Giving thanks.

Well, friends, my weekend officially starts in 3.5 hours and I couldn't be more excited! My in-laws started a new tradition last year of us all spending Thanksgiving at their timeshare in Williamsburg, VA and we're heading out this afternoon. I haven't completely finished packing yet, but it's mostly done. I gave it up around 12:30 last night because I was just too exhausted to do anymore. I also overslept this morning. I guess that's bound to happen when you're up so late 2 nights in a row. Anyway, we're super excited for the weekend! Last year we did some Black Friday shopping, spent a LOT of time in the hot tub in our unit, went to Busch Gardens, and walked all over historic Williamsburg. The city was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and we couldn't have had a better time! This year, we're definitely going to be braving all the crazy shoppers again on Black Friday. We have a few people left to buy Christmas presents for and momma wants new coffee tables! Time will be spent in the hot tub and we may even check out the indoor pool this year. Other than that, who knows what we might get into!

Here are some pics from last year:

Logan trying on his Spiderman roller skates that he used all of 3 times befor he grew out of them.

Logan met Elmo at Busch Gardens.

I was pregnant on this trip, but it was another week or two before we found out.

To add to our excitement, Friday is Logan's birthday! It's so hard to believe that my sweet little boy is already 4! When you have your first child, everyone tells you to enjoy it because they grow up so fast, and it's true, but I don't think you can really appreciate just how fast until you have a second child. With the first, I think you tend to take more for granted, not because you don't love every second with them but because you just can't wait for them to reach the next milestone. "I can't wait until he smiles... says 'mama'... sleeps through the night... learns to walk... gets potty-trained." You get so excited for each next thing. But with the second, you already know how fast it all goes, so in some ways you dread each next thing. I look at my little boy - who not so long ago was so small - as he holds his tiny baby sister, and I realize that in what seems like the blink of an eye, we'll be celebrating her 4th birthday too. Obviously, I'm beyond grateful for healthy children and for every birthday we get to celebrate with them, but watching them grow up is kind of a bittersweet thing.

Eating his 1st birthday cake with both hands. Seems like yesterday...

But moving on before I start to cry....this year Logan wants to have a pirate-themed party complete with pirate costume and pinata. I don't know why he thinks he needs a pinata - watching a little too much Dora and Diego, I guess - but if my baby wants a pinata, he's damn well going to have one. I even made up little goody boxes for all the other kids. They're little treasure chests with piratey things inside. Super cute. I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to decorate his cupcakes this year. I was thinking of dipping frosted vanilla cupcakes in graham cracker crumbs and piping on big x's like an "x marks the spot" in the sand. I need a different deisgn for the chocolate cupcakes though and I'm coming up blank. Suggestions? We're going to serve fish sticks, meatballs (canon balls), and goldfish crackers. What can I say, I take these themes seriously. I'm even considering making some sort of blue ocean punch. We'll see.

Needless to say, we're going to be very busy with Williamsburg this weekend and his party the next, but a fun kind of busy. Still, thank goodness I'll have a few weeks to rest before all the Christmas festivities!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!