Thanksgiving 2014

I know I am going very much out of order since I have already posted about Christmas, but I know if I don't post what I have it won't get done.  So we are backing it up all the way to Thanksgiving, pre Halle Kate, my last few days of being pregnant.

We started the Thanksgiving week off in the hospital of course and then I spent the rest of my week trying to take it easy, having contractions pretty consistently, and just being highly uncomfortable in general.  One oversight I had with this pregnancy is I never got any "over the belly" jeans.  This wasn't a big deal until those last couple of weeks, it got increasingly uncomfortable to wear them.  However by the time I realized my error I knew I only had a few weeks left and I was determined not to spend more money!

This brings us to Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  My uncle and aunt had invited all of the family over to their house to celebrate.  It was about a forty minute drive from our house to theirs which normally wouldn't have been a big deal at all except I had been contracting pretty consistently for a week or 2 by then, and that night was no different except for the fact I was in jeans that were way to tight on a contracting pregnant belly, sitting in a car for 40 minutes.  Those contractions were some of the hardest ones of the whole pregnancy, they hurt so very much!  In fact we had trouble finding my uncle's house so I made Mark pull over to call someone just so I could get out and stand up and walk around to find some relief.  It was awful.

We finally find the right house and make it inside where I am able to relax a little bit and rotate from standing/walking around to sitting.  We make it through the night, with contractions, but just not as hard.  It is always so much fun to get together with my family.  I am so thankful that everyone gets along, loves each other, and genuinely enjoys the company of their family.  I know this is a rarity.

Me very pregnant, uncomfortable, and contracting

These two cuties born 3 weeks apart!

Ring Around the Rosies with the grandmas

Love my Poppy and his energy

The next day Mark and I had a slow morning because my parents let the boys spend the night with them.  It was nice to wake up slow and have no where to be until 12.  I had learned my lesson the previous night and decided to go with a comfy dress which was a much better choice!  Once again the other side of my family all gathered together and we had the best time eating lunch and dinner with one another.  I was glad to be there eating and not in the hospital on bedrest! Once again I have to say it is wonderful to be around family that actually enjoys being around each other.  I don't know how I was blessed enough to experience this on both sides but I am!

My great-grandmother, 95 and still sharp as ever!

Grubbing down!

Thanksgiving 2013 and our Blessing Tree

Thanksgiving is quite possibly my very favorite holiday.  You get the togetherness of family, the good food, the awesome desserts, all without the stress of gift giving!  I love being able to see family and spend quality time with the people I love.  The further along I get into mine and Mark's marriage the more I feel his family is now mine as well.  This year (number 5) it really felt no different being at his house than it would if I were at my own.  For this I am truly grateful.  I don't know if it is the maturity that came with being older now, or what, but I am just glad it happened.

Several things happened over the Thanksgiving holiday, one being we were able to see Blake, Mark's twin, and his new wife Whitney for the first time since their wedding! It was so good to see them as a newly wed couple and just catch up with life and how everything was going.  Of course we were also able to see the other couples as well, and we talked about how awesome it was a that everyone was married finally!  I was also able to get a new phone with Black Friday deals, a Samasung Galaxy S4, for FREE!  I was a little pumped.  Being an apple girl, I was nervous about the switch, but I absolutely love the android operating system.  It took some getting used to, but we are rocking and rolling now.  After I got mine on Friday at midnight, 2 of  my sisters-in-law went to get the same deal!  You just can't beat it!  All of the pictures I took from that weekend are taken with my galaxy, so bear with me.

My two guys sitting down to Thanksgiving lunch!

A full table!  Finally!

These plates are what my MIL asks for for Christmas! They are beautiful!

Playing with Daddy and Uncle Blake 

While the girls clean up dinner!

Owen loves his Aunt "Whit".  I got him chilling out with her more times than one!

We were able to help my MIL put up her Christmas tree!

She also sewed me a tree skirt to match the stockings she made for me!

Isn't it beautiful!

In line with my sisters at best buy waiting to get a phone!

Every year at Thanksgiving Mark's high school friends get together to play games!  It is a great time had by all!

Lastly his next picture, I have to say this was one of my favorite things to do in November.  I had the idea to make a "Blessing Tree" and put our blessings on leaves every night at bible time!  It was the neatest thing to watch our leaves fill out the tree as we went on.  I wrote down everyone's blessings they thought of this year, and planning on doing this every year!