Life Lately

Hey Friends!

It’s always tough going back to work after a holiday isn’t it? You realize just how good you have it at home and with family, that the longer you are off, the harder it is to get back in the groove. And the minute I returned, I also returned to being on call for 48 hours straight. Needless to say, I’m glad the week is almost over!

Today’s post might as well be entitled “Photo Dump” because that’s what it is: a photo dump of Thanksgiving and life latey. Be sure to leave me a message in the comments of what you accomplished during your break as well!

We currently have three Christmas trees up, and I really want to get a live one this weekend just because. However, this beast you see here near about defeated us! It took two full grown men to assemble, and while I usually do the decorating, Judson didn’t want this graceful chick anywhere near a ten foot ladder with my very pregnant belly. He said it was becasue of the baby, but I’m pretty sure it was more to do with my clumsiness.

In the words of my “almost daughter” Kara, “Miss Jean Claire, you have the grace of a rhinocerous.”

That was right before she took the canoe paddle away from me at nine years old. What can I say?!

This kitty NEVER lets me take his picture, let alone in such a cute pose! Sweet Jinx.

I made it just in the knick of time to have lunch with Mom for her Thanksgiving. She wasn’t very talkative, but she kept asking about the pumpkin on the table and Peanut. Pumpkins and Peanut? Two of my favorite subjects!

Seeing this picture of my pregnant face so large is scary. I should have “fixed” myself with an app, but who cares? The point of the selie – the red Starbucks cups! They make me so happy!

#alwaystea #nevercoffee

Meet Kipper Bounds!

Did I get you? Ha! No, I didn’t get another animal, but that’s probably what you first thought. I got to dogsit Miss Kip over Thanksgiving for a friend – another Bounds. Kipper learned the meaning of farm dog for a few days and had a blast with Ellie and Sadie.

I had a pre-Thanksgiving “Daddy Daughter Day Date” with Papa John and Uncle Greg. We were just being silly waiting in those good ole rockers at Cracker Barrel.

(I wonder how many comments I will get this time…”You look just like your daddy!” Yeah, I know. But at least my facial hair hasn’t come in yet.)

I tried to preset my Thanksgiving table, but those plates were too small for a Thanksgiving feast! I left the chargers though, and my father in law may have thought they were plates…! Gotta love him!

My brother and I took several attempts at a parade selfie with the chihuahua. He’s so photogenic and sweet when he cooperates. But 99% look like this. You know you put your paw over your face when someone tries to take your picture too!

The best we could do. Look at that paw on Uncle T. Precious!

I posted this on my Instastories – Smudge was obviously loving the parade…

Just a few shots of the food…

After lunch everyone took off for his or her activities.

My inlaws (Bounds of course) brought their pup to Thanksgiving, so we had a grand total of SEVEN Bounds pets running wild.

Peanut was fine missing all the activity in favor of a post-turkey coma. My mother in law may or may not have brought Little Nut a container of meat all for himself… (He can’t have salt or seasoning because of his heart.)

#rotten

He did wake up for a late afternoon ride on the Ranger.

Sadie and Ellie rode too, but they managed to jump off, swim in the creek, chase squirrels and get nasty. Nut would never risk getting that dirty.

Right where he prefers to be – between me and Papa John.

Obviously my dad doesn’t care for cats. But Jinx doesn’t seem to mind loving on him anyway! I caught them cuddling asleep together one afternoon not too long ago, but dad swears in his defense he thought it was Peanut.

Jud and his farmhands!

We went for one family Thanksgiving picture and this is what I get. A 40 year old man putting bunny ears on my chihuahua.

I got up super early and went Black Friday shopping and came home to snuggle with my sweetie.

My pitiful attempt at a grown up North Pole breakfast. I have till next year to master it for Baby Bounds.

Excuse the dirty windowsill, but I caught the cats trying to break jail.

Also this past weekend was the arrival of the KCS Christmas Train in Newton. Apparently rails and trains are a big deal here. I just wanted to go cause it was pretty, and I’m all about anything Christmasy!