Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I'm a few hours early, but close enough. I'm trying to figure out where the past week went. It seems like the entire thing just flew by. I didn't realize it had been a whole week since I posted....boy do I have a lot of catching up to do. Let's start with last Saturday.....

I had the honor of meeting one of my online stitching friends! Her name is Laura and she lives in Richmond. Richmond is only about 55 miles from here so I'm hoping to get to see her often. I met her at Everything Cross Stitch in Downtown Fredericksburg. Those are my new stomping grounds so if there's ever a time you can't find me, check in the Historical District...I'm bound to be there somewhere or close by...lol. We spent quite a while in the shop and we both did a bit of shopping. Afterwards, we went to her car to take the goodies she purchased. When we got there she said she had something for me. She pulled out a box that had the prettiest little birthday cake in it! I REALLY appreciated that cake! My mother brings me one on my birthday every year and this will be the first one she's not able to. Laura had remembered me posting this before so she brought one to me. It was incredibly sweet and really meant a lot to me. Thanks again, Laura! We visited several little shop while we were there and had lunch at a nice little Italian Restaurant. After we ate lunch we went to that vintage style candy store that I've spoken of before. We got ourselves a piece of fudge and sat outside and talked until it was time to go back home. We had a really good day and I'm looking forward to doing it again :).

Speaking of my birthday, I've gotten some really great gifts in the mail from friends the past couple of days. 3 of my stitching friends from Canada all chipped in and got me a really generous gift certificate for that fabulous needlework shop in Alexandria called "In Stitches". Mike asked me at the beginning of the week what I wanted to do on my birthday and I told him I couldn't think of anything. Now I know one thing I'll be doing is going to that shop to spend my gift certificate! Thanks again for the great gift, girls! I really appreciate it and I'll be sure to post a pic of my haul when I get back :). Speaking of gift certificates.....

I received another package in the mail today from my best friend, Nealy. Inside the package was yet another, FANTASTIC gift certificate! This one is for Everything Cross Stitch aka: my new stomping grounds...lol. She added a note saying that Celeste said if I come in on my birthday I'll get an extra 20% off. My new plan...we're going downtown to Everything Cross Stitch on Saturday and THEN we're driving to In Stitches in Alexandria LOL! Why spend so much time at 2 shops you ask? Well, I can think of 3 good reasons:

1. If I go to Everything Cross Stitch on Sat. I get an extra 20% off

2. In Stitches is having an after Thanksgiving sale where everything there is 20% off

3. It's my b-day and I can do whatever I want, and what I want is to spend the entire day at 2 needlework shops. I bet that's the last time Mike asks me what I want to do LOL!!

Back to my package from my best friend, in addition to the wonderful gift certificate she sent (thanks buddy!) she also sent me something else that made me cry for a nice little bit. I miss her SO much! She lost her grandmother last month in a terrible car accident. In the card that she sent me she said that she and her cousins were going through her grandmother's jewelry picking out what they each wanted. She came across a bracelet of her Momom's and said that she wanted me to have it. It's a beautiful bracelet and is one of the most special gifts that anyone's ever given me. Thank you my friend, I'll treasure it always.

I've been trying to get myself out of the house and in to some things where I can meet some new friends. I have a few things lined up but did find one thing that interested me so off I went. I joined the Kenmore Stiching Guild and went to my first meeting yesterday. They meet at Kenmore Plantation on the third Tuesday of every month. I'll be doing some volunteering there every now and again. There's going to be a needlework exhibit and competition in May and I'm really looking forward to that. Not only will I get to participate in running the whole thing, I'll also be stitching some pieces to sell in the gift shop. There are pieces that have been designed specifically for this. The money that is raised from the sale of the pieces will go to support the George Washington Fredericksburg Foundation. My goal is to stitch one a week. They're smallish pieces so this should be pretty doable. I really love history and love the fact that I'm right smack in the middle of all of this stuff. I can't wait to see the Christmas Trees in both New York City and in D.C. this year. Who would've thought I'd ever see them at all.....

Yesterday Joshua had a Thanksgiving feast at school. He was just SO cute!!! I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom...look at that face! Don't those big baby blues just make your heart melt?! I know they sure do mine..I think he knows that too...lol.

My forest is no longer green. It's been raining leaves for days. Can you believe a month ago these trees were green? They sure are pretty! I really do need to get a rake. I nearly lost my little dogs in them...lol.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope it goes by fast. This is my first Thanksgiving without any family and I've found myself feeling quite blue about that. I am however looking forward to my big shopping trips for stitching goodies on Saturday :).