Hosting Thanksgiving

Here we are, Thanksgiving is upon us. Not quite sure how that happened since I swear it was just October...

This time of year is always busy for us. We have a family get together every weekend from now until Christmas. It makes the time go way too fast and sometimes I feel cheated on our fun time with the kiddos, but this year I am really wanting to slow down and squeeze in some fun time. One thing I would really like to do is load the kiddos up in the car with some hot chocolates and drive around to look at the Christmas lights. :o)

But first, Thanksgiving.

I am hosting again this year for our immediate family so I have been getting everything ready. I am kind of stressing out about fitting everyone in our dining room...since our families have grown a bit since last year. But Nick is off and he said he would help me move things around and figure it out. :o/ Oh bigger dining room...how I long for you!!

I am hoping to do a gold and cream themed table...if all works out. I spray painted some leaves and plastic pumpkins and gourds gold. The leaves will have names on them and serve as place cards. We'll have cream dishes and gold table clothes.

I made these cute turkey crayon holders since I bought a coloring tablecloth for the kiddie table. :o) I think they are just too cute!

Then we have the menu.

We are sticking with the staple Thanksgiving side dishes (stuffing, deviled eggs, rolls, cranberry sauce, sausage and saaukraute, broccoli casserole) but I am trying out a few new recipes.

I am going to try out these bacon green beans...because everything is better with bacon, right!? :o)

I am also going to try my hand at the crockpot mashed potatoes. They seem easy and look delicious.

Then, my dad is going to deep fry a turkey and my BIL is making a turducken.

I think we will have plenty of food. :o)

What are some of your Thanksgiving staples? Any awesome recipes you want to share?

Frigid Temps

I think a lot of you feel my pain when it comes to the frigid temps we have been having.

I read the other day that our temps here were 20-30 degrees below normal for Novemener and 10-15 degrees below normal for January. 

That is just crazy!

And then just north of us in Michigan they are getting tons of lake effect snow.

We have been lucky enough to miss most of the snow so far but being how it is only November, I know our time will come!

But with these cold temps, the crafter and crocheter in me thought it would be cute to make the girls matching hats.

I bought a pattern from The Velvet Acorn on Etsy and made these:

Hailey loves hers! She will just wear it around the loving room. :oP

Here is a picture with both of the girls wearing their hats. Love.

 

See also, we have made progress on our mudroom bench. Now, I just need to paint it. Anyone have any paint recommendations for wood/furniture?

So, yeah, it has been freezing here. We are definitely trying to keep toasty in front of the fireplace. Oh, and by sipping hot chocolate! :o)

Stay warm, friends!

Documenting Our Life

I've been missing in action lately and I feel like whoever was actually reading my blog before has now traveled somewhere else...  :o/

I apologize for my absence but quite honestly, it has been a nice break. I enjoyed not feeling like I had to find something to blog about. But at the same time, it makes me sad because I look back at past posts on my blog quite often and I feel like each month I blogged less and less. Poor Hailey...her life is not being documented like Hannah's. :o(

So as the year come to a close...a crazy busy close...I am going to try to get back into the blogging mood. Mostly for myself, but I would love for you to stick around. I would really enjoy it if you joined me for the ride and I get back into documenting our life! :o)

So let's play catch-up!

I blogged about Halloween (kind of). Halloween was a big giant bust in the trick or treat department because we had 40mph wind gusts, rain and sleet and snow. So we opted to take the kids the day before Halloween to our old high school for some indoor trick or treating. So the kids did get candy but it was definitely not the same as going house to house. Plus, I was so excited for the kiddos to walk around in their cute costumes and they didn't get to. :o( But, it was way better to stay warm...especially since everyone (but me--knock on wood) has been fighting some sort of sicky since before Halloween.

Hailey...oh my, Miss Hailey! She is growing up way too fast. She has decided that when she eats she wants to eat with a fork now. She does really well to! I don't think the other two started using a fork until closer to 18 months. Let me remind you that Hailey just turned 14 months. I don't like it but I should have know that she was going to be spunky and do things when she wants when she decided to come 1 week earlier than her 2 week early eviction date! :oP

Here is a 14 month comparison of all three kiddos. I am a sucker for a good comparison. I feel like Hailey is still a good mix of Hannah and Colson. What do you think? Because there are other times where I think she looks just like Hannah or just like Colson.

In house news, we started working on creating a bench in our mudroom. With the cold weather here, I wanted a place where the kiddos could hang their coats and keep their shoes...plus, be able to put those things on without sitting in the middle if the floor. It's not quite finished but I am happy with where its going. I think it will work!!

Hannah had parent teacher conferences last week. We were told that Hannah is doing really really well. She is reading above kindergarten level and knows everything already that they want them to know by the end of the school year. We were worried that she might be getting bored but her teacher said that she is still very excited about learning and doesn't seem to be getting bored. So that's good! We are just so proud if her! She is one smart cookie. :o)

Winter has arrived. One day we were in the 60s and 2 days later--Boom!--we're in the 20s and 30s. This morning it was snowing and the forecast doesn't show above freezing temps until next Wednesday. I really need a new winter coat too so that doesn't make for a good combination. :o/

I have been working on projects while the kiddos nap and Hannah is working on homework. I decided that I wanted to make each kiddo their own advent calendar. I only had one and with three kids now, that does not leave for very many chances for each kid to put an ornament in the advent calendar. So I have been working on 2 more for Colson and Hailey. Hannah said she wanted to have the tree so I am working in a wreath for Hailey and a deer for Colson. But with 3 advent calendars come 72 ornaments...with hand sewn sequins and beads. Sometimes, I am clearly nuts for taking on the projects I do...but, I am so happy with how that are turning out! :o)

Thanksgiving is 2 weeks from today and I am hosting again this year. I am a sucker for hosting a good 'party'. Now it's just trying to figure out how to seat everyone (22ish people) in my not huge but not small dining room. :o/

So there's an update for you all. I hope you will stick around as I try to get back into a more consistant blogging pattern! :o)

Hannah's 6th Birthday Party

Hannah's 6th birthday party ended up being on her actual birthday this year. 

We had a great turnout and the birthday girl had a blast!

We did a pink and gold princess theme this year by request if the birthday girl herself.

For food, I made tons of skewers and called them food 'wands'. :o)

Then, there was the birthday princess and her cake.

And, of course, there were tons of presents for the birthday princess.

It was a great party and we are so grateful to everyone who came to celebrate Hannah's birthday. 

I just can't believe we have a 6 year old!!