thanksgiving is just around the corner...

the holidays are going to look a bit different around the powell household this year, but i think i'm finally coming to terms with it all. i'll be working on thanksgiving day this year and originally was completely bummed out about it. thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and always has been...it's never about anything but togetherness and family and quality time and laughter-- it's goodness all wrapped up in a 24-hour package. i love it. needless to say, missing out on it was disappointing, but the payoff a month later is well worth it! at this point, i'm just ready for any sort of a break. even going to work has its perks.

my boss was kind enough to work with me and my difficult schedule and it looks as if i'll only be working until the 23rd of december. i'll go in for about an hour very early on the 24th (just to say i worked another holiday) and then will be on my way to sunny orlando with my dad. my mom is planning on flying down later that afternoon (14 hours in the car is just too difficult for her and it was too much for all to fly) and that way we'll be able to wake up on christmas morning with jules. by that time she'll be at pete's and i think it will be nice for him to have some family on christmas morning as well. it's going to be strange not sitting in my living room with our christmas tree and the stockings i've used since i was a wee little girl, but i'm pretty okay with change. we'll drive another 6 hours south on the 27th and meet up with the grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles to enjoy a week at the beach. dad and i will drive back the 4th and meet mom at home on the 5th. whew. then it's back to school. my last semester...eek! we don't need to talk about that right now though. ha.

so yeah, at this point, bring on thanksgiving (even if it isn't totally what i'm used to-- i still get yummy leftovers)! the countdown to leaving school is on: 94.5 hours. my research paper desperately needs doing before then though...maybe that's why i'm holed away in the library procrastinating again! back to it... :)

but first, just a few pictures from past thanksgivings.