Family, Travel, Work, and Traditions - What A Week!

Last week was a whirlwind with Thanksgiving and everything else going on—it felt like there wasn’t a moment to catch our breath! The weekend kicked off with Holly's family coming over to our house for a family Thanksgiving. Her parents were there, along with her aunt and uncle, one of their children, and a cousin with his wife. It’s always a special time to have family together, and hosting at our house meant we spent some time tidying up, straightening things, and getting everything ready. It’s a bit of work, but it’s worth it for a good visit with everyone. The food, the laughs, and the memories made it a wonderful start to the week.

On Sunday, we had dinner at my parents' house. It was a nice change of pace—just sitting back and enjoying time with them without hosting duties. Spending quality time with both sides of the family is one of the things I look forward to most during the holidays.

Monday morning, I had my routine dermatologist appointment. I try to go every six months since I had skin cancer a couple of years ago. That time, I had to undergo a Mohs procedure, which was a big deal—not something I’d want to repeat. Now, regular checkups mean that even if something needs to be frozen, it’s quick and easy. If you’ve ever had skin cancer or noticed anything unusual, I highly recommend you get it checked out early. The freezing procedure is in-and-out and doesn’t disrupt your life, while something more serious like a Mohs surgery is much more involved. Prevention really is the best medicine.

After that, Holly and I headed up to Charlotte. While Holly drove, I got some work done in the car—responding to emails, talking with the team, and handling a couple of meetings remotely. It was a productive drive, and I like finding those pockets of time to stay on top of things. In Charlotte, we focused on packing up stuff from our house there, organizing and sorting through what we needed to bring back.

Tuesday night, my son Noah arrived from High Point with his cat, Ivy. He was preparing for his first-year law school exams, which are no joke. Your performance in those first-year exams can set the tone for the rest of law school, influencing your class rank and opportunities for internships or summer positions. Noah is planning to work at our firm over the summer, but he’s determined to perform his absolute best. It was tough for him to balance the holiday break with all the studying, but he handled it well.

On Wednesday, we all drove down to Georgia for Thanksgiving. Normally, Wednesdays are my manager meetings day, but with the holiday, we gave the team an early release at 3:00 p.m. Instead of our usual meeting, the managers sent me their reports and any requests for guidance or approvals. That let me stay on top of things while still making time for travel. The drive to Georgia was… interesting, thanks to Ivy. We debated whether to keep her in her carrier or let her roam free, and we decided to let her explore, hoping she’d settle down. She ended up spending most of the ride in my lap. That was a little weird for me—I’m more of a dog person, and Teddy, our dog, always rides in the back seat. But Ivy seemed calmer there, so we went with it.

During the trip, I ended up switching backpacks. My son Sam had borrowed my usual one recently, so I’d been using a different bag. Then Noah decided to take that one, so I borrowed a backup from Holly. She thought it was hilarious because this particular backpack came from her podcast days in the planner community. My sister-in-law had given it to her, and it says something like "Sisterhood of Planners" on it. Holly got a good laugh out of me using it for work, but until I get a replacement, it’ll have to do! Here's a picture of it for context.

Thanksgiving Day was a double celebration for us. Holly made her signature green beans, a recipe she’s been using for over 20 years from an Army spouses’ cookbook she got when we were stationed at Fort Campbell. Those green beans are a holiday tradition—full of brown sugar and absolutely delicious, even if they’re not the healthiest option! We had Thanksgiving lunch at Holly’s parents’ house and dinner at my parents’ house. Spending time with both sides of the family made the day feel extra special.

Friday was all about tradition. Every year, we head to Lenox Mall in Atlanta for a little Black Friday shopping. This year, Noah stayed behind to study, but Holly, Sam, and I made the trip. It’s always a fun outing to look for Christmas ideas and just soak up the holiday spirit. As usual, I thought about stopping at the Pandora store, but the line was too long—this happens every year! Instead, I’ll probably pick something up at a local store later. It’s become a bit of an unintentional tradition at this point.

On Saturday, we shifted gears into Christmas mode. We have a rule in our house: no decorating until after Thanksgiving. But once the turkey is eaten, it’s full steam ahead! We started by pulling out all the Christmas decorations, which had been sitting in the guest bedroom. While unpacking, we accidentally set up an old tree we’d replaced years ago. Holly wanted the new tree up, so now we have two trees this year. It actually worked out well because we’ve collected so many ornaments over the years—20+ years of marriage means a lot of memories on those branches. Later that day, we went to my parents’ house for chili, peanut butter sandwiches, and decorating their tree. It’s a fun little tradition we’ve done for years.

By Sunday, the house was fully decorated for Christmas, and we were ready to dive into the holiday season. It’s always such a busy time of year, but also one of the most joyful. We crammed a lot into the week—family, travel, work, and traditions—but it was all worth it.

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful start to the holiday season. And as always, if you’re in pain, call Shane!