New Van and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I am off a few days to posting this.  I try to do it on the weekend.  But I am still doing better than I was before. So there's that.

Been quite a week.  So let me rehash...

I got a van!!!!  I am so happy!  It is beautiful!  It is a 2015 Kia Sedona White with grey and black interior.

God is so good to us. I looked all over the internet for a van.  I wanted room.  And I checked CarMax and Craigslist and many car dealerships for the right van, white, with under 50,000 miles, no wrecks, maintained, one owner, a good price and voila!  God provided.  Not only did He provide but He held it for us until we could get down to Larson Toyota in Tacoma!  We test drove it and bickered with them and got the price down and some extra's and a full tank of gas and I drove it home!!!  I was scared spitless because 1. it was Tacoma, 2. the van was new to me, 3. the traffic was busy, 4. we weren't really sure of directions, 5. it was Tacoma (bared repeating).  But we made it home!  I went and showed Karla and Madi first. Then I went and picked up Lauren from school because Papa was hurting and gave her a ride to Central Market and then to her house.  That was on Thursday the 15th!  What a great day. But my foot sure was swollen from all the driving.

Saturday was our family Thanksgiving.  We stopped having holidays at our house last year when it got to be too hard on Papa and me to get the house ready and cooking and baking and hosting. We would really rather just sit back and enjoy.  So Amanda volunteered.  She is an amazing hostess and cook too!  We went to Amanda's on Saturday and Aaron, Andrew, Joel, Karla, Dylan, Madi, and Kevon were all there and we had a fabulous dinner.  Lauren was a an overnight Debate contest. Tara and the group were having a birthday party for Riley. Heather and Jared came over for her party but we didn't see them because we were at dinner.  Later me, Andrew, Manda, Karla, Dylan and Madi played a game.  Kevon slept on the love seat,  Joel went home, Papa and Aaron were watching tv and us. NO one likes me to take pictures. People only like to take selfies but I did it anyway.  Karla and Dylan let me. lol

andrew

karla and son dylan (home from UW)

Madi hiding from my camera

taking a selfie sense no one else taking pics

dylan

amanda, karla, dylan (aaron in kitchen)

manda gave me pumpkin pie with a little whipped cream 

 We went home and our animals were very happy we were home!!!!

We didn't do much of anything else the rest of the week. Yesterday I was having low back spasms.  That always scares me because of my history with them.  I never want to go there again. My mammogram came back normal.  Paid off my Dell card I have had for about 15 years. That felt SO good!!!

We have Mac for a house guest for about a week.  He likes our big fenced yard so much!

Papa worked on putting up some outside lights yesterday and paid for it in pain today.  His knees have trouble with ladders.  He even had Rich, our neighbor guy, come over for the high spots.  We need to downsize this Christmas.  We are downsizing in the house.  I ordered a 4 foot tree to put on our table in the corner.  It was funny the other morning when I didn't wake until 8 a.m. and when I did Papa was pumped up. He is talking about all he is going to do by putting hooks way up all over the house to hang lights and all these plans he had!  After I woke up more I told him I didn't want him to do it.  I don't want lights up there. It would be beautiful but the ladder would kill papa.  It is strange how our body gets older but not our mind.  I always think of things I want to do and then find out I can't anymore.   I didn't know my back would end up so bad.  I didn't know Papa's knees, legs and hips would hurt like they do.  I am only 62 and papa is 69.  Sucks.  The saying is true that aging isn't for sissies.

Well, I will share my blessing from last week with you all!
On Monday and Tuesday I was thankful for our Veterans! And the ones in our family!

Tuesday the 13th I was thankful to God for Kevon, my blue eyed baby boy!  Unfortunatly when I posted on facebook I confused everyone and they thought it was his birthday and started posting happy birthday and contacting him. Manda called me and told me I should probably change what I wrote. Lol!

On Wednesday, the 14th my pick was my eldest grandson Andrew!!!!  I love this boy.  We have such a close relationship.  We know so much about each other, share our faith, problems, happiness, etc... Great young man!

NOVEMBER 15th thankful for Joel! Great son, husband, dad, and worker!

Nov 16th we are so blessed with our baby boy, Scruffy!

We've had him 5 years ago on Friday!

The 17th I chose for our grandson Parker to be our blessing! He is so sweet!!!

The 18th was picked for Riley because it is her birthday!!! She turned 16 today and I am so thankful for her and adore her!

Not only am I thankful on the 18th for Riley it was also her 16th birthday!!!

The 19th is for Heather, our daughter!

The 20th is for my brothers and sisters!!!

today~~~~ David, libby, lois, douglas and rick!!!

Well, I guess that is all I have to write about!  Papa takes the van to tacoma tomorrow to get a coating on the van inside and out and to check why the "pulse" I am suppose to have on mine isn't working.  What it does is the brake lights flash 5 times if I am stopping to alert cars behind me. I want that!!!! I am so paranoid since I was rear ended thus the bad back.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!! Ours will be quiet with just papa and I unless Kevon shows up.  But we are still making the works!

Jordy's wedding!!!!

A couple days late but I have a great excuse!  We had a wedding in our family!   Our first born grand daughter, Jordan, got married Friday to Tyler!  Jordy is Brad and Tara's daughter and our princess. She is so precious to us and I can't believe she is now married!!!  Seemed like yesterday she was just a giggling little blondie that always made us happy!  Now she will be making Tyler happy and he will be making her happy.  We pray for a very long and beautiful marriage for them! Here are a few pictures we took and borrowed.

church where wedding was performed!

It was a very quick wedding.  We couldn't take pictures during the wedding but we could during the reception.  The reception was a blast! There was a really good dinner of different pasta, fettuccine or marinara sauce, meatballs or turkey meat, garlic bread, salad, etc...  There were drinks served, cupcakes, and lots of dancing!  In one photo you will see that Lauren dragged Madi up there and they are laughing!  Kevon finally got Parker up there.  I am sure it shocked Heather!  Never got Dylan though.  I even got Papa up there for an Elvis song.  I got to dance a few times.  I could only last for part of the songs because of my back pain. That was the hardest part. But I still had fun! I think everyone did!  I thought I would be in pain the next morning but I wasn't.  We took a couple naps during the day.

It has been a tiring week so I a glad we've had these couple days to relax before the week starts again.  I am glad the grandkids have more energy than us because Lauren had an all day competition for band down in Tumwater on Saturday. Andrew had a photo shoot. Madi had her homecoming dance.  She looked gorgeous!

Trying to get myself together for this wedding was hard.  I ordered Papa two shirts which were both nice.  He chose the lighter one and it made his eyes look so green.  And he wouldn't get hot. Well, he froze most of the night.  It was a beautiful day and night but it was chilly outside.  He looked handsome.  The three boys (Kevon, Andrew and Dylan) all wore black shirts.  Dylan and Kevon wore grey pants but Andrew's were black so that made him the leader of their group. lol!  Everyone looked so great but mostly Jordy!

Anyway... I order two dresses and didn't wear either.  I was worried about freezing so I wore black slacks.  Found one shirt in silverdale but it was too big and I had to return it.  Then I found a pretty rose colored sweater that was really soft and warm and went with that. It had sequins and pearls on the front.  Everyone said I looked good which surprised me given the fact that I went and had my hair colored on Thursday.  Way too light!  I wanted some highlights so my gray wouldn't come out so obvious when it grows out.  Well, it doesn't look that highlighted to me...it looks a blondish silver color.  I think I look older but I got a lot of compliments there and on facebook.  So that made me feel better. 

The rest of the week... I picked up Madi after school with Dairy Queen chicken strips and blizzards.  She came to my house and we had a Pink Floyd marathon of a video and games.  It was fun!

Tuesday was a laid back day and on Wednesday was running around getting hair done and shopping for a shirt. We had lunch at Skippers which was really good!!!  Then Lauren came over to our house after debate for a while.  She came over Sunday too. We picked her up at Lindseys' house and she came over for Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Corn.  She loves it.  Then she had to go to Port Gamble to sell roses at a play.  She's always so busy it is hard to keep track of her. 

Birthdays last week were :  one of my favorite nieces, Alyssa, turned 22! Happy birthday Aly!!!! Love you!!!

My sister-in-law (more like a sister) Rita! Happy birthday Rita!!!  Love you!

My favorite drink at the moment!

My lighter hair

My dog waiting for Papa!

Today is our dog's 10th birthday!  Papa loves that dog more than anything!  He is sad he is aging.  For his birthday we are watching the Seahawk game with no volume.  Hearing the game freaks him out and causes him a lot of anxiety.  We've tried pills to mellow him out (natural for dogs) but it didn't help last week. So we read the game as we watch.  We are winning 20-0 gainst the Raiders right now.  And I get to see Marshawn Lynch (used to be a Hawk but got ready to desired and went to his home town where he grew up and decided to spend a year being a Raider.)  I do not understand why the NFL plays games in London. Don't the British call soccer football?  Who does it benefit to go over there and play?  Oh well, I don't run the NFL.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SCRUFFY DOG!!!!!!

I've scheduled my mammogram for the 24th!  Have you????  Have a great week!