turkey, pie & big red earmuffs

hello dear friends!

i hope your thanksgiving was filled with blessings and fantastic food.  joel, ethan & i went to columbus for the holiday to attend our annual kurtenbach side christmas at the st. bon's social hall.  it was ethan's first trip to nebraska, but i just knew he would have a fabulous time ----- and thanks to my super incredible parents & nieces & nephews, he is ready to go back.....tomorrow.  :)  we also had a special guest appearance by mike & roxanne!  they drove six hours from minnesota to partake in our crazy family festivities.  we also were able to show them the church & oak ballroom.

insert curve balls:  two incredibly generous donors decided they would like the church repainted.  and by repainted, i don't mean a little touch up here and there.  i'm talking a complete upheaval of the now earthy/golden gorgeous-ness that is what i have known for the last 20 years.  they have begun to introduce blues & siennas on the ceilings & pillars.  estimated completion date?  easter.  wedding date?  the friday after easter.  holy crapola!  (bad pun...i know).

additionally -- this was the first time the bride-to-be has seen the oak ballroom.  and let me tell you, folks.  it's a lot of oak.  :)  but it is wide open & completely different than any reception hall i have ever seen.  i'll have to find a decorator that will turn this into the elegant vintage 1930s ballroom it yearns to be.  ;)  the gal that manages the property & allowed us to sneak in made mention of tool & twinkle lights.  i digress....there will be no tool & twinkle lights.

amid the incredible feast of homemade turkey, stuffing & the most wonderful apple cream pie that one can only dream about (i made an important phone call on tuesday evening to my aunt jeanie b to make sure this would be on the dessert table ---- a bride needs a final hurrah before working on that dress fitting shape, right??!!!), roxanne said we could sneak out to see the invitation samples that aunt tricia put together.

brace yourselves......they are going to be the most fab things you've ever laid eyes on.  i'm SO very excited!!!

friday brought grand finale game day in lincoln -- major sigh of relief at the final score.  i was almost as excited about my ear muffs as the game.  thanks to my sis-in-law's mom for letting me wear this new fave accessory!!

we drove home on saturday & started decorating!!  i truly am grinning-from-ear-to-ear in love with this season.  i have been cheating & listening to carols for a couple weeks now....but now i can play my pandora christmas station without joel having a minor tantrum.  :)  christmastime is here, folks!  we were able to get our  indoor decorations up when we came home ------ all of them were brand new as of the day after christmas LAST year.  roxanne helped me pick out a tree, a huge wreath & more ornaments, garland, lights & flowers than you could even imagine.  joel thought i was out of my mind.  roxanne thought i was the daughter she never had.  ;)

ps - i am now the proud owner of clothes line posts!!!  (although now i'm not sure what will replace them as THE first item we register for!)  we dug them up last weekend when my parents were here.  joel's dad has already accused me of using the proverbial "we" when it comes to things joel (and my dad) fully did themselves.  i think moral support is of sound importance & thus entitles me to the "we".

happy christmastime!