Thanksgiving Highlights: Before and After

I might be the only one still posting about Thanksgiving, but look at your calendar, folks. It's still November! That's right. So here are the highlights:

We didn't have all the chairs in place yet and William said, "I'll help!"

5 of our guests couldn't come, so my extra long runner to fit an extra long table, was just extra long. And kind of wrong.

But I wasn't about to try fixing it on Thanksgiving morning.

I am not a perfectionist ladies and gentlemen.

Finally, the table set. Borrowed some plates, last year's cloth napkins, waxed leaves and gourds table setting--simple and economical. And it turned out pretty too.

Remember that picture for later. Calm, serene, clean. BEFORE.

The cousins all sat outside at the kid table. Aaron drew each kid their very own turkey to color.

Just like last year, the kids ate green gelato (Nanna's green jello) and bread with lots of butter.
I think Scotty actually tried the turkey. He's the oldest and has to set a good example.

The funny thing about the kid table was Sally, our kitty cat, kept trying to eat off the kids' plates. They moved off the table and around the backyard about 3 times before they gave up. Then they came in and ate on the floor.

I thought they'd like eating outside all by themselves, but I didn't factor in Sally. Sorry guys.

In the way of a hostess, I don't have any pictures of the feast, or any of us eating it. But it was good. Man, it was good.

I do have a picture of the bird, though. Mostly because this was only my second year cooking the turkey and I am still kind of amazed that I can do it.

It's not hard, but it seems hard.

Let that be a lesson to you.

After we ate, we played games. It was great fun. Quite possibly the best part of Thanksgiving. Catch Phrase is a fun game.

And then......

The clean up. The part of Thanksgiving we are least thankful for. AFTER

The cousins decided that the mess covering the counter tops, sink and stove simply wasn't enough. Oh no, they added more. To the floor.

They went camping in the kitchen. Which involved a rug and pillow on the floor. As well as backpacks full of clothes and toys.

Every car the boys own, laid out in style.

Books too! Cause everyone knows that camping is a great time to read.

And my personal favorite, a coonskin cap set amidst the dirty dishes. Those kids know how to camp in style.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, I burst out laughing. It was truly hilarious to see how much more of a mess those kids had made in my kitchen.

Then I started snapping pictures.

It's like I told Aaron, the best part of having this blog is that I always think, "this will make a great story!"

Yes it will. We'll be telling stories of this camping trip for years to come.

I am thankful for cousins to laugh with. The grownups sitting around the table playing games. Jessica's sweet potatoes. Mom's green beans with crispy shallots. Mom's stuffing. Trader Joe's brined turkeys. Sally cat chasing the kids around the backyard. Lilly learning Spanish from Fernanda.

I am thankful for another wonderful Thanksgiving.

Weekend Wanderings

This weekend we've been:

enjoying leftovers

spelunking

having tea parties

enjoying Christmas magic

seeing the trees on the water and knowing,

Christmas is here!

Hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful in many ways and that you are enjoying the start of this season of joy where ever you are.

I'll see you back here tomorrow.

There's just so much to talk about.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving,

From my table to yours.

I'm Thankful For: My House and the Things That Make it a Home

Warning: this is a very long post.

But don't worry, it's almost all pictures.

I have been thinking about the things I am most thankful for, and my house is high in the list. It isn't a big house, or a fancy house, or even a finished house, but it is our house. Our first house. And since this blog is above all a record of the days of this family, I thought I'd give a little tour of the things that make this house our home.

Come on in.

I love that the first thing you see when you walk in our door is our Hang It All. It tells you we love bright colors, we don't take our house too seriously and we're big fans of mid-century modern design. It's a place to hang your hat, and it's art.

After living with a tiny living room for 8 years, it is amazing to have room to spread out in our living room. I love our big window, our vintage orange chairs and yes, I love that very turquoise Grandma lamp. We found it at a garage sale and it was love at first site. Many people do not feel the same way.

I wonder what the kids will think when they grow up. Will they remember it with fondness, or incredulity?

I also love the way the morning light streams into our living room. It is such a warm, bright place to be. And that coffee table. I've never had a coffee table before. (again that space issue) It is a wonderful place to put out a constantly revolving selection of books, blocks and puzzles to play with. It gets a lot of use.

And aren't the shape of those legs just beautiful?

I love that we have a large painting of a trailer in our living room. Every time I look at it I think of Aaron. It makes me smile.

So does that credenza. It is also an Aaron. He designed every bit of it, from the hairpin legs to the color palette. It is a great place to hide a tv.

And, of course, I love this wall unit. We now have a growing collection of old furniture whose previous life was across the Atlantic, in Holland. I think that's cool.

Our bathroom before.

Our bathroom now. Oh I am so thankful for these changes.

And the floor..isn't the color amazing? Can you tell we have a thing for turquoise?

I love my old stove. It has towel racks on the side. And when you put up the cover, it becomes a pie rack. A pie rack!!

You know I love my red floor. Linoleum. Yeah, we're old school.

Our kitchen when we first moved in. As much as I might grumble about a kitchen that is not done, I am thankful for fresh, white paint and a new floor. Imagine how great it will look in there when we get rid of that back splash and replace those counters.

We have a dining room. That was on our list. A room set aside for dining. It is a truly wonderful thing to have. I know. I carried a fold up table into my living room 3 times a day for years. That was after I spread an oilcloth mat on the carpet in an attempt to keep it clean. Before that, we just sat on the floor and held our plates in our laps.

Oh a dining room. Such luxury.

And do you see our oranges? They're growing right outside the window.

I love the art that hangs on our walls. There is Aaron's art, of course. The Trailer, Bialetti, and another favorite, The Letter F. We have our collection of old sign photographs. Favorite cards we've framed, or simply tacked up. Then there's this printer's tray from an old letterpress. It makes a great shelf for all our little treasures.

I love our light fixtures. We have an eclectic mixture. The simple globes we got for a song at IKEA. Aaron was against them but I held strong. He liked them as soon as they were up.

It's nice to be right sometimes.

And the chandelier in the kids' room that I cleaned and repainted. I love it.

Lilly's side of the room: her flags, her art, her birds, her orange and pink bedding.

It makes me so happy.

And oh, oh, oh oh, our office. Here you can see some before pictures. But just look at it now! I am in love with this room.

And now, outside.

The turquoise picnic table. It is so cheerful.

The back porch is one of my favorite places. It is like an extension of our living room and it is used for all sorts of play all day long.

Our back yard is far from the picture perfect outdoor space I dream of. In fact, some of it is a downright eyesore. But I am thankful that it is big enough for forts, for slip and slides and a mud hole.

Oh yes, that mud hole that is so, so enjoyed by everyone. (Well, except the Mommy who is always cleaning up after it)

We've lived here for 6 months now. We're settling in. The boys still remember our old house. And our old. old house. But this is home now. They like it here. Memories are being made. Our house is not just a place to lay sown our heads at night. It is a warm, safe, happy place we are glad to come back to.

It is home.

And isn't that so much to be thankful for?

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever."

Psalm 118:1

I'm Thankful For: Brothers and Sisters

These pictures were taken exactly a year ago.

And this one last week.

They are such good friends.

I am so grateful that they have one another. Sometimes I am amazed when I see the 3 of them playing together. They share a room. They share toys. They take baths together. They share a life. And because they have each other, their life is much, much richer.

The night before I was scheduled to have William, I remember feeling like such a traitor to James. I knew I would love this new baby, but in a way, it seemed like bringing another baby into our perfect little family of 3 was like bringing in an intruder. I could not wrap my mind around the idea of loving any one else as much as l loved James. I felt a little sad that our time as a family of 3 was over.

I had none of those fears or feelings when I left for the hospital to have Lilly. I felt only joy knowing how much James and William loved and needed one another, and that another sibling would only add to that. And she has.

Lilly has given something unique to each of her brothers. Her relationship with each one of them is different, as is their relationship with her and each other. I enjoy seeing how they interact with one another and as a whole. And in the span of one year, their love for each other, their bond with each other has grown and strengthened beyond what I could have imagined. It is indeed, something to be thankful for.

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever."

Psalm 118:1

I'm Thankful For : Making Memories

I have been thinking about my last post. And it is funny how perfectly this post fits in with that one. Finding a balance is something I continually struggle with as a parent. One the one had, I want to be more relaxed, to be able to go with the flow and let things happen however they are going to happen.

The problem is that so often when I do that, I end up with cranky, tired, miserable children. And that makes for a miserable Mommy. To a certain extent, children need structure. Their little bellies can't eat whenever. They need regular snacks and mealtimes. They need sleep. They need routine.

But I also think they need me to not be rigid about it. It is a very fine line to walk everyday. I often feel like I am balancing on a tight rope and no matter which way I am tipping, the end result is going to be the same: someone will be crying.

So how do I do it? How do I stop and watch a bug crawl across the trail and still be home in time to make dinner? I guess it is all about prioritizing. Maybe dinner will be sandwiches tonight, or we'll skip baths. Maybe there will be a few tears at bed time. Maybe they'll be more tired than usual tomorrow.

But, I bet they'll remember that we stopped at the park and played in the leaves that one autumn afternoon. They won't remember what we had for dinner. Or that they were tired. Or that there were tears. Neither will I.

I am thankful I am learning to live in the moment. To stop and make a memory. To recognize that living is as important as sticking to a schedule.

And I am so thankful for this afternoon. These laughing faces, sweet smiles and simple joys are memories I will hold onto always.

"One"

"Two"

"Three!"

James climbs down from his perch to join the fun.

"Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever."

Psalm 118:1

As we look ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas, everything gets very busy. There are so many things to do and get done. It is easy to loose our perspective on what is truly important. I am making it my goal to slow down and enjoy special moments with my kids as they come. I hope you make the time to do this too. I'd love to hear how you slowed down and made a memory with your family during this busy time of year.