Thanksgiving Weekend

First of all, if you haven't already, be sure to check out a new blog 3 of my brothers just launched. They're not good for much, but they're always good for a laugh :)

Wow, what a great Thanksgiving weekend we had. I kept meaning to post a grateful post, but never got to it. I am so grateful though, for so many things. It seems almost everyday I hear about someone, usually a friend or neighbor or family member who is going through something really hard. I then usually regret that I can't do something more than pray for them and then I realize that's the best thing I can do. I'm so grateful that I know about and believe in the power of prayer.

I'm also so grateful for my sweet family. To have 5 children can have its challenges, but it's far more rewarding than hard. I love my children and husband so very much. Having a baby around is a particular blessing, there's just something about babies that is irreplaceable.

three 3 year olds "helping" my saintly mother make muffins

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my Dad's family. It was a smaller group than usual, but so nice. It was festive and fun. After the big feast and some socializing we headed to my parents' home for some schmoozing with my parents and siblings and families (Christian, Rebecca, Oliver and Amelia were in town).

Friday we met my family at a forest park nearby for a fire and roasted hotdogs and s'mores. The guys and the kids played a fun football game and the rest of us sat around the fire. That night the adults went out to eat at a yummy Mexican restaurant.

Ryan's coon-skin cap that his wife loves so much

Brennan always looks unamused in photos, but he loved it, I promise

Saturday we got the house clean and hosted a football party to watch our local rivalry game with my family. It was a fantastic game and great company. Towards the end we girls got a little chattier than our husbands would have liked, and many a kid was told to get out from in front of the tv and lovingly invited to go downstairs. But all in all, definitely a great time.

Sunday I went to church early to rehearse with our choir who sang our Thanksgiving song for Sacrament meeting. It went really well, I'm so grateful for such good supportive choir members. It still is really hard and scary for me, but I also genuinely love being part of it too.

That evening we met at my sisters' neighborhood clubhouse for my niece, Belle's, 2nd birthday party. I love this quirky little imp of a girl. Eliza had some darling games for all the kids and lots of treats. The adults sat around chatting and laughing with Josh's family. We left happy and tired.

the birthday girl