Happy Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Okay, so we're a little late. In fact, I should go ahead and wish you a Merry Christmas - but, better late than never, right? Justin, Abigail and I took our traditional trip to Gatlinburg, TN for Thanksgiving. This tradition started three years ago after my parents made the trek from Memphis to celebrate our first Thanksgiving with us in Wake Forest. After more than 24 hours in the car for a short 3-4 day visit they vowed to never do that again. So, we decided to meet half-way in Gatlinburg, TN. The first year we brought all of the ingredients needed to make a traditional, home-made Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, we haven't done it since. It took three or four trips to Wal-Mart, including one on Thanksgiving Day, to get everything we needed. And then... the cabin didn't have a microwave, so we had to heat the leftovers in the stove. Yuck! Since then, Thanksgiving dinner has been at the Apple Barn. It is a farmhouse restaurant that serves their meals family style. Although it pales in comparison to my mom's homemade turkey and dressing, they do serve a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Not to mention there is no clean up. Last year, while we were in Gatlinburg, Justin and I were able to surprise my parents with the news that they were going to be grandparents. This year, of course, we had the joy of celebrating Abigail's first Thanksgiving. As we went around the table and shared what we were thankful for, Abigail made everyone's list. It's amazing how such a little person can bring so much joy to the lives of those around her. We also shared that we were thankful for the gift of family and friends and the privilege of being children of God. What a blessing it is to have the promise of eternal life through the blood of Jesus Christ, but also to have abundant life filled with family and friends that love us and support us. Praise the Lord for His countless blessings. This year, Justin's family was able to join us on Friday. It was so much fun to watch Abigail enjoy time with our families. She just laughed and laughed at my mom. I am posting a video of her laughing, squealing and snorting at Justin and her Mimi. It is too cute! While we were there, Abigail learned to laugh "like a big girl", reach and grab and last but not least, she learned how to catch a cold. A few days before we left for Tennessee she had the sniffles, but by the time we got home it had turned into a full fledged cold. It was pitiful. After a few days of congestion and coughing, we went to the doctor and found out it turned into an ear infection. As a result, Abigail and I were on quarantine for about a week. The bad news is, even after 10 days of antibiotics, we are back in the same boat two weeks later. The Monday after Thanksgiving, I was at home taking care of Abigail when I get a phone call from Justin. Rarely do I hear from him at work, so I thought it was a little out of the ordinary to be getting a phone call from him. When I asked him how his night had been he replied, "I got hurt." He fell while loading crates onto his dolly and bit through his bottom lip. Thankfully the cut wasn't large enough to need stitches. He just had to wear a butterfly stitch for a couple of days and he was fine. Justin just finished the fall semester, and I am proud to say that despite being a full-time worker, dad and husband he did very well in school. Only one semester left and he will be a seminary graduate. WOW! So, that is the latest with the Perry's. I apologize for the long post. I will try to keep the blog updated more regularly so you don't get a book next time.