Three Times Thankful

The Christmas season is in full swing, but I want to be sure to remember what a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend we had this year.  I celebrated with three different feasts, and my days were all about family, family, family.  What a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season!

On Wednesday evening we had our annual dinner at our house with Nana and the rest of the Young gang.  Lawrence tested out his smoker and prepared a delicious smoked turkey (which was good, because the one I prepared in the oven didn't quite go as I'd planned!).  He did a great job and that bird was mighty tasty.

Iron Chef Lumpy

We had a really nice night eating some delicious food, watching the Cats play and just hanging out.  The weather was unseasonably warm so there was even some late night basketball outside.

Nana samples the feast

Time to relax with some sports

Nana and her grands (missing Taylor!) 

Late night hoops

On Thursday we slept in and enjoyed a big breakfast before watching movies all morning.  I started decorating for Christmas and that evening we went over to Dick's for another delicious meal.  As stuffed as we were from eating a big breakfast and leftover turkey for lunch, that didn't stop us from indulging again!  We had another relaxing night hanging out, playing cards and watching football.

Dick teaching Lawrence to play bridge 

These guys can't wait to have Taylor home
later this month!

Badoo and his grands

Master gamers, Tee Tee and Syd

On Friday morning Shannon, Claire, Sarah and I headed to Russell Springs for lunch with the Lacy side of the family.  There were 35 of us, and it was great to see so many cousins (first and second!).  Mom, Aunt Sherry, Aunt Marilyn and Rosanni fixed such a delicious meal - they mastered all of Grandmother's recipes perfectly.  

The Lacy girls can cook!  Mom and Aunt Sherry did a great
job making our feast all come together.

Papa and Sarah 

Brian and Rosanni, here from Florida with their three
sweet girls 

Grandmother and Shannon

Emily, climbing trees with the cousins 

Time to eat!

Four generations - blessed! 

All the Lacy first cousins, except Ash and Khaki - I knew
I should have grabbed them before they had to
leave (college kids always have somewhere to be!)

I was pretty much ill on the ride home from Russell Springs - three feasts in three days had done me in, but I remember feeling so content and relaxed as Shan and I rolled down the highway chatting and listening to tunes with the girls.  With the exception of not getting to spend any time in Jamestown, I felt like I got to spend so much great time with my immediate and extended family.  It sounds so cliche, but really, what a blessing.  I love having all our parents so close, still so strong and active...I love having so many cousins and that my kids know their second cousins (at least quite a few of them).  I love that while the food is good, getting to reconnect with family is truly what makes Thanksgiving special.  Three feasts not only made me physically full, but also filled to the brim with gratitude for another precious year of living my life with the people I love most.  

Now it's time to bring on the jingle bells!   

Banquet Week

This week we celebrated the end of the fall sports seasons with John and Sarah's football and field hockey banquets.  John's banquet was on Monday night, and the team gathered in the gym of the Hikes Point Christian Church to enjoy pizza (it's great for the owner of Tony Boombazz to be on the team!) and fellowship and to celebrate the end of a terrific season.  Lawrence was the master of ceremonies, and he kept the program rolling along (every parent who has ever been to a banquet thanks him for that!).  First the boys had dinner...

I don't think there was a slice of pizza left!

...next, each coach awarded the boys he led with their trophy...

#99 accepts his trophy

...and Lawrence called each of his offensive linemen up and offered very kind and encouraging words to each of them.

The line - the unsung heros!

These two put in countless hours on the field since July - I'm glad to have them back home at night!

Congrats on a great season!

Thursday night was Sarah's banquet, where we gathered in the club house of the Owl Creek neighborhood.  Karem's catered our delicious meal and the girls enjoyed one last night of being together as a team.  

The freshman

All the varsity players being honored by Coach Nelson

Hanging out with her girls before the festivities

Sarah was excited to learn she made the all star team for the South Oldham tournament, and she added yet another varsity letter to her haul!  

Fall sports are officially behind us, but that doesn't stop my sports loving family from finding something to do!  At this moment the kids are debating if they want to go watch the CAL varsity football team in the playoffs tonight or stay home to watch the first UK regular season basketball game.  And they will both be playing basketball and indoor field hockey this weekend (and going to swim practice throughout the week), so I guess our sports seasons are never really behind us - we just change our uniform!

Happy Friday!  

Happy Halloween!

While the the kids are getting older, and the costumes are getting simpler, we still love to get together with our family on Halloween.  Halloween fell on a chilly Wednesday this year, so the trick or treaters were light, but that didn't stop us from having our annual chili dinner and trek around the neighborhood!

Lawrence was the head chef, preparing the chili and other yummy appetizers...

We visited and had dinner before our group assembled to head out...

Stuffed after a yummy dinner

This year we had a rapper, a blind NFL replacement ref, a pumpkin dog
who wouldn't face the camera, UL QB1 Teddy Bridgewater, and
Jets QB Tim Tebow

Soon we were off to get some treats...

Our trick or treaters are looking a little big...

...while Meme and crew stayed behind to pass out treats at our house

These trick or treaters look big too!

I know our trick or treating days may be waning, but this has always been such a fun night for the family and it's a tough tradition to see changing.  I think next year it's on a Friday night, so we may have one last big hurrah before the kids are ready to all hang out with their friends on Halloween.  Even if the kids aren't around, you can bet anyone is still welcome at our house on Halloween - the chili will be on the stove!

Time Warp

It's definitely Halloween season, and weird things are happening, like waking up and realizing that the entire month of October is over!  What a jammed pack month we had, filled with many fun events and time with friends and family.  Here's a highlight:

CAL Homecoming

The first weekend in October brought the CAL homecoming game and dance (Sarah's first!).  The traditional Friday night parade before the game brought out my favorite coach and player - can't wait to watch John play in the high school homecoming game one day!

Happy Homecoming!

Saturday night brought Sarah's first high school dance, and she looked so beautiful as she headed out with all her friends.

Gorgeous!

End of the Fall Sports Season

October brought the end of field hockey and football, and my two Centurions were ready to say good bye to the fall sports season and say hello to swimming and basketball.  This was a good season for both of them...some wins, some losses, but through it all there were fun times with friends, growth in character and many great memories were made.

Well done #19!

See you next season #99

Big Blue Madness

The second weekend in October was a busy one.  On Friday night we headed up to Lexington for Big Blue Madness, and the kids (and their dad!) loved seeing this year's line up.  While they missed the great stars of last year's team, they are excited about watching the Cats this year!

25th Waggener Reunion

The next night I had my 25th high school reunion (SAY WHAAAAAT????)  I had a great time catching up with some folks I haven't seen in eons!  I usually don't get too excited for my reunions, but this one turned out to be really fun.

Wildcats!

Eric Church

That Sunday night Lawrence and I headed to the Yum! Center for the Eric Church concert, which was soooooo good.  We've loved him for so long, and we even went to see him down at Coyote's when he was first starting out - what a difference 10 years makes!  The arena was packed and he put on a fantastic show.  A country concert will always be our favorite date night!

Love a night out together!

Atlantis!

The third week of October brought us to our much anticipated trip to the Atlantis to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary.  We've been planning this trip for almost a year, and it was worth the wait!  For four days we had a ball in the Bahamas (and dodged a serious hurricane!), and I'm so grateful we got to spend this time together.

50 years of marriage = one blessed family

Fall Scrapbooking Retreat

This past weekend I spent my annual 36 hours at Country Lake scrapping with my girlfriends.  I brought my camera and was so busy scrapbooking I forgot to take any pictures of us!  But before I left on Sunday morning I did snap a quick picture in front of the fireplace.  I couldn't agree more with what the flower pots say on the mantle - I have much to be thankful for!

Happy Fall Ya'll!

And There Goes September...

I am so grateful for my pictures.  As the weeks fly by in a blur of work, sports and school I tend to get caught up in the business of life and go to bed feeling somewhat overwhelmed and exhausted.  Then I take some time to scroll through all our pictures from the last few weeks and I see how blessed and rich my life is.  Without my pictures I may have already forgotten...

helping Mom and Dad move to their new house...

Ready to load up!

Mom finishes up the kitchen

Dad works on the office

...or I may not have remembered the super fun night we had at the Brown with the Yates, Shepherds and Higgins at the James Beard Foundation 7 course dinner (with wine pairings!).  Lots of delicious food (don't ask Lawrence about the diced ahi tuna with pickled watermelon)...

Fun group!

...I might not remember that we had to get up really, really, REALLY early the next day for the CAL Classic field hockey tournament...

Sarah takes a shot on goal

... and then head to John's game to watch CAL take on the East End Warriors (a brutal game, made a bit better by fans Rich, Lori, Tanner and Badoo coming to cheer them on!)...

Man, these kids are BIG

... and I want to remember what a great time we had at Wicked, especially going with Nana, who is the ultimate Wizard of Oz lover...

Feeling wicked!

Without my pictures I may not remember seeing Lawrence go down after Sarah's game on Friday night and congratulating her on her three goals she scored.  He doesn't get to make it to a lot of her games because of football, but he was there for a good one, and I know she loved that hug...

Proud Daddy

...and a Happy Girl

... and I wouldn't want to forget their team winning their tournament the next day...

...or racing to the Carrie Underwood concert that night with Claire and Shannon (thank you for wonderful birthday gift!).

Fun night out!

My pictures allow me to taste life twice, and savor the memory of good days that are going by too fast.  I think of our sweet friend Marie Garmon, who lost her life in a car accident a few weeks ago, and as I look at my pictures I realize there is something worth remembering every single day...not just the big events, but the little in between stuff...cooking dinner, running errands, dashing to and from practices and games, going to work...it's all wonderful and all worth savoring, every single bit.