time flew...

I was in BC for a full 8 days, and now, I sit here scratching my head, wondering where my beloved break went.

Because I'm back to reality, see...

I've been back in IF since Saturday afternoon. And as much as I love my life in IF, I'm rather bummed that my week-long hiatus is all gone.

It was a great time, that hiatus. The entire thing.

Some of the highlights include (but are not limited to):

*Playing with my nephews
*The cold (but successful!) BYU football game against Air Force
*Cuddling with baby Jane
*Breakfast burritos
*Chillaxin' with the fandamily
*Getting lost in Provo and eating at Bombay House with Coretta
*Seeing Lisa 3 times in 1 week!!!
*The Thanksgiving Feast
*Brisk walks with Brent and Dad
*Setting up Christmas decor and over-stocking a couple of shelves that resulted in Mom very nearly having a stroke (bwa ha!)
*Beautiful weather
*Listening to Jane squawk because she's recently discovered her voice
*Watching New Moon and not completely hating it
*Trying pomegranate again
*The Blind Side (what a stellar movie!)
*Surviving the entire week without a single solitary nap :/

And now...pictures:

Amy and Janie

Jackson got tired and climbed on my bed

I.Love.Stuffing.

The boys and the bird...
(carving the turkey is Dad's job every year)

Janie's first Thanksgiving
(She's so precious I could just die)
I think she was smiling big at Brent when I snapped this pic...

Me and Abby licking pickled beets
(They really aren't any good. I may or may not have gagged when I popped one in my mouth)

Story time: I used to love pomegranate, back in the days of my youth. Until, one day...I came home from school in search of an after-school snack (tradition in the O-household). At this time, one of my brothers--who shall remain nameless, but it starts with a V--came out of the kitchen with a fruit roll-up in hand. The fruit roll-up was unwrapped, and rolled up tightly. This brother of mine gave me said roll-up and told me to eat it as it was. (Oh, blind, foolish Gina! Don't do it! Don't trust him, look at his mischievous smile!)

But guess what? I did it: I bit into that fruit roll-up--a big bite--and what do you think was rolled up in that lumpy roll-up? (Did I forget to mention it was lumpy? It was.) Pomegranate seeds! Only, not just a few pomegranate seeds, oh no! An entire fistful! All wrapped up tightly and delivered to the stupid and unsuspecting Ginabean!

Well, folks, it wasn't good. Not at all. And ever since that fateful day (somewhere in the '90s), I've avoided pomegranate. It really hasn't been hard to avoid 'em.

Anyway, since 2009 is the year to be brave, I thought I'd give pom another go.

Me and my pom (provided by the lovely Kelly!)

I still don't like it. I just had 2 or 3 at a time, but still...it took me back to the day I stopped loving them. No more pomegranate for this Ginabean!

Aaaand...that was my Thanksgiving week in a nutshell.