Thanksgiving Treats & Oma and Opa Love

 

{Oma & Aubrey}

This Thanksgiving we truly have so many things to be thankful for. As traveling for Ray's job is impossible during the Thanksgiving season, we are so thankful that my parents are able to travel to see us and to share these fall festivities with them. This Thanksgiving was truly memorable as we shared so many wonderful moments with Oma & Opa. Enjoy our Thanksgiving 2015 picture post with my loves.

My parents arrived on Tuesday night. With sweet hugs for her Oma & Opa, she quickly talked them into watching one of her nightly favorites. I loved watching the sweet cuddle time.

 

The next morning, Oma, Ray, Aubrey, and I made our way to Cinemark for Aubrey's first movie going experience to see The Good Dinosaur. With snacks packed, Penny and Fox (stuffed animals) in hand, an extra milk with a side of buttered movie popcorn, she did a fantastic job in the movie. She loved Arlo, the good dinosaur. As it was a matinee and filled with lots of children and a field trip, we were in better spirits and our worry went away as to how she might do. She did yell a few times "Mommy that's a dinosaur, that's a dinosaur!" It cracked me up. We did enjoy a few pictures to mark our first time experience. We were all smiles!

After a nap, we were a go for Play-doh fun. I have to say something I didn't know but my parents are pros at making different objects with Play-doh. Aubrey and I were super impressed.

 {Aubrey & Oma}

 {Dancing with Opa while walking in mommy's boots}

Our Thanksgiving morning began early as Aubrey was so excited to play with Oma & Opa and watch her Memo. As we began our day at 5:30AM it gave mommy and daddy a chance to make breakfast and to get some Thanksgiving treats pre made. After a few hours, the parentals joined us and we began our morning of hang out fun, Memo watching, game playing, and time spent with family.

 {Oma & Opa Love}

{Ray, Alicia (baby Liam), Aubrey, Oma, & Opa}

I am so thankful for my loves.

{Our Thanksgiving spread} 

This year our Thanksgiving meal consisted of the finest of paper materials so this mama would not be doing dishes. Our food was absolutely delicious. We ate Cornish game hen, my great grandmother's dressing, rolls, asparagus, twice baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows (yum!), fruit salad, and pie options.

 

 {My beautiful family of 4}

 

{We love you baby Liam- 22 weeks + 3 days}
I absolutely loved that Ray, Oma, & Opa were finally able to feel sweet Liam's kicks/moves.

 

Friday, the family enjoyed a morning of Christmas craft making. My mom found these adorable little crafts at the Dollar Store and Aubrey absolutely loved it.

 {Yay for Christmas trees, snowmen, and gingerbread men}

Her little voice cracked me up as she would yell, "I do crafts Oma!" After our morning of crafts, we decided it was time for a sweet treat. Together we made Christmas Rice Krispie treats. Aubrey's favorite part had to be adding the sprinkles.

I have to say, I love these two together. She surely has eyes for her daddy. With Ray's work schedule of Q4 mixes his work days around a bit, we were all so thankful for his two days off this Thanksgiving. We love our time with daddy.

While daddy was at work, the girls enjoyed more play time, craft time, game time, and snuggle time. With the weather being rainy and very cold, we stayed in our pjs with the heat on, eating delicious treats, watching Christmas movies, and loving our time together.

Another fun tradition that my family gets to celebrate during the Thanksgiving holiday is my mom's birthday. With it being on December 1st, it is so fun to have some special time to celebrate our Oma and her special day. Aubrey was all smiles as she loves her some cake.
 

 {"I eat cake Mama!"}

Thanksgiving is definitely a time to focus on all of God's miracles. To truly be grateful and thankful for those He puts in our lives. To family and friends near and far, I am so incredibly thankful for you! Thankful for each memory made and for each day we are able to spend it together. Here's to 2015 Thanksgiving Treats & Oma and Opa Love. It will be amazing to see what next year will look like when sweet little Liam joins our family.

College Crew Friendship Feast 2015

On Saturday November 14th, we had the wonderful opportunity to host our annual College Crew Friendship Feast. With our sweet friends coming in from Colorado, we were so thankful to spend an afternoon together celebrating over a decade of friendships and enjoying a rather large play date. With 8 adults and 8 children, our little home was filled with lots of laughter, lots of love, and lots of delicious treats. So enjoy a fun picture post of our afternoon together. Oh how we are so thankful for these amazing friendships.

 {The adult table decor}

 {The kids table}

 {Bryson & Jacob played cars}

 {The twins love Elsa}

 {Sweet Haley}

 {Aubrey's silly self}

 {11 month old baby Elliott}

 {Sweet brotherly love, Elliott & Luis}

 {The sweet Fantlet twins loved on Elliott}

 

 {The ladies- Kaylan, Alicia, Stephanie, & Kristin}

 {The gents- Adam, Ray, James, baby Elliott, & Michael}

The babes loved their kids table and took full advantage of the butcher paper coloring table sheet.

After a morning of play and catch up, it was time to eat. The conversation was amazing and so was the food. After lunch, we enjoyed more catch up and conversation, delicious pie options, a boy's frisbee game, Aubrey picked up acorns, and lots of time together.

I am so incredibly thankful for these amazing friendships and time together. Happy Friendship Feast 2015.  

Our Little Turkey & a Family Thanksgiving 2014

What a special day to remember what we are truly thankful for this season. I am so blessed to be a wife and this little girl's mama. It is the greatest job in the world! I am beyond words thankful for my husband who is my best friend and also an amazing daddy that I get to share my life with.

As part of my husband's job (which I am very thankful for), his schedule around this time gets a bit hectic. It makes for traveling during Thanksgiving pretty impossible. So we are so lucky and thankful that my parents were able to join us this holiday season.

 
{Oma & Opa at our Thanksgiving lunch}

This was our first Thanksgiving with my family since Auby was born last year. It was a perfect blending of traditions and the spread wasn't bad either;). Our menu consisted of cornish game hen, asparagus, my great grandmother's stuffing, 5 cup fruit salad (which quickly transitioned to 4 cups ever since I was a child and I hated, and still do, coconut), cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, and our  afternoon mosas. It was delicious!

To Oma and Opa,
We are so thankful for you both. We are so thankful for sharing this holiday with you and baby. These are memories I'll hold dear for a lifetime.

It is amazing to think what a difference in a year can look like. Here is a picture of our daughter's first Thanksgiving at 6 weeks old last year. Oh how times have changed.

{Thanksgiving blessings in 2013}

This year Auby was ready to go... an empty belly and hungry hands. She loved the crescent roll and fruit salad with mallows of course. The stuffing may have been a bit much as we quickly went into melt down and coughing mode. So we quickly switched to a meal of black beans, meat, carrots and peas, and pears. I am assuming it was a hit as she shoveled her food into her mouth and when she finished her plate quickly became a hat. Mid day impromptu bath was definitely our next stop. And yes that is my child under the table hopefully not looking for scraps with the pups. I plead the fifth on this one.

The past two days have been filled with baby play and family fun. We've danced, made animal sounds, read stories with Oma and Opa, played in our kitchen, made a drum from wooden spoons, climbed the stairs, pet the pups, and even seen Santa on tv during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I have loved watching my daughter love on my parents and the pups. As new traditions are made and old ones are continued, I am reminded just how THANKFUL we are for these special moments in time and that Christmas is right around the corner. Let the countdown begin! Enjoy a few pictures from my parents visit.

  {Auby's Ballerina Fun with Daddy and the pups}

 {Story time with Oma} 

 {Sending "warm" wishes on a cool walk with the family}

{Auby & Opa time} 

 {Hope Park Fun with Oma & Daddy}

{Special moments with Oma including holiday crafts, puppy play, giraffe kisses, and so much more}
 

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!