Tuesday:
I got to leave ETSU after Elizabeth's last class. I dropped her off at the Lebanon exit as usual and then took Ryan home. From what I was awake for, it wasn't too bad of a drive. When I got home, I ate dinner. MMM, my mom's salmon dish. It was so good. After dinner, Christie and I went out and got a couple of movies and got Starbucks (yes, Starbucks is not on my diet, but it was Thanksgiving, I was going to cheat anyway.). We came back home and watched Evan Almighty. It was a cute movie. I think Christie and I enjoyed the outtakes more than the movie itself. It wasn't what I was expecting. After the movie I got to go to sleep in my own bed. :)
Wednesday:
Unfortunately, I had to wake up early to make my doctor's appointment at another doctor, a rheumatologist. I went and he reviewed my lab results from my last doctor's appointment. He told me good new, I don't have Lupus, not that I was worried about that, but away...I wanted to run some more blood tests because he was concerned with my rheumatoid factor. From what he gathered from my history, lab results, and a short examination, he thinks I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't received the results for the blood test I took that day, so keep me in your prayers.
I can make one tiny update. When I went to the doctor and got weighed, I had lost 6 more pounds. I have lost a total of 18 pounds! ;) Yay! GO me!
After the doctor's appointment, we went back home and wished my sister, Christie, a happy 18th birthday. I can't believe that she is 18. I just turned 18. At least I though I did. Gosh, I'm going to be 20 in April. Ok, let's not go there. Back to the day. We went to the Cool Springs area to get our hair cut. We then went to the mall and Target to do some shopping before the craziness started after Thanksgiving.
After our day at the mall, we went home to meet Daddy and got ready for Christie's family birthday dinner at Maggiano's. After picking up Ryan and Ate Jean we went and met Grandmama, Uncle Wayne, Auntie Menie, and Uncle Steve. We had a lovely dinner. Christie opened her presents after dinner. She opened everyone's, but Mom made her save her and Dad's for last. When Christie got the box, she paused and decided to tell a story of how she knew that it was a Nikon camera. She said that the wrapping paper was see through and that Mom and slipped up a couple of times. All of us around the table listened patiently and nodding quietly pretending to agree with her. When she opened the box, she found books. Not new book, but books that had been taken right off of her own shelf. She then read their card and immediately responded with a pouty lip and an "I hate you!". We all went to the parking garage to show her her real present, a 2007 White Volkswagen GTI. She was so excited.
Christie, Dad, Ryan, and I rode with her after we all had settled down a little bit. We dropped off Ryan, and then went home.
Thursday:
We didn't wake up too early, at least I didn't. When I went downstairs I immediately saw the circulars of the newspaper scattered everywhere. I knew Mom had already planned the shopping trip for the next day. We left to go to Grandmama's house around lunch time.
Thanksgiving lunch (and dinner) was absolutely amazing. I knew I would be out on the floor since I hadn't had so many carbs in one sitting for such a long time. I concluded, as long as I got to eat Grandmama's fresh bread, cheesy potato casserole, and apple pie and Mom's dumplings and banana pudding, I would be completely satisfied. Boy was I. The food was excellent!
When we returned home and after changing into some comfy clothes, the family watched Ratatouille. It was a very funny movie. I would put it right up with Finding Nemo. I would let that rat cook in my kitchen any day. ;) Christie and I have the running joke of the French chef and his re-enactment of the rats magically appearing. (::Snapping:: whoo. They're over there, and then they're over there!). It is definitely a must watch movie.
Black Friday:
Thankfully, I didn't have to wake up at 3:00 in the morning just to go shopping. Because my family are going to the Philippines in July, we are having a small Christmas in order to help pay for the trip. Mom had decided that there weren't any gifts that we needed to bust doors for, so we left casually after breakfast. We got some party decorations (see Saturday). We then headed to Target and Kohls. I was in need of some new clothes because I had lost a total of 18 pounds as of Wednesday (it's a total of 21 as I write this post). We found several shirts at Target. But that best thing of all was trying on a size 9 pair of jeans (one size less than I used to wear) in the dressing room, then screaming in ecstasy because they were too big!!! I immediately ran out of the dressing room to tell Mom and Dad and find a smaller size. After picking another style, I tried on a size 6 and they fit perfectly! That was the highlight of my day.
After shopping a little bit, Christie called and said that she got off work early because no one was at the zoo. She picked up Zack and they ate lunch with us. After lunch, Christie, Zack, and I went and just walked around Opry Mills. After walking around for a LONG time, we met Mom and Dad at Casa Fiesta for yet another surprise for Christie. She had to wear a sombrero and get whip cream all over her face to celebrate her birthday. It was a pretty fun day.
Saturday a.k.a. Operation Christie's Surprise B-day Party:
In the morning, we went to church as usual. After church Christie was supposed to meet Elizabeth, my roommate, at Opry Mills to hang out since they hadn't seen each other. We dropped her off at the food court. I then called Elizabeth and we met her on the other side of the mall to get the beautiful cakes that she had baked and decorated for the party.
We then headed back to the house to eat left-overs for lunch. Sarah then came over and we started decorating the carport and the rec-room. After blowing up 75 balloons and putting up several yards of streamers, the entire place was decorated. People started arriving. We waiting anxiously in the front yard after I received the phone call from Elizabeth as a cue that she was on Smith Springs Road.
They turned in the drive way and we all saw Christie laughing and almost crying in the passenger side of Elizabeth's car. When she opened the door, she immediately exclaimed "I Hate You ALL!" as we expected her to. We had a great party. There was dancing, eating, and just hanging out. It was so great because Mom, Sarah, Elizabeth, and I had been planning the surprise party for so long. Christie could have sworn that it was going to occur on the next Friday. She had no idea! Christie had the surprise birthday party that she wanted, and the best thing is that we got away with it!
Sunday:
Nothing too special. I just went back to ETSU to continue with classes.
Sorry for the long post , but imagine what it would've been like if I recapped the past two months! :) Hopefully I'll post soon. Much love!
