Tradition That's Hard to Break

It's a tradition that we started in Virginia and continued in Georgia. Tonight we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner that included the agents in Wes's office and their family members. Even with many agents from our office deployed and several out on a case, I think I still counted 36 people. Sadly, I knew the names of only three people in the room. I felt like a general's wife with fake smiles, offers of more potatoes, and all the while hoping to God the strangers' little ones didn't spill soda on my brand new barstools. Then I realized that I was that OLD general's wife when one spouse told me she graduated highschool in 2004. Dear God!

Next year, I am planning every detail of the event, and I am leaving the soldiers out of it. Maybe next year we will actually have someone bring forks, and we might have something other than two turkeys, 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, 5 pounds of green beans, and 100 dinner rolls.

Freedom Carnival

I have never spent so much time on a military installation like I have this week, but without the amenities of the installation, we would have nothing else to do. Unless you count the Sonic Happy Hour, and we have been there done that. A lot. And we have been to Lowe's so many times the credit card company called last week to see if we really needed to make that many purchases. We did and we will be back probably tomorrow.

Today we attended the 4th of July Carnival hosted by MWR on post. There was food, carnival rides, games, crafts, a petting zoo, and bounce houses....all free and great fun.

Keagan's favorite part of the day, he said, was playing "war" with electronic guns. 

Evan joined him.

It still concerns me greatly that the boys have such a fascination with shooting up the neighborhood or other little boys with electronic guns, Civil War pistols and even Star Wars swords. It was cute when we lived in Virginia and until the reality of war became something we couldn't ignore. It is pervasive here in Hinesville.

Side note: You might notice that Evan has on two different shoes. He is not trying to make any fashion statements; this was not on purpose. He actually put on both shoes without realizing he did not have a matching pair. Wes says we should not be concerned because this lack of detail must be a sign that he is a genius. Because just like our psych prof at Austin College, Hank Gorman couldn't match his clothes or shoes, and he is the smartest person that we have ever known.

I am not convinced because after I went back to the closet this morning to change my own shorts, Evan said, "That looks much better, Mom. The yellow shirt really looks better with those shorts." And I took the fashion advice of my seven year old son who left the house with two different shoes. Hum....

You can take the kid out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the kid.

Evan's highlight of the day was the bull ride. He said, "I will never forget that ride."

With this awesome photo of his fall, we want to make sure that no one does.

At the end of the day, we headed home for some much needed rest, matching shoes, and a double take in the mirror just to make sure I didn't look totally ridiculous at the town fair. Keagan had it easy on the long walk back to the car.