Update at the homestead

Thanksgiving was nice. We spent time with my inlaws at Joe's grandmother's house. I always love getting together with everyone, but I also miss my family too. We've had some good Thanksgivings together back home. Joe's mom and dad, aunt and uncle, another uncle, grandmother, brother, sis-in-law and 2 kiddos were all present. Joe's grandmother and mom cooked a big Lebanese dinner complete with kibbi (baked and raw) and grape leaves and cabbage rolls, as well as sweet potatoes, turkey and stuffing, etc. I can't tell you how delicious the food is. Its UNSPEAKABLY great! Joe's mom sent us home with a whole turkey to pick on all this week. Its amazing too.... We weren't allowed to leave without some leftover english peas and kibbi and cabbage rolls.

JOEY IS WALKING. He showed his first signs of cutting loose the Friday before last when we were getting his Christmas photos taken. I was at the photography studio with Evelyn, Joey's babysitter. She was along helping me out with a few things with Joey. He cut loose on his own and took about 8 steps before he fell over. Since then, he's been a maniac on two feet. He prefers to walk now, not crawl. He still enjoys his walker, but he LOVES it when he's allowed to just explore on his own two feet. He's still pretty wobbly, as to be expected, but he'll be master in a few weeks. I was hoping that he'd be on his feet before his 1st birthday. Perfect timing. He turns one on Thursday.

I've been feeling a lot better these days. The weather is growing wet and cold, but this state doesn't call for too much of the cold part. Thank God, because I can't take those Iowa winters. I can if its only for a few days, but not for long periods of time like when I was a kid. No way.

Joey has a few new words - Elmo, cracker, kitty cat, hello, Rudy. Of course they are HIS versions of the words, but you can kind of tell what he's saying. I can, and Joe can, but others probably wouldn't catch on.

Joe has a big presentation tomorrow with the regional representatives to stake his claim on distribution rights for alcoholic beverages for a dry county just south of us as it is expected to be voted wet in about 2 weeks. He's nervous - there's a lot weighing on his shoulders. If they don't get this county, it could be very detrimental to their business. They are already servicing non-alcoholic beverages to the county, but if a surrounding distributor obtains the rights for alcoholic beverages, then that distributorship will also take over distributing non alcoholics. Joe's business will lose sales from within the county on the non-alcoholics, as well as sales from their county line stores. They need this county badly. I honestly don't think there is any chance that they will not get the county as they are closest warehouse to all the customers, as well as the most equipped with trucks, warehouse space, and proper routing. Joe's just nervous because he hasn't been in the business long enough to feel confident that he knows what he's talking about. I think he's going to do just perfect.

We're going to start getting ready for the holidays soon. I've already done a little Christmas "browsing." We can't go crazy this year. We are more limited on funding that ever before, but that's absolutely fine. Its not about that madness anyway. We haven't made our Christmas plans yet, as far as family gatherings but we'll figure that out soon. Joe doesn't have that much time off, if much at all, so we could be tied up here. I hope not. I'd like to make it home to see my family for a few days, and I need to see Addie - she's getting so big and pregnant! :) I haven't been able to be there for her at all through this pregnancy and I have wanted to so badly.

I'm getting so close to finishing the book "The Lovely Bones." I'm really enjoying it. Very interesting and very haunting. I haven't been able to sleep much lately so I'm always up reading between midnight and 2 am. ha!