Decorate tree... check

O Tannenbaum! 

After church on Sunday we decorated our tree.

I love listening to the kids reminisce as they pull out ornaments they have made or ornaments people have given us. There is usually and argument about who gets to hang the glass icicle Grandma Mary gave us several years ago. I have no idea how they remember who hung it last year (they can't seem to remember to brush their teeth).  Apparently Cole hung it last year and so Lily did this year.

 This is a new favorite.  I bought it at the Beehive Bazaar a few years ago.  It's a santa painted on a dried gourd and I keep meaning to try and make some myself.

 Sisterly love -- I had to take a picture of that!

We love the tree! It smells amazing and now it really feels like Christmas around here!

Get tree... check

Saturday we scoured the tree lot...

And picked out the perfect tree.

And we brought it home.

Thanksgiving

This weekend we picked out our tree and decorated it and I'll post about that soon, but first I need to post abut Thanksgiving.

We really had a great time. It was super relaxed and super good.

Our preparations began on Wednesday with the making of the pies.  Lily had been begging to help so when it was time to make the crust she and her friends helped me out.

I showed them how to roll out the dough and not work it too much -- you want a flaky crust after all. Then we cut out leaves to put in the center of our pies.  It really was fun to have my three little helpers (Lily, Gabi & Rylee) with me in the kitchen.

Then Alli & I made a blueberry pie (Cord's request).  Alli made the crust.  Isn't it beautiful!

I really love the Thanksgiving meal!  I mean I REALLY love it.  

Here is the turkey.  We put some sage from our garden under the skin of the turkey before we cooked it (an idea from Martha of course). I love the way it looks.

The stuffing was gone in a flash.  It is such a good recipe with sage, sausage, apples and cranberries. 

Alli loves the stuffing as much as I do. 

 Cord's sister Lindy came over for dinner which was great.  My kids always look forward to a visit from the Funaki's!

Ame

Tevita

Makai

Aki, the lover of turkey wings.

Sassy

And then I have to end with one more picture of cute little Tevi.  This is him enjoying a grape.

Oh don't you just love those curls!! 

 I hope you have a great holiday.  Now on the the Christmas posts!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is Thanksgiving and the list of things I am thankful for is much too long to list here.  I love Thanksgiving because it gives me an opportunity to reflect on all I have. It also gives me a renewed resolve to care more for the people around me than the things around me.  

"The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief.  Opportunities come, and then they are gone.  I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not.  I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

  -- Thomas S. Monson

The most important things in my life are the six beautiful people I share my home with.  The most important thing I can spend my time doing is being with them.  I am so grateful for each of them and the love they show me.

 

I hope you are surrounded by those you love and have a wonderful holiday!

Pre-Thanksgiving Festivities

Yesterday was a busy but fun day.  Part of the busy was that I somehow ended up helping in three, yes three class parties yesterday.  I helped make super cute turkey cards -- they also had a cookie decorating station, pictionary and a game station. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures!! Then I headed down to the kindergarten to help with Will's feast.

 

They had turkey, rolls, carrots, popcorn, applesauce & corn chips plus some apple juice.  I love the kindergarteners!

 

This is Will's BFF Regan.

I was suppose to head over to Cole's 6th grade class in the middle of Will's party but luckily Cord was able to come over instead.  I was in charge of the game (bowling using soda bottles for pins and a soccer ball) Cord said he had the time of his life.

After school I loaded up the van with our carpool and went to get Barry at "Farm School".  Since it was Thanksgiving we got to go in with the turkeys and say hi.

 

I love the turkeys.  Their gobbles just crack me up!  They were so loud running around terrified of me and my pack of wild children.

 

I wish I looked that good from behind.

 

 

Then we tried to pet them.  Jordan was a little timid... Lily was a little nervous... but Barry...

 

no fear.

I laugh so hard when I look at this picture.  Barry chased those turkeys while making gobble sounds of his own.

I had to take a picture of the cute chickens

And this bad boy.  There is a picture of him in our favorite calendar "Extraordinary Chickens"

Cole & Lily finally got to pet the turkeys and our day was complete.

My grandma had a salt shaker that looked just like this one.

I took far too many pictures of the turkeys but they were so much fun!

Now I'm off to make some pies...

Our Thankful Tree

Last night for Family Home Evening we made a "Thankful Tree".  We have done this several times in the past and it is always a hit.  Its a great way to get the kids to take a few minutes and think about all the blessings we have in our lives.

I should have taken a picture of the branches before they had any leaves on them. Because it was nice to point out that sometimes we feel down and feel kind of empty like the tree looked  but when we think about all the many things we have we realize that our lives are full.

Here are a few of the things written on our tree this year...

I love that Cole said cameras.  I put my camera on one of my leaves too ( I love having so many great images to look back on!) and of course I am thankful for my kidos --  so lovingly referred to as "nerdlings" or sometimes "children of the corn".

Who isn't thankful for junk food!?

Oh Alli and her hand sanitizer...

I think these three go so well together!

And were would we be without friends?  I love Thanksgiving.  Not only because I get to eat the best meal of the year but because I have the opportunity to reflect on all I have to be grateful for. And hopefully before the kids start to make their 100 item Christmas lists they can remember all the gifts they already have.