Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving was just the way I like it... comfy, cozy, relaxed and delicious :)  

Since Dave is a service manager at a country club, Thanksgiving is CRAZY for him... he went in to work around 8:30 a.m. yesterday.  The kiddos and I finished breakfast and spent some time playing with Mega Blocks in front of the Christmas tree.

Luke built Griffin a house :)

We watched the parade...

And when Gibi came over we started cooking!  Luke is a great helper and Mason is a great "taster" :)

We joke that we think Mason will end up being a chef one day because he is sooooooo into "cookin".  He loves to wear an apron and pretend cook, calling himself Chef Mason.

After we got the turkey in and started Griffin was up from her nap and we spent some time playing.  She hasn't pulled up on anything yet, but I don't think it's too far off...

 

Mason ran around like the goofball that he is :)

Check out the hair growing over her ears!  It's coming!

And Luke wanted to show Gibi his house he built in Mine Craft (side note: I have no clue what Mine Craft is but Luke is OBSESSED! OBSESSED, PEOPLE!)

This cracks me up because Mason is NOT typically my snuggler, but he ALWAYS wants to snuggle with Luke :)

Mason was the "laundry basket monster" :)

The littles took naps from about 1:30 - 4:00, and while they were napping Luke and I took a short nap and then Luke made place mats for everyone.

I randomly had orange cardstock scrapbook paper in my craft closet along with Thanksgiving stickers, so I gave him a list of names and he went to town.  

After they were done he set the table for me (the plates aren't on the placemats because then you wouldn't be able to see them!) :)

Luke put a "I'm thankful for _________ because...." message on the back of everyone's place mat.

After crafting and getting the table set, Griffin was up and ready to put on her turkey outfit!

I'm thankful for ruffle pants :)

She lays like this ALL. THE. TIME.

 Dave got home and my parents came over and the boys were all supposed to be hanging out in the family room while Mom and I finished cooking.  Mason REALLY wanted to be in the kitchen with us :)

Reading Luke's "thankful for you" notes. 

Also - yes... there's a rubber snake hanging from my chandelier.  #boymom

The food was DELISH and Miss Griffin enjoyed it thoroughly.  She ate EVERYTHING and mmmmm-ed the whole time :)

INTENSE about her food :)

I am beyond thankful for my sweet family, healthy kids, salvation through Jesus Christ, our home, my job, etc., etc., etc. and yesterday was a PERFECT way to celebrate those blessings. 

Gratitude

"Gratitude ... goes beyond the 'mine' and 'thine' and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy." 

~ Henri J. M. Nouwen

And a special Thanksgiving gift for all of you :)

#brotherlylove

I don't like to share my Fall pictures until after my Christmas cards go out.... but this one didn't make the cut for the card and I couldn't want to share :)

I mean seriously... right?!?!?!  Luke's silly laugh and Mason's adoring look at him?!?!?! I die.

I have a feeling that this will be one of those pictures that I really treasure forever.  I hope that they both have it in a frame in their homes when they're grown-ups.  If they don't do it on their own I'll bring one over.  Promise.

A close second for me was this one.  Because "Monkey see. Monkey do."

I love that these boys are FINALLY starting to really be "brothers".  They play a lot and fight a lot.  They can't get enough of each other and two seconds later can't stand each other.  They ask for each other first thing in the morning and often times we find them asleep in the same bed.  They drive each other nuts and then hold hands while watching a movie.

#brotherlylove

In honor of this sweet brother moment captured, here's a cute 5x7 printable for all of you with brothers.  Simply click on the photo (so that it enlarges) and then right click and save it to your desktop.  Upload it to wherever you get photos printed or just print it off at home. 

I originally made it for the boys superhero birthday party, but now it's in a frame in their room.

And speaking of their room and great "brother pictures"... check out the one I have above their dresser in their room...

  Mason was about to turn 1 and Luke was about to turn 4.  LOVE this pic :)