November has come & gone in this part of Texas. The cold air has blown in and the leaves are finally changing...just a couple weeks before Christmas. North Texas is a strange place! Before it snows or something let's recap the mild weather months that have passed us by.
Thanksgiving week was wonderful around here. It included a week off for Robby, a trip to the Arboretum with his parents, my parents & brothers staying at the Valentine Hotel for a few nights, some yummy cooking & lots of laughs. This year was about a million times better considering that last year we had been insomniacs with a newborn AND I had a horrible sinus infection & was unable to smell or taste anything. This year far exceeded our expectations!
We shared lunch on Thanksgiving Day with my mom's family. It was relaxing& we were thankful to have my Aunt & Uncle hosting. The 25 side dishes were delicious along with the turkey & ham...it's fun to have so many contributors!
There was a lot to capture by camera or just in general....like these two who need to be restrained at times ; ) They are starting to smile more similarly & making it more difficult for people to tell them apart. On first glance when I'm not fully paying attention I too have identified them incorrectly. Never thought that would happen!
Talk about needing to be captured, Arlo took off on two feet the week of Thanksgiving. He was moving quickly all over the yard, squealing (or crying) with the overwhelming attention of siblings & cousins, haha!
My cousin Kelly graduated this month with a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. It most certainly earned the gift Scott wrapped in Ferbie paper & placed in her hands. For years & years my mom & aunts re-gifted this ceramic potato set which originated as someone's wedding gift. Over time the collection grew to include matching pieces, a potato peeler etc. When Robby & I were engaged I received the first potato of our generation & twelve years later it now belongs to Dr. Kelly Hall.
Kelly has been so kind to spend some evenings with our crew while we go on dates. They LOVE her & I'm pretty sure she loves them too.
Charlotte was the first to require Grandma to be re-named "GGran" for Great Gran. In just under seven years she has become GGran to 11 little ones including two sets of twinkies! We tried & tried, took a break & tried some more to get a picture of 11 children seven & under. It was a hoot...
Shockingly we got a picture with my parents & brothers with ALL smiling & most looking!
Little Lyla got lots of attention...as she should.
Throughout the month of November we (again) struggled through actually hanging leaves on our Thankful Tree. Sometimes it would be a once a week, write it all down & hang it or mommy forgot to punch holes or tie the string on. Keeping up with the pace at which we once moved feels impossible now with our big bunch. That being said, we gave it a good try!
I loved our leaves this year. Last fall when Arlo was brand new, my mom & Grandma kidnapped some girlies to give me a break. They used tissue paper to make them beautiful then hand cut each leaf. Beautiful outcome! One thing we are so very grateful for is what feels like a new beginning in a home where we hope to be for a long time. A few specific things the kids said that they were thankful for regarding our new Nest were a cul de sac where we can play & dirt to dig in. Simplicity at it's finest!
Also high up on the list is the following....thanks Owen.
and because I am too lazy to type them all....
It's been another year of transition with much to be thankful for.
No comments:
Post a Comment