Thanksgiving 2013

I think this sums up all the things I most thankful for..

But these are my greatest blessings...

And this guy too...

I love my peeps!!

This Thanksgiving was very low key.  I was happy to not have to travel.  We went over to Dave's parents house at about 2, had dinner, played a little bingo, watched some football, looked over the ads, had some pie, and we were home at about 7.  Rylan said grace this year, "Thank you for all our blessings and my mom and dad."  The kids and I snuggled in our bed and watched a Christmas movie to end the night.  

Edited to include this picture:

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we had the kids go through their folders to make sure they did not have any homework to complete.  Presley pulled this out:  a card she had made for us at school that she was supposed to give us on Thanksgiving.

You pretty much know you're in with Presley when she signs her "O's" as hearts.

Love her and so thankful she found this to give to us. 

As we drove home we went by Target to show Logan what Black Friday looks like.  There were people already lining up for a 9 o'clock opening. 

I came home and put on my first Christmas decoration...my holiday IPhone cover. 

Turkey Trot: 11-28-13

My sweet girl Presley completed Girls on the Run with a 5K Grand Finale.  Presley needed a running buddy and I tried to talk Logan into running with her, to which he would not agree to.  So on Thanksgiving morning, Presley and I participated in the Turkey on the Run 5K.

It was a very sunny and cold morning.   Presley was really happy to be there.  She's definitely a social bug and got into the spirit of the run by spray painting her hair and picking a tutu and turkey headband to wear.

Presley's 4th grade Girls on the Run group...

This was my view for most of the run.  Presley would run way ahead and then slow down to a walk while I caught up with her.  Dave told her to run with me, but this is how it went.  As we were rounding the corner to the very end of the race, she asked me to hold hands with her through the finish line arch.  That made the whole run worth it to me.   Love this girl so, so much!!

Rylan's 1st grade Turkey Feast

This cute Indian celebrated a feast with his Pilgrim friends from Mrs. Martin's class.  

I got to be one of the servers during the feast. 

Ry and his pilgrim friends Zach and Benton. 

I saw this artwork as I was helping set up. 

I can buy clothes but a Pilgrim could not.

God Bless America!!

Pumpkin Roll

When the carved pumpkins start to look like this...

It's time for the Nelson Annual Pumpkin Roll.

The kids line up along the hillside with their moldy pumpkins...

And Dad does the countdown...

And down they go...

It's a highlight of the fall.

You have to remember to publish (August pictures)...

When Ry lost his second tooth, I searched back in my blog to make sure that I had included his first lost tooth.  I found this set of pictures (including his first lost tooth) from August in my saved drafts, but I guess I forgot to publish them for some reason.

The final month of summer...

A lot of August mornings started like this.

We made a couple of last minute school supply shopping trips to Target.

Ry didn't feel good one day.  

Three day a week soccer practices started for Logan.  

And we found some fun ways to make the time go by quicker.

Dave and Leanna on their 15th wedding anniversary (8-8-13)

Our family friend Anna Blair was married on 8-10-13

This was the money dance and Logan danced with her. 

Her and her husband are great swing dancers, and Anna didn't quite know how to dance with a 12 year old. 

Anna was at our wedding in the Tri-Cities on this exact same week-end 15 years earlier. 

 

 Dave saw this idea on Pinterest.  A fort with a fan.  Ry, Presley, and Harper had to come out because they said it got so cold. 

She had an eyelash in her eye.  Seriously. 

Some days we were just plain bored. 

Logan had his walk thru/locker practice at Foothills.

He wanted some alone time too.

I don't know what game they played on the IPad but they played it alot. 

Ry lost his first tooth on Presley's birthday (8-20-13)

We played outside a lot. 

 

I took Presley and then Ry and Harper out school supply shopping and let them pick where they'd like to go for lunch. I ended up at Red Robin two days in a row.  Not complaining though...

I'm not sure if I'm ready for this...

We had an incredible summer!!

Lately...

I read this saying on Facebook and I loved it...

Thanksgiving always moves into Christmas, because thanksgiving always moves out into the world as giving.

Here's what I've been up to...

I've only read a few pages of this book so far.  It's about excess and it's all around me and it's opening my eyes to some ugly truths about me.  

I recently heard Jen Hatmaker speak and was just drawn to the way she tells a story and writes.  I was reading Interrupted one day during Harper's gymnastics and I literally had to look away from the book because it was making me want to cry--And it was making me uncomfortable to read the statistics.  And I'm pretty sure the story about bananas (p. 47) is a lot like me.  

I also heard Christine Caine speak and wow, she is living an incredible life.  This woman can speak!! Her heart is with girls being forced to do unspeakable things by being tricked and then forced into slavery.  It exists and its scary.  And listening to her made me want to give her organization all of my money to get these girls back to their parents.  

I've started volunteering in Presley's classroom during a literary circle time and this is the book we're reading.  

Harper and I went into Bath and Body Works last week and I'm loving the holiday line, especially Vanilla Bean.  I'm using the body wash, lotion, and the lip balm.  Well, Harper is mostly generously applying the lip balm--it tastes really good. 

I've turned on the Christmas music too.  I love me some Michael Buble.  I was in Macy's on November 1st and heard the first Christmas songs of the season and thought why not?  

Dave and I are watching Homeland again this season.  Mostly he watches, figures out the plot of the episode, and then tells me what's going on because I can't follow it very well--I just hope Saul is a good guy after all.  I have my doubts.  Oh, and I hope our girls don't turn out like Brody's daughter (I can't remember her name).  

I'm watching these two shows on Netflix.  Love them both.  

So that's what's going on with me lately.