upstairs. We had ladies in from the church to help clean. We took several truck loads of “things” to the Salvation Army and we gave away lots of her furniture. We arranged repairs on the house which included foundation work and replacing siding on the back of her house. A friend of ours came over and completely pressure washed the entire outside of her house. In June we took time off and waited for the house to sell.

Finally, last month, an offer was made and accepted, time to go to work again. Two weeks before the move we put things in full gear. We gave away more things, took 4 more loads of items to the Salvation Army and packed more things. Where in the world did she get all that stuff???? A friend of ours volunteered to drive the U-Haul all the way from Houston to Columbia, Maryland. I arranged for a 24 foot truck with an auto transport. A week ago last Thursday, 10 men from our church came over and loaded the U-Haul. We put Felicia in a hotel for the night and crashed into bed. The next day her son arrived and took Felicia into his care. Friday at 4:00pm., Chris took off on his trek to Maryland, driving the U-Haul, after working a full day teaching at school. We gave him money for gas, food and a hotel. I worried for his safety, but his wife called him at intervals and kept him awake. All in all, he made good time and arrived there Sunday around noon. He delivered the truck to Felicia’s daughter and was home in Houston by 7:00pm. I went over to the house and swept the floors and vacuumed the carpet so that we could leave it in good condition. I also needed to be there so that the people getting her large appliances could pick them up.

Monday I ate breakfast with Felicia and her son, Rodney, and said my good-buys. The house still hasn’t closed because of problems with the title company, but Felicia and Rodney flew out of here Monday at 3:00pm. I am totally drained from the experience and it took me several days to get back into gear. The rest of the week we have been painting in our dining room and getting ready to install the wood floors in our living room and dining room. I want them done before Thanksgiving! So busy, so much to do.
So now you see why I haven’t posted in a while. I’m tired just writing this…

On a frugal note: Here are some articles that I have read in the last few weeks that I thought you might be interested in.

http://money.aol.com/usat/insurance/canvas3/_a/spending-time-studying-insurance/20061101112609990001 Spending Time Studying Insurance Enrollment Now Can Save Money Later

http://money.aol.com/smoney/insurance/canvas3/_a/cheap-drugs/20061031175709990001 Paying too much for your prescriptions? Check this out.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/06/06oct23c.cfm Learn what to do to be Energy Efficient this winter season.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/06/06oct16c.cfm - How to Curb Impulse Buying.

http://www.bankrate.com/dls/news/pf/20061027_toys_holiday_a1.asp - 15 Hot Holiday Toys. (With my grandson, it’s anything Mario Brothers)

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/001023f.cfm - Avoiding Irreconcilable Differences.

http://www.stretcher.com/menu/outrage.cfm - That’s Outrageous - Is Free Always Good?