Giving Thanks

What an awesome Thanksgiving we had!  Kyhle and I were able to spend the entire day with all of our Indiana family, and we had a fabulous holiday.  We started out with our first meal at Kyhle's family's house.  Let me remind you, Kyhle has 2 younger brothers, and 4 male dogs, so I am definitely the odd one out while at that house, but I love it!   I did feel like quite the wimp as all the boys are piling the food on their plates, and I took smaller portions of everything trying to save some space for the meal to come later.  After we ate, we all laid back, unbuttoned that top button of our pants, and enjoyed the movie "Super 8."  Kyhle and I had seen it before, but it was his family's first time.  Such a funny movie, and I highly recommend it! 

Our next stop was at my uncle and aunt's house, just 10 minutes from Kyhle's mom's.  (Very convenient!)  I just love going to Steve and Paula's house.  It is so comfortable, cozy, and warm there, and my Aunt Paula has quite the touch decorating for all the holidays.  The house was full of 19 people, and we all sat around the same table. (It was 2 combined into one, but it worked!)  We missed my three older siblings and their families, but we enjoyed our time together as a family all wrapped around the table.  It was nice just to look around the table and see just how much our family is expanding.  

I'm so incredibly thankful for all the family I have in my life, near and far.  I miss my siblings, nieces, and nephews out of state everyday, but am so grateful we will all be together for Christmas this year.  I can't wait to look around that table!

Thankful

I'm Thankful For...

The mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The taxes I pay because it means I am employed.

The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have 

enough to eat.

My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the

 sunshine.

The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I 

am capable of walking.

All the complaining I hear about our government because it 

means we have freedom of speech.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I 

can hear.

The piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones 

are nearby.

The lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and 

gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

Weariness and aching muscles because it means I have been 

productive.

The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.

We were able to have my parents, along with my sister, Laura, her husband, David, and little boy, Eli over for dinner tonight.  We made homemade pizza, salad, and cookies.  It was a really nice night to just sit back and relax.  My mom said, "It's so nice to not have to be the one to do all the work, and just enjoy my little grandson!" It was a good excuse to get the apartment all clean and pretty, so I decided to take pictures and let you all see our place.  I have some pictures on Facebook, but wanted to show you some of the things I am thankful for! :) 

Could you pass me a tissue, please?

"A woman wears her tears like jewelry" -Unknown

I cry.  All the time.  Over everything.  

Tonight as I was watching an episode of one of my old favorites, "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman,"  I found myself in tears.  Over what, you may ask?  A man pointed a gun at a pregnant Dr. Quinn and I just lost it!  I watch the silliest commercial on TV, and next thing I know, I'm wiping the tears off my face.  While I was at work on Wednesday, I got a text letting me know that a dear friend of mine had a beautiful baby boy and I had to leave the room for a moment because I was too embarrassed to cry in front of my coworkers.  Give me a break!  While I was trying to register for classes the other night, it kept telling me that I had to go see an adviser to register for a certain course, and I don't want to have to go sit in some office talking to an adviser about my classes.  So what did I do?  

I cried.  

What is wrong with me?

I am a 22 year old who works with kids all day.  I see them cry over anything and everything.  If they have to share a toy, they cry.  If they have to take a nap, they cry.  If they have something on their plate that they don't want for lunch or snack, they cry.  If you don't pick them up right when they want you to, they cry.  If they don't get to pick the movie, they cry.  If they have Winnie the Pooh instead of Princesses on their diaper, they cry.  If they don't want you to take their shoes off or put them on, they cry.  If they want to color with colored pencils instead of crayons, they cry.  If they want the purple binky over the blue binky, they cry.  If they want Baby Mozart instead of Baby Beethoven, they cry.  

Are the behaviors of all of my 2 year olds rubbing off on me?

**Note, the images above are not of my dear crying kiddos at work...

Family. Food. Fun.

My sister Emily and her husband came home from Virginia for a few days last week, and we had a really great time!  Kyhle and I were able to go down to my parent's house on Thursday night to join everyone for dinner, dessert, and the Cardinals game.  


Friday I had to work and Kyhle had a job interview, so we met everyone later in the day down in Trafalgar, Indiana at a place called Apple Works.  It's a beautiful farm with apple orchards, a pumpkin patch, a country store, petting zoo, and some yummy apple dumplings.  We had a great time walking around and picking out a few pumpkins.  Then we went back to mom and dad's for some soup and more of the Cardinals!  


Saturday, we enjoyed our family tradition of going to the Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville, Indiana.  My Grandma Rosalie (dad's mom) is originally from this small town, so the festival has a lot of meaning to my family. Every year since I could remember, my family has always gone to the festival.  There are tents set up around the square in downtown Rockville, and people come from all over the Midwest to shop around and eat all the yummy food.  When we get there, we always start with the crullers and hot chocolate, then move on and do a little shopping.  Mom told me to pick one thing out that she would buy as a gift, but I was so picky I couldn't find anything.  How could I pass up a free gift!? I was trying to find something for Christmas decorations, but nothing seemed right.  We then ate lunch, and went on a drive through the country to see some beautiful covered bridges.  


After the festival, we went to Terre Haute and visited my Grandma Rosalie at her apartment before heading to my Aunt and Uncle's house for the evening.  We had a great time visiting with the family and eating Paula's delicious meal.  It was so fun to have Emily and Pooch home with us and be able to catch up and visit a bit.  We always have such a good time when family comes to visit, and really cherish those times since we don't get to see them as much as we'd like.  We are really looking forward to Christmas, when we will have the entire family home for the holidays for the first time in a few years.  


The countdown is on! 

Dinner For Four!

Don't you just love this time of year? When we were out running errands the other day, Kyhle gets a huge smile on his wonderful face and says, "This makes me so happy! I feel like fall is the most romantic time of the year for me!"  Romance, huh? Yay for me! :)

My dad had a church meeting up at the north stake center on Sunday night, so he and mom came over afterward for a late dinner.  Let me start by saying I am not a chef.  I have never had the urge to cook.  Ever.  But I decided that since I am somewhat grown up now, I should probably start, right?  I called mom and asked her how to make her chili that everyone loves, and I decided that Kyhle wasn't allowed to help me with this meal.  I wanted it to be my chili--something to be proud of.  Now let me inform you that this was no fancy meal.  Just a bowl of chili, but this was huge for me.  I went ahead and made it in the crockpot because I thought that would give it a few hours to sit and let all the flavor soak in.  Also, I hadn't used my crockpot since we got married (such a long time ago), so I thought it would be a good time for that.  When we got home from church, I changed my clothes, turned on some Jim Brickman, and put on my adorable Vera apron that my Croc gave me.  (He got me the apron to motivate me to start cooking more.  I think it's working!)

It was such a success!!! I was so proud of myself and it even made me want to start cooking more.  I am excited to cook more, I should say.  I meant to take a photo of my chili, but sadly forgot. I wanted to make it such a fall meal, that we went out with a bang!  Pumpkin pie and apple cider!  Is that perfection, or what!?

I also wanted to make sure our apartment was cleaned and decorated to high standards, as my mother has taught me to do.  My mom is the most festive woman I have ever know.  But she is classy about it, and that's awesome.  No matter what season/holiday it is, her house is fully equipped and ready. I wouldn't feel right if our home didn't have the proper seasonal decorations.  I put out all of our fall stuff a few nights ago.  I love it.  It puts me in such a good mood to see the pretty reds and oranges throughout our apartment.  It also reminds me how close Christmas is, as well.  Yay!  It really made my night when my parents were leaving, mom turned around to me and said, "You're place looks great!  I'm really proud of you!"  Thanks, mom.  I learned it all from you!

See ya later, alligator!

I have been contemplating starting a blog for some time now.  Seems to be "the thing" these days.  I kept hesitating because I felt like I wouldn't have anything to inform you all about since we are childless.  Kyhle started one of his own a few days ago, and that made me kind of jealous because I wanted to be the one to decorate it and write about what was on my mind.  So, here it goes!

The title of my blog is "Croc and Gator" because those are our super-creative nicknames for each other!  Every morning when I leave for work, (and Kyhle is still snoring away,) I always go wake him up, give him a kiss, and say, "See ya later!"  Then I will wait at the bedroom door until he says, "See ya later alligator," and of course I reply, "After a while crocodile!"  This then became a trend, and now every time one of us leaves the other, we always say goodbye this way.  So, Kyhle is now Croc, and I am Gator. 

We went out to dinner at the ever-so-classy Bob Evans tonight.  When we left, it started pouring outside so Kyhle decided that meant it was time to watch a scary movie at home.  He says since its cool, dark, and rainy, it's scary movie weather.  I for one am not a huge fan of scary movies because then my eyes end up closed 3/4 of the movie and I am scared of the dark and having nightmares.  My old friends can attest to this!  We decided to rent "The Roommate" from Redbox. Why am I doing this to myself?  Be prepared for a long night ahead, dear husband of mine.

 What's your favorite scary movie?