Fall Break -- Giving Thanks

All month long the girls have been drawing strips of paper from the thankful jar. Each strip has something written on it that we are thankful for. Then it has an action to do to show how/why you are thankful for whatever was on the strip. For example: I am thankful for my Mom. Do something nice for her. Allie was soooo sweet! I had been having a bad day so she asked her Daddy to help make Mommy a treat. Derek, Allie and Avery all pitched in to make me some puppy chow. It made me feel so much better!!
One of our favorites (and just about the only one we took some pictures of):
I am thankful for my neighbors. Do something nice for them anonymously.

We took a picture that the girls drew and a cupcake over to Miss Marilyn

Then we "ding dong ditched" (and then hid in a ditch) our other neighbors. The girls drew a picture for Addison who is their age. Would have worked nicely, but the little ones gave them away.

This was a great activity for the girls and a great learning tool as well. We truly do have SO many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for ------

• my family. I missed them again this Thanksgiving. 
• My husband and children. Derek sacrifices a lot of his time to provide for us and enables me to stay at home. Allie and Avery are such a joy. I love them with all my heart! 
• skype! I was still able to see most of my family for the holiday
• friends. Old and new
• good health.
• neighbors. Yesterday I was on my way to take Allie to school and my car wouldn't start! I looked over at the neighbors and saw that Miss Ann was home. I knocked on the door and without hesitation she offered to take us! Then she came back and helped jump the car. : )
• My home. 
• and the list could go on and on

Now on to Thanksgiving dinner.  Last year it didn't even feel like we had a Thanksgiving. Derek and I were in Switzerland eating wienerschnitzel for our dinner without any family, not even our kids. We had too much on our minds to really think about it then, but being away from family this year was difficult. We still had TAKK and a few friends here to help fill that void and we are thankful for that. I'm bummed that I didn't get a picture of my turkey! It was my first time EVER making one. I have to brag a little though, it was excellent! The whole meal was!

Appetizers - I made a bruschetta like dip and Tami made a sweet potato dip

Turkey, Turkey & noodles, corn, gravy! And you can even see one of Tami's cheesecakes in the back

 

 

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes by Tami, Rolls by Kevin and friends made a salad and 2 different types of green bean casserole...and Kevin & Tami  made loads of apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and regular cheesecake!!

Yes, we ate OUTSIDE on Thanksgiving day! Tami and I even went and changed into shorts and our lightest shirts because we were that hot.

The girls rode around on the Jeep while the adults played cornhole and bocce ball. As you can see it started getting pretty windy and all of a sudden the weather completely changed!

so we went inside for dessert and card games

and a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

make a wish!

And I couldn't resist posting these!

 

We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!