Turkey Day Dilemma

Hello all, so okay my blog heading today is misleading. Sorry, I just wanted to catch your attention, but now that I have you here I'd like to ask you a question, what is your favorite Thanksgiving food and can I have the recipe? I'm wanting to try something new but would like some feedback so if you are out there reading this right now can you respond please? Thanks! P.S. I'm ordering a new camera charger tonight so pictures should be coming soon!

What should I have done on my day off??

Maybe gotten a massage, a mani/pedi, or taking care of a long list of things I need to do. Nope I didn't do any of those instead I was the taxi for my kiddos and a teacher's aide for my little one's class for a little while, and you know what...I wouldn't have had it any other way. Right now I'm about to whip up something for my office Turkey Day lunch, get the sis' in law from night school and make apple turnovers with my beauty of a daughter...life is great!!
But I'm so glad we have today to celebrate Veterans' including my very own dad Lonnie R. Carrigan who served our country for 21 years in the United States Air Force. THANK YOU!! All of my Veterans and my dad, for all you've done, do and will do in the future. My hat is off and I give salute to you!
(Oh and p.s. go and eat at Golden Corral vets...it's free lol!!)

The end of an era

On Saturday November 6, 2010 my family laid to rest my grandfather James O. Turner. He was my last (blood) grandparent remaining. It was a hard thing to do, knowing that I no longer have grandparents to share things with. Grandparents are the parents you wished you had, they are the go to guys that believe you can never do wrong and have a hard time saying no. My mother was raised by her grandparents and so I was blessed with both my great grandparents and my grandparents to share life with (if only for a short while). My great grandfather and grandfather were both men of integrity and dedication. Their hard work and commitment to family have always inspired me to be a better person. I named my son James after both of them and pray that he can live up the character of the two men whose name he shares. My grandfather was larger than life. Standing at 6'2 and having hands as large as frying pans makes it hard to not be considered as such. He had movie star good looks and loved sports. Baseball was his all time favorite. I remember two Christmas' ago he sent my son a package and in that package he sent him a full size San Fransisco Giants baseball hat, a baseball, and a baseball glove. My son was only three and the hat and glove dwarfed his small body, but if you knew my grandfather you'd know it was a very fitting gift. My son still has the baseball, glove and hat and will always have them as a reminder of the man for whom he was named. While I was in Las Vegas for his funeral my uncle found a video tape of me at my grandparents business. (They owned a park and fly outside of the Oakland Airport we lovingly refer to it as the shop). It was shot a few days shy of my great grandfather's birthday on the day after Christmas in 1991. I was a little girl with a big personality and a lot of love for the man I called Grandpa Jim. I wished I had a picture of one particular part of the video. We had finally convinced my grandfather to be a part of the video and I had placed a small chair in front of him and he leaned over me and said something about the four generations we had in the same room and how lucky we were to have that. I'm so glad I got to see that video (even though it was originally meant to be shown as blackmail against me and my uncle) because I got to see him living and most importantly loving me. I will miss him dearly. The way he called me Shayler, his baritone voice, but I'm comforted in my knowledge that he loved his family and that the Lord blessed us all with James O. Turner.

'Ol Missouri...fair Missouri...

So its been more than a year and I'm still sad. I miss my life in CoMo a lot and so does my family. I can truly say that God blessings were so bountiful then, and now! I miss my family (they were more than friends) and know that they will forever be a part of my heart. Fairview Road Church of Christ was a wonderful place and we miss everyone so much! I miss Mizzou, Shakespeare's pizza, the circle that is Columbia Mall, parks, the Katy Trail, The Roots and Blues Festival, Tiger Night of Terror, kettle corn (its not the same here!). Its true that I stole this idea of writing what a miss about Columbia from a friend...but I think I just needed to write it out to make me feel better. Things in Texas are by no means bad, I just miss the fact that I had a storybook neighborhood and wonderful family and friends that just made it HOME. I'm adjusting and know that if I ever have to leave Texas I'll have some of the same feelings if I leave.

Ok...I can't stay sad!! On to the good stuff. Kid update:
Brittany: Is soooooo busy and active with school and sports. She is in National Junior Honor Society, P.A.L., volleyball season just ended (it was her first time playing the game and she made the A team!) basketball season starts and will consume our winter!! She's doing well in school and really enjoys her last year of middle school...I know...I know where does time go?
Joseph: Is enjoying school and he and Jacob were on the football team and had a great time. They really enjoy skateboarding and love the fact that they can ride up to the library by our house.
Jacob: Is really into skateboarding right now. He wants to try out for basketball and he still enjoys playing the violin.
James: Is in kindergarten!! He loves it. He plays soccer and his mommy is the (really horrible does absolutely nothing) assistant coach.
Everyone is doing well, we all just miss Columbia!

One more sad note. Please pray for my family. Earlier this month we lost my grandmother Lucille Carrigan suddenly, and just last Thursday my grandfather (my mother's father) James Turner died. We are traveling to Las Vegas for the funeral and would really appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Its a rough time but with help from Him we will get through!

I can't end this sad, so I will end it with a message. Please vote today!! If you haven't already, vote! Take your friends, family and neighbors. If you know anyone who is disabled or elderly and may need assistance please call them today to make sure they get to the polls. I voted and my voice was counted! Vote today so that you won't be speechless tomorrow!

Love you all lots and lots!!