I'm glad for break, and I'm glad for school. If I didn't have school to get back to I could go on like this forever....without accomplishing any of those difficult and necessary life tasks!.But the past few weeks have been wonderful, and I treasure the memories made.The two weekends of Little Women sped by too quickly, but were soaked up and I've got the smallest details stocked in my mind forever.
Moving right on to Thanksgiving - Josh got a full week off and spent it here at home. OH BOY, goodness. We fit a bunch of fun things into one week, but also used it as recovery time from the show and a quick regrouping before school again. Christmas break, however, I do not think we shall stop to breathe.
Enjoy some pictures from our busy Thanksgiving week!
(above, brand new salsa, and a bit of adventure just in blending it up. Oh, sweet joys of simple things!)
Task #1 of Thanksgiving break: Sniefer Skype. .We love and miss those faces! Even Mr. Snyder and Jack joined the fun.
If you ask me the number one thing I miss most in the business of a show, it's hands-down - these kids. When you miss someone so badly you literally ache just to spend time with them? My boys and my room girl, how they fill my life. The blessing of being a sister, I tell ya, has got to be one of the greatest. MAN, are my sibs amazing!!
Right now, I think, would be the perfect time for a time-freezing machine. Josh is at school, but here, and we have so much time to be close. We're kids together, on the brink of new adventure ahead. Jenny is my side kick, we fuel on each other. The kids are at the perfect ages..we have so much fun together. Ash, Joel, Evan, Mom, Dad, the cousins - right now seems so perfect. But it speeds on faster than I can run to keep up! GOD give me soul sight to live fully, every breathing second of this lovely, beautiful time with my family.
This child here, above, that beyond presh one? He stands, my folks. By himself. And, I know this is being a poor auntie, but every time he stands up by himself I tell him to sit those buns back down again. How can he be growing up so fast? Turning one in a month. One year ago I tip toed into a small room in a cabin to behold my stunning sister, holding her boy, this darling nephew that we can't imagine not being part of our lives. A whole year!
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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. First, well, a whole day devoted by the American people to give thanks to our Creator. Second, the celebration and the memories. SO many Thanksgiving memories of us on this farm.
Prepping! Fact: Jennifer Riefer makes THE world's best pies. Of the world's entirety. Key lime, pumpkin, cherry, peanut butter, chocolate, anything. Except apple...that goes to my mother, definitely. Talk about mouth-watering deliciousness.
And those magical pie-brilliant hands go hard at work creating a masterpiece....:
My dear mother in the kitchen!
Oh, and I did cook too. I'm just not as ingenius as those two..but that's a rather difficult standard to live up to! Here, I present to you, my perfect cylinder of brown sugar. Ta-a-da.
Turkey Bowl! Team Undefeatedness won, although it was a close game. Well done, my relatives. It began to rain part way through our game, which made it all the more exciting and enjoyable. Football in the rain..yes, please!
More Thanksgiving Day pictures.....
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At the close of the festivities, each set of cousins usually split up to the various houses for sleepovers. John boy joined the four girls for a bit. . .
Watching Newsies, we decided, was a good choice for the evening.
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The next day, it was off to Uncle Hank and Aunt Lynne's for more family visits! Uncle Scott and Aunt Noel and children were in, so we all headed over to the Montrey farm, just a few minutes away from ours.
Gracie, Alyssa, and Jen -
My hand for Scum. >:]
We had fun playing lots of card games, visiting, eating(yes yes!), and catching up with dear relatives.
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Today was church, followed by a stop at the Davidson's house, home for a while, and a cousin birthday party in the evening. Happy birthday to Drew, 14!
The picture we see every car ride -
With several families out of town for Thanksgiving, we expected it to be a small group at church, but we didn't think it'd be just us and Jed! The Hills, Albers, and Davidsons joined us for the service a little later, and it was, though kind of make-shift, a very good Sunday service and gathering. Big thanks for the Nisbetts for the use of their home.
*thankful for our church family*
Now to brush off break and come back in full force before Christmas. Josh is back at school, and it's back to classes and lessons and a schedule. (thank goodness for schedules) Oliver rehearsals begin again this weekend, a cousin Branson trip, ACT, line dances, and more coming up. So for now I say goodnight, and a happy new week to you all!
