Does anyone else feel like being thankful was really crammed down our throats this year? It was a weekend blitz of BE THANKFUL OR ELSE! followed by BUY NOW BECAUSE IT WILL BE GONE TUESDAY! I needed to pause and found a quiet place at mass on Sunday night with my daughter. The first Sunday of Advent service was thought provoking and made me seriously consider how I want my life to grow in the coming years. That can be an overwhelming thought when you consider how your personal decisions effect so many other lives. So instead of making a plan, I downloaded pictures while I thought about stuff.

Despite how busy and long the weekend was, I’m glad I got to spend time with these crazies. We had fun, spiked with little bit of family drama (why can’t everyone just get along)?! I am blessed knowing that no matter what direction my life goes, this group will always be my roots, keep me grounded and help me grow along the way.

WE LAUGHED!

Cousins laughing over deviled eggs.

WE DROOLED…. (okay, maybe only Maggie drooled)

Mmmm….turkey…..

WE DRANK! (I may have drank a lot)

Spiked hot carmel apple cider

OH MY…..we ate this. A whole lot of this.

Golden roasted turkey

We just hung out. 🙂 Maggie and my dad did a lot of this when they weren’t in the kitchen looking for ‘just a taste.’

Grandpa and Maggie chilling out – they take this very seriously as you can see.

We searched for the perfect tree….

On a tree hunt!

WE FOUND IT!

The three best blessings in my life

We decorated it.

Oh! Christmas Tree!

I hope however you spent the holidays, you lived in the moment, filled your bellies with food and your souls with laughter.