I am trying to keep it at bay but the holiday frenzy is a buzz around me...the calendar is already filling up and of course there is way too many dinners in December and I've already had a conflict.  I'm scouting through all my magazines, looking for a new pie/treat to make for Thanksgiving.  I am the dessert girl and usually make most of the pies/desserts.  I'm also flagging any cookies/treats for my holiday baking.  It will be nice to have my sister close this year for the holidays because she loves doing the sweet treats as much as I do.  Is there a particular must have sweet that you are hoping will show up at the Thanksgiving dinner or that you will be making?  I normally do a pecan pie, two pumpkin pies, a fruit pie & then a few other more snacky treats.  Last year we made the Oreo turkeys and they were so cute.  I tried a maple pumpkin pie last year and it didn't really taste much different then the regular pumpkin.  I saw a cranberry/orange cheesecake that I am debating on but I still may make my raspberry cheesecake which is absolutely heavenly.  Of course I'm also gearing up for the Fuller Bowl, our annual big Thanksgiving football game tradition.

This week has been a busy one.  I have been doing a lot of extra duty cleaning to get ready to decorate for Christmas.  Yesterday I cleaned my carpets and did some major dusting & cobweb cleaning.  Moved all my couches to see what surprises were underneath.  My kids were delighted to find beloved toys they had been "missing"    I will not decorate for Christmas until Thanksgiving is over but I am itching to get my tree up a bit earlier this year then I normally do.  I am very excited to put my Willow Tree nativity set up that I got last Christmas from my sweet umms.  When do you usually decorate for Christmas?  Growing up we always put up our tree on Christmas Eve.  I am always too impatient to wait that long.   

Played our last game of volleyball on Tuesday.  We actually won the set which was a first.  We had won a few other games but not a set.  We would always stay pretty close to the other team but never could pull off a win.  I will be glad to have my Tuesdays back.  Not sure if we will play next session or not.  It starts in January I think.  Last night we went to High School Musical, a play some of our adopted kids were in.  Both my girls did a great job.  One was a brainiac and the other was a cheerleader.  I am always amazed at the local talent of our kids.  Some of those kids could really sing.  The Wizard of Oz that the other High School put on was also really good. 

Tonight is NEW MOON.  I am excited.  A bunch of us girls are getting together at my house and watching Twilight and then heading over to the theater for the midnight showing.  It is going to be good.  If your a Twilight fan - Whose team are you on?  I am very much Team Edward.  I was completely annoyed the whole time I was reading New Moon.  So today I am finishing up cleaning & I'll probably make some cookies this afternoon to munch on & serve them up with some homemade hot chocolate for this evening.

So I've left you with lots of questions so fill up my comment boxes   With that said I will leave you with a few random pictures of my cuties.

Yesterday I knew it was Veteran's Day.  However that did not make the connection to my brain that the library would be closed.  So I got all the kids dressed and to the library for story time and it was closed.  That was a lot of effort, getting three children ready, so I headed over to visit my Dad.  We ended up spending an afternoon over there and I did some shopping at Wal-Mart while they played so it all turned out ok.  I was planning on knocking out my grocery shopping also but after looking at the sales papers decided I needed to wait until today because they had a great three day sale going on.  Best deal was a coupon deal where I got three boxes of cereal for $1.50 a piece and would of got them even cheaper except now all the local stores will not accept internet coupons anymore due to so much fraud of them.  Grrrrrr!!!   But anyhoo, the sales were great even without coupons.  Kept pretty much in my budget (went about $7 over) but I got lots of extra stuff also for baking and tons of meat so I am quite happy with my deals. 

Having an early Thanksgiving Dinner with my family tomorrow evening.  Most of us will be going our separate ways on the actual holiday so my Dad decided he would just throw an early one.  I am sure everything will be delish.  We don't get together very much with my family as a whole so it will be nice.

I haven't done an update on the kids lately.  They are all doing well.  Avery is full of energy as always.  She is the biggest "helper" I have.  If your in the kitchen she will be right there wanting to help.  Her favorite food in all the world is potato chips.  She loves chips.  Don't freak out, I substitute a lot of other crunchy foods that she also likes.  She enjoys a good crunchy pickle, carrot and even loves raw potatoes to eat.  My dad got started on that   It seems as she gets older her and Aleigh get more and more in trouble together.  This past week it was getting candy out of the Halloween bowl and crawling underneath Ryan's bed and eating it.  I caught them in the act and they were grounded from candy for a whole day which was quite excruciating for them both.  They also got into my room and got out their make-up and some stamps from the school box and decorated up their cabbage patches.  They were a mess.  I should of taken pictures I know, but it happened to hit on the day where it just wasn't cute because they had been acting up all day.  I love how close her and Aleigh are.  They are just really good friends.  We are working on potty training and it is a slow process.  Lots of accidents still.  We did get her to poop on the potty this week so that was great!  She is such a rough neck and is always pushing the limits. 

Ryan is really developing a sense of humor.  His goofy side is coming out a lot more and he seriously gets me cracking up.  His newest thing is having his hood up all the time.  If his sweatshirt or coat has a hood on it it will be on.  If you try to put it down he will yell at you.  He really likes to wrestle with Avery and they are quite entertaining to watch.  I think they learned to do this from their cousins Tyler and Trey which wrestle often at family functions.  He still loves anything Super Hero.  When we redo the bedrooms I am going to decorate with big posters of the different characters.  One of his favorite things to play is being a puppy.  He also loves to play ball and have you pitch to him.  He does really well at swinging the bat and is quite coordinated for a two year old.  He is no interest in potty training.  He is going to be a late bloomer in that department.  So for the next two years I will be potty training.  Not excited about that. 

Aleigh is my sweetie.  She has such a big heart and I am always impressed at how she cares for others.  Her prayers will melt your heart.  She has really been looking for ways to help others this month as she has been learning a lot about this in Children's Church.  She is doing well with school and we are learning more complex sounds and getting closer to her reading.  She really hates writing though.  Especially writing her numbers.  She always sighs with disgust when I bring out the math book.  She loves to sing and sings constantly.  Her favorite thing to play is rock band.  Her and the twins will set up a whole rock band stage, instruments everything and put on shows.  It is quite entertaining.  As I tried to snuggle her up in my lap the other evening I got a big lump in my throat as I kissed the top of her head.  She just has grown so fast and I know way too soon I'll become the uncool mom.  I am cherishing the moments when she says that I am her best friend.  I am a bit concerned with her being boy crazy.  She is always talking about boys all the time.  Maybe she will get over it early and hate boys later?  Yeah, I can hope ok. 

As for us...the remodeling continues.   Hopefully the tub will be going in tonite for permanent and we can get busy finishing up the tiling.  I am really read to have my bathroom done.  Volleyball is almost over, we have one more game next Tuesday.  It has been fun but I am ready for a break from it.  Not sure if we will play next session or not.  Well, back to the daily grind...need to do lots of cleaning as always.  

• Anyone seen the movie advertised "The men who stare at goats"  Seriously people -- what a title.  I don't know how the people announce the title in the promo without cracking themselves up.

• New Moon will be arriving to theaters November 20th and I'm super excited about it.  Need to be getting my tickets soon. 

• Remodeling is still happening...slowly but surely.  I actually got to take a bath in my tub the other night.  It is not quite sealed in properly but was close enough for a test run   We now just need to set it in a setting compound and then glue the pipes and put a sealer on the grout and we are done with the tub   Onto tiling the floor and painting the walls - then in go in the sink/vanity, and toliet.  Then we work on the closet shelving and putting on the closet doors and then we are done  

•  I'm feeling kind of blah today.  Had some sad dreams and feeling a bit emotional over some things going on.  I seem to be always stuck in the middle in situations where I really don't want to be.  I don't really know how to feel at this point...nobody is saying it out loud but it is there under the surface...choose a side.  I'd rather not be on side.  Why should I have to choose?  I never created the division.  I've already went through this once this year and it sucked.  I lost a friend.  It was said the change would not affect our friendship but it did.  When the common bond that brought us together was severed it left jagged edges.  It is not like we never talk.  We do.  It is just not the same.  People move on and right out of your life.  Maybe not intentionally and definitely not outright, just a slow fade as they put that part of their life behind them, and you end up fading out too.  It is just easier that way.  Less messy, less painful, easier to deal with, a natural reaction to distance one self.  He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.  Proverbs 17:9    So that was what came out into my dreams, the pain and hurt of separation...a feeling I have experienced way too often in this lifetime.  I'm so tired of hearing everyone who has an opinion or a comment to say on the subject and more then once I have found myself biting my tongue at the audacity of the need of people to "vent" out their particular feelings.  Sure, I have no choice in the matter and it sure is your choice -- but oh be aware that choices made unravel behind you a whole string of people who are being pulled through it also, unwillingly.  "Please lay down your arrows, For they're sure to pierce the skin, And water from a broken well, Will make you thirst again, When all things you've acquired, Are tested by the flames, And you can see them melting, Then will you call his name"  The arrows are flying, I see things acquired melting.....and I am just trying to call on His name, to give me peace as I fight my feelings of frustration.