Thanksgiving 2011

I've noticed that November seems to be the month of lot of things on the Facer. No-shave November, pleas for new Thanksgiving side dish ideas, oh, and football. I don't think I can open my home page without seeing someone comment on something football related. I've also seen statuses of people stating one thing each day for which they are thankful. I don't get on FB everyday so I didn't feel inclined to join the Thanks movement. Instead, I decided that I would make my list and post it for Thanksgiving thereby allowing me to publicly state my gratitude AND fulfill my weekly post obligation that I've promised myself. So, here goes, in absolutely no particular order. I tried to make it all rhyme, but failed. I'm only doing 24 because Thanksgiving is on the 24th this year. If you don't like it, feel free to add in your own.

1. I'm thankful for having another year to give thanks.
*I know, that's a lame way to start, but I couldn't help it.

2. I'm thankful for completing law school. No, it didn't go as well as I had planned, but I did it. I wish I could say that having a law degree is rare and special, but I'd be lying. It seems like everyone and their mom has a law degree these days. Yay for jumping on the bandwagon.

3. I'm thankful for a job. Not all of my law school friends have jobs and I couldn't be happier about mine. I get to work in an area that I like and am familiar with. Some days I am good at what I do, some days, I am not. But hey, I'm still learning. As they say, it only goes up from here.

4. I'm thankful that Matt and I are finally married. It was years in the making, from before our births, I guess, and now it has finally happened. We couldn't be happier. Nope, that doesn't need an exclamation mark. It's a statement of fact. Yes, there are strong feelings involved, but the period won out in my mental debate of which form of punctuation to use.

5. I'm thankful for my mom. She and I have had our differences over the years, but when I need her most, she's always there. She orchestrated the perfect wedding. Nothing could have made it better. I'm thankful that our relationship is now that of two adults. While she is still my mom and I call her every so often for motherly advice, for the most part our calls are just to chat, not find out the best way to cook potatoes.

6. I'm thankful for Marla. We are both very different than we were six or seven years ago, but essentially, we are still the same. I'm logical and at times, boring. She's spontaneous and fun. I think we've always been that way and will always be that way. She kind of evens out my seriousness and I (like to think) keep her in check. Like we've always said, if we were one person, we'd be perfect and far too much for anyone to handle. And. I'm thankful that she's graduating in May. Dr. Mar is almost official!!

7. I'm thankful for having been able to spend time with my mamaw and nanny here on Earth. They are both gone now, but I'll never forget them. The holidays are hard without them, but we carry on their traditions. Christmas isn't Christmas without someone using a Saltines box as gift packaging. Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without rolls - they don't have to be homemade, they just have to be delicious.

8. I'm thankful for Daddy!! He always knows the right thing to say to make me feel better. He is the backbone of the Jordan family and we'd all be lost without him. The guitar-strumming, firewood cutting, fantastic-bench-making backbone.

9. I'm thankful for Nicholas. He has decided to bite the bullet and get his degree. I'm hoping the spring or summer. AND... he is getting MARRIED in 2013. Trust me, that isn't that long away. Laura Beth is going to spend Thanksgiving with the Jordan family. I hope she is ready because we tend to get a little loud.

10. Jeffrey and Kat have a baby!! His name is Henry. Even though I've only spend about five minutes with that bundle of goodness, I'm pretty sure that he's perfect. Jeff is still working hard and Kat is completely occupied with Henry. I'm glad that they are ready for that, because I am not.

11. I'm thankful for having the Margarets in Shreveport. From crafting to Top Model, I've loved being able to spend non-law related time with y'all!

12. I'm thankful that Judith is almost done with everything. I'm glad that Kyle's diabetes is under control. And, I'm ready for a Roberts baby. But I can wait until y'all are ready. Also, I'd like to be an "aunt" to said Roberts baby.

13. I'm thankful for having fantastic friends like Ash and Jada from high school. We certainly were a handful back then, and some things haven't changed. I still can't believe that Jada has kids and the older of the two is nearly four! Just imagine what changes will take place by this time next year. Crazy.

14. I'm thankful for the washer and the dryer. I admit, being the one in charge of the laundry has goes in 'cycles' of fun (get it!), but there's no way I'd willingly do more than I have to by hand. Thank you Mr. Fisher!

15. I'm thankful for Giselle. No, we haven't always seen eye to eye, but she kept Matt company for the past three years and has made him happy. She may not say much, but she does the darndest things. Including barking at 5 this morning. Thanks G. Really.

16. Papaw!! I'm so glad that he is with Mom and Dad now. He's less lonely. We don't worry about him being on his own as much. Mom can take care of his needs (with a little help). But most importantly, he isn't alone anymore. He gets to be a part of everything in the Jordan house. AND, he doesn't have to travel for the holidays! He's already at the hottest place in town. Over the years I've learned a lot from him. Like how silence is a good thing. How showing true character isn't always what you say, but how you act.

17. I'm thankful for all the support Matt's parents have given us over the past few months and the upcoming few. That fourth year of medical school is a whopper on the back account. They've let Matt borrow their car for a month to drive to and from Georgia. They've given Matt a place to stay while he is off pursuing his dream. And they've given me peace of mind. That's a lot for me, a planner.

18. I'm thankful for the colder weather that is bound to come and stay for a bit. I like low electric bills and snuggling. Notice, I said stay for a bit. This little breeze isn't going to last.

19. As mentioned in my last post, I'm thankful for chocolate. I'm so glad that there's something material that loves me as much as I love it. I mean, once I eat it, it never leaves. Just look at my hips!

20. I'm thankful that Christmas is coming. I really like Thanksgiving, but Christmas is my favorite. I love the music, the decorations, the extended family time. And of course, the reason behind it all. I love hearing the Christmas story and knowing that little baby Jesus grew into the ultimate sacrifice for me. That's something to be thankful for, for sure.

21. I'm thankful for my health. In this day and time when injury and illness seems to run rampant, I'm glad that I am healthy. The prognosis looks great for a long and happy life.

22. Kind of like Giselle, I'm thankful for Emma. She has made Nicholas happier just by being there. I'm glad that he has her and I'm looking forward to meeting her tomorrow!!

23. I've been waiting for this number! Matt, I'm so thankful for you, and not just because you wash the dishes. I'm thankful and incredibly blessed to have you in my life. The past few years have been tough, but we're done with them. We're (finally) married and will get to see each other almost every day of our lives. Granted, some of those days may be through Skype, but still. I wouldn't have traded the past for anything and am loving the present. Our future is going to be incredible.

24. I'm thankful for K-Love. I listen to it almost every time I'm in my car, and it really does make me happier. Sometimes the stories make my cry, but the songs fill my heart with joy. I'm a huge fan K-Love, just not during the pledge drives...

Alright, done.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

S'more to love

I have a minor confession to make.

There are few things I love more than chocolate. Sometimes, it takes a bite of plain, unadulterated ambrosia to get me through the day. And other times, chocolate and I hang out just for fun; no dependency at all. One of things I love about chocolate is that it can be used to create so many wonderfully wonderful sweet things. Like s'mores. Like homemade s'mores. Like deliciousness in a not-so-tidy sandwich. Like this:

Matt created that s'more from scratch. Well, all but the chocolate. He made the graham crackers and the marshamallows. And he made the biggest mess our kitchen has ever seen. And then he left for Georgia the next day. I'm still not sure I have all the powdered sugar out of the grooves in our kitchen floor. Okay, I do, but it WAS a super big powdered sugar explosion. I'm not sure going through all that trouble was something worth doing every time I get a hankering for a s'more, but it was special. And delicious. And messy. And since there was a whole pan of marshmallows and graham crackers, more to love.

Peaches, Pandas, and Picture Shows

What do those things have in common?

If you said "they all start with the same letter," you'd be right. If you said "Georgia!," you'd be more right. In the multiple choice test of life, the answer "Georgia" wins.

Over the weekend, I went to visit Matt in Augusta. I flew!! On a plane, not with my own wings. I don't have wings.

I have to be honest though. While we did see pandas and a picture show, we didn't eat in peaches and the only peaches we saw were pictures. Like in the one below.

Augusta is very close to South Carolina - like 10-15 miles. I don't remember exactly. I was too busy looking out the window at the fall colors that I've never seen before. I didn't take any pictures so you'll just have to take my word for it. The foliage was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

No, we didn't go see a Star Wars movie, we went to see Puss n Boots. It was cute, funny, and slightly inappropriate. This cut-out was just begging to have Matt's face in it. I think he played his part quite well.

Here's a snapshot at the gates of the University of Augusta. We were stopped at a light beside it and I just had to go get a picture with it. That's right, be jealous.

That's it. Four pictures worth posting. I didn't take any pictures at the zoo, none of the pretty leaves, nothing from the many airports I was in. I couldn't take a lot of pictures; I was too busy holding my husband's hand. Six more days and he'll be home!!

As Seen In Shreveport - Halloween edition

Yeah, yeah. I know it is past Halloween. Let's face it, I get distracted. It happens. This post took a lot of research, so it took me a little longer to get it ready. Enough with the half apologies, let's get on with the Halloween overload.


Lately, I have been taking it to the streets to get some exercise. Thanks to Pinterest and the latent creativity of the residents of South Highlands, Shreveport, my route was full of seasonal scenery. I took my camera with me a couple of times to take pictures of my favorites. Trust me, this isn't everything that I saw. I didn't get to take a picture of the inflatable-laden, over-the-top Halloween house because its residents were always at home. I'll go out again tonight and see if the decorations are still up. There may be a Part 2!



First, the wreath for Margaret:


That owl is adorable and looks like it would be fairly easy to recreate. MM, I've decided that you need a wreath on your door. What do you think? Christmas is coming!




Next up, Mr. and Mrs. Scarecrow.
I thought this couple was just adorable. They didn't always sit on opposite ends of the bench though. I guess in this picture they were in a fight. I hope they've made up by now.


Next, the cat.

When I first looked at this house, I thought the cat was just a statue or cutout. Then it turned its head. I might have shreiked.

And the spider house.

Spiders are creepy. No doubt about it. This house was probably the creepiest. I actually wanted to go take a closer look to see how they made the spiders but was a little afraid. Not of the people. But of the spiders.

And, finally. The monster house.

This one obviously took a lot of time and thinking. I noticed that I wasn't the only one who took a picture of it. It's visible from a popular park in the area and I'm sure was enjoyed by many. Thanks house residents, you really took the extra step and made me smile.

I hope you all enjoyed the Halloween edition of As Seen in Shreveport (an ardent love style). Be on the lookout for a Christmas follow-up. I just need to figure out how to make my camera take pictures in the dark...