Decorating and Wedding

I love four day weekends. Everyday feels like a Saturday, or a Sunday, or who knows what day, but it isn't a Monday. :)

Friday, Nathan and I went to his family's Thanksgiving.  I think I'm officially a stuffed turkey.  His family are all good at cracking stupid jokes and puns. Which makes me laugh.  Don't start talking about eggs because they will 'scramble' to 'crack' more 'yolks' and while you might be quite 'white' they will still 'beat' you. :)

I started decorating for Christmas. And, I broke my tradition of not singing or listening to Christmas music until December 1st.  It seemed close enough and it would be silly to decorate and not sing. 

Christmas tree. :) I just need some eggnog now.

I'm quite excited about this little chalk board.

Last night, I got to serve at Ann and Grant's rehearsal dinner.  It was fancy. I wore black and white, served h'orderves with a towel, served from the right, and took from the left. I was glad I got to, because I love the families and I was able to see more of them in one place then I normally get to. 

Today was their wedding and Ann looked beautiful. Everything was so classy.  I'm so happy for them both. Ann was a role model to me. She was  so involved, successful, caring, adventurous, and cool. She traveled all over, did mission work, and still had time to talk to me in church. She was an example of how to not just be content with single-hood, but how to thrive in it.  And, when I was back in the stage of thousands of unknowns, she was the example I needed.  

Alas, the four day weekend is over.

Well, actually, we should be heading off to cousins night soon. So, it's not quite over. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Thanksgiving and Praise

Thanksgiving means a short work week but a full calendar.

Monday, Nathan and I went out to eat alone for the first time in months. We still have gift cards from our wedding, proof that we rarely go out to eat.

Tuesday, we went out to Pizza ranch with Matt and Lena and my parents.  That evening, Nathan helped me make two pies for thanksgiving.

pumpkin and apple

Wednesday, I took a client up to visit his sister in Chicago.  I dropped him off at 3:00 and had four hours to kill. I had called ahead and asked the Eisenmann's if I could crash there for a few hours.  It turns out they only live 15 minutes from the sister's foster home.  I'm so grateful for friendships and connections. :) I had a great time chatting with Cindy and her mom, and surprising Ryan and Sarah when they showed up. 

I picked up my client at 7:00 and made it home by 10.

Thanksgiving day, we went to church and then spent the afternoon and evening at Fred and Di's.

The boys played a game

relaxing on the couch.

In Church, Ron read Woodrow Wilson's 1916 Thanksgiving day proclamation.  I think it is one of the best that I have heard.  It seems to still be true today. Work has opened my eyes to the harsh realities people can face even here the the US and none of us can close our eyes to the diseases, terror, and persecution going on all over the world. 

It has long been the custom of our people to turn in the fruitful autumn of the year in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for His many blessings and mercies to us as a nation. The year that has elapsed since we last observed our day of thanksgiving has been rich in blessings to us as a people, but the whole face of the world has been darkened by war. In the midst of our peace and happiness, our thoughts dwell with painful disquiet upon the struggles and sufferings of the nations at war and of the peoples upon whom war has brought disaster without choice or possibility of escape on their part. We cannot think of our own happiness without thinking also of their pitiful distress.

Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do appoint Thursday, the thirtieth of November, as a day of National Thanksgiving and Prayer, and urge and advise the people to resort to their several places of worship on that day to render thanks to Almighty God for the blessings of peace and unbroken prosperity which He has bestowed upon our beloved country in such unstinted measure. And I also urge and suggest our duty in this our day of peace and abundance to think in deep sympathy of the stricken peoples of the world upon whom the curse and terror of war has so pitilessly fallen, and to contribute out of our abundant means to the relief of their suffering. Our people could in no better way show their real attitude towards the present struggle of the nations than by contributing out of their abundance to the relief of the suffering which war has brought in its train.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-first.

                          

Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

In Christ
~Michelle

November Business

We've been quite busy this month.
Last Saturday, Nathan and I spent the afternoon and evening with the old U of I crew.  Tristan had everyone from Nathan and my U of I generation.  It was a wonderful time, complete with games, catching up, and U of I silences.  :)   I always loved the young group there and I'm so thankful we take the time a few times a year to gather from our scattered locations.
I sadly, didn't bring my camera, so I have no pictures of the festivities.

Thursday, Aaron and Kendra had their baby. I got to meet him on Friday. :)
Hello, Mr William: 

He's cute

I got to hold him :) :) 

Friday night, we went to the PCA play. It was Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.   Tate and Kayla played the lead with Kyle, Kandace, and Carli also playing hilarious and wonderful parts.  They did such a good job.  I love Shakespear.  The lines are just hilarious, witty, and perfect.  Between my cousins acting in love, awesome lines, and great costumes and facial hair, I think I giggled through the whole thing.

This past Saturday, we had our potluck over. 
I love reasons to clean my house.

The table's all set :) 

We've been busy, but it has been good.  I'm not really enjoying the change of weather or lack of sunlight, so the business is a good diversion. 

In Christ
~Michelle

Friends

The past week has been filled with friends. :) I finally took the time to schedule things and I'm so glad I did. 
Last Saturday, Kaylyn came out from Oakville.  I took her rock climbing with Lena in the afternoon. 

She did really good for her first time. 
I'm so glad we were finally able to get together again.  I had a blast, even if it was only for a day.

On Thursday, I had the young group girls over.  We played games, ate food, pulled taffy, and sang. 

Grandma's taffy

:) lots of wonderful taffy.

How the taffy came to be: 
Thursday afternoon, while I was still at work, I was discussing with one of my friends what wonderful taffy weather it was. So, I got excited and called my grandma to see if she remembered the ingredients needed, if I had them, I could make taffy. Well, grandma must have gotten excited at the idea as well and she told me not to worry about it, she would just whip up a batch for me. :) I couldn't say no to that. 
It was the best taffy I have ever pulled. I've made that recipe many times before, it's just not the same. I have no idea how she does it. :)

Anyway, the girls stayed way later than I normally stay up, but I was having so much fun, I'm still glad. :) 

 I am so thankful for my years in the young group. When I was younger, the older ones always included me and made me welcome. I'm so grateful that I had their examples those first few years. Then, of course as we all do, I got older and my role changed.  I loved those years even more. Watching the younger ones come in, and getting to give back the wonderful experience I had when I was in their shoes.  Those girls became my friends and sisters in Christ and now that I'm married I don't get to be with them as much.  Which is my fault. And, I've learned my lesson that I need to work on that. :)

In Christ
~Michelle

Garden Grove and other things

 I don't like Halloween. *stepping on to soap box* I don't like the creepiness or nastiness of the decor or costumes. Children should not dress up like serial killers or prostitutes.  And, Once you are in high school, I think you should seriously consider if you are too old. However. I love creativity, I love imagination, I love little princesses, and firemen, I love that kids still love those things, I love candy, and I love the friendliness of door to door trick r treating in a small town. There you have my opinion of Halloween in a nutshell. :)
We got a few trick r treaters.  My first time ever to have trick r treaters! I was a little excited.  We had tons of candy left over, which is also exciting. 

Last weekend, Nathan and I went to Garden Grove with the choir. We took a bus with everyone else. It was a lot of fun. 

We had tons of left over candy from trick r treaters so I had fun throwing it at all of the boys in the back.  I played with the Leman kids a lot. :) They're some of the greatest kids I know. I mean seriously, who any more has an attention span long enough to play shadow puppets with me for a half hour? :) I may have enjoyed being a kid again. 

Saturday night we all stayed at a hotel. I stayed up late sitting by the pool with the girls.  Nathan hung out with some of the younger guys. They may or may not have been watching chick flicks :). tehehe. 

The singing went well, the church was very welcoming (though there were more of us), and the food was wonderful. 

the Garden Grove church. 

Despite the puking children, I didn't get the stomach flu, instead, Nathan and I both came down with terrible colds.  We ended up staying home from church Wednesday night and listening to the sermon online. 

:) it wasn't so bad.

In Christ
~Michelle