Thanksgiving 2012

Welcome back from a long week of pure bliss! The Cains had an amazing Thanksgiving, and I hope all of you readers did as well! The beginning of our Thanksgiving break was spent cleaning our house, watching movies, yard work, cooking, long naps, and staying up late. The last half of our break was spent running to see friends and family, eating too much food, not getting much sleep due to too much to do, UGA football, Corey Smith, and extra stretchy pants. Am I the only one that ate too much!? When the healthiest thing you consume for a week is sushi, you are in trouble! However, it was worth every bite! 

on the road again.

There were so many amazing things that happened this past week. I loved decorating this home we live it. I loved spending time with the love of my life. I loved seeing my family, and I loved spending time chatting with my friends. I also loved using my new favorite ‘Carley You Over Use These Words’ words. I may or may not be saying ‘outta control’ and ‘over the top’ way too much. Please excuse. #sorrynotsorry

We arrived in Jefferson on Wednesday afternoon. Coach had practice in the morning, so we left directly after that. We arrived in Jefferson about 3:30. Penny and I ran to town to buy Dub’s dog food (yeah, he has this special food that he doesn’t need, but likes??? And they only sell it in Jefferson. Yeah.) then we ran to Kroger. Not too bad. Then I went with my mom a few hours later. Outta control. Kroger was a mad house! I mean, I did not expect everyone to be buying food a few hours before the National Day of Eating Turkey. Time with my mom was great. We always end up laughing our heads off at everything. Again, outta control. That night we met some ok ok, LOTS of friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant. If you are from Jefferson, no need to tell you… Two of our friends have little boys that are 12 days apart. They are both the absolute cutest. I was on a mission to convince Coach that a precious little girl would be perfect to grow up behind those two cute boys. Mission NOT accomplished. This was the first meal of eating too much. (Thanks, Levoy for sharing fajitas, and not quesadillas.) For some reason, I have no pictures of this party. Strange.

Thursday was my favorite day of the break. Coach’s family tradition is to have Thanksgiving breakfast. I love this tradition. I love hash brown casserole, eggs, fruit, and quiche. Here are my favorite pictures from this event.

i love this tree

lots of just sitting around and laughing

so grown up.

This year I decided that it would be so fun to take some family pictures. Looking back I wish I had more pictures of my grandmothers and other family members. It is my new mission to take as many pictures as possible when we are all together. I want to cherish these memories forever! I also can’t wait to share them with my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We had so much fun doing this! Who would have known that Cole, Ansleigh, and Lauren were such naturals?!? Here are just a few pictures. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s Christmas card! I cannot wait until December 23^rd when my family reunites for pictures! I know that will be… well you know… (over the top!) 

my fave.

love them.

A few short hours later we drove to my family Thanksgiving. We are over the top loud, and I love it! I beat Bethany this year, so… you know… that’s all that matters about that!

The women in my family are outta control (Ok, I’ll stop) amazing cooks. I love love love my mom’s dressing, and my Aunt’s turkey is over the top. (Sorry.)

what is this?!

These precious little boys are just too cute for words. My mission for this day was to AGAIN convince Coach a precious little girl would fit right in. Mission NOT accomplished.

That night was the traditional “Black Friday.” Coach and I have gone for the past 4 years in a row. However, this year I was not as excited as I normally am. I mean, everyone was opening at 8pm Thursday night. I am usually still enjoying Penny’s Honey Baked Turkey for my fourth meal of the day. We decided just to go to Tanger to hit up some outlets. We got there at 10pm, bought from one store, went to bed by 11:30. I did wake up and run to Athens for some deals. I arrived in Athens at 1:00pm. Not so over the top this Black Friday. I decided that the year that we actually need something, is the year that we stop going. I never want to be on TV caught beating some kid up for a phone just to save a few $$$. So this year, nice, calm, and under control.

Saturday morning I was up at 6:45am to get ready to head to Athens. I may or may not have been bribed with Dunkin’ Donuts blueberry coffee, a new red scarf, and not questions asked about Christmas shopping limits. We were at the tailgate FREEZING at 7:30am. There was a nice lil win to end our week of pure bliss. 

I love this one picture. We have season tickets, and often the people around you do as well. All season long we have been blessed to sit behind this family from SC that consisted of 3 beautiful blond little girls. Two were twins in 6^th grade, and one in 5^th grade. They were precious. We would always chat, talk about the latest books, middles school drama, shopping, and lip gloss flavors. We would share food and drinks, and always make our bathroom/ concession stand trips as a group. Coach would always say… “I’m doomed! I’m looking at my future!” This weekend we were in one of our intense convos about shopping and Black Friday when one of the sisters said, “We didn’t go real shopping. Like, not in a big store like Target. We just hit a few boutiques.” Ugh… so stinking precious. We had to end our home season with a picture of our <hopeful> future. They were the best! I hope we sit with them next year!

Saturday night was filled with Shokatini with amazing friends. Ugh. I LOVE that place! Then a night of dancin’ my shoes off to Corey Smith… my absolute favorite.

Sunday we drove home, walked in, took a 45 min nap, unloaded the truck, set up our new chair,  (Thank you Penny! I’m so in love! It’s the new blogging chair.) ate frozen pizza, and went to bed. We were woken up by a kid trying to prank call his Coach. Well, let’s just say he got a text following his call with, “It was not funny. You woke me and my wife up. It will be painful for you tomorrow.” Just one of the perks of being loved!

WHeeewwwwwhhh….

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! The Cains for sure did!

Side note: I have a family friend in need of prayers! This precious family added a new member to the already beautiful family a little earlier than expected. They are all the absolute sweetest and I am sure they would appreciate extra prayers. Thanks so much!

As always,

LOVE LOVE,

C^2

Thanksgiving Break 2012

Thanksgiving Break is here! Ahhhh…. How I love being a teacher and relaxing for an entire week while we celebrate Thanksgiving. Although 2 days are Furlough Days, I am still a happy camper. Never having a “grown-up job” I really do not see the lack of the pay. So I am LOVING the days off. I also LOVE being a “two teacher home.” Although Coach leaves at 8am for wrestling practice, it sure beats leaving at 6:45am. It is very nice having the time together. Even if that time is me working on a mesh wreath that he thinks is silly while he is laying on the couch, or me sleeping on the couch while he watches some television show that I have no interest in.  On the second day of our break, I have already fallen in love with my daily 3 hour nap, and drinking coffee out of a mug.  When Monday rolls around I will be in complete shock without this! However, I am truly thankful for the time off to spend around the house and with family and friends. 

(I downloaded this and printed it from Pinterest Here is the link. Loved the fall decor.)

This weekend we had our First Annual Trojan Trot and Corn Hole Tournament. It was a HUGE success. Coach God placed this fundraiser in my lap for many reasons:

1)      To show me that a community can pull together.

21)      To show me that all I have to do is ask. Many people are willing to help!

32)      That I have an amazing husband that is so good with the kids he works with.

43)      I have amazing friends that are constantly proving how blessed we are to live where we live.

54)      God always has a plan.

It was lots of fun and a great way to raise funds for our wrestlers. However, I am happy it is over. It was a wee bit stressful. Just sayin’. 

(I got this print from the same place on Pinterest.)

So far this week I have done some extreme cleaning, Christmas decorating, <light> yard work, cooking, and movie watching. All of our Christmas decorations are up. Our baseboards are clean, the shelves have been dusted, and the floors are nice and sparkly. I am ready for Christmas. I have decided that I love getting Christmas décor for a Christmas gift. My thought is that you get to open it on Christmas morning, then pack it away for a year, then when decorating for the next year, you remember the greatness, and get to experience the thrill all over again. I have loved all of the cookie jars, plates, and ornaments that I get to decorate with. My husband shows NO excitement while I decorate, but hey… this is the FIRST year that he has helped me decorate. There was no football game to run off to on a Sunday night. Muahhhhhahhhh. (This is my inner laugh that I use when I feel that I one up-ed Coach.)

After the Thanksgiving holiday I plan to give a picture tour of our decorated house. I want to pay the turkey his respect, and not post any Christmas details yet. However, I have not held back on FB or Instagram. Sorry turkey.  

I am also working on a MacDaddy Thankful Thursday post for the Holiday of Thanks. I will say that tonight I am thankful for internet and blogs to read while my husband watches his highly nerdy History shows. I may want to add that he is the KING of history facts, and now I know why. He is intently watching this 3 hour show. He even pauses it when I need to say something. #nerd

I wanted to share my current obsession. I am in love with my camera. I have been reading blogs, sites, and any other informative material to better understand my camera. Tonight I am learning more about aperture. I think that I can now take my camera off of Auto. <woah> I think the time has come to learn more about the beast because I volunteered myself to take family pictures on Thanksgiving for everyone’s Christmas cards. Yikes. This site has been very VERY helpful! Check it out HERE. 

Other than that… our lives have been super boring. This is always a good thing!

Here are just some iPhone pictures with some brief descriptions.

 Saturday night we went to see Breaking Dawn Part 2. Yes, it was amazing. Yes, I was one of those people that cried. #lame

This is seriously how he sits at the heater. What a babe!?

I did this all by myself! It really isn't perfect, but I LOVE it. (Yes, I know, I said I would wait on the Christmas pictures. But, I wanted to share a bit.)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. 

 

Love love,

C^2

Is it Friday?

Just some Tuesday Tidbits for you reading pleasure. Although I have nothing of great importance to blog about, and I just went on a minor rant about only blogging about things with great passion… I instantly break my newly made rule to bring you nothing of great importance. I do however, love sharing all the absolute randomness of my life. Maybe I will add an amendment to the rule and still allow myself to inform you on all of the hoopla in the Life of Carley. Ok? Sure.

Friday night was our <last> football game. I would like to go on the record and say that GHSA really had no idea what they were doing with this “Power Ranking” business! Oh, you have no idea what I am talking about? Well, we were 6-4. We were 3^rd in our Region. 2 teams that we beat, they get to go to the playoffs, and we do not. Yeah. I will save the heartfelt rant for someone else. (Sorry to all the coaches at the wedding that had to hear me vent about this.)

I am sad that football is over. It is seriously a way of life around here. I have no idea what I am going to do with my Friday nights now. I am also sad to be losing my Sunday afternoons. Tears may be filling my eyes as I type. It will not be the same camping out in the bedroom with the little T.V. as I watch Lifetime movies…. The big T.V. is just better…

I wanted to share a few of the pictures from the game. I love my husband, and the passion he shows on the field. 

My husband now has wrestling practice daily, and seriously a tournament every single weekend from now until the middle of February. He came home smelling like a foot. He quickly informed me that he was wrestling with some of the guys to give them practice. Yeah… the life we live. There are no words. My husband now wears wrestling shoes…. Yikes.

More of the weekend recaps:

Saturday my husband left me for a “Men Weekend” with his BFF. I have decided not to make too big of a fuss about all of these weekends that these two men go on. I have also decided to save all the trips that they go on, and plan one BIG MONSTER “Ladies Only Weekend.” I am thinking Mexico. Shannon?? Any ideas? You agree? How many trips have they been on? Oh yes, enough to pull the card for a MacDaddy trip. 

Coach went to the GA game, I went to Jefferson. My cousin’s son had his 1^st birthday party. I love his sweet smile! I also love the fact that I got to spend time with my sweet family. Then Saturday night I went to a wedding. It was absolutely beautiful! There was not a detail left out. The reception was actually at the same place our reception was. It was nice to revisit! (As a guest!) It also made me soooo ready to help my sweet friends plan for their big days. Beth? BJ? 

Camo

Bethany

Mama

Aunt Doni

Bentley. The sweet Birthday Boy! #sweetestsmileever!

Sunday was my favorite day of the weekend. I was able to go home to Southside. Listening to Jeff makes so much sense. He seems to always preach on topics that need at the time. It is a clear representation that God sees all of our struggles and wants to lead us through them. I cannot express my love for that church. I think that it is safe to say, it is one of the biggest things that I miss about the 30549. 

Other random weekend facts: I got my very first Christmas tree. In the past I have always had a tree that was handed down to us. Those are the best, but it was very nice to pick out one that I love and actually decided on. I cannot wait to put it up this week. (I want to wait on cooler weather. I also want every inch of the house to be cleaned first.) Strange? Yes, I am.

Monday was just a Monday. When it was over, I felt like the next day should be Thursday. However, this is our last week before Thanksgiving. We have an entire week off! Although Coach has wrestling practice, I plan to enjoy NOT setting an alarm. Oh wait, I never set an alarm. I rely on my husband to wake me up for thirty minutes straight. Ahhhhahhhaaaa. But, seriously, no school for a week will be oh so very nice! I plan to do some more extreme cleaning around my house. I just asked Coach if he would clean the bathrooms this week. I would have given ANYTHING to have taken a picture of his face. I asked, “Will you clean the bathrooms?” He heard, “Will you stab yourself in the foot will a dull knife?”

Ohhhh the joys.

I also may or may not be already putting some little random Christmas decorations up here and there…

I hope everyone has a great week! 3 more days!

Love love,

C^2