Thanksgiving Eve & Day

Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving? I hope so. Can't believe its officially time for the Christmas prep and hubbub. Seems like November always flies by; Veterans Day, Jason's birthday, Thanksgiving and then the Christmas prep welcomes December. Crazy! 

we were that crazy family at Safeway, doing last minute holiday shopping, 

the night before. Thankfully, the store was empty :) 

For us, Thanksgiving began on Wednesday night. Because I've always thought it starts when the food begins to smell up the house. And for our home, that was Wednesday night.

We watched a movie, drank hot chocolate, I cooked and baked until my legs hurt too much. 
The breakfast casserole was prepped and set in the fridge for Thanksgiving morning and then after the kidlets were tucked away in bed, my sister & her boyfriend David got down to business with us and played us some Nertz :) It was a great way to welcome in the holiday. 

Thanksgiving Day was awesome, {minus our family who we miss lots and lots}

the casserole - I outdo myself every year.

 orange juice smoothies 

 Thanksgiving Day parade

 Skyping with family <3

Starbucks {we can't forget Starbucks}

 'thankful' treasure hunt 

watching the snow fall 

{that was a fun Thanksgiving Day first for us}


Later in the afternoon we went to our friend's Jason & Katie Bliss' house, 

Nate's just crazy. 

my sister Emily and her bf David 


board games 

time with friends

delicious food 
more games w/friends 
movies 
dessert, oh, the desserts! 

our camera wasn't charged and ran out of battery right after we arrived 
at the Bliss' house, so these are all taken with my cell phone... 

David took this picture and I think it was to show off his food. 
But I'm not sure. 

playing Pente with Jason Bliss


seeing Christmas lights on houses as we drove home
even the kids being so sleepy when we got home. 
I could do without the whining and the fussiness, but I like the little tired bodies, 
who've had entirely too much fun and fall fast asleep in bed, without energy to put pj's on. 
Just slipping into bed fully clothed. 
Totally reminds me of being a little girl, on the way home from Grandpa and Grandma's house in San Francisco... so exhausted from the trip. 
But it was always a fun, good exhausted.

This month has been great. I've been thankful for the every day reminders 

to be thankful, always. Not just to say I'm thankful, but to live like I mean it. 

I'm much happier when I'm content in Christ and content with what

He's given to me. Its so much better than anything I could've ever planned. 

So as we get ready to enter December {which tends to take on a slightly greedy, 

less "thankful" undertone} I want to remember to carry this 

characteristic with me, more than I have in the past. To show my kids that 

thankfulness is something that marks who we are, 

not just a thing we celebrate once a year. 

these were both take of Kara this past week. 

She's getting so big. Her vocabulary, what she understands and 

comprehends and just her over all personality. 

The other night I made the mistake of looking through some 

of her baby pictures and for the first time {out of all 3 of our kids} 

it actually took my breath away, to realize how quickly her 2 years have gone by. 

I had a good sob and then thanked God for my healthy, happy kids :) 

she came up to me here and said "take a pitcher for Nana wif my good smile."