Thanksgiving for Two

 Our Thanksgiving was spent in Nashville.  Just the two of us.  It was perfect.  Our families were kind of scattered all over the place.  

Our original plan was to go to Memphis since my parents flew there to my sister's house.  But, after talking with my doctor, we decided to just stay put.  Of course, it probably would've been fine.  I obviously didn't go into labor, but we wanted to be safe. Plus, yesterday was the last time EVER with just us two.  It was a special day.

It started with coffee (and some new eggnog creamer), watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and oatmeal.  Then Trent got started cooking.

And I stayed in my pajamas.

The menu:  ham, deviled eggs, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, crescent rolls and a yummy wild rice dish made with orange juice, cranberries and almonds.  So good.  And pumpkin pie for dessert.  That was my contribution.  I picked it out at the Publix bakery.  It was a tough decision, but I picked a good one.

I saw on twitter yesterday that people who choose ham over turkey are communists.  Ha!  Normally, with our families, we'd have both.  This year was just the ham, though.   

After our food settled, we went on a walk.  It lasted about 10 minutes.  It was colder than we thought and I was uncomfortable due to the waddle.

I donned my new ear warmer that I made a few days ago.

We napped and grazed on food and watched TV and then it was time for a fire.

We finished the night with some gin rummy and the first of many viewings of Christmas Vacation.  And of course another plate of food.

We got to FaceTime family, which was awesome.  Gotta love technology!  And I got to talk to my Nana, who will be 95 on Christmas Eve.  We talked for 40 minutes.  She shared some of her memories of a little girl having a birthday on Christmas Eve and some memories of her mother, who died when she wasn't quite 6 years old.  It was a sweet conversation.  

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  If you need us, we'll be here…waiting for Oliver!

Never Again

Last year, I posted about a pinterest craft that had become a thorn in my side. 

I'm here to say I finally finished the darn thing.  I have Oliver to thank, really.  That nesting thing really gave me the kick in the pants I needed.  

It all started with a pin.  (The exact pin won't load, so here's a similar one, should you want to go down Crazy Lane and make a rug.)  I then ripped up a comforter I wasn't using and started the process.  

The rug wasn't hard at all.  It was very easy, in fact.  What made it take forever was cutting strips by hand.  (Maybe I should've followed the instructions and bought a rotary cutter?)  And the corduroy fabric wasn't as easy to work with as t-shirt material might be.

The beginning.

Halfway point!

I honestly thought I'd have more than enough brown corduroy comforter fabric.  I even had plans to make a pillow with the leftovers.  Somewhere around the above picture, I had the brilliant idea to start from the other end with the latching and hooking.  It was easier to maneuver that end of the canvas.

And of course, I ended up not having enough to finish, which left me with an awkward space to fill.  We went to Joann's to get some more but they didn't have the right brown.  I wanted some funky color, but my wise husband convinced me to go neutral.  We got cream corduroy.

Again, I thought 2 yards would be plenty.  But it wasn't and last week we went back for more.  And of course, they were out. 

For. The. Love. 

So, because I'm lazy a problem solver, I got some cream fleece.  And FINISHED THE RUG.

Trent even got involved because of course he knows how to fringe rugs.  (Jack of all trades.)

(Please don't look at our clutter/mess.)

We finished yesterday and it will stay in our house forever.  BECAUSE IT TOOK 2 YEARS. 

(A cool tidbit?  The original comforter was what Trent and I were sitting on when he proposed.)

She will eventually go in Oliver's room, but for now her home is under the coffee table.

I must say, I love her. 

(If you're ever in our humble abode, please don't stare at the two rows of fleece that don't match the other material.  I might go off.)

  

  

What is Kickstarter and why are we using it?

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook or follow me on twitter (or follow Trent), you've hopefully seen our Kickstarter link that we've shared.  

I know how social media can be.  You see something pop up in your news feed saying things like "help" or "fundraising" or "goal" and you keep scrolling.  I'm guilty of it myself.  But Kickstarter is not just asking for money.  It's asking for pledges and in return for a pledge you get something.  

We did a Kickstarter for Trent's last solo project and we told ourselves we would never do it again.  It was a very stressful 30 days and was funded very last minute.

It aged me, ha!

Since then, I've become part of the show.  Trent Monk has become The Monks.  It started with percussion and now I'm singing with him.  It has been such a God thing to see what we do grow into something we think is very special.  And the response on the road has been great.  Who doesn't love to see a couple sing together?

So, 2 years after the last Kickstarter that stressed us out so much, we found ourselves in a "we need to get a new project out but have no way to pay for it" situation.

Insert Kickstarter.

It's really one of the best tools for independent artists to get new music to the fans.  Records take mucho dinero.  And, since we have no label to pay for a new record, we need to raise funds.

That's where you come in!  

Think of it as a pre-buy package.  For example, if you pledge $10, you'll get the new songs emailed to you before their release.  If you pledge $20, you'll get them emailed to you PLUS a hard copy of the CD mailed to you.  The amounts go up from there and the larger the amount, the more you get in return.

See?  Easy, right?

OH!  There's another stipulation.  If we don't raise the full amount in the time frame allotted, we get nothing.  Zilch.  Nada.  

IN A NUTSHELL:

We need your help.

Our goal is $12,000.

If we don't get it all raised by Nov. 20th, we get nothing and you don't get new music.

On our Kickstarter page, there is a detailed list of what this thing will cost, if you're curious and want to read it over.  Click on this link to go straight there.

Although it's still a stressful situation, we are hopeful.  We need your help, but we are hopeful.

Thank you to those that have already stepped on board!  We appreciate you.

I hope this clears up some things!  Happy pledging =)

Dear Oliver

Dear Oliver,

Your daddy and I are eagerly awaiting your arrival next month.  (I can't believe I can now say next month!  Time flies.)  You are moving around a lot and it makes us smile and laugh and cry all at the same time.  Quite the experience.  

I wanted to tell you how we came up with your name.  Names are important and I can't wait to share with you face to face!  I've thought of what I'd name my kids since I was 13 and I will say that Oliver was never on my list. 

Until your daddy mentioned it.

When he and I were dating, Grammie and I went to see the play Oliver Twist.  At intermission, I called him, as he was on the road.  I told him what we were doing and he said, "you know...I've always loved the name Oliver for a little boy."  And that was pretty much that.  I loved it and we basically had you named before we were even engaged!  

Your middle name came later.  Tuck is your daddy's middle name and I just love it and always knew I'd have one.  Here's where the name comes from...

Your great-grandfather Papa Tuck's grandfather came to Mexico, MO from Kentucky with his widowed mother, sister, and at least one brother.  At some time, he moved to Wise County TX.  The others stayed in Missouri.  He then married and had several children.  When Papa Tuck's father was born they named him Tuck Noble, with the Tuck coming from Kentucky.  I'm sure he was missing and longing for his beautiful birthplace.  

Papa Tuck's father was the first Tuck, Papa Tuck the 2nd,  Tim the 3rd, and your daddy the 4th.  So you will be the 5th! 

And there you have it.  We love you so much, Oliver Tuck.  We can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Mommy 

(Or Mama)

(But please not Mom until you're 18.  Ok?)