Week 48 Around Here {2019}

{My "10 Year Challenge" Photo :: My how our family has grown!}

Walking... in the sunshine on Sunday and feeling so grateful for warmer temps.  We all needed to get out of the house so desperately after a cold and grey Saturday.  When we are out walking, or grabbing our mail, we love to say hi to our friendly neighbor dog who lives by our mailbox.  Link is the sweetest pup who is always up for a pet and a visit.  He's the best.

Making... tortillas with all the kids on Sunday while Josh was at the land again working on his dad's truck.  (The truck was being a beast and making it really difficult to accomplish what they were trying to do.  It took nearly all weekend!) So we made the best of it and tried to prepare for the week ahead.

Preparing... for company for Thanksgiving this week by cleaning house while Carly was at Grandma's on Monday.

Taking... the twins to the orthodontist super early Tuesday to adjust their bands.  Then Carly left her purse of pups there, and panic ensued.  Thankfully I am friends with our orthodontist's family and we were able to arrange a pick up, or Thanksgiving break would have been sad and puppy-less.  (Shout out to Feller Orthodontics!)

Loving... Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark lately.  It's my favorite Christmas time treat.

Mourning... the loss of our family friend Kenny who passed the day before Thanksgiving.  He and his beloved wife Shirley (who passed around the time Carly was born) were like an extra set of grandparents to my kids.  They adored our crew, and we loved them right back.

Hosting... Thanksgiving for my parents and sister's family.  My parents stayed with us, along with their puppy, Juno.  It was so fun to spend some time with them and we all fell in love with their dog!  My sister and I planned a day full of activities for our busy crew (together we have seven kids- five of whom are boys!) and it ended up being really fun!  We cut out snowflakes for my back door, made gratitude collages, decorated sugar cookies and they also did some diamond art my mom bought them.  The adults worked on a puzzle, which is my new favorite past time with my family (a tradition started by my Grandma Pansy) and took pictures of my dad as Santa with all the grandkids.
The food was a joint effort and I don't think any of us felt like we did too much, which was the best.  And the icing on the cake? Our husbands did the dishes! Way to go, Josh & Blake! {swoon} It was a really fun day and none of us wanted it to end.  It made me so grateful that we are all in the same state and able to celebrate holidays together like this so easily.

Spending... the last day with my parents going out to lunch and sending them off to the arcade with the kids while I stayed home with Josh and their sweet dog.  Juno is seriously the best dog and made it easy to see how a dog would fit into our lives.

Deciding... maybe it's time we get a dog of our own.  My mom said she would love to get us one as our Christmas gift, so Josh and I have begun looking at the local Humane Society and are seriously considering it.  It's equal parts scary & exciting!!!

Gasping... when I saw a rock in the windowsill in our stair well.  Upon further investigation, it was not a rock (phew!) but a pair of Jack's socks. sigh. {eye roll} When I questioned him about it, he assured me that it was on purpose (that kid!) to see if he could do it. Haha! Life is never dull with these kids around.
I texted my sister-in-law to commiserate and she said she had a pair of socks in her light fixture at the top of her stair case for years thanks to her boys.  #boymomlife

Sending... the twins off to a local hockey game with my dad and Uncle Blake on Friday night.  While they were at the game with their cousin Ferris eating yummy treats and cheering on the team, I was at my sister's house holding a baby she's watching for two weeks while his parents are away.  He has the most delicious dimples and I got to rock him to sleep! I haven't rocked a baby to sleep since Carly was little.  It was such a gift.

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