Black Friday and Pizza

Hit up 7 stores in 2 hours starting at 9 am.  Got 6 out of 8 things bought on the list.  Not too bad.  Was home and ready to put up the Christmas decor by 11:30 am.  Gabi stayed the night with Mackenzy, Travis, and Aunt Jenny at Aunt Pam's house on Thanksgiving evening so it was easy to get up, get around and get going by 9 am.  It was even nice to sleep in a bit.  I thought the crowds were not nearly as bad as at 5 am in years past. 

Visited with Jenny, Travis and Mackenzy for a bit in the afternoon to say our goodbyes (leaving at 8 am the next morning) and it was off to Chad/Amber's house for pizza from Brunos.  Had planned to play some board games but the boys preferred a little Rock Band instead. 

Amber and Chad hosted her side for Thanksgiving this year so it was nice to visit with them before the boys head back to school.

Thankful For Family

Thanksgiving 2011....This year I can honestly say I am so very thankful for family.  We can count on everyone in our family for anything at anytime and that is something to be cherished.  It is so nice having Trenton and Tyler home for the weekend and especially them able to actually enjoy eating their food...and AS MUCH of it!  lol  It's been a while.  No more wrestling...no more weight watching.  They enjoyed this Thanksgiving like no other.  And the spread this year...wow.  Outstanding.  Ham (dad R), turkey and dressing, broccoli/rice/cheese casserole (mom), cranberries, mashed potatoes (jenny), sweet potatoes, noodles, biscuits, green bean casserole/green beans with bacon (pam), corn casserole, pumpkin and apple pies (mom) and ice box cake (pam).  So many favorites and traditions!  I love watching Ben and my dad carve up the turkey...and so does Maizy!

 

And an extra this year was having Jenny, Travis and Mackenzy here with us!  SO MUCH FUN!  After dinner activities included MadGab, played the wii (Just Dance games), looked through ads (planned out Black Friday) and watched some football (Ben's Packers). 

Later that evening Trenton found Elf on television...a perfect ending to a perfect day! 

Family....Food....Fun

Story Behind Our Tree

So all this pre holiday festivity going on forced my hand at putting up our tree!  Yes, before Thanksgiving.  I look at it as though it will be one less thing to do when I start decorating for Christmas since it does take a while.  Less stress ;)  Gabi and I put the Christmas brownies in the oven, turned on the holiday music and went to town. 

And let me tell you...there were tears this year...as I got out all the ornaments.  You see, our tree is one of lots of memories.  Its of tradition.  Love.

We usually decorate our tree silver or red...or both for the past few years.  Whatever I am in the mood for at the moment.  Ribbon and solid colored ornaments of that color.  Next comes the tradition.  You see, we collect ornaments from every vacation we go on.  This, so we can reminisce.  Remember.  We also have ornaments that represent where we come from.  Mishawaka football, IU, North Central. 
And ornaments that represent our first Christmases.
Ornaments that remember the ones that have gone before us...
Ornaments that were started as a tradition (mom R) - our old residences
And ornaments that were hand made special for us...

So many different things to reminisce and remember and talk about.  And in my case...sit and shed a few tears over.  I love it.  And honestly, could not think about changing up the decorating we have had for so many years....tradition.  Love.  So looking forward to the holidays with family.

Prelude to the Holidays

We decided to kick off the anticipation for the holidays this weekend with a packed agenda.  Friday evening Gabi, Lina, Emma and I checked out Breaking Dawn Part 1.  We have made it a tradition to go to the Twilight Movies as they have come out so we couldn't let this one pass us up.  We went to the 4:25pm show and glad we did.  When we left the line was out the door for the 7 o'clock show.  Great movie and said the same thing we did with each one..."better than the one before."  Can't wait for Part 2 to come out next year.  This has even inspired Gabi to start reading the books.  She has already finished Twilight and has started New Moon.  Fun times for the girls :)

Next up...a trip on Saturday.  The original plan was to leave out of here after lunch and head on to Chicago for the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.  Tyler and Abby went to this last year and at the last minute, we backed out of going.  According to Abby, we made a bad decision.  They loved it.  So we decided to check it out this year.  Since Ben ended up not going hunting, we loaded up, hit IHOP for a brunch and headed to Aurora (Premium Outlets) to do some Christmas shopping, grabbed up Trenton for lunch at Potbelly in Naperville around 2pm ish and headed on to Chicago around 3 pm for the parade. 

It was our first time doing it so we learned from our mistakes...(ie which side of the road to get on, what time to get there, where to park, etc etc etc).  Good to know for the future.  But, it ended up being cool. 

I know Gabi had a GREAT time.  She was able to see Lemonade Mouth

and China Anne McClain from Ant Farm (Disney Channel).  The floats actually stopped where we were standing so we were able to hear and see them perform. 

A big surprise that Gabi caught was seeing Hailey Reinhart and Casey Abrams from American Idol!  She was the one who figured out who they were!  That was the cool deal for me!! 

The floats were neat and the lights were magnificent.  Some things we would do differently, but definitely glad we went.  Good family time together and it got us ready for the holidays!  An extra...we were home and in bed by 10 pm!  Whooped....but glad we went.

Fall Party

Forgot to post some pics from Gabi's Fall party a week ago...had to take them with my phone because I forgot my camera.  They played a couple games from "Minute to Win It"
They played Stack Attack

And Face The Cookie

I am so blessed to be able to have a job that allows me the freedom to attend my kids' functions at school. 

Post Concussion Awareness

Just as the new media guide comes out for North Central College Wrestling 2011-12 ... we get the news.  Trenton could possibly be done with wrestling for good.  From the start of the season...the practices have been pretty hard.  Trenton started complaining about headaches again.  Migraines.  This along with some memory loss, concentration issues and mood swings got me searching online about concussions again.  He was encouraged to go back to his neurologist about post concussion symptoms and he did so.  The neurologist in turn sent him to another doctor...a specialist in post concussion syptoms yesterday.  The doctor confirmed Trenton's fears.  The symptoms he has been having are indeed caused from his concussions.  In fact, the doctor went on to say (after doing some testing) that he felt Trenton indeed has some brain damage from so many of them in a row.  Dr. set up an MRI and gave Trenton some medication (migraine/seizure) and also wants him to see a neuropsychologist to talk about the memory loss and actual brain damage he may have.  Everything I have read is coming to light...these concussions that Trenton has suffered (four) may leave him with irreversible damage that he will have to live with forever and this scares me. 
Many thoughts are going through my mind right now...some are of the fact he is done wrestling.  Mind you, his health is WAAAAY more important than any sport could be, but I know that he loves that sport and giving it up is going to be hard.  There have been times he eats, sleeps and breathes wrestling.  Trenton has certainly given us many AWESOME memories and we will cherish them forever.  The sad thing is that it has come with a cost.  A cost that means the most to any mom.  A child's health.  I wonder if we pushed him and if coaches pushed him to continue too soon after concussions and if this was the result and it sickens me.  How could anyone be so blind?  Concussions are a serious threat to young people in almost any sport and I am taking the time to educate myself better. 
Check these places out...Headstrong and Save Your Brain, (The Concussion Blog as well and here for the main site)  just a few places I have started reading.  I also learned alot from this article and this article.  It seems that football has taken concussions seriously, but they are becoming more and more prevalent in wrestling as well.  In football you wear a helmet...you can't protect your head in wrestling. 
So I ask for your prayers for Trenton as we go through this together.  That we find out the absolute root of all the problems he has been having and that it can be treated effectively and correctly.  And pray that he accepts that his actual physical wrestling is done.  That he will continue in his endeavors by teaching wrestling...he will be a GREAT coach and mentor someday soon, I just know it.  But letting go can be hard.