We Are So Thankful
This past month really flew by and we can’t believe that Christmas is less than three weeks away. Where has this year gone? Brayden continued to go to her gym class and we hosted and enjoyed a pre-Thanksgiving feast with the Capex crew at our house where everyone brought a side dish. It was great to see some of our friends and take time to celebrate the things we are thankful for. Brayden attended a classmate’s birthday party, where all of the “little ladies” got dolled up in princess dresses and had a tea party (apple juice) and a teddy bear parade. It was the cutest thing I have seen! Trent enjoyed his annual away football game/guys’ weekend in Blacksburg, VA for the NCSU/VA Tech game. They had a wonderful time, as always.
We spent a short Thanksgiving in Charlotte at Dad/Barbara’s house—the food was delicious and the company was wonderful. We stayed at Abby/Justin’s since we have never stayed there before. I think my stomach hurt from laughing so much while we were there! During the Thanksgiving lunch, Dadaw was presented with a book that basically tells the story of Hall Contracting, the company he started back in 1954. About 18 months ago, Aunt Patty hired a writer to interview Dadaw about his experiences in launching a company from literally the ground up, his challenges in doing so, the rewarding feeling he gained by creating a successful organization, and the lasting impressions he made on friends, family, and his professional colleagues. Just from the minimal amount I have read, there is no doubt in my mind that my grandfather is such a noble and amazing man whose entrepreneurial and selfless spirit has made an impact in many people’s lives, sometimes without them even knowing. Many people live their lives without ever knowing someone so wonderful. I am blessed not only to know Dadaw, but to be part of his family. I love him with all my heart. He is so incredibly special to me.
It was great to hang out with everyone in Charlotte, but we had to get back to Raleigh for our last football game of the season…against UNC. We beat the Tarheels (GO PACK!) and as Trent said, “We had an awesome season!” (read: we really had an awful season, but anyone who is a Wolfpacker knows that you can lose every game, but if you beat UNC, all of a sudden, your season is amazing). We enjoyed that last tailgate immensely and continued celebrating the rest of the weekend.
In Miss B news, she says silly things every day, but here are two that stand out from November:
- “Mom, why does that guy have a pacifier in his mouth?” (in reference to a pro football player’s mouthpiece)
- When putting Brayden to bed one night, I placed my hands on her face and said, “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life”, to which she responded “No mom, you are a beautiful fing (thing).” Of course, I got teary eyed and said, “Brayden, that is so sweet and makes mommy cry in a happy way” to which she said, “It’s OK mom. Don’t cry.” And put her hands on my face.
Seriously, the adorable factor is through the roof these days. I just want to put her in my pocket and carry her around so I can have a dose of happiness and love with me throughout each workday. Ahh, life is sweet.