Thankful... it's December!

Welcome to the home stretch! That period between Thanksgiving and Christmas that seems to fly by in moments and stretch out in others. I remember this stretch in school being the quickest time of the year, because you had the free time to actually take in the holiday ambiance. Now, juggling work and trying to get everything done before the Xmas break can be daunting by itself.

First things first, Mandy and I had another relaxing (and filling) vacation in Alabama with the entire Wingo side of the family. With over 1,500 acres to lose ourselves in, it was hard not to relax. It was so remote and quiet, you could hear a squirrel running 100 yards away, or amaze in the "explosive" whisper of a group of ducks darting overhead. We ate loads of turkey, sweets and bread, and the only fruit I saw came in cobbler form! In addition to our relaxation, it gave Grace a chance to run free, swim and bring out her inner country dog. All in all, a great Thanksgiving. And with thankful sentiments at the front of our mind, I think I can sum them all up in one statement: We are thankful for the opportunity to be thankful. It may sound stupid, but think about it for a minute. The entire weekend was one big thing to be thankful for, and all of the blessings that came with it are a reason why we are even able to appreciate it all. Not to mention a full stadium of people at the Iron Bowl: Alabama vs. Auburn. I LOVE SEC FOOTBALL!

Note the time of the clock... 35 minutes left before kickoff and the place was already near capacity. Great atmosphere and one of the coolest football experiences I've been a part of.

Back at home, it was full speed ahead to the holidays. Mandy and I have actually completed all of our Christmas shopping before the start of December, a goal we always had but never lived up to. So, now we can focus on the decorations and making our own winter wonderland. Here's Grace enjoying the 2008 version of the holiday living room:

The tree itself was an adventure. Our first family tree was a little water logged after the spring flood, so this is Version 2.0. Perfect height, well lit, full figure, nice price, all at WAL-MART. However, the box didn't quite fit in the car. Have you ever seen those pathetic people in a parking lot late on a cold night trying to wedge some big piece of purchase into their undersized vehicle. Yep, that was Mr. & Mrs. Haskett this past Sunday. So we thought to ourselves, "What would those 'losers' do in a situation like this." Rip open the box in the parking lot, pull the pieces out 1-by-1 and take them home that way. Brilliant! Anybody have an extra Christmas Tree box lying around? How about an SUV that can transport it to our place?

Well, we can't wait to watch the next few weeks fly by, get to that joyous time of year and continue to be thankful. Oh, and don't judge us when we photoshop a picture of ourselves into the image above and use it as our Christmas Card!