Thanksgiving 2012!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  Chris kind of wanted to go to Chesapeake for Thanksgiving this year, but I said I was kind of tired of the drive (ha).  Plus, my parents' kitchen is still in pieces due to their renovation.  It looks like we'll be making the drive down there in a few days anyway for the inspection on our newww house.  We have a few more trips on 460, but then we will be done with that highway for a while.

The day before Thanksgiving, we spent hours signing forms.  People always talk about how you sign soooo much the day you close on a house.  Well, I have closed on a house before.  On Wednesday, I signed way more forms than I ever have in my life.  It took two hours (and that wasn't even with a lawyer explaining each form like when you close on your house).  I'm not complaining--just saying.  There is so much more signing to do when you're buying a house from a re-location company since they have so many rules.  And disclosures, like stating that if a dam breaks near your house, it could damage your home.  Fortunately, our real estate agent here was able to help us out by printing everything, faxing it for us, and just being there in case we had any questions.  She even entertained Eliot when he grew bored.  She said she had never seen so many air quality disclosures--we signed about three, I think.

On Thanksgiving, we spent some time with Chris's parents at our house before heading to Uncle Scott's house.  There, Eliot played football in the yard with his grandpa, Chris, and great uncle.  Last year, we got a picture of Eliot and granddad.  This year, he was much more involved and excited.

Eliot was not about to eat dinner at the table.  He wanted to run and play and chase the cats.  It was hard even keeping him inside.  I don't know what we're going to do with that boy sometimes.  I really feel stressed and helpless when he gets in his independent moods.  Suddenly, everything is "NO!"  He knows what he wants and will accept nothing else, especially when he is at someone else's house.  I want to apologize for him and explain that he is a sweet boy, but he's figuring everything out. He's testing the limits more and more; I just don't know how to show him where those limits are.  I'm sure I was probably the same way.  One thing is for sure:  high chairs are a thing of the past--all booster seats from here.

I don't need a holiday to remind me to be thankful.  I stop and reflect on how thankful I am about every hour.  Multiple times a day, I say aloud, "I am so thankful for our boy.  I am so thankful for my job.  I am so thankful for everything."  I guess it hasn't always been so easy for us, so I can definitely recognize that I should never take any of our blessings for granted.