I'm still here - just slacking big time on staying up to date with all the things we are up to! I still need to do posts about Fall Break (at the beach!), a quick trip Brad and I took to New Orleans, a girls trip I went on, Halloween, the big kids' fall sports seasons...my goal is to try to do a post at least every other day (being realistic here) to catch up! We will see how that works out...
Since Thanksgiving just happened, I thought I'd go ahead and do a current events post :) I have to say it was nice to not really set alarms and have more of a relaxed schedule, but goodness I am looking forward to a little bit more of a routine. The boys are dying to go back to school, and I think Katie will be so excited to see her friends and get back into her routine as well!
On Thanksgiving Day, I got up and tried a new fitness place. They were offering free classes for the weekend, and I knew I would be eating terribly, so it was definitely a good idea. I met some friends there and did a long class and loved it! Definitely a hard work out - but it was awesome! And since I was up early (it was a 6:45 class), I figured I would see if Starbucks was open...of course it was! So I got myself a tall skinny peppermint mocha and payed for it and the person behind me! I love doing little things like that.
When I got home, it was parade time! I love watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...and I have my kids into it too!
Ryan was obsessed with it! Everyday he has wanted to look on my phone for the "Thomas balloon" - ha! He is also one to remember to bless the food at each meal! Brad made a delicious breakfast and I snapped a picture of Ryan singing "God Our Father" before chowing down.
We didn't get together until midafternoon, so I actually got to watch the whole parade (and also do some laundry and other things) before starting to cook! I made crockpot mac and cheese, cranberry chipotle meatballs, green bean casserole, brownies, and cinnamon roll monkey bread. I also heated up some rolls and got the cranberry sauce out of the can :) Look at this spread! YUM!
Here was the cinnamon roll monkey bread! I had to dump it from the bundt pan onto a cookie sheet so that it would cook a little longer. That meant it wasn't quite as pretty. But good heavens it tasted SO GOOD! I will definitely be making that again!
And before we started fixing plates, I got my mom to take a picture of my crazy crew. Love this! We didn't have to go anywhere on Thanksgiving Day, so I was in my house shoes after my shower...and I didn't wear any makeup!
And my plate! It was so good. I love a good Honey Baked Ham!
I also love a full table of people we love!
After eating, I got a picture with my brother...not too shabby! The outtakes, as usual, were the best part :)
And as Cee Cee and Uncle Will were heading out, my crew wanted to sit and wave. I got them to cooperate for a quick picture on the front steps and it turned out kinda cute!
And this was everyone's sentiment after eating all that yummy food. Lazy.bums.
After getting the kids down, I went down the street for Round Two of desserts! Thankful for friends that are like family!
When I got home, I marveled at the fact that there was NOTHING on the kitchen island. No piles of papers. No toys. No NOTHING! I am aiming to do better about keeping it clean. We will see how long that lasts. And we ended the evening by watching Elf! That is something Brad and I have done for the past few years!
Friday afternoon we went over to Brad's aunt and uncle's house for another delicious spread of food! His aunt is an amazing cook, so everything was delicious! I snapped a quick picture of the kiddos in their backyard before it got dark!
And Brad's mom took a picture of the two of us!
After eating (and listening to Ryan whine and complain and cry about the food and pretty much refuse to eat - kind of like he did at my house the day before), the kids actually settled down and were still! Even it was for only a few brief minutes. But I documented it as it is a rare occurrence, especially at their house!
Now we have our Christmas tree and stockings up and are working on the rest of the décor! I love having everything decorated, so I was glad to go from fall décor straight into Christmastime!
After the parade was over I had Katie read a Pete the Cat Thanksgiving book to the boys and it prompted discussions of what we are all thankful for. I love that Jack was the leader of that conversation and asked everyone what they are thankful for. It is so important to take some time and count our blessings!
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