Thanksgiving 2013

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Lots of work, but so worth it!

We had my and Kevin's family at our house. The boys and I began decorating for Christmas three days before after much asking and asking, I caved! We were home anyway, and it was snowing and it just seemed right. I know I said I was waiting, but how can you say no to a 4 and 3 year old when they have that Christmas magic in their eyes. 

Kevin did most of our cooking. He's wonderful like that :)

The night before prepping of the turkey :) Of course he made lots of jokes and was dancing around with it in the kitchen. It's always like that with Kevin. 

The next morning I had 3 of my favorite helpers in the kitchen. 

Karson was very interested in the turkey this year. We had it thawing out in the refrigerator three days prior to Thanksgiving, and everyone that came over he had to open the fridge and show them that we had a turkey in there. He asked me about 100 times who killed it :) I hope one day son, we will be eating the one that you killed. I hope he is always interested in hunting.

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While the boys cooked, I finished decorating and setting up for family.

We don't have a formal dining room so it somewhat make it's hard to have large family functions at our house, but we made it work. 

So thankful for these three boys. BEYOND thankful.

Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had our first snow this week. Can't wait to show you some pictures of our country snow.

Just a few things...

I am so thankful that this boy is on Thanksgiving break from his preschool. Just three mornings a week is still a lot of work and the fact that we don't have to get out early is great for us all. 

This cowboy was found in mommy's bathroom one afternoon with makeup as his beard. Ahh gosh gotta love him. How could you even raise your voice at him for getting your make up all over your bathroom floor and even on the walls. It was just too cute! Then he went for his daddy's deodorant to make him "smell like a boy". HA! I guess he had to even up the fact that he was wearing make up. 

Last week we drove to the Ohio River where Kevin is a boat pilot. He was working and the boys had been really missing him after those long 12 hour days. So we got to the boat ramps and he was near. We got to watch him drive and deliver a barge nearby then he came back to talk to us for a bit. The boys thought this was the best day EVER! 

There he is with his barge up front. 

Ok, now I remember I already wrote about this! ha, sorry guys!

We had two birthday parties last weekend. Karson's two friends from preschool. He had the best time on Friday night with Ezra because Kipton didn't go. (his words not mine) I thought it would be best for this certain one that he got to go with just me and enjoy his time away from little brother. He had the BEST time!

Our mall has a train and has for a year or so, but we've only ridden one other time. We were out shopping last weekend and the boys asked to ride it. We had the best time! Karson was trying not to smile but he was soo happy.

One of my favorite things EVER is that Karson loves to draw, color, and now write. I get notes everyday and I make such a big deal out of them! He had really boosted his cofidence in the last year and helped him WANT to write his letters and make and spell words. This said Karson Mom and PP I asked what the PP was and he said Pepper. (for salt and pepper) 

We have been at home for the past 2 days getting ready for Thanksgiving at our house. Can't wait!

My Thankful Post

I have been in a Christmas mood for about two weeks now. However, I am really trying not to rush it and enjoy Thanksgiving. Karson is REALLY into the calendar and knowing what comes next that I would be confusing him to put up the tree or any decorations, and he would ask me about 1,000 questions about why I was doing that. So, in the nature of saving my mind, I will wait until after Thanksgiving. 

I thought I would share some things I am so thankful for this year. 

1. A God who forgives me when I am a normal human and sin daily. As well as always answering my prayers in some sort of way. 

2. For a wonderful husband who is so hard working, caring, laid back, handsome, and FUN! He has the biggest personality and I'm thankful it has been passed down to our boys. He works and works and works, and still has time for us and helps around the house. Such a handyman! 

(this just down right makes me so sad. My baby is so big now!)

3. For my first born son Karson. He was a great baby and and hard toddler, but we have worked our way out of those hard three year old times and we are smooth sailing now at four. What a blessing, and complete JOY he is. So friendly, a HUGE personality just like Kevin. A willingness to help around the house, and be a good "husband in training". He wants to please Kevin and I so he is a hard worker. I am so thankful that Kipton has him to look up to. We are still working on a few things that need fixin' but that's just fine with me. 

4. For my second born son Kipton who is a fire cracker! He has a HUGE personality just like his brother. He completes our family. He is so smart and funny. Such a loving boy who is always giving hugs, kisses to us and the dogs. We are so thankful he has such a kind heart and an imagination bigger than the sky. We just couldn't imagine life without him. 

5. For the best parents ever!!!

6. For a home, that I truly LOVE and feels like it's not even mine sometimes. It's all thanks to my wonderful hard working husband, my dad, and mom. Without all of them we wouldn't have our newly built home. We felt like, and still do that we are living in a dream with our home. It's totally undeserving. 

This Thanksgiving I am hoping that I ALWAYS remember why my life is special, and never compare it with others. I hope I always remember how special my boys are in the midst of hard parenting times and how amazing my husband is despite his long work hours. 

Let's not forget Thanksgiving!

After Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a good weekend. It was very busy! Friday and Saturday we mainly shopped and decorated which is super fun with two boys that are REALLY into Christmas this year.

 

I decided to let the boys pick out their own "real" tree this year for their toy room and decorate it themselves. To say that Karson had a blast, would be an understatement. He decorated that tree like it was his favorite day EVER! He loved every second and took almost an hour on it. He never asked for help and did almost everything besides stringing the lights.

 

 

Super proud!

 

I will also say that Karson is very into dressing himself as you can see :) He LOVES pajamas and takes his "real" clothes off as soon as he gets home (I don't know where he gets that from) and puts on his pajamas. You know boys don't care if they match or not...I am just happy that he has taken such an interest in dressing himself. He is always telling me that he can dress himself that I can go just put on Kipton's pajamas for him.

 

 

Kipton just kinda helped and played with his toys while Karson decorated. We had some extra colored lights so Karson wanted to string them around their chalkboard in the toy room. He LOVES going in there to play in the dark and shows everyone that comes over.

 

 

On Saturday..our Elf on the Shelf appeared on our door step. Karson just couldn't believe his eyes and listened so carefully to the story that explained about our new visitor. The boys decided to name him BUCKY after a buck deer. How fitting :)

 

They have really had fun with him. Karson has taken more of an interest than Kipton but I expected that. I am not really putting a huge force on the Elf thing because the boys shouldn't be reminded a million times to be good for toys. But rather just use the Elf for a fun factor and a little reminder that Jesus and Bucky are watching to report to Santa.

 

 

Karson had a performance with his Sunday School class this past Sunday.

 

The boys wanted to get their picture taken under our big tree in the living room that I was still working on. It has taken me almost 5 days to finish it. It is super hard to decorate with little ones around :)

 

 

Their class sang 5 songs and Karson did WONDERFUL! I couldn't have been more proud. He sang and did the motions along with the words. I loved their little performance and so thankful he has a great church to go to with other friends his age who are learning about Christ.

 

 

 

Hopefully I will get my decorations finished up this week and ready for the holidays. I am getting super excited for the parties, and fun things we have planned.

Thanksgiving Day

We had a good Thanksgiving Day. We had "lunch" at our house around noon and my parents and grandma came. It was nice and mom and I split the cooking. It was very good!

 

 

Guess who didn't want in the picture? Yep this screaming cat :)

 

 

He wanted on his bulldozer and not in the family Thanksgiving picture. O well :)

 

I made the boys turkey shirts this year. They turned out really well.

 

 

They love digging in my mulch even though they are told not too....but it was keeping them busy while I was finishing the cooking so I didn't mind.

 

 

 

Karson is really loving the Wii. He loves to play Mario Cart and Kipton "pretends" to play with Karson. Karson is really good at it, but I don't like him play a lot so he really enjoyed it today while I was finishing up the cooking.

 

 

We had a great dinner and very thankful for family.

 

 

We visited Kevin's parents for their dinner around 5 and stayed for a few hours. The boys went to bed early. I think they were exhausted from all of the excitement.

 

Hope everyone had a great day!

Enjoying the last of fall

Miranda who blogs over at Our Nesting Place has a link up for Fall/Thanksgiving decor. I am a days late but finally got some pictures. Some of them you may have seen before.

 

Here is my current centerpiece on my table. I change it alot but keeping it this way until Thanksgiving. I LOVE Longaberger and find anyway to put them around the house.

 

 

I put some pumpkins up on top of the kitchen cabinets. I have Longaberger baskets all around the top of the cabinets. We are really wanting to paint our kitchen and living room but still haven't found time. Hoping that will get done before Christmas :)

 

 

 

 

I found this really pretty "Give Thanks" picture frame from Hobby Lobby for 50% off. It isn't a good picture of it because of the bad glare on the fram but I love it! I put one of the boys fall pictures in it.

 

 

A small table in my kitchen. I love these new picture frames that I picked up from Walmart.

They look so rustic and country that almost look like acorns.

 

 

 

A little corner of the living room. I should probably put the jack o laterns up but just waiting to put it all up together.

 

 

 

My little indian girl. I love her, and so do the boys! I am surprised she is still in one piece. She gets beat up alot while they are waiting for me to finish getting dressed.

 

 

My mums and ferns really did good this year. I was so surprised!!

 

 

I am enjoying this last week of fall decor. I don't put out our Christmas until after Thanksgiving or near the 1st of December. I feel like it confuses the boys and I want them to know what Thanksgiving is and not get all wrapped up into the Christmas too early.

 

I am excited to decorate for Christmas but really trying to wait and enjoy our week of Thanksgiving.

We all have soo much to be thankful for!