Black Friday with My Gal

Tay and I planned to get up at 5am to head to the stores. I guess we were super excited because we ended up awake at 3am giggling, making Dad mad. We tried to go back to sleep but couldn't so we just got up. I had an espresso and we pulled ourselves together enough to go out into public..lol. Turns out, nothing was open except for Kohls. Taylor found some fun little trinkets but that was all. We were really hoping Chic-fil-a would be open so we could get our early morning fuel but it wasn't...as we headed to walmart, I noticed STARBUCKS had JUST opened their drive thru...I typically do not give Starbucks my business, but coffee could not be passed up! We went all through Walmart and didn't see any big deals that we had to have. We ran by the house to drop stuff off and take a potty break quietly then finally got our Chic-fil-a breakfast, ate in the Target parking lot before strolling through there. Then we hit Michaels for some much needed craft stuff then back to the house to unload..lol! I'm exhausted just rehashing this morning!

 

We ended up picking up Dad and going to a furniture store to see if there was any living room furniture that was on sale. We found the same set we like before but still didn't purchase because there is a long wait on delivery. We grabbed Culver's for lunch then went to Farm & Home for a great sale item for my sister for Christmas. They were sold out so I was bummed. Oh well, it was a great day of shopping! Happy Black Friday!

 

Family Thanksgiving 2020

I planned ahead for this Thanksgiving, just like any other. We are not letting 2020 steal our family traditions! We did decide to move the meal time a little later so we can have a more relaxing morning and allow time for everyone to get here. It was nice to wake up and enjoy my coffee before starting on the food. Most of the dishes were prepped ahead of time, we mostly just had the turkey & desserts to do. Tay and I tried to make a pumpkin sheet cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and failed, not once but TWICE! lol! We liked the icing though! Anyways, we cooked all day and decided we would not make quite as much next year, but then again, we always say that. Taylor and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade as we baked. Even though it was a bit lame and pre-recorded due to covid, we were especially excited to see the Hamilton performance. It wasn't the same actors but they still did okay. We followed it up with viewings of the champion dog show and even saw some new breeds! 

We were so thankful that Diana and Danny came over to celebrate with us, Aunt Susie and Stanley ended up not being able to. Billy said grace, asking for God's protection over our nation and our health and then we dug in! We chatted for awhile and got to play some LCR. Not sure who the actual winner was, but there was certainly alot of quarters flying around the table..lol! It was a nice thankful afternoon together.

We had planned to decorate the kid's tree, but decided on just giving them their special ornaments and doing the rest of the memory reading and decorating another night. Especially since Tay and I had to go to bed early so we could wake up for Black Friday shopping!!!  Anyways, back to the ornaments...Taylor got a Hamilton ornament which is very reflective of her year. We spent hours upon hours in the pool jamming to the entire musical back to back. And every car ride to anywhere, was spent singing aloud to the musical. It's the kind of stuff that sticks in your head and you even sing it in your sleep...there were times I had to beg Tay for a break, just to clear my head..lol. 

Blake's ornament I found especially for him, as he claims to be too grown up to keep getting a yearly ornament gift, I just can't help it. His ornament is a computer circuit board cut into a star to hang! I chose this because he is taking a computer technology class at the career center this year in school and it is a really special opportunity! I am so proud of him and I'm sure he loves his ornament..lol. 

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving has always been a time to appreciate all we have to be thankful for, a day of family gathering for a delicious meal & the start to the Christmas season. This year, it feels like more. It feels like a day to reflect on the foundations of why Thanksgiving Day was created and declared a National holiday for our wonderfully blessed United States of America. In reading George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation from 1789, it really brings to light WHY our nation has prospered, why her citizens have been blessed beyond measure with God's favor! Thank you Father, may we continue to raise YOU up as the foundation of our great nation. Amen.

"By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington"