Thanksgiving

Wow! So a week ago, the plans for Thanksgiving were to head to Boulder and spend time with Karl's girlfriend's family. Karl is my bestfriend from childhood. He has an adorable girlfriend, and we became instant friends. Mom calls Monday night and asked my plans. I told her, and she thought it would be more fun to fly me home. So Monday night we spent about 2 hours on the phone booking a flight.

I worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to catch a flight out (1am to be precise) Wednesday night. The plan? To fly through the night, have a layover for an hour in Charlotte, NC and be home in time for the DeWeese Thanksgiving. Mom was going to pick me up at 9a as she passed the airport and was en-route to Sidney, OH.

The plane from Denver arrived early in North Carolina. Things looked great. Until....the fog started rolling in. Visibility was less than a 1/4 of a mile. Surrounding gates started canceling flights....to Cleveland, Cincinnati...(notice a trend here?) But not our flight, Dayton was still a go. However, we were also suppose to leave at 7:00a and I was still sitting in the airport at 12:00p. So being the social person I am, I struck up conversation with the nice lady (grandma....a 41 y/o grandma) next to me. She was picking up her grandson to bring him back to Indianapolis. I am not much of one to sit around. Those of you who knew me three years ago will recollect the brilliant idea my friends and I had. I mean who doesn't think driving home 20 hours in a blizzard isn't a bad idea? I suppose the beer I had consumed may have contributed to my intelligence. So back to last week- We started googling transportation and realized we could rent a car and be home within 6-8 hours. Mind you, I have a plane to catch from Dayton to Denver in roughly 50 hours at this point.

After a having our gate stacked three flights deep with people and passing a total of 6 hours in the airport, somewhere, somehow the flight fairies (or more likely the airline computer system) had mercy on us. A plane came back form Knoxville to get us and fly us home. Sooooo..... arriving in Dayton (and seating in A1) I heard the man who opened our plane door ask the flight attendant, "Where in the world have we been?" Her reply, "We lost them somehow in the computer system." *Note I have made this version PG just in case any of the JH kids read-It was not this subdue*

Mom arrived with Ben and Clara, two of my fantastic cousins to pick me up. We played a little Catch Phrase, tried some yummy home brew of Wheat wine and Apple Jax....and I finally made it back to mom's about 12:00a. So Thanksgiving dinner on about 2 hours of sleep -not bad.

The next morning mom and I headed to Cincinnati, intentionally getting lost. Took Reading road the whole way through to 471 into Kentucky. Mom's weaving guild was at a craft show that we explored...truth be known we were waiting for my sister to take a break from her studying so she would meet us for dinner, and there was no way I was going to be killing time in a mall on Black Friday.

Beth called, she decided we should hit the mall. She needs a suite to defend a case on Thursday. Aaahhh! The Bane of my existence (did I mention I have worked in retail- Eddie Bauer to be precise. At least for 2 Black Fridays). So off to Florence Mall (Y'all- The buckeyes will appreciate that.... Coloradans' can ask me about it... long story). So after a little Florence Mall (Y'all (sorry, I couldn't help myself)). We hit up Barnes and Noble, to tie it off with dinner and Wine from Bouquet. Dinner was fantastic. Mike, my brother in law really enjoyed the wait staff - sorry, you had to be the entertainment Mike. The night was tied off with Gelato from down the street (I had to stick to a latte... chattering teeth and ice cream... not my idea of a good time).

So Saturday morning was breakfast with my father, and Dayton Mall with mom on the way out of town (Malls=bad idea between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I realize this is a duh statement, but I feel the need to put it out there, so possibly next time I remember!)

Back to the plane! Oh how I love direct flight! and Oh how I love Frontier. I don't know that they are necessarily any better, but I know their drill. Plane lands at 5p, and before I get on the shuttle to get to my car I have dinner plans with one of my favorite people in Fort Collins. Talking, decompressing and being brilliant together until 11p.

You know life just can't get much better than this.

Oh wait. Yes it can. This morning- Miss Molly and I had breakfast at a new place (for me-old to Fort Collins) Silver Grill. We had amazing girl and God talk. On the way to the diner, we swung by my new place and THEY WERE WORKING ON THE BATHROOM (yes, I was just yelling) This is so exciting for me! The tub was GONE!

So - more on the house as that will be the next big thing...Oh, well, I do guess there is that little matter of Christmas too. :)

My beautiful mother- getting breakfast together at our favorite restaurant in Fairfield Twp. Bob Evans.

My aunt Marg. Love her...Did I mention she is an amazing PT? So amazing, but hoping my diagnosis is incorrect.

Miss Dorothy Snavely. My other fantastic PT aunt! It was her two kids that came to pick me up from the airport! Love family!

Emma and Erika (2 great grandkids) taking a pony ride on uncle Don.

My Grandma. One of the strongest women I know. Last month she has her aortic valve replace, a triple by-pass and a pacemaker placed.

My cousin Ryan and Ben. Ben (R) is going to be a cardiac surgeon...and he just got text.

Fibers from the craft show.

A spinning wheel. Have I mentioned I am terrified for the next time mom comes out to visit? She insists she is brining a wheel and leaving it for me.

My sister's dog, Oliver.

The best picture of me and my sister!

And the best one of Mom and Beth. I really love this one. I love happiness. Can't you just feel the laughter from this picture?

So my sister, I don't know if I have mentioned, she is in law school. To Colorado standards she is middle of the road. To Ohio standards she is a flaming liberal. Her husband Mike and my Mom are FOX news junkies....Glenn Beck...Do you wonder what my sister's opinion is? Well just take a look at her face. The book she is holding is the only required reading for her entire law school career. Kidding. Totally kidding.

My brother in law Mike, and Beth. See that? Again, happiness. I love the way those two tease each other. They are so good together.

The end of the night! What a great family I have!

Praise

No pictures for this, just a quick story.
Last night Adam, my realtor's brother was to close on his house. I hadn't heard anything all day but waited anxiously. I grabbed dinner with a friend and before I headed back to the apartment thought it would be a good idea to swing by the house and check on the make and model of my oven since I need some parts. As I pull in I notice one of the bedroom lights is on (no window treatments in the entire house...those too have been ripped out...(by me and my need to purge EVERYTHING)...So I unlock the door in this dark house, oh which by the way has minimal lighting...since...well, yes, you guessed it I took those all out too...I notice there is a box in the hallway labeled cat stuff and the toilet that needs to be installed that is still in a box, is now wedged in a door way to the bedroom...then I notice a cute little kitty....
...Growing up it really wasn't unusual for people to drop off unwanted pets in front of our house/neighborhood, and mom being the farm girl she is, would allow us to keep them. So I am really trying to make sense of this all and think, wow this is a nice house gift, uhm but kitty looks awfully well cared for. Knowing I have changed my locks and only Adam has a set of keys, I call him and he is exuberant! They have closed on their house, and will be keeping stuff/ possibly living at my house and remodeling the bathroom until they move into their new house in January.
So- all of this said to say THANK YOU. Thank you for all of those prayers I have demanded from everyone. Everything has worked out better than ever imagined. I am so incredibly blessed. God alsways has a way of knocking my socks off. :)

This weekend

So this weekend was kicked off with a Kninnernine (sounds German huh...Knitting-Dinner and Wine night). An Evening with the girls and just unwinding. I find out this coming Friday if the general contractor and his family will be moving into my house ( and ultimately remodeling the house). So keep the prayers coming!

Friends and I went to the books signing of the Pioneer Woman's cookbook... success of getting the book, but no luck in meeting the author... what an incredible mess. I think I be looking at a new PR person if I were her.

Today was spent in Fort Collins sampling some of the local brews! YUM! and with great company. We began at Back Porch with some breakfast and ended at Old Chicago's and caught the OSU game.

Tomorrow...nice and low key! :)

Abby and Baby.

Carolyn

Carolyn and I at Odells.

Meslissa and I checking out the scenery.

Tim and Melissa. Our new youth pastor...Fantastic guy and his super fun wife!

The Kevins.

Blizzard in October...

Ok, well truth is this picture was from last February when I went snowshoeing...but I am betting it looked something like this in Estes mid week last week! Just couldn't bring myself to doing a post without a picture.

So lets see- Work all last week, Wednesday youth was cancelled....so one may ask oneself...what on earth would Lisa do with a Wednesday night to herself...wait for it...I made Apple Pie Moonshine...thank you to my lovely family for the idea. It was perfect with the weather and also got a head start on Christmas presents.

Got dinner with a dear friend on Tuesday night, another friend on Thursday night and another friend yet on Friday night. Yes. Yes I do have that many friends.

Saturday morning I woke up (later than I should have) and met my friend Jenny in Boulder for our monthly breakfast....lacking the ability to find a Walmart in Boulder, we drove to Home Depot. My current home away from home to repair my home. The purchase included 12 gallons of interior paint...(you'll have to wait for the pictures!)

Saturday afternoon was spent with Carolyn and Abby at My Sister Knits, and then grabbed my friend Kevin and hit up a Halloween Party in Greeley with some people I work with.

Sunday arrived...nice and early and worked my way to my house around 8a. Left by 7p without a drop of paint out of a canister. I did, however rip off all of the corner molding, took down all the ceiling fans/ light structures and blinds. Pulled plaster off the wall with the corner molding that needed patching (real plaster). Ate through a few layers of tile glue at the entrance of my home...that is covering the hardwood floors. Washed all of the walls, removed all of the doors.....all with the help of my dear friend Kevin. I do have some of the best friends!

More pictures to follow...possibly next week.