What a Ride!: Thanksgiving 2012

OK, so my sister in Jerusalem said she's feeling out of the loop since I haven't posted in a month. I've been meaning too...there certainly isn't a lack of activity in our neck of the woods! Which is exactly the problem!!! So here I go, back to Thanksgiving.

Our table was a little different this year. Sarah and Greg were sadly absent :( but Austin and his mom filled their spaces.

Actually, it was a bit of a crowded house with everyone staying there all week. Fortunately, Jadon's bed pulls out into a king, and we kept his crib-turned-toddler-bed in the room for our adoption inspection, so my parents didn't have to sleep on an air mattress in the living room.

Thanksgiving morning, we started by running in the annual Oceanside Turkey Trot. Jim was a rock star, running 17:18 and placing 2nd in his age group to his friend and former coaching buddy at El Camino High School, Tom Kloos (who got 2nd in the entire race at just under 15 minutes. yes, for a 5K. That's sub 5-minute miles over a 3.1 mile course for you math wizards. Too bad they're the same age, 'cause Jim's probably never gonna be that fast ;))(Oh yeah, by the way, this guy qualified provisionally for the Olympic trials this year).
Let's just say...I finished. Dang, I've gotta get in better shape. Running fast is so much more fun! :) But we did have fun. A bunch of our running buddies from church ran, too. And Jadon didn't let a trip to the beach go by without a romp in the water. After his mad dash to the edge of the tide, my parents made the wise decision to strip him down, which he enjoyed with utter glee. Too bad my dad didn't have that freedom--wet shorts are not so fun. But man, we are blessed: We live in a great place...with great weather (November in the ocean?!)...and great friends...and great family...and great health...and a super great kid!

Then, back at home, Jim and Austin and Jadon watched football while my parents and I had fun in the kitchen. (Oh yeah, Jadon helped, too.)

At dinner, we went around the table and shared what we were thankful for, which included all of what I mentioned above and more...most significantly that
MY SISTER AND GREG ARE PREGNANT!!!
Woo hoo! We are so excited for them, although thoroughly bummed that they are on the other side of the world!!!
Thanksgiving is such a great opportunity to pause in our normal busyness and express gratitude for all the things we so easily take for granted. Thank you, God, for blessing us SO abundantly!

In addition to the usual holiday festivities, I continued my favorite tradition: putting my dad to work on projects. We got SO much done. These are all projects I've had in the works for months and months, but with a toddler and limited skills, I just never got around to finishing. Thank goodness for handy dads!
We made and hung a door for a cabinet I made in the space between studs in the wall of my bathroom:

We hung a little coat rack behind my bedroom door (for jackets and robes and such):

We made a new toy chest/coffee table for our tv room (almost completely out of reclaimed wood/trim/hinges/etc. I might add). This project took the longest, but was totally worth it.

(What we had before):

(My dad is awesome!!!):

(Jadon loved helping "dampa"):

AND we started on my new tile backsplash in my kitchen. The tile is all laid, but now it just has to be grouted, which I'm waiting for my dad's return for Christmas (I'm so much better at these things when I have his help!):

In the middle of all this, we took a trip to Guajome Park to feed the ducks (can't tell you how much we love living walking distance to such an amazing park!). Jadon is pretty fearless in all aspects of life, and while he'd never admit it, I'm pretty sure he liked having a big grandpa there to protect him from the geese that are taller than he is.

(Jadon always ends up eating his share of the bread, and when the bold geese take it out of his hands, he usually responds with the following hand motion paired with "boom! boom! boom! I shoot the ducks!" Future duck hunter, perhaps?)

(What would a trip to the park be without foraging through the bushes?)

Oh, and my parents helped us get all decorated for Christmas (before December 1!). Jim is not such a big fan of decorating, but it has become his tradition to put the lights up with my dad the day after Thanksgiving. This year he got Austin involved...and then at Jadon's pleading, Jadon got to join them, too. Austin wasn't such a big fan of being up on the roof, but we could hardly get Jadon to come down. I think that was Jadon's favorite experience of his entire year!