the greatest weekend of my life? perhaps.

Saturday morning, I drove out to Natomas to attend KR's All-Star football game. He's 8 years old and personally asked me to be there, so I sat through the freezing cold and watched as West beat East 6-0, scoring in the last 10 seconds of the game. I watched as KR made a perfect interception. The smile on his face when he saw that I'd made it was priceless and reinforced why I love that kid so much.

After the game, it was a mad dash to get dressed and ready to be on the road to the bay area by 1 pm. I had to attend BS's family's early Thanksgiving celebration! It was a HIT. The food was indescribably delicious, served in courses. First course: tomato bisque soup topped with french bread and cheese. Second course: onion custard (it was amazing). Third course: a fruit salad with a peppery-sweet dressing (one of my fave dishes of the night). Main course: turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, 2 types of stuffing, my homemade cranberries, rolls and an amazing turkey. My cheesecake was popular, as was AS's blackberry dessert (BS's mom)...all in all, one amazing meal! After dinner, we played a Christmas-themed game which was a blast. There were goofy prizes to be won. Here's a photo of one of them:

BS has guages in his ears and the glow-stick-bracelets fit through perfectly. HAHA!

I had a hard time holding back tears. The emotion of the evening choked me up more than I'd ever expected. Last year's holiday season proved a disfunctional mess, and I was looking forward to holidays this year about as much as one looks forward to a root canal. My early holiday meal spent with BS and many of his family members was heart warming, to say the least. I felt a sense of belonging and appreciation that I could only describe with a heart felt thank you, which could never be enough.

After everyone had left and the cleaning was complete, BS and I settled down in my "room" (aka the living room where AS had graciously made up a bed for me so I wouldn't have to dare the 2 hour drive home at midnight). We discussed my gratitude towards being included in the night's event and he surprised me with a question. Since we've been back in contact, we've gone from friends to more than friends to working on "us"...he took our relationship one step further and made us an official couple that night. We're an old fashioned pair, and him asking me was the ultimate sign of exclusivity and commitment. He and I have come so far, and I'm looking forward to making something of the foundation we've established. I haven't been this happy in a long time. :D

I feel like this year has brought me so much to be thankful for. After a tumultous 2 years, I finally feel a joy in my heart I never expected any time soon. I hope everyone in my life knows how grateful I am to have them, I hope everyone in my life knows that I'll always be there for them, and I hope everyone in my life feels as thankful to be alive as I do.

i sure do love to cook

HOWEVER

i've done my fair share of cooking and baking just this past week alone...and there's more to come! cooked a 7 lb turkey breast and 1 batch of my mom's special cranberries for the work potluck. baked a chocolate cheesecake and another batch of cranberries for the Thanksgiving celebration i was invited to. cooking another TWO batches of cranberries for my father's-side Thanksgiving next Thursday THEN making cornbread stuffing for my mother's-side Thanksgiving next Friday.

and i don't call "from-a-box" homemade. i make everything from scratch...so i'm kinda worn out. =/

tomorrow should be fun, though! BS's mother personally invited me to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with her side of the family...kinda BIG since i've never met any of BS's family before. i'm excited to display my cooking and baking expertise. gotta wow'em! lol. i'm really nervous but so grateful to have been invited.

in the spirit of Thanksgiving, i'd like to offer a list of people/places/things that i'm oh-so-thankful for...

PEOPLE:
-mom, dad, baby sister (we bicker and get on eachother's nerves, but i love the three of them with all of my heart and only hope to be able to take care of them)
-JQ, SR, JW, DP (my girls, we've had our ups and downs and ins and outs...but i'd give my life for any one of them, no questions asked)
-BS (the one and only guy who's ever really understood and cared about me, my one true love)
-my cheerleaders (they get on my nerves and i make them angry, but we have an unconditional love for one another that can't be beat)
-CR & family (they have become a second family to me, i love them like i never thought possible, i am so blessed to have them in my life)

PLACES: my home (i've been away from the house in which i rent a room for 2 weeks now and it's made me miss the place i call home terribly)

THINGS: my cell phone (though it has it's issues, it helps keep me in communication with my loved ones and having had a 3 month period without a phone, having one is a happy privledge), my car (after totalling my other car, i'm very thankful to have a vehicle to get me around), my job (without which i'd be...lost, to say the least), my life (it's a roller coaster of crazy highs and crazy lows, but i'm so happy to be alive in this world, surrounded by so many wonderful people)

i hope everyone is as lucky to have as many reasons to be thankful as i do this year...last year was heart wrenching and i'm looking forward to a happier, more merry holiday season. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

And so it begins...

I feel like after Halloween, it's a race for New Year's Eve. Everything is about to come so fast (Thanksgiving & Christmas) that before we know it, we're going to be writing 2010 on everything!!

I'm really anxious for New Year's though...vacation from December 31st-January 10th! New Year's with my lovebug BS, and then my big sis JQ's WEDDING!!!! It's going to 1. be a great break from my crazy life and 2. LOTS of good times. Can we skip right to that?

I keep forgetting to email myself pics from DP's Rockabilly B-day Bash...and I have photo's from her Fright Night Boo Bash, where BS and I were Roaring 20's themed (gangster and flapper)! For now, here's a photo of one of my favorite kids [TR] trying on his Sully costume:

Too cute right?! I am so lucky to live with him and his family. They are SO awesome.

Onward I go with my day: 10 hour shifts, practices/games until 8 or 9...caffeine is my best friend. Have a happy Wednesday!!