'Twas Two Months After Christmas

And this morning in the house
The mother's guilt was stirring, much more than that of her spouse
A blog post with pictures had never been completed with care
Even though St. Nicholas had shown up and been there

So when the cranky toddler was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of fruit snacks and raisins danced in his head
Mama in her PJs, with computer in her lap
Hoped that the baby would continue to nap.

Then the keyboard produced such a clatter
As memories of Christmas made her post grow quite fatter.

 OK...enough of the rhymes.  Seriously though.  A Christmas post two months late?  Shameful.  Even though it's very late, I want to document our Christmas adventures.

Kaden met Santa for the first time at our ward Christmas party.  The interview did not go well, but we did get a free candy cane out of it:

Since we went to my parents' house for Christmas this year, Santa visited us early in  Kinston, so we wouldn't have as much to haul home in suitcases.  We went over to Gigi and Poppy's house, so everyone could watch Kaden open his presents.  While we were there, we opened our gifts from Chad's family as well. . Here are some of the things Santa brought Kaden:

His very first real soccer ball!  It's a size three, and he is quite the champ at dribbling this little baby. Here he is, excitedly showing his ball to everyone in the room, and to Kenzie, Tanner, and Aunt Meredith who were Skyping with us.  

Here is Kaden's captive audience:

 And Aunt Lauren and Uncle Tyler helping him open one of his gifts.  This year was a lot more fun, since last year he just cried every time he heard the paper tear. 

 Just when it looked like there were no presents left, the big Kahuna was discovered in the living room:

 I hear Santa got a killer garage sale deal on this little baby.  Somewhere to the tune of $3.00.  Not in mint condition, but a great used model, since it's his first car.  We figure he's likely to wreck it anyway. 

Here is Kaden showing off for the crowd at our early Christmas celebration.  He kept opening the car door, getting inside, getting out of the car, then slamming the door, and doing a funny dance move.  We found it hysterical.  As soon as Kaden knew we were laughing at him, it was game over.  He is such a little ham and loves to show off.  (I can't imagine where he got this from . . . certainly not from his mother! Cough. Cough). 

We also had a wonderful time spending two weeks with my family in Utah.  Grandma Joy and Uncle Jim were there along with my parents, Jared, Bryan and Lizadel, and their sweet little girl, Adeline. 

We did all kinds of fun things while we were there.  My favorites were eating home cooked goodness and spending lots of quality time in my pajamas.  My second favorites were eating at Cafe Rio and In and Out repeatedly.   (Anyone sense a trend here?)  We went out to eat (oh, dear, there it is again) with my lovely friend Stephanie and her husband Cameron while we were there as well.  Sadly, their sweet little boy wasn't able to  join us. 

Kaden wasn't so sure about Addy, mostly because he saw her as a huge source of competition.  He wouldn't let me hold her at all and would scream, "My mama!!!" anytime I went near her.  Don't worry though, I got lots of cuddle time with my beautiful niece when he was asleep at night. Here are some cousin shots of Kaden and Addy together:

 I particularly like this one, as it sums up how Kaden regarded Addy most of the trip:

 Since Kaden's photos with Santa at our ward party in Kinston hadn't gone over too well, we took him to see Santa at the mall in Utah just before Christmas.  The photographers there had a great drop-the-baby-from-behind-so-he-doesn't-know-what's-coming-approach that worked wonders.  Unfortunately, I don't have a digital image of the picture.  It did turn out really cute though, and their Santa was stellar!  Real beard and everything!

We had a big scare on Christmas Eve when Grandma Joy had a stroke.  She had to spend most of Christmas day in the hospital as well.  We are so thankful that she is OK and recovering well.  She's a real trooper and is doing speech therapy to help her recover from her stroke.  We celebrated Christmas together after Grandma got out of the hospital.  We had an AMAZING dinner, featuring prime rib (we used The Pioneer Woman's rub recipe...to DIE for) cooked nice and rare.  I also made 48 delicious, buttery crescent rolls.   

Here's the table, all set:

Kaden was very spoiled by west-coast relatives as well.  I feel bad for my child, since he is clearly not loved, nor does he have anything to play with.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures of the gift opening.


One of my favorite parts of our trip was going to see the lights on Temple Square.  They always do such a spectacular job.  They've added some things since we'd last been there, and it was absolutely beautiful.  My friend Callie met us there, and it was also great to see her. 

Our vacation flew by all too quickly.  We had our traditional Jensen family New Year's appetizer feast a day early, since we flew back to NC on New Year's Eve.  Bacon tomato tarts, crab and cream cheese wantons, and spinach artichoke dip were just a few selections on the menu.   We got back to Kinston just a little after midnight; our New Year's kiss was shared in the car.

Christmas time is one of my favorite parts of the year.  I love that it is a time we think about giving.  A time when we remember the Savior.  There's just such a special feeling associated with Christmas.  Christmas 2011 was no exception for us.

A Mushy Love Post

No, this post isn't about Chad, although I love him, too.  This post is about the love and adoration I have for my neighbors, the Howards.

Coming across these pictures is what prompted this post:

 I took these right before we all moved to Cary, because I wanted to remember Kaden playing with the Howard kids.  Looking at these makes me cry, and cry, and cry.

When we bought our fixer-upper on West Highland Avenue, I was new to Kinston.  I knew the Howards, but I didn't really know them.  It was nice thinking we'd have a good family living across the street, but I had no clue how lucky we really were.

How do I love the Howards?  Let me count the ways:

1)  I love all of the yummy treats I've gotten to devour thanks to Stephanie's amazing cooking skills.  There is nothing as wonderful as getting a phone call with her on the other line asking if we'd like to "try" some of the dessert she just made, or hearing the doorbell ring and seeing a cute blond child standing there with a plate of gourmet cupcakes.

2)  I love how gorgeous their yard is.  Even though it meant that my yard always looked like complete crap compared to theirs, it was so nice to gaze out the window and see something pretty.  No matter the season, it always looks so lovely.

3)  I love all of the walks I've taken with Stephanie.  She is the kind of friend to whom you can tell anything.

4)  I love all the walks Stephanie has taken with my child.  Let me ask you something:  Does your neighbor call you up and ask to "borrow" your infant or toddler, even if he's cranky?  No?  Well, mine does.  Not only that, but she usually tells me to go run errands while she has him.  I know.  Be very jealous.  Stephanie has served our family in so many ways, big and small, and she always acts like it's no big deal, even when it is a huge inconvenience for her.  For example, she once kept Kaden for an entire day for me while I was still teaching, and it was her husband's day off! 

5)  I love that I have been able to watch a Supermom (not to mention Superwoman!) and learn from her.  Stephanie is such a patient, loving mom.  She is such a hard worker!  She is the kind of person who makes you realize you can do anything. 

6)  I love Landon, Joel, and Allison.  I love them.  And I love how much they love our Kaden boy.  I think Joel would give Kaden every toy he owns if we let him.  Every time we go over there we leave with a basketball, a truck, or a book.  I love all of the coloring book pages we kept posted on our refrigerator from Allison--beautifully executed designs with inscriptions like "To KR" (Katie Reese) or "To KF" (Kaden Fox).  I love all the amazing deals on magazine subscriptions I've gotten thanks to Landon's school fundraisers.  I just love the Howard kids.

7)  I love that even though the Howards aren't my neighbors anymore, they will always be like family to us.

One of the saddest parts of leaving Kinston is leaving our amazing neighbors behind.  I've tried to convince them to move with us, but to no avail.   I hope when we buy our next house we'll find new neighbors to love, but somehow I doubt they'll hold a candle to the Howards.  We already miss them so much!

Their house smelled strongly of gerbils, although they had no pets . . .

It's true.  The apartment where we are living smells like gerbils . . . and cat urine.  We affectionately refer to the upstairs office as The Gerbil Room.  It's kind of like when you go to a fancy hotel and they have specially named rooms.  Only, not really, because one doesn't really look forward to residing in a place referred to as The Gerbil Room.

Let's backtrack a bit, shall we, so that you can understand what would possess us to inhabit a place that smells like a mall pet store.

You may recall that Chad got a job in Raleigh that began at the start of December.

You may recall this left me in Kinston as a single parent four nights a week, while he stayed in Raleigh Monday through Thursday nights for said job.

You may remember that I was teaching for all of December and January.

Well, the story doesn't end there, folks.  Let me pick up where we left off.

After the semester concluded at the end of January, I immediately brought Kaden to Raleigh and we spent a couple of days apartment hunting.  I imagine apartment shopping can be fun if you have an unlimited budget and an adult companion searching with you.  Unfortunately, a very limited budget and a rambunctious toddler were my accomplices on this journey.

Since we will be paying our mortgage AND rent until our house sells, my options were pretty limited when it came to apartments.  I spent weeks before hand scouting out areas online, reading tenant reviews, and reading posts on Craigslist, trying to find something suitable for six months to a year of habitation.  When Kaden and I set out for our hunt in the early morning hours, what looked like a bleak situation became a hellish one.

First of all, several of the places that had looked OK online, just didn't look as nice in person.  In broad daylight.  With scary people wandering around the parking lots.  One place wouldn't even let me see the unit I would be living in until I signed a contract.  Ummmmm, can I say RED FLAG?! 

Secondly, several of the places that had seemed like a good deal online, actually tacked on numerous extra charges that weren't mentioned on their websites.  For example, one dump was going to force us to pay for cable.  The lady kept telling me, "cable is included with the apartment."  And I kept wanting to say, "Lady, if you're charging me an extra $25 a month, that doesn't mean it's included."  We haven't paid for cable our entire marriage.  We had cable TV for free during the Provo years, but since then, we've been a rabbit-ears antenna household (with a little Hulu Plus and Netflix mixed in occasionally for good measure).

Finally, I had a toddler with me while discovering all of this information.  I want to give credit where credit is due, and so, therefore, I've got to hand it to Kaden.  He was as good as he possibly could be.  But he is a toddler, and after a certain point enough was enough.  He also pooped six times during our excursion.  SIX.  TIMES.  He would always do his business at the most inopportune times, also.  We'd just be pulling out in a golf cart with someone to go look at a unit, and I'd get a whiff of death.  Plus, he HATES having his diaper changed right now.  That made the diaper pit stops quite the adventure.  If we hadn't had a portable DVD player with Cars, I don't know how he would have survived the car rides.  We went all over the triangle area. 

By the time late afternoon rolled around, we had to take a break, because Kaden was dying for a nap.  We went back to Wake Forest where Chad was staying, I put Kaden in the pack-n-play, and then I hid on the stairs (you can't be in the same room as him if you want him to fall asleep), and I cried.  Then, I prayed that I could find some place that was safe and decent for us to live for a few months.  A few minutes later on Craigslist I found someone looking to sublease a townhouse in Cary from February through mid-July.  I immediately emailed them.

When we went to see the place, I noticed a slight pet odor, but I figured, "Of course it smells like pets!  Pets are living here!  Nothing a little Febreeze can't fix!"  And so, we signed a lease on a three bedroom townhouse in a perfect location for us, for only 10 more dollars a month than the two bedroom hovels at which I'd been previously looking.  Plus, because it is a sublease we didn't have to pay a deposit. 

Even with the lingering pet odor, I still think we made the right apartment decision.  It is slowly getting better, with a lot of carpet powder, Febreeze, and Nature's Miracle Pet Urine Eliminator.  I am just terrified that someone is going to come into our house, look around for pets, and assume we must urinate all over our floors when no kitty-cats are to be found.                 

Once, in November, Kaden turned 15 months old . . .

 I was feeling super guilty about no pictures of Kaden at 15 months, and then I remembered that our family Christmas card photo shoot was in November.  Perfect!  Since we can't seem to get enough of this little guy, we took lots of photos of just him, too.

Kaden's 15-Month Stats:

Weight -- 23 lbs. 3 ozs.  (29th percentile--I think they might have made a mistake on this???)

Height -- 32 3/4 in. (89th percentile)

Head Circumference -- 48 1/2 cm. (83rd percentile)

You've Been Lettered

Dear Mackenzie,

Please come back to North Carolina and play with Kaden.  I know he pushed you quite often, and that he was terrible at sharing, but the truth is he adores you.  He kept trying to throw his soccer ball to your picture today (and was quite frustrated that you weren't catching it).  During bath time, I could tell his splashing just wasn't the same.  I hate that you and your cute baby brother have to live so far away.  Colorado's too cold.  Convince your parents to move here instead.

Love,

Your Aunt Katie 

Dear School Secretary,

Let's just say that our 30 second telephone conversation, combined with your snide tone, didn't make me mourn the fact that Friday is my last day at work.  Did no one teach you the golden rule as a child?

Sincerely,

The teacher who thinks she's already stepped up to the plate by not getting a pay increase during the last four years

P.S.  A lot of people, myself included, think you are a meanie.

P.P.S  Since we're being honest, let me get a couple more things off my chest.  Every time you get on the intercom and ask a student to come "have your picture made," a small part of my soul dies.  It's "have your picture TAKEN."  Southern idiosyncrasies are only charming when nice people have them.  Oh, and also, sometimes when you get on the intercom and say, "Teachers, please excuse the interruption," I yell at you, even though you can't hear me.  I do this with students present.  "NO!"  I scream, as I shake my fist furiously.  Because really, let's face it, nine times out of ten is the interruption REALLY excusable?  I didn't think so, either. 

Dear Grant and Jessie Jones,

I think I have single-handedly devoured an entire tier of your wedding cake.  Thank you for getting married, so I can gorge myself with lard-topped divinity.  I know it was Loni who gave the cake to my mother-in-law, but without your joyous union, my current calorie fest would not be possible.  I owe it all to you!

Sincerely,

Someone who is very sorry we're leaving Kinston just as you're moving here

Dear Chad,

I hope you're not expecting to see any wedding cake in the freezer when you get home.  No, seriously, I hope you're not . . . Also, I haven't been on a scale, but I think there's a high probability that I'll be ten pounds heavier by the time you return on Friday evening.  You may have a hard time recognizing me, so I thought I should give you fair warning. 

Love,

The woman who eats another piece of cake every time she starts to feel lonely

Dear Students Who Wrote Nice Things on My Evaluation Forms,

I love you, too.  I am glad that I made a difference for some of you.  On the way to school each day, I prayed that the time I had to spend away from Kaden would be spent blessing the lives of someone in some way.  I know that you are capable of great things.  Believe in yourselves!  I will miss you (even though I won't miss some of your classmates).

Love,

Mrs. R.

Dear Baby Fat Roll That Used to Be on My Toddler's Wrist,

Where did you go?  When did you leave?  The other day as I cuddled with Kaden and read him a story, I saw that you were missing, and I started to cry.  I know my little one has to grow up; I just wish it didn't have to happen so fast (and while I wasn't looking).

Sincerely,

A Nuzzler of Baby Fat Rolls

Dear Single Parents,

Since the beginning of December, I have joined your ranks  four nights a week.  I don't know how you do this all the time, but mad props to you.

Sincerely,

One Tired Mommy 

Dear Publishers of F is for Farm,

My eighteen-month-old received your book as a Christmas gift, and he adores it.  I adore it, too.  There's just one thing:  Why did you choose a pedophile to pose as the farmer inside the barn?  All of the pages have such darling photos, pop-ups, and moving parts.  Imagine my surprise when my little boy opened the interactive barn page, only to see this harrowing sight staring back at us:

That's just plain creepy.  Perhaps you had a hard time finding a suitable farmer to pose for a photograph.  Allow me to make a suggestion:  Drive to central Washington.  Locate a little town called Moses Lake.  I can think of at least a half a dozen older gentlemen who can do the trick.  One of them is my own grandfather.

Sincerely,

A slightly disturbed bedtime story reader

Dear Research Papers,

I know you need to be graded.  I promise you will be finished by Friday afternoon, when grades are due.  Right now I have more important matters to attend to, like writing this blog, perusing Pinterest, and signing random petitions to stop Internet censorship.  

Kindly,

A Procrastination Pro      

Merry Christmas, 2011

For those of you we have no address for (but whom we still love dearly), and for those of you whose Christmas cards came back to me return to sender this year, I wanted to post our Christmas letter and Christmas card photos.  I hope your holiday season was a beautiful one!

 

tor·tu·ous adjective

full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.

 

A Tortuous Timeline—The Reese Family’s Experiences in 2011

January – Katie finishes up teaching at North Lenoir High School and begins life as a full-time mom.  Kaden eats his first rice cereal and enters the world of real food!

February –Kaden gets his first tooth, just before his six month birthday.  

March – Kaden tries his first park swing.  Chad and Katie continue to change lots of diapers.  

April – Kaden and Katie fly to Utah and take a road trip with her parents to Washington.  In Moses Lake, Kaden sees cows for the first time, meets his Grandpa Great, and plays with some of the same toys his mother did as a child.  The tour of Washington then continues to Seattle, where they visit the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, explore Pike Place Market, and eat a plethora of delicious foods (all prepared by amazing family members).  

May – Chad and Katie close on their first rental property, meaning they will don painting garb for the next month and a half while completing their renovation project.  

June – The unexpected happens when Chad is told he will not be employed after August, due to company downsizing.  His search for a new job begins.  Katie, Chad, and Kaden introduce Katie’s aunt MalaRee and cousins Chloe, Hayden, and Sterling to the beauty of North Carolina beaches (and ocean water warm enough for swimming) when they come for a short visit. Chad and Katie become landlords when their first tenant moves into their rental property.

July— Chad kindly lets Katie and Kaden fly to Utah for another two week visit with her family.  Kaden takes his first steps a few days following their return.  Chad catches his first sail fish while deep sea fishing with his dad, brother, and sister-in-law.  

August—Kaden celebrates his first birthday at his circus-themed shindig, eagerly devouring his funfetti cupcake.  Katie signs a contract with Lenoir County Schools and returns to the work force as a high school English teacher.  Chad stays home with Kaden as a full-time dad.  Hurricane Irene leaves the family with no electricity (and thus with no air conditioning) for five days.

 

September – Chad’s parents generously take the family to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a weekend getaway.  Katie’s brother, Bryan, comes at the end of the month for a weekend visit during military leave.  

October – Kaden, with a perfected roar, makes an adorable lion cub on Halloween.  

November –Chad is offered a job with Capital Bank in Raleigh, giving everyone something extra to be thankful for (just in time for Thanksgiving).  A “For Sale” sign appears in the Reese’s front yard.  Katie informs her principal she will be moving at the start of the new semester (end of January).

December – Chad starts his job in Raleigh, leaving Katie as a single mom four nights a week.  Chad’s dodge ball team wins the championship tournament for the third year in a row.  Suitcases are packed for Utah, where Christmas festivities will be enjoyed with Katie’s family.  

 

Our Dear Family and Friends,

     What a year it has been!  While the tortuous path we’ve been on this year may not be what we had in mind, it has certainly been full of blessings in disguise.  We are excited for the many changes the New Year promises for our family.  As we celebrate Christmas and contemplate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our hearts are filled with gratitude for him.  We are thankful also for a loving Heavenly Father, who has been aware of our needs through the many twists and turns we have experienced this year.  We hope you have a wonderful holiday season.  We love you!           --Chad, Katie, and Kaden Reese

Black Friday

Once a year, I brave the elements and risk my life for discounts on products I don't really need.  Once a year, as I melt into a puddle of exhaustion following the aforementioned excursion, I question my sanity.  What is it about Black Friday that is so irresistible to me?  I honestly don't know.  But even last year, when I was my infant’s only source of food and could only venture out for a few hours, I didn’t miss it.  I couldn’t miss it.  I had to go. 

This year, the sales began earlier than ever before, which was a bit unsettling for a purist like me.  I don't want to sound like an old geezer telling, "Back in my day" stories in a nursing home, but honestly, I don't like this stores-open-at-midnight garbage.  Not cool.  Luckily, the biggest ticket item I was after was a Sonicare toothbrush, so I didn't have to sacrifice family time on Thanksgiving day to sleep in a tent outside of Best Buy like some loonies.  I did, however, leave my home at 9:15 on Thursday night and was chauffeured to the Goldsboro Target by one of my favorite people and shopping buddies, my sister-in-law, Lauren.

We immediately got in the line (which already reached the end of the building) and started to wait.  And wait.  And wait some more.  It was cold.  Luckily, even though my husband seemed to think it was going to be 65 degrees outside (this is the same man who once told me it never gets cold in North Carolina when I asked him what to pack for my sister-in-law's wedding in November) and that I wouldn't need a coat, I had decided not to trust his opinion on this issue.  My bright red, puffy coat kept my upper half nice and toasty, and the fact that I paired it with a bright green scarf, orange sweatshirt, and blue toboggan made it an especially stellar fashion choice.  Luckily, Lauren loved me enough to still stand next to me. 

As the line at Target grew, so did our tobacco consumption.  While I didn't puff a single cigarette, I can guarantee I inhaled a pack and a half of nicotine through second hand smoke.  We were surrounded by smokers, none of whom seemed too concerned about where their smoke was blowing.  At about 11:00, we started making a list of everything we would remember to bring next year:

1.  Lawn chairs
2.  Supplies for a hot cocoa and warm cookie stand, so we can make a killing (Seriously, why has no one maximized on this profit potential?!)
3.  Hand warmers for our pockets
4.  Long underwear
5.  Longer socks
6.  Blankets

Just about the time that I thought I might die from a cigarette smoke induced headache, we heard the huge cheer signaling that the doors were being opened.  We prepared to run.  Target uses very organized methods on Black Friday, so we had received maps while waiting in line, and we knew exactly where our items were hiding.  Lauren was going to charge for the GPS and portable DVD player on our list (luckily they were stashed in the same display in none other than the grocery department), while I hit the healthcare aisle in search of the electric toothbrush.

Target also only allows a certain number of customers to enter the store every fifteen seconds.  This also helps in containing some of the chaos.  Some, but not all.  It never fails.  Every Black Friday there are the same people, trying to sneak in line (like those of us who have frozen our tails off for the last gazillion hours are going to somehow magically not notice that they have pushed their toasty-from-the-well-heated-car behind in front of us).  A lot of the time, these people get away with their mischief, but nothing makes me happier than seeing those individuals get what they deserve.  It is like a little piece of justice in an unjust world.  This year, a blonde middle-aged woman in a pink sweatshirt had the nerve to tell the security guard that, "There is no sign saying I have to wait in line," also adding that she would, "need to speak to your manager."  No sign?  Here's your sign, Pinky!

This is when my love for Black Friday really comes into play.  Suddenly, it doesn't matter that no one in line has known each other longer than a few hours.  We are suddenly comrades, brothers in arms.  We have fought the good fight, and we're darned if we're going to let anybody reap the benefits of our hard work.  The people in front of us were linking arms to barricade the woman's attempt to pass.  The cigarette-puffing broad behind us was vocalizing the fact that her boots, "weren't made for walking, they were made for kicking *ss."  My sister-in-law and I had no problem snitching to the employee at the entrance with a walkie-talkie by saying, "It's her!  The one in the pink sweatshirt!  Don't let her in!!!"  Nothing made my heart happier than leaving the store, my desired purchases tucked neatly in my plastic bag, and seeing Pinky still being held in custody outside.  Waiting her turn like everyone else.

After Target, we had a decision to make.  Belk was giving out gift cards ranging from $5 to $1,000 to the first 250 customers, and their doors opened at 3 a.m.  It was now only about fifteen minutes after midnight, so we thought we might have a shot at getting one, depending on the length of the line.  We wanted to get some hot chocolate at the Starbucks inside Target, but decided not to chance it.  What if there were already 248 people in line?  The potential for that $1,000 shopping spree was too enticing.  In hindsight, we should have gotten the hot chocolate.

The two lines at Belk looked pretty promising.  We hopped in line behind a woman who had braved Walmart for a Power Wheel jeep for her daughter.  As much as I love Black Friday, you could never pay me enough to go to a Wal-Mart for the occasion.  Have you been to Wal-Mart on a regular shopping day?  What about that experience would suggest that a $2 waffle iron is worth a trip there during a time that promises a battle to the death with thousands of other crazed customers?  It was while in line at Belk that I learned why bums sleep on cardboard.  Lauren had a piece in her car, and we plopped right down on that sucker.  Sitting in line is so much better than standing in line (see item #1 on list of things to remember for next year).

About an hour into our wait outside of Belk, we started to realize that there were way too many rule-breakers at this location.  The line in front of us wasn’t getting longer, but it was certainly getting thicker, as people came and joined their “friends” who had been saving them places in line.  The thicker the line became, the thinner our dreams of getting a gift card.  After a brief discussion, we decided to leave and go to a store that was already open, so we didn’t have to sit out and freeze for what was likely to be $5, if anything. 

Maybe I’m getting old, but when we saw the line to checkout at Old Navy, we walked straight back to the car.  Nothing in that store was worth waiting in that line.  We decided to drive back to Kinston, pick up some McDonald’s, and try our luck at the Belk there, since we knew most people had probably gone out of town to do their Black Friday shopping.  We figured we could then hit up the JC Penny at the mall there before going home.

We were devastated when the McDonald’s wasn’t open, but we met some delightful friends in the line outside of Belk.  We got to hear about the wedding plans of one line buddy’s son, shared our cardboard and airline blanket with an elderly woman, and listened to the woman in front of us recount the pepper spray incident she had witnessed at Wal-Mart a few hours earlier.  (Remember what I said about Wal-Mart?  Heed my advice people:  nothing there can possibly be worth it!)  We both got gift cards, although neither of us was the lucky $1,000 winner.  Lauren got $5 and I got $10.


We finished up at JC Penny a little before six, and after a Bojangle’s bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, I was snuggled warm in my bed.  I woke up three hours later.  When I really stop to think about it, nothing I purchased was something I desperately needed.  The sleep-deprived stupor I spent all of Friday and part of Saturday in was not a delightful experience.  I still have to do some Christmas shopping.  I can’t justify the six hours between midnight and daylight that I spent shopping.  I don’t know why I did it.  But I will tell you this, the time I spent crumpled in a tired heap on a dressing room floor, giggling with my sister-in-law, was pretty much priceless.  There is just something about Black Friday that keeps me coming back year after year.  Maybe it’s OK that I can’t quite decide why.   

Our Life is About to Change

In a big way.

Last night, Chad and I bought a lottery ticket.

Sinful.  I know.

We were at the gas station and the billboard next door was proclaiming in giant red letters that the jackpot had reached a whopping $245 million, and we caved.  Consider it our donation to the NC education system.  (Speaking of, WHERE is that money going to in the education system, anyway?)

It's pretty clear to me that this is the solution to our unemployment situation.  Why hasn't Chad found a job yet?  Oh, because we're about to become millionaires!  It's all making so much more sense now. 

Don't worry, I won't forget about any of you when I wake up tomorrow fabulously wealthy.  

All of That Practicing Really Paid Off

Kaden actually roared like a lion after every prompt of, "What does a lion say, Kaden?" while trunk-or-treating/trick-or-treating.

His costume was a huge hit.  A huge shout out goes to my mom for making it happen. Considering my only contribution to the project was cutting out the pieces and sewing a great deal of the body with basting stitches, which had to be reinforced by her later, I owe it all to my mom.  (If you're reading this, the mane was magnificent, mom.  I'm sorry it took so long to make.) 

We took some pretty awesome videos of the lion cub in action.  Unfortunately, it is late, and they are taking forever to upload, so I'll have to post those later.