Daddy's Girls

We had a perfect 2020 Thanksgiving! I have to specify that 2020 part because the “perfection” is relative but it really did turn out to be a good day. We missed Chad, Rachel, Austin and Josey and the girls and I only went for the day because the rain in the forecast for the rest of the week isn’t going to make it possible to stay outside, but the time that we were there was very nice.  We got there about 9:00 and Matt fried the turkey while the kids watched the Macy’s Day Parade outside and Yaya, Hailey and I got to hang out. The other guys got back from hunting a little before lunch and we all sat down together to eat.  It was very sweet that Rachel planned her meal for the same time and we got to FaceTime with them at the table. We visited for a few hours after and the girls and I came home because we needed a nap. Even Lilli slept! It was a good day. I wish I could have been longer and we were all spending 2 or 3 nights like usual, but for 2020, we’ll take what we can get! ...

Yesterday was opening weekend of duck season in Arkansas and (just like everything else this year) it looked a lot different. It’s typically a guys weekend and several friends would be in town but not this year. Matt has been wanting to take the girls deer hunting so we made plans to meet him in Plain Dealing after he hunted on Saturday and Sunday for him to take them each one on one. Lilli went first and she got a special treat because Austin was there with Chad too. We didn’t realize he was going until he called from the car Friday evening so that got her even more excited about her weekend with Dad. Since there wasn’t anyone in town, there was even room in the duck blind for her to go. It was her first hunt and she loved it! She said there’s more action than a deer stand (even though she loves that too) and she didn’t have to be as quiet. 😉 While they were playing up there, Katie and I had a good Mom and Me day. We watched the LSU game, got ice cream, went for a golf cart ride, wat...

We usually go to Baton Rouge the weekend before Thanksgiving so that we can celebrate my Dad’s birthday but of course this year we had to make other plans. He turns 70 tomorrow so we couldn’t let such a big birthday pass without seeing him. I’ve been working on his gift for about a month. I don’t have all of his friends phone numbers so I got their Christmas card list from Janet and sent a letter asking people to mail a card for me to collect and give to him all at once. They have been coming in for weeks and this morning I woke up extra early to be able to cook and still be on the road for 6:45 to meet him to give them to him. We met at Indian Creek recreation area right outside of Alexandria and had a brunch picnic We had cheese grits casserole, sausage balls, a fruit tray, and of course there had to be cake! He loved his box of cards  and a few of his friends even sent gifts. I think I collected 43 in all and am waiting on several more that are coming from last minute people. I’...

The last month or so has been pretty quiet in the McCormick house. Of course we went to Baton Rouge a month ago and got together with the deer camp family for Halloween, but we really haven’t seen friends. It hasn’t been on purpose; just haven’t made plans and I guess we’ve gotten used to it. Lily Jordan and Kelli are the people we see most often but her sister got diagnosed with Covid so they brought her home from college today so it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon. They are in quarantine until almost Christmas! But I have been wanting to get the kids out for at least one more fun thing before it gets too cold and we don’t want to be outside so we met up with Cara, Josie, Ashley and Bridget at Jubilee Zoo this morning.  It was a nice morning and we always have fun there. The kids love the bounce houses and feeding the animals and it was good that there were hardly any other people. The highlight is always the hayride but especially this time because there was ...

We needed some “Merry” in Bossier City so our Christmas decorations went up on Saturday. Yes, I know it’s the beginning of November, but no, I do not care. 😉 I’m over this year and ready for the joy of the holiday season. Even though we don’t know what that will look like. We don’t know exactly what we’re doing for Thanksgiving, let alone Christmas, but I do know, no matter what, we will be together and that alone will make it good. ❤️ Not that this year has been all bad. But it seems like even the good things I can think of have a flip side. We moved in to a house we love... but haven’t been able to entertain in it and very few people have even seen it. The kids and I (mostly) enjoy homeschooling and have never had more time together... but they miss their friends and I need alone time sometimes. There have been HUGE joys like our best friends having a baby... that we haven’t been able to meet yet. So many other examples of course but I choose to focus on the first half of those thou...

Once again, Covid has made a holiday a little different than what we are used to but it couldn’t have turned out more perfect. The last time all 14 members of the McCormick family were in the same place at the same time was Christmas Eve last year but we finally got together Friday night. We’re still trying to stick with mostly outside visits but the deer camp is the perfect place for that. Yaya and Capn with Josh and Hailey‘s family stayed at the big house. Chad and Rachel were in the game room and we were in the little cabin. The kids loved that we had to be outside because they played on the hill in the dark until 9:00. First time they’d ever been out there playing that late. Saturday was Halloween and we woke up and had the Capn breakfast that Austin had requested a few days before.  Josh, Hailey and the boys had to leave that morning because they were trick-or-treating with her family that night, but we got some fall pictures before they left since we didn’t make it to the pum...