Give Thanks

We have to much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Season. Life has thrown us some turns this year but we are blessed beyond our trials. Grateful for Mike's job, they had their best ever Black Friday/Cyber Monday week. He had to work extra hours over the Thanksgiving weekend, but it paid off. It pays the bills and has great medical benefits. We paid so much in the past for medical it is wonderful to work for a big company that treats its employees well. They recently had a Thanksgiving Feast at work, everyone brought a pot luck item and ate like kings. They are also doing a weight loss challenge over the Holidays and it has gotten Mike to join a gym and work hard to earn the cash prize and PTO day off! Glad he is getting in shape, I need to get back to it also. Working and Mothering and life has added some extra pounds.

We hosted Thanksgiving. Everyone brought sides and a pie. We had a feast! So grateful for family and to spend time with them over the long weekend.


Just before we started to dish up, I snapped a couple pictures.

 Missing Julie who was also taking pictures. 20 people! Great group!

 A mini kid table. Luke, Eric, Lilly, Ashlyn

 Bigger Kid table. Lexi, Karsyn, Kamryn, Jack, Madison

 So grateful Grandma joined us also.

 And then dessert!

 We even got to eat on our new table! Oh boy, was this a project. When I inherited the table over a year ago from Grams, it needed to be painted. It was well worn and loved. I just hoped Grams wouldn't mind my transformations. When she gave me her piano many years ago, she said "whatever you do Kinz, don't paint it black!" I asked Aunt Jill if she'd "roll over" and she said no, she'd love that I put some character to it.

Lilly woke up with the stomach flu Thursday and instead of sitting by her and holding her bowl, I thought " I have an extra day (because we normally work on Thursday) to get this project done, the weather had been so mild and warm (we have 13 days in the 60's in November), I could get this done this long weekend. Oh boy, almost 10 days later it was mostly done. The table took one day alone to strip and then sand and clean, the chairs all had to be washed then sanded before the paint and stain could be applied. Then it got colder, we had been parking our cars outside and got the seasons first snow on, and then the stain didn't dry as fast as I would have liked. 3 coats of stain and 3 coats of white paint I hoped we were done. Nope still had to put a varnish on the table, 3 more coats, which was basically a day for each coat! BUT we brought it in and enjoyed our first meal on it two days before Thanksgiving (when I first started the project--hosting Thanksgiving dinner and needing the table to eat on never even crossed my mind). We all reminisced and thought Grams was joining us at our new table. AND I just love it!!

 I had 4 chairs, Grams had 5 chairs, somewhere in the move someone took off with one of her chairs but with 4 leaves and 9 chairs we can host lots of gatherings!

Black Friday Mike worked, Jack wanted to go shopping to find good deals to spend his money on. YIKES, 5 minutes in Target and I was ready to leave. We went to a movie Moana on Dan's treat, and then all came back for pizza and more fun. Friday night, we divided cousins and had a sleepover. Bill and Steph got more then we did, it was very quiet. We had last minute family pictures up the canyon Saturday. Sunday night, we set up Christmas and played games. 18 days and counting!

Love my stockings! My Mom started them, my Aunt Sue finished them (4) that is, and then 2 years ago made me 2 more. Perfect addition to my mantle! Hustle and Bustle of the season is here. We've bought our ornaments for the year. Jack a hamburger, Lilly Ariel, Lexi a fish, Madison a Santa, Mike a pickle, Kinz got a basketball at the Ornament Exchange party which I gave to Jack for his tree. Sunday we celebrated dinner at my Dad's with Brody and Zont'll and Chad and Anna. Miss those kids. They'll be home for Christmas. Hope we can squeeze another visit in with them soon. Brody's wife is expecting a girl, Brooke, in March. Hope she gets the black hair and eyes! Life has thrown us its ups and downs but it is to be expected and we wouldn't want it any other way.