Thanksgiving 2010 Recap...

In the fashion of our Thanksgiving traditions, we drove to Knoxville on Wednesday after work, so Ray could meet his buddy Mike for breakfast at Waffle House on Thanksgiving morning, then onto Kingsport for lunch, Michigan rummy and dinner and then to his parents house in Asheville for a few days. This year we went to Ray's aunt and uncle's house, Greg and Linda, on Thanksgiving day. The food was fantastic and a good time was had by all. To continue in the celebrating, on Friday night, Ashley, Ray's sister, got engaged to AJ...

The happy couple...AJ is in his final year at West Point. They have lots of adventures ahead of them...

All the children with their parents...

And the grandchildren...

Aunt Pam, Uncle Keith, Brandon and Kristen

Aunt Linda, Uncle Greg and Gregory

The Helsley Family...

Half time tradition...

I look forward to the half time of the Kentucky game each year for 12 days of Christmas! Honestly, I thought they were weak, but still fun:

On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
More parking spaces for UT
Second: A Bowl game for TN
Third: Another Super Bowl for Peyton Mannning
Forth: An Escalator for The Hill
Fifth (and best in my opinion) The Same Coach Next year
Sixth: 9 championships for the Lady Vols
Seventh: Free texting for every Vol
Eight: Lower taxes for every Vol
Ninth: Lower tuition at Tennessee
Tenth: Best School song in the South Eastern Conference
Eleventh: Peace on earth for everyone
Twelfth: Best band in the whole country

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That's right...

79 yards on the kick off...let's go VOLS!!
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So Blessed...

I thank the good Lord everyday for all the Blessings in my life. As you all know, I've been Blessed with the best parents, sisters, extended family and friends a girl could ask for. I'm extremely thankful that both mom and dad have recovered from their surgeries...Ray's dad is out of the hospital and doing well...I'm thankful that I get to write my Grandma Deen a letter every week...for Lily and that she likes to spend the night and sometimes likes to talk to me on the phone...I'm thankful for the opportunity the Jr League has given me this year as a volunteer at the Lester Community Center and the relationships/difference we've made there...thankful for modern technology and this blog...very little work travel...for weddings and all the healthy babies that have been born to dear friends and the babies on the way...for smiles...Thanksgiving at Ray's Aunts... good attitudes and outlooks on life. I'm thankful for life, love and all the possibilities of ever after! Here's to the Holiday season...
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Thank you...

Postmaster and magazine editors for filling our mailbox today...makes the drive across Tennessee that much easier!
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Busy Cooking...

Lily's busy cooking...while I'm 'busy' working! Emily said when she turned on the mixer and powdered sugar went everywhere, Lily said "I'm a mess!"
This picture made my day...

Oh yes it is...

Pumpkin Roll time...which can only mean one thing...Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Ray just let me know that he needed a dessert for a potluck at work tomorrow...good thing I just happen to have the stuff for a pumpkin roll. I'll be making another tomorrow night to take to Ray's families Thanksgiving or I might make the pumpkin cheese cake along with some of the almost famous Mississippi Mud Brownies (that his grandmother loves), homemade salsa and another dip...I LOVE this time of the year!

I HATE...

Internet Shopping...I just checked my credit card statement and realized that since Monday, I've made 8 online purchases...8 and the sad thing is that only 4 are presents...I have to stop this madness...The bright side is that none of them are from drunk ebay (Ray)!

Hello, My name...

is Brooke Helsley and I have an internet shopping problem. I LOVE being able to make a purchase with a few clicks and the product arrives on my door steps in a few days. I LOVE to have the opportunity to shop in all my favorite stores that Memphis is not lucky enough to have (Nordstroms, Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Lands End, Coach Factory, etc). I LOVE being able to search for the best price around and to use promotion codes. I LOVE not having to drive to the store, search for a parking place, battle the crowd, sweat in the stores that think the heat should be on when it is 70 outside, smile at the saleswomen (when you can find one) who tell you everything you try on looks great, wait forever in the check out line and carrying your purchases all over the mall. Now I'm not a scrooge, I still LOVE going in the little shops...the Davis Kidds and the Merry Magnolias of the world, but really that is where my LOVE for shopping ends these days!

Ray has always LOVED to shop online, so I guess that is where I got it from...look how happy online shopping makes my LOVE...

I just LOVE...

this time of the year...I LOVE fall and cool weather and changing leaves and the anticipation of LOTS of family time over the Holidays.

I LOVE Downtown Dining Week - We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Felicia Suzannes' tonight. My Chicken crepes were so light, yet filling and the White Chocolate and Fresh Coconut Bread Pudding with warm TN Whiskey Sauce and Spiced Cream was fantastic.

I'm in LOVE with the pumpkin cheesecake that Molly posted several weeks ago and the new Club Multi-Grain crackers and Wickles (you must try them...Emily sells them at Lily's along with lots of great food baskets) and so far I LOVE Ray's new job (where he doesn't travel as much)!!

Finally I LOVE this picture of Lily and I on the Merry Go Round from the zoo last month...I kept forgetting to post it!

My LOVE post is To Be Continued...

I Fly Again...

Last weekend when Lily spent the night, she was laying on the pillow on the floor while I put my make up on...well Ray thought it would be fun to swing her on the pillow...little did he know he would get a major arm work out as Lily kept saying 'I fly again, pleeeease Ray!'

Ribbon Cutting

Yesterday at lunch, I went to the Ribbon Cutting of the updated computer lab at the Lester Community Center. Check out the story that WREG ran.

Click on the Good News tab on the top of www.wreg.com.

Only in Memphis...

'I mean this pushes Memphis up 5 notches' per Ray Helsley
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Let's go VOLS...not off to a great start...

Let's hope it gets better...
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Good Morning...

Were watching cartoons with our babies and our three teddy bears! Looking forward to visiting an Aardvarks' class later this morning!
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Showing off her masterpiece...

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Lily and Ray

Color as they wait for their dinner.
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I love...

Birthday Cupcakes...
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Maybe we should rewrite...

7-7!
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Halloween and Hot Wings

Minnie Mouse came to 'Trick or Treat' last night! Her mom & dad came too, plus Molly & Logan were in town and Nonna & Poppa were free, so Ray cooked up some of his 'almost' famous hot wings and a great time was had by all!

Lily loved her fishing poll and Mickey pumpkin full of goodies from Nonna and Poppa...

She fished the night away...

While Emily tried out Lily's Halloween goodies...

When Minnie turned back into Lily she showed off her new dance moves to us!

Friends...

So excited that my sweet friend Allison, her husband Chris and their two little ones, Kate and Jack, were in Memphis this weekend. They came for lunch and to watch a little football!

Such a fun time catching up! PS - Yes, Allison is still a VOLUNTEER, but Chris graduated from Rhodes and after lunch they were headed to his 10 year college reunion football game and Rhodes' colors are red and black.

Raced for the CURE...

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Did you guess...

Elphaba, the 'Wicked' Witch of the West...who really isn't all that Wicked at all! The kids wanted me to be something scary and I definitly scared a few of them!

Tarana and Elphaba

The G.R.O.W. Chairs!

Clue 3

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Clue 2

I hope this is safe for sensitive skin...
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Getting my costume on...

For today's Halloween carnival at Lester Community Center...can you guess who I am going to be???
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Wicked on a full moon...

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Hangin' with the Pumpkins...

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Come see us...

At Chilin' on Broadway in West Memphis...
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Chilin' on Broadway!

We got here early to help Emily set up, so Lily got the bounce house to herself!!
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90th

On September 18th Ray's Grandmother celebrated her 90th Birthday! So we headed to Kingsport, TN to celebrate with her after we cheered on the Vols (in the Gater section...shhh!).

Darrol and Georgia Nickels (aka Granddaddy and Grandmother)

Mr and Mrs Helsley are ready to celebrate...

Granddaddy put together a timeline of pictures to commemorate Georgia's 90th!

Ashley is learning all about the last 90 years of her Grandmother's life through the scrapbooks her Granddaddy put together...

Ray and Ashley with their cousins, Kristen, Gregory and Brandon

Georgia shares her birthday with her son, Greg...

I just want...

Some plain orange pumpkins...when did Halloween start having so many choices???
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Dr. Lily

One of Lily's favorite things to do when she goes to Nonna and Poppa's house is to play with her 'boo boo' kit...which was actually Emilys when she was little. Lily loves it! This pic is a few weeks old, but I forgot about it!

Lily's new play house...

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Seeing all the animals...

Really makes you tired!
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