BLACK FRIDAY!

I had to capitalize every letter in that title.  I'm THAT crazy about the biggest shopping day of the year!  It's one of my favorite traditions of ALL time!  I love spending the wee hours of the morning freezing, standing in line, and fighting over $5.00 sandwich makers!  HA!  What I really love is spending the wee hours of the morning with my mom and my sisters!  We always have such a jolly good time!  Here are some highlights of the day!

1.  My sister, Beth, still did not get her trampoline (not really a highlight....).  It's the second year in a row.  There is all kinds of drama surrounding WHY she didn't get it (curse you, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us).  I will spare you all the details.  Just know that she BETTER get that dang trampoline next year, or somebody's going to be sorry (watch your back, WM and TRU)!

2.  My dear sister, Alli, was only along for the companionship.  Her ONE purchase?  The $5.00 gingerbread animals (named Jack and Jill) at Build-A-Bear!  Alli is such a trooper!  It isn't fun for her to leave the 80 degree Florida weather to stand outside in 40 degree weather waiting for NOTHING!!!

3.  Target still wins for the Best.  Store.  Ever.  They are organized.  They are helpful.  They are friendly.  There was NO line to check out.  YAY!  And we got a free Luna bar (YUM)!  AND....I got everything I needed!  I heart you, Target.  I really, really heart you!

4.  Best Buy?  You had CRAZY long lines to check out but I scored a good deal on a video game for Blake so I guess it was worth it.  I also enjoyed seeing the blankets and pillows (and other random things) outside your front door.  Really people?  Camping out is just nuts.  Even I can't justify that!

5.  Black Friday?  It was a complete success!  I got everything on my list.  I had a few snags (Strawberry Shortcake snafu at Toys R Us but whatevs.)!  It was all worth it!  I thank my sisters, Alli, Beth, Kristen, and Katie (we missed you, Jess) for always being willing to take on the many, many pyscho shoppers in Louisville!  And Mom?  You rock for always wanting to back out but ALWAYS pulling through!  I love you all!

Here are a couple (not so great) photos from the 2 1/2 hour wait at Target!  That's all I took because after midnight, it all went downhill.  You know, makeup smearing, hair looking crazy, eyes bloodshot, etc.  The stuff that happens when you don't sleep until 10 AM......is not so attractive! ;)

Movies and Basketball!

You know all that forced family fun from last weekend?  Well, I only touched on the Friday night fun!  I have to fill you in on Saturday!  It was even more action packed!  It started out with Lola's first trip to the movies!  I was very nervous.  But....we got free passes to a special screening of The Muppets (thank you, June)!  So we figured it was worth a shot!  And it was.  Yeah, Lola didn't sit still through the whole thing.  But she was okay.  And I LOVED the movie....even though I was never really a die-hard Muppet fan back in the day!  It was a great way to start my day!  The best thing?  Lola picked up a small poster from the movie and is obsessed with naming all the "muckets."  She also likes to go around singing "do do do do...mana mana" I love it!

After the movie, we headed straight to the U of L/Butler basketball game in Indy.  It was a very last minute decision.  But I'm sure glad we went.  Why?  Here's why:

1.  The Butler band.  They rock.  Literally.  I couldn't help tapping my toes to their awesome arrangements.
2.  Hinkle Fieldhouse, while very loud and full of crazy fans, was pretty fun to check out.  It was much better when Louisville started winning!  :)
3.  Blake got to high five the Butler Bulldog mascot.  Twice.  That made him happy!
4.  Blake got Walter McCarty's autograph.  He didn't know who he was but saw other kids getting his autograph so he figured he'd get in on that.  Then on our way out, I was able to walk by and identify the mysterious famous bloke.  Thank heavens I was along and am slightly obsessed with all things basketball!  Because from reading the autograph, you'd NEVER know who he was! :)
5.  Louisville won.  But I think I already mentioned that!

That was the end of our forced family fun.  We were very busy all weekend long.  We even decided to put all our Christmas stuff up since we'll be in Louisville through Sunday!  Busy or not, though, we sure did have fun!  I heart my family (and U of L basketball....and even The Muppet movie)! *SMILE*

Many, Many Thanks!

Last year, I listed a bunch of things I was thankful for on Thanksgiving.  This year, I will do the same thing.....but with a twist!  I am going to list my family members and say one thing I'm thankful for about them.  Ya ready?  It will take a while because I'm doing all my brothers and sisters and their children!

1.  Billy--I'm, of course, first and foremost grateful for my amazing husband.  He is wonderful!  He works hard to support his family and he treats me like a princess.  I can't believe I'm being so serious.  But anyway....I'm always thankful for the sacrifices Billy makes and I love him oodles!

2.  Blake--I'm thankful for his infectious laugh.  I know I say that a lot.  But his giggle really gets ya going!  He is full of sunshine and spreads his joy all around!  I'm grateful every day that he is mine!  He lights up my life, for sure!

3.  Lola--I'm thankful that she is so stinkin' cute!  She pushes my buttons a lot but she still makes me smile!  She is entertaining and full of cute things (sugar and spice and everything nice???)!  I'm glad she's mostly laid back even though at times, I'm convinced she is a wild animal! ;) 

4.  My mom and dad--Where do I even start?!?  Without my parents, I'm not quite sure where I'd be!  They are wonderful examples.  They are kind, loving, generous, forgiving, smart, AMAZING people!  They take care of their children and they never hesitate when any of us are in need.  I'm in constant awe at their willingness to give and to help others.  I love them so much and words can't BEGIN to express how thankful I am for them!

5.  Alli--The oldest child in our fabulous family.  I'm so thankful every day that Alli was adopted into our family!  She is so generous and loving.  She is one of my closest friends (as all of my siblings are).  She always makes me smile.  I wish she lived closer!  Although it's nice to be able to visit her in Florida! :)

6.  The Button family--HEE HEE!  I giggle thinking about them. Why?  Because if you ever need a laugh, Beth and Bruce are the people to call!  I grew up listening to fights between Beth and Alli.  I guess sisters who are so close in age have to do that!  But now.....we all get along and have a blast together!  I'm thankful for Beth and her wonderful sense of humor!  Bruce is a doting husband and takes such great care of Beth and their children!  I love Curtis, Nate, and Elsie so very much!  They melt my heart!  Curtis and Nate are such good friends with Blake and Lola ADORES Elsie!  They are the cutest! :)

7.  Adam, Kristen, and Connor DeLuca--I'm super thankful I had Adam to grow up with!  We were always WAY into sports and it was nice to have him to talk to!  He couldn't have married a better gal! Love that Kristen!  I got an amazing sister and friend the day he fell in love with her!  YAY!  Connor is so cute, I can hardly stand it!  I love to be able to go to their house to play with him and his many, many toys!  And I love to hear his stories about kindergarten!  Blake and Lola also love hanging out with him!  Their whole little family rocks!

8.  Katie and Creighton Klapheke--The newlyweds who are so very adorable!  Katie is such a sweetheart!  She is also very giving and goes out of her way to make sure people are taken care of!  She is always there for me and I'm thankful for that!  Creighton is an awesome brother in-law!  He takes such great care of Katie and they are a perfect couple!  I'm thankful for them!

9.  Jess, Brandon, and Genevieve Oldham--The baby of the family!  Jess is one of the nicest people on earth!  I'm thankful that she is so kind.  She is sweet and she is a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, and sister!  I look up to her a lot.  Brandon is very soft spoken but has a huge heart.  I'm so glad Jess found him!  And little Genevieve is the cutest!  Lola loves to be around her!  I wish they lived closer!

Remember always, but especially at this time of year, all the things we have to be thankful for!  Sometimes I forget how lucky I am!  But I usually try to keep that in the front of my mind.  Especially when things seems to get tough around here.  Through it all, I know I am blessed.  I'm thankful for all that I have.  I'm thankful for this country I live in and for those who protect it.  I'm thankful for my family.  I'm thankful for many wonderful friends.  Happy Thanksgiving to my awesome readers!  May you always truly know what you're thankful for! :)

FFF!

FFF?  Forced family fun.  Yeah.  I'm all about that lately.  This past weekend was FILLED with it!  First up?  The Indianapolis Children's Museum.  I know I've posted photos from the museum before.  But you know me.  I have to use my iPhone camera.  And Billy snapped some pics with his phone, too!

This trip to the museum was different because we are members now.  Yes.  We feel very special.  And because we are elitists (ha), we were able to enjoy late night hours.  For members only, they were open until 9 PM Friday.  So we arrived at five and spent THREE hours there.  It totally rocked!  We weren't used to being one of the only people there.  We pretty much had the run of the place.  The kids had a blast!  And I might have dabbled in the childish fun, too!  One of the best parts?  Members ride the carousel for free!  Yup.  Lola loved riding on "Bambi."  The rest of us chose our favorite steeds!  Good times were had by all!  Of course, here are some tiny (camera) photos for your viewing pleasure!  And if you're feeling adventurous, click on the link to see a postcard Blake and I created in Egypt.  Okay not really Egypt.  But the Egypt that the museum created!!!!  http://www.museumbridge.net/indianapolis/email_anim.php?dval=20111118_174638

OOOOOOHHHHHH Blake!

So as you know, we go to the library a lot.  Blake reads.  I read.  Lola runs around crazy.   You know....the usual.  Anyway, Blake has been checking out a lot of books from the biography section.  Last visit to the library?  About twenty books about Tim Duncan.  Don't ask me why he is a Spurs fan.  I'm not sure why he picked that team?  But anyway, he did.  And he likes Tim Duncan.

I put him to bed the other night.  He came down shortly to tell me he finished one of his books.  Then he started reading another one about Tim Duncan.  The next time he came down (heaven forbid he actually go to sleep when I put him to bed.....), he was carrying a letter.  I, in no way, influenced this.  But it's pretty much the BEST thing I've ever, ever seen!  And Tim Duncan?  You better write back! :):):)

411......

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French Lick!

For those of you who HAVEN'T heard of this small town in Indiana, you may be wondering what on earth my title is talking about.  I admit....it's quite a ridiculous name.  But hey, we purchased a Groupon and we didn't even care about the name!  We wanted some forced family fun and by golly, French Lick, Indiana (Big Splash Adventure) provided us with just that!

Things we loved:

1.  The deal.  Oh yes.  It was a DEAL!  We bought the Groupon several months ago and I knew we'd be ready for a night away.  I was right.  I was also hoping where we were going would be comparable to The Great Wolf Lodge.  The Great Wolf Lodge it wasn't.  But for the price?  It WAS (awesome).

2.  Lazy river much?  Yeah.  We did.  Were we lazy?  NOOOOOPE.  For some reason, Blake was intimidated by the giant water slides.  So we spent most of the day chasing each other on inner tubes down the lazy river.  I'm sure everyone loved us whizzing by while they were trying to relax.  But hey, I ate a lot of pizza and I needed to burn off some calories! ;)

3.  The cleanliness of the pool/water slide area.  And the cleanliness of the hotel in general.  I give it four stars out of four stars.  It was THAT clean.

4.  The deal included food.  I should have attached this to number 1 but food always deserves its own number in the grand scheme of lists!  We got a large, two-topping pizza, an order of breadsticks, and four large drinks.  I should also mention that you get a complimentary hot breakfast.  Did we try it?  Um, no.  We accidentally slept in.  Sleeping is always better than food and should also get its own number on here but oh well....

5.  The room.  It was fun.  Was it all themed out like Great Wolf Lodge?  No.  But did it have bunk beds?  You know that's right (shout out to Burton Guster).

6.  The kids had a BLAST!  It was a surprise for Blake and he was over the moon when we arrived!  Little things like that make life GRAND!

Things we didn't like:

1.  And by "things we didn't like" I really mean, "things I didn't like."  First of all, the road the Queen (the name of my GPS) took us on for the final ten minutes into the great town of French Lick, made me want to vomit.  It was that bad.  I was in my "look straight ahead...nobody talk to me" mode.  I had to concentrate fully on not throwing up.  I curse that road.

2.  The fact that I had to don a bathing suit in November (clearly not a month I'm swimsuit ready....is there ever really a month I am?).  I was miserable.  So I hid in the lazy river all day and looked at all the gals who looked about ten times (or more) better than I did!  That's how I roll....

3.  Even though we had a king size bed and bunk beds in the room.....we all slept in the king size bed.  Random.  But it was fun (kinda).

4.  Everyone fell asleep early....except for me.  I was forced to watch Stanford get their trees (random mascot) kicked by the mighty ducks of Oregon.  And when I say forced....you know I really wasn't.  Oh how I love thee, football!!!

I can't think of anything negative, really.  Our one night in French Lick was rockin' and I recommend it to all those who were asking!  One thing we didn't do?  Drive by Larry Bird's childhood home.  Oh, I wanted to.  Time just didn't permit.  If I figure out a new way to get into the town (besides barfy road), I just might make another trip! :)

Please feel free to browse through my awesome, not at all blurry, iPhone photos! ;)

Lola is STILL a Destroyer!!!!!

In case you were wondering, Lola still makes it a point to DESTROY pretty much everything.  Most of the time.  Some other things she does?  Well, she refuses to get dressed and wears pajamas ALL day long.  Not only does she wear them....but she changes them about ten times a day (roughly).  Time to move the pajama drawer out of Lola's reach?  Perhaps......

Anyway, in case you don't believe that Lola is a terror (a cute terror, but a terror none-the-less....), here are some photos!  And I should mention this was all in a day's work!  It must be hard being two (almost three)!

First, she broke my ENTIRE jar of lotion by throwing it across the kitchen floor.  It made a fine mess.....a fine mess, indeed.  Then she got a CD of mine and broke it into several pieces.  It's a good thing I didn't label it because I might be in worse shape if I was pining away for my favorite tuneage!  Not knowing what it was makes it easier!  Then she came into the living room and scattered her movies and everything else she could find! It was a pretty ginormous mess.  Finally?  As if all that was NOT enough....she took her blue crayon and colored her hair.  Yes.  Her scalp, her hair....it's all in there (yes, that rhymes and no I wasn't trying...).

And through all the crazy, she ends up looking SO cute and I can't help but love her to little bits and pieces!  She melts my heart.....naughty OR nice.

Last Game!

Last Saturday was also Blake's last game of the fall season.  They played an older, undefeated team so we knew it would be tough.  And tough it was.  Blake's team lost 8-1.  OUCH.  It was bad.  But what wasn't bad?  The way Blake played!  I have never seen him play better!  He was aggressive, he had several shots on goal (all saved by the keeper), he had several awesome corner kicks, and he pretty much played his heart out. 

It wasn't the best way to end the season but it was fun to watch our team pass well and play with all they had.  I should also mention that we scored two own goals.  So their team had a couple freebies.  You're welcome.  Here are the only photos I took all season.  Yeah.  I'm convinced that my camera brings them bad luck.  And judging by Saturday's outcome, I'm totally right!  Here's to an awesome season, NUSC!