I am playing catch-up.

Because missing two days of work and three days of house maintenance means mountains of to-do lists everywhere!

The house that Jon built.

We had a successful and enjoyable trip to Illinois to visit the DDH's extended family. Unfortunately, I spent Wednesday night/Thanksgiving sick as a dog, assuming dogs are sick with feverish colds and noses that won't. stop. running. So I did not at all enjoy the time with that portion of his family in the beautiful house his uncle built, which is a shame, but how many people noticed when there was a shiny new six-month-old to play with?

Not many, thankfully.

So I didn't really taste Thanksgiving dinner (which is a great way not to overindulge!), but I mean it looked good, so I'm sure it was (this also saves me from the inevitable comparisons of other people's food with my mother's. Bless her, she's ruined me).

Actually, plates of mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes,
and cranberry relish don't look at all appetizing.
Enjoy this photo of the pre-food table, instead.

Suffering from snot-induced insanity, I agreed to tag along for a midnight round of Black Friday shopping. And enjoyed it, of course. My arms were sore for the next three days from standing in line holding a giant box of Pyrex for two hours. But hey. PYREX. FOR CHEAP.

Yeah, that's my Healthy Thanksgiving tip list:

1. Be sick so you don't feel like eating any food.
2. Lift weights in the middle of the night.
3. Sleep for ten hours straight + lots of naps.
4. Still manage to gain five pounds.

Anyway, once I awoke Friday afternoon, mostly cured of my sickness, I quite enjoyed the rest of the day hanging out with his family (a smaller portion of it, as we had moved over to his cousin's house). The DDH spent all day helping his little second cousin build a GIANT Lego Ninja temple thing, which led his mom to drop lots of hints about what a wonderful father he'll be (that was actually sort of what the whole weekend was like with his mom, whom we drove to and from Illinois. "So when are you going to have kids? Don't you want a baby? Look at this cute little baby. Don't you want one? When do I get to be a grandma?" blah blah blah. I mean, I know that comes with the territory, but srsly).

Also I may have impulse-bought the dogs matching penguin Christmas sweaters.

The drives there and back were pretty unfun, though. I was stuck in the backseat and woozy with imminent carsickness. For ten hours. Each way. Blargh.

Aaaaaaand, bonus to never having taken the lights down last Christmas, we were able to just plug them in and turn them on Saturday night when we got home! So at least the outside is decorated. The inside looks like ten boxes of decorations threw up on the living room table...that will be this evening's project.

So excited about carols I can't even tell you.

Despite (or maybe because of?) being sick for fully half the trip or more, I am back feeling rested and finally excited for the Advent/Christmas season. I've been too stressed and drained recently to be feelin' it, as they say, but I think I've gotten a bit of an attitude readjustment and am looking forward to the fun stuff. Yay.

This might have something to do with it. :-D