christmas for thanksgiving

i am finally getting around to posting after our whirlwind visit to TN after thanksgiving. so, really, here's how it played out trip-wise.

and let me back up a bit before that... i was able to be on call the thursday before thanksgiving. but, then i worked the friday, saturday, monday, tuesday, and wednesday before thanksgiving. yes. sunday was my only day/night off. but after that i was off for 7 days. small price to pay. babies don't stop coming for the holidays, and this year was no exception. it was crazy busy that week. oddly busy. oh well. it's over and done with. and i digress (as i usually do).

so, i came home from work on thankgiving morning, we packed and made a few pit stops and then it was on to kingsport. (the doggies stayed with steven, kelly, and harley- and had a great time, too.) we made it there, jay visited and i napped. we ate. we visited, watched football, i napped some more, and it was off to bed after that. we got up friday morning and headed to nashville. we made it in friday afternoon around 1:30pm and left from my parents house around 5:30pm sunday night. quick trip. but, we celebrated christmas with my family and i had all of the shopping finished that i possibly could then, too (which is about 85% of all of it). so we delivered gifts and spent time with our families and just relaxed when we could. this time around, we stayed at jay's mom's farmhouse with mamaw stella.

sunday afternoon we spent at my parents' house and we got to see phil, samantha, and courtney (my almost 3 year old) niece for the first time since last christmas. (jay didn't even see them then.) we had a great time visiting and playing with courtney and enjoying the busy-ness that embodies a toddler. she had fun following us around and telling us all sorts of things. she kept close tabs on both me and jay and if we left the room for too long, she would come to find us. then my grandparents and aunt and uncle and sweet cousins came to visit and watch some titans football. it was great to see everyone, i just wish it could have been a longer trip. next time, i suppose. here are some pictures from sunday afternoon.

i knitted a scarf for courtney, but she wasn't so sure about it when it came to putting it on.

i got her a touch and feel book about dogs that she seemed to enjoy.

family picture

the granddaughters... lindsey, me, and haley

courtney showing off her ponytail holders. lindsey (and myself) wear them on our wrists (you never know when you might need one!) and when courtney sees lindsey's, she must wear it too.

we had a great, although short, visit. i don't know when we'll get to go back it'll be for a longer period of days. (and, hopefully, it'll be post rockslide clean up!)