Not Quite What We'd Planned!

Have you wondered where I've been?  Well, wonder no more!  Even before Thanksgiving, the Nagle5 household was crazy busy.

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the local ski areas in our neck of the woods opened early...way early.   We couldn't believe it...we love to ski!  So, bright and early (but not too early!) Sunday, the kids and I headed up the mountain.  Look how beautiful it was...BEFORE Thanksgiving!!

Charming and Buttercup helped each other get their gear on.  (Look at the trees...aren't they gorgeous?)

Don't they look ready for a fun day on the slopes?

Unfortunately, before I could get a terrific picture of Valiant, I got this picture.  Yes, this is what you think it is. This is what happens when you come down the slopes via Ski Patrol toboggan.

First we were at the First Aid Station...aren't the flamingos a festive touch? (Kate?  Flamingos at the First Aid station?!)  Ski Patrol gave Valiant a hot water bottle to take the chill off while they figured out what the boy did to his knee.

They had to cut open his "actually long enough jeans", which caused his mother a twinge of pain.  Turns out he broke it...sigh.

Next stop, the ER.  Look how kind Charming was to point out where the injury is?  (Okay, he was actually threatening to poke it!)  A few x-rays and a CT scan later, it turned out Valiant had a fracture of the tibial plateau. 

Monday saw us at the orthopedist (holiday week=crazy schedule).  Fortunately, he didn't seem to damage the meniscus or the ACL, so, if he can keep from displacing the fracture until the 5th of December, he'll have a quick and easy recovery (otherwise we're looking at surgery).  We definitely had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  (Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep a 15-year old immobile for another week.)

So, our first ski outing this year was not quite what we'd planned.  Still, the conditions on the mountain were awesome until the mishap and we all had a blast.  Charming and Buttercup are ready to head back up the mountain and I'm right there with them (we'll just have to find something to do with Valiant while we are skiing)!

A quick update...I just had to label something else!

Superman said that telling you about this needs to be considered an update to my labelling gone mad post, but I think it is more like a little bit more Thanksgiving decor.  Either way, he wanted to see how it turned out and doing it was fun and made me smile.  So, file this under OCD or file it under Decorating, whichever works better for you.

Moving right along.

Remember my mantle here?

Notice the row of Ikea tea lights?  I've had them for years and I love, love, love their simplicity.  Still, I thought they were a little blank, so I whipped out my Silhouette machine and added a little seasonal touch to them. 

 
What do you think?  Still simple, but just a little more festive, don't you think?

Look at this teeny turkey!  Isn't it cool?

I really love how they turned out.  The best part?  I just peel them off on November 25 and have my simple white tea lights again.  How terrific is that?

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I order my vinyl from Expressions Vinyl where I can get a 9 x 24" sheet of vinyl for $1.59, so I don't have to have a huge role of a color I won't ever use up.  (This little project took 3" off my 24" length, so I still have quite a bit left for any other madness that my overtake me.)

Fall Decor...Heading Into Thanksgiving...

Well, Halloween is put to bed for another year and with it are our Halloween decorations.  Yep, I'm one of those who changes out the decor immediately.  The day after Halloween, all of our jack-o-lanterns and black cats and cute witches were put away and out came our turkeys (not too many) and our autumn leaves and some not-jack-o-lantern pumpkins, along with a few scarecrows.  I thought it would be fun to share some of the details of my holiday decorating with you.

This is the view from my kitchen as I look out to the rest of my house.  It makes me smile to when I look up from my kitchen chores.

This is my mantle.  (Recognize the candle sticks?)  I've been wanting fat burnt orange candles for a few years, so I was thrilled when I found these at World Market last month.  My wreath is an old one from Pottery Barn post-holiday clearance.  It has held up really well.  My little turkey was another post-holiday clearance find.  (Notice a trend?)

 How about this subway art from Today's Fabulous Finds (Janet does one in various colors for every occasion and gives them to us for free!!)  The pumpkins were in Target's Dollar Spot and I just stuck leaves from some fake flowers on them to give them a little more oomph.

Here is the kitchen...just a few pumpkins on top of the cabinet.   (They're fake, too.  Bought them a few years ago from Michael's with a coupon...they were something like $3 each.)  Simple, yet festive, I think.

Even the dining room gets in on the act.  I added a pumpkin candle, changed out the flowers on the buffet, some leaves on my centerpiece, and a little turkey on my antique clock.

Oh, and don't forget the Angry Bird under the table.  (Do you see it?  It is there on the rug.)  The cats obviously think the room needed a little something more.

I know I'm more minimalist than a lot of people who decorate for the seasons, but it works for me.  I love the simple additions to acknowledge the flow of the year, but I can't stand to be overwhelmed by them (at least until I get to Christmas!!). 

What about you?  Do you switch it out or do you just leave it be?

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving was an rehearsal for Christmas at our house.  It was the first time we'd ever celebrated a holiday without our complete family at home and, while Charming did come to the family home for Thanksgiving dinner, it was weird to have Thanksgiving without Superman.

That being said, we still had Thanksgiving and we still had a great time.  In addition to traditional turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, pumpkin pie, and, of course, bread.

We made our traditional bear bread...even enlisting a neighbor to make one of the little bears.  (Stargate SG-1 fans might note that one of our little bears is supposed to be a Jaffa.)

Buttercup set the table beautifully.

 I confess to thinking that Superman didn't hold up his end of the dinnertime conversation.

Oh, and Mother Nature did her part to keep the family busy and happy.  (The beginning of what would become record snowfall for November.)

Thanksgiving Thoughts

In 1789, the United States Congress and President George Washington found gratitude to be so important that they were compelled to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:" (You can read the entire proclamation here.)


Notice that there was no mention of Pilgrims, no Native Americans, no football, no shopping, no turkey and stuffing.

A day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors...

As I was driving home this evening (I braved the stores with my two younger children to put together the pieces of an awesome surprise for my oldest baby!), I was struck by how truly fortunate my life is.  I definitely have been blessed by many and "signal" favors.  (In case you don't know, as I didn't, "signal" used this way is defined as "distinguished or conspicuous.)

No Pollyanna, just the acknowledgment that I have so much to be grateful for.   Truly.  My heart overflows with gratitude for the embarrassment of riches that surround me.  I feel blessed to have a wonderful husband who has spent more than 20 years doing his very best to provide for me and our children.  I  have been blessed with a husband who has a job he loves and that allows him to provide well for us.  Yes, he's overseas and, yes, I miss him, but we're not dealing with the instability caused by job loss or underemployment.  For this year, at least, our home is secure and our income is stable and for that I am grateful.    I am healthy and Superman is healthy and we have three healthy, able-bodied, intelligent, and, in my humble opinion, amazing children.  They are a source of unending joy in my life, even as they push me and stretch me in ways I could never have imagined.

My list of blessings goes from the profound to the mundane...and I am reminding myself to be grateful for them all.  These are just a few of the little blessings I've been thinking about:

Indoor Plumbing
Central Heat (!)
4 Wheel Drive
The Dishwasher and the Washing Machine and Dryer
The Refrigerator
The Computer I'm Sitting in Front of to Type This Post
The Internet
Skype
My Local Library
The Amazing People I've Met Because of Blogging
The Turkey and Pumpkin Pie in my Refrigerator Ready for Tomorrow
The fact that my brother and his wife are living their dream and bought their first house in October.
The fact that my sister got the job she wanted and is enjoying this new time in her life.

There you have it...a few of the things that I'm grateful for this year.  This is not a complete list.  Not even close.  I have been blessed by more than I can even express and I am so grateful for those blessings.

Why don't you give it a try?  Shed the stress of Thanksgiving preparation and Christmas shopping and focus instead on feelings of gratitude for the many and signal blessings in your life.  After all, our forefathers thought taking time to acknowledge and be grateful for our blessings was important enough to set aside one day a year for all of us to do just that.

From our home to yours...

may gratitude fill your heart and the blessings of the season abound.

Thanksgiving Images

Thought I'd share some pictures from our quiet Thanksgiving celebration. They are a far cry from the boisterous Thanksgiving's we'd have back in So Cal, but we still try to do it right.

Superman cooked everything but the dessert. He says I cook for the family all year long, so he can take over on the holidays. (What? You think I'd argue? Are you crazy?)


Buttercup took over the reigns and decided to do our tablescape. I told her whatever she did would be perfect and I think she did a terrific job. (This is the first year she's done it and she came up with the entire thing on her own.)

As always, we had the bear-bread massacre at the table. Somehow my kids have decided that ripping apart little teddy bear breads (with sound effects!) is a good thing!

Finally, with Charming's plans for the future, it is entirely possible that I won't have all three of my kids together next Thanksgiving, so I had to get a shot of them. Aren't they gorgeous? Biased? Me? No way! (The photo isn't terrific, but it is good enough for me.)

30 Day Shred Challenge - Day 11 (Thanksgiving Edition)

Another Thanksgiving is coming to an end. The food hast been eaten, the leftovers are in the fridge, the dishes have be done, and the turkey carcass is boiling on the stove. Everyone is feeling happily stuffed. We don't watch football, but a screening of The Incredibles is currently playing on the Nagle5 television. Oh, did I mention we made homemade whipped cream and that half a pumpkin pie went home with Charming? All in all, it was an awesome Thanksgiving.

Before Thanksgiving, however, Valiant and I stuck to our schedule and we did Day 11 of our 30 Day Shred Challenge. Today was our first day of Level 2. We'd heard that Level 2 was easier than Level 1, but we really didn't believe it. I'm happy to report that it was easier! Seriously. I couldn't believe it. So, even though it is Thanksgiving Day, we did it...Day 11 is put to bed!

Oh, one more thing. Superman and I have been sharing a personal challenge and yesterday marked our 30th day in a row of exercise. You read that right...Superman and I have not missed a day of exercise in 31 days! I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but we're so proud of ourselves, I just had to share.

If we can do this, you can, too. We're out of shape and overweight, but we're not letting that stop us. Our secret? We're taking it one day at a time and at the end of the day, we're making ourselves proud and making our children proud of us.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you're feeling positive as we head into the holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving...

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilde