Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Thanksgiving 2017

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Kerri and Chris came down as well as Grandma and Grandpa Christensen! Wednesday I felt like I was cooking all day between getting Thanksgiving food prepped,  salad swap for friends, regular dinner, ha but Casey was home so it was much more enjoyable!

Thanksgiving morning came and it seemed like the family was coming later in the day and since we had REALLY nice weather we went for our own little family turkey trot up and around the neighborhood! The boys rode their bikes a ton (the twins getting on and off when they felt like it of course) Max the whole time, and Easton in the triple stroller. Casey listened to music. The parent not pushing the stroller was in charge of encouraging the twins to keep going, haha. It was so much fun to be out and active with our little family! Every time I said "turkey time!" the kids were supposed to come back to me and go "gobble gobble gobble" in a circle, it was pretty funny. We ran a little over 2 miles all together. I'm grateful for an awesome husband who gives into my silly antics and traditions :)

We got ready and loaded in the car to go over for Thanksgiving! There was SO much food it was crazy! They must have been cooking all yesterday and today it seemed like! The sides are always the show piece in my book. Brad made a great stuffing, Tayli did a million rolls, Derek and Karlee did the green bean casserole, I did the sweet potato casserole, there were so many delicious side salad type things and so many pies! Mostly all store bought but still really good! I made a really yummy cookie pie and a chocolate pudding cream pie! Both were favorites for us all! They also made the strawberry pretzel jello casserole thing and that was SOO good!

We all went to Harrison park (the special ed one that is super fun for the kids) we all walked there because truly the weather was amazing! And played for a really long time! Took some silly videos and pictures and even the adults played on a couple silly contraptions. There were so many great conversations had all day with all the adults around. The kids were pretty good at playing with each other a lot of the day and it helped that Grammie bought a new really hot wheel toy that they all played with.

It was just a genuinely happy Thanksgiving day all together!

The next day was Grammie's Christmas party which is always so fun for the kids! I think it's a lot of prep for Brad and Nan and their family but it's meaningful to the kids and I think they'll remember doing it year after year! Afternoon came and there was still lots of playing outside time! All the kids went in the hot tub with Derek (the previous night it was Casey and all the kids), just lots of great sitting and chatting. Dinner was delicious leftovers from Thanksgiving our favorite! And more PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE

Saturday morning I had my Santa Photo shoots that all went well. The Price's came for the last session of the day. All my boys went to Home Depot for their craft, we try to always go to those and it's so much fun for the kids every time. I'm so very grateful they put those on! I honestly can't remember much of the day. A Christmas movie perhaps? I know I made Hawaiin haystacks for the gang. More hot tub but this time I got in with Easton and then Grammie and Kerri followed us out to with Evie, it was a party indeed!

Being around family at the Holidays is just so special. That's what they holidays are for family time! It's a lot of effort for everyone, ESPECIALLY the main mom in charge but I'm so grateful for Nan's efforts and my own mother's efforts all these past years. I only have good memories of Thanksgivings!


We also did a thankful tree in our home with the boys! We tried each day to write things we were thankful for on leaves and tape them up! It was sweet to hear it all. Here are what our leaves said this year:

-daddy and his job and mommy (B or Q?
-scriptures, church, calling, visiting teaching, Bryson (K)
-for Jesus creating all of us (M)
-milk and naps (E)
-mommy cleaning up, daddy getting a motorcycle (Q)
-daddy unplugging the toilet, a family forever (M)
-birthday, Maxons, TV, pictures, doors, donuts (B)
-healthy family, CHM, vaccines (K)
-pictures on the wall, beds God made us, preschool, nathan, Dax, Brylee, Aidyn, Hendrix, Katherine (M)
-Jim and Jan and new clothes (B)
-Casey's job, Rock Springs, Overland ward (K)
-daddy building a bench (M)
-halloween stuff in the house (B)
-milk and Sippie cups (Q)
-food (M)
-facetiming, Granny Woodruff, Grammie Cutler (K)
-clothes (M)
-Heavenly Father gives us a sister (M)
-daddy goes to work and earns money (B)
-Atonement and Eternal families (K)
-night nights, beds, blanket, room (Q)
-Jesus and the gospel (M)
-Jesus, sports, and job (K?)
-diapers, washing machine, diaper cream, soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste (K)
-Jesus built our homes (M)
-coloring books, crayons (B)
-Jesus gives us families and the whole world and temple and churches and food (M)
-Mrs B. (M)
-library, gymnastics, race center, good friends (K)
-Granny and Papa, Grammie and Grandpa Cutler, FaceTime (K)
-dad make the trampoline, heavenly father let plant grow in the summer and rain and we clean up the yard
-Casey, Bryson, Maxson, Quinn, Easton (K)
-Mom, dad, settlers, married (M)
-mommy and daddy (Q)
-Maxson helps me (B)
-Amazon, instagram, smiths (K)
-Bob and owning our house (K)