Ok , Ok, so I'm doing my thankful post in December but better late than never. We had a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving since most of us traveled to Nevada to be with family for the holiday. Marcus stayed home with my dad because his play opened the Friday after Thanksgiving. I think they were secretly happy to stay home, watch football and eat hotdogs instead of the usual chaos that is our family whenever we all gather. This year we have Pinterest to thank for these adorable turkeys. Love!
Oh, and I love these girls too. Lizzie and Sami. So happy, so helpful, so beautiful. One was my Shirley Temple and one was my twin to my first born. They both hold a special place in my heart and when I think of them, I'm instantly happy.
This promised to be a really special trip because we got to meet Lauren's boyfriend, Mike. We're very protective in this family and we only want the best for our own. He was sweet, polite, funny, kind, thoughtful, helpful and fun to be around. I think she likes him...
He smiled willingly every time I wanted to take a picture, and that was often.
I think he likes her.....
They make a cute couple and we'll see where this leads...
Not to be outdone, this is a pretty cute couple too. Bill and Kathleen, without whom this whole family unit would probably not exist. They are the glue that holds our family together. We love them and miss them when they travel the world for months on end.
Oh, the Oliver girls.....Samantha, Elizabeth and Lauren....together again.
Cutest family ever...the Oliver Family. Aren't they adorable?
We thought the couch with the pool in the back was a nice touch. Vegas is very warm this time of year and absolutely beautiful once you get off the strip.
My amazing brother-in-law about to carve the turkey.
It was a jammed, packed weekend with Thanksgiving, a 90th birthday and a baby shower all wrapped into one. Bryan's grandfather, my kids' great grandfather, turned 90 this year and since we were all gathered for Thankgiving we decided to celebrate such a monumental occasion. He was beaming the entire day with pride in a family that loves him.
Here is a man who is reflective of what living 90 years can do. It makes you think.
And he actually blew out all of those candles and was happy to do it.
We thought this hat was hilarious-"Disfunctional Veteran, Leave Me Alone" Perfect. My dad has the same one.
A man and his daughters. A happy man.
Oh, wait, he just got happier....
A man and his loyal, beautiful wife....
After all the traveling, talking, preparing, eating, cleaning, celebrating, I think my father-in-law had the best idea, sit by the pool and enjoy the beauty of it all. I am so thankful and my heart overflows. Thankful for family, friends, health, abundance, love. I could go on for hours.
My husband realized I was having a houseful of women with baked goods and realized that I should have my Christmas present from him a little early. Best Christmas present ever! I absolutely love it! So adorable and perfect for me. Meet my new best friend...
Readying the counter. One must have a hot beverage with their cookies on a cold December night. I heated up the spiced cranberry cider and the pear cinnamon cider. Love them both. Absolutely delicious.
Here is what 7 dozen cookies times 6 looks like. Fun, that's what it is.
Let's see, we had gingerspice cookies, mexican wedding cakes, snickerdoodles, peppermint meringue kisses, orange zest fudge and peanut butter chip cookies. Sugar high!
And here are the lovely ladies that were brave enough to take on my challenge. We missed those who could not attend but I realize during this extra busy season it's not always possible to do everything. I've scaled back school this year during the month of December so that I could make room for the things I really want to do but never have the time for. So glad I did.
