giving thanks + buying stuff.

this was my thanksgiving.

it was kind of small, and kind of quiet, and kind of very-much-missing Benjamin and Rebekah.

there was oh-so-much amazing food. and I ate oh-so-too-much.

number one thing to be thankful for this year: my brother Joseph and his wife Hannah are going to have a baby! lots of screaming and clapping at the table after that announcement. :)

Thursday was rainy, but black friday, spent with my sister Johanna and friend Beka, was scrumptiously clear and sunny. perfect for dashing around and buying everything in sight.

I am a purist--I refuse to listen to Christmas music until Thanksgiving is completely over (sometimes that means at midnight). and from there on out, nothing but Christmas is blared at every opportunity.

we buzzed around in Johanna's borrowed-for-a-week brand new car (some kind of epic blogger promotion... yes indeed it is bizarre and wondrous) and listened to Christmas music and drank Starbucks and spent money joyously.

and at the mall... Beka found who quite possibly could be the real Santa Claus.

She liked him. a lot. yes, it was frightening.

we finished the rampaging by noon.

Beka, reenacting her mood when we started out...

and her mood after finishing.

black friday: not for the fainthearted.

I came home and took some family pictures of our neighbors.

which included my brother Joseph 'cause he married one of them. :)

it was a good weekend. and now I am one-hundred-percent gung-ho for Christmas.

bring on the hot chocolate and the christmas light bokeh. ♥