The weekend that kicks off the holiday season.....

So..... today is a big day.  A HUGE day. 

I may be sick.....

I'm starting my new job today.  .... breath in..... breath out..... repeat.....

At least I had a great long week off - it really was nice - felt like a long time off... & I'm excited to get started.  It's just getting through these first few days, weeks... probably months.  But let the adventure begin - right?

It was super nice having time to hang out with my dogs for awhile... & get some Christmas decorations up & celebrate Thanksgiving....

I got up on Thanksgiving & made a new recipe that someone gave me... a brussel sprout salad.



It was delicious - I'll totally make this again.  I may pre-make some to take to work even. 

Plus, it made for a really pretty dish.

I was going to make a pumpkin pie but plans got a little off & my sister in law text me & said they were going to eat in about an hour so I didnt have time to make a pie. Totally turned out ok because they had pie anyways.

I was excited to go over to my brother's because they just got 2 new puppies.... BRING ON THE PUPPY FEVER!!!!!

I forget how tiny puppies really are... & how playful & full of life they are...

We had a delicious lunch & then we played our Skribble Head game... everyone was pretty good at it...

Can you guess it?... it was a weight lifter. Pretty good I think

& then we headed out to check out some shopping....

I know some people are really passionate about not shopping on Thanksgiving because it reinforces the date to be open next year... but I think most people are falling in line with shopping Thursday night because Target was PACKED!!!!!! 

We made it through the line & it was nearing 9 pm & Ricky was hungry... I was too after he mentioned it... & we thought we'd just head home since nothing was going to be open.  & Ricky was on the phone with Julie who mentioned Waffle House & I got all giddy excited!! I've never ate there before.  Shocking, right?  I dont know why... just never had a reason too. 

I literally was so excited, Ricky was like, "If I knew this would make you so happy, we would have come here for our anniversary dinner".... I told him to always remember I'm easily pleased.

Ricky wanted to get up bright & early for Black Friday shopping... sadly, for me, I was up ALL NIGHT LONG with the dogs - each of them had something going on during the night. I had about 2.5 hours sleep so when the alarm went off at 4:15am I told him forget it - I'm staying home & sleeping.  He went out though & told me to call him when I got up.

So by the time he came home at 8:30am to pick me up, he had already shopped & got some amazing deals & he was still rearing to go with me....

Friday is literally a blur with all the shopping.  & I was happy because my main stop I wanted to go to was Michaels & snag up on the yarn sale. haha.  Told you - easily pleased.

Let me stress how well I slept Friday night though. EXHAUSTED!!!!!  Not before I watched the cute new movie on Netflix, AChristmas Prince.  Anyone else see it yet?

Saturday, I ended up taking the morning easy - I watched a Netflix movie that I've had on DVD for like a year....

& when I finished - we headed back out to get some things I needed - mainly things I needed for the new job - like new tights, new make up.  I even got to pick up my new Christmas sweater that I'm going to sport all of December - or as much of it as I can.

I spent the rest of my Saturday knitting & finishing up the series Emerald City... yeah, the series that was out in MARCH. Almost a year ago - oops.  I loved it though & they totally set it up for another season & it just makes me sad that it wont be coming back. I really did like it.  Shoot.

Sunday, I ended up sleeping in because we didnt have MSM so I skipped church & ended up watching it on TV (our church replays the previous weeks sermon on TV every week)... & then I got ready to go to our JOY Bible study....

Before I left, I had made some quiona, sweet potato, black bean chili - DELICIOUS.  I love crock pot recipes.  I need to make more of them actually. Especially during winter.

& then its time to start gearing up.... for my new job... that is NEW... BRAND NEW... & I'm all about freaking out because EVERYTHING IS NEW....

breath in... breath out....

OK... I can do this - right?  Someone remind me of that.

Distract me - tell me how your Thanksgiving went.

Did you do some Black Friday shopping?

Seen any of the movies I mentioned?

Wish me luck today everyone!!!!