How We Did Thanksgiving

Since we moved into this house right about 3 years ago, my mother in law happily passed the torch on Thanksgiving hosting duties to us. One of the reasons this house was right for our family is that it's set up for great entertaining. And I love entertaining. But the one thing I've realized about entertaining is that it's a lot about child birth. You promptly forget about all the hard labor and pain that goes into it and only remember the happy result. 

I entered into the this holiday thinking we had it easy. Our regular scheduled housecleaning was happening the day before. Score! No cleaning to be done. However, I didn't realize how much work was still to be done with set up and food prep. We had 20 people rsvp'd for the holiday and had to have places for all to eat. That involved getting leaves out for the dining room table, then the padded protectors over that then, of course, linens and place settings. But that only sat 12. So we also had to get a table and chairs up from the basement for the kids table. And that was just the basics. Oh and of course shopping for food, cooking and all those other minor little details.

Last week was a crazy and exhausting week, as I knew it would be, but with a few extra wrenches thrown in, we were running completely crazy and wore ourselves completely out each and every day. With closing from afar on our old condo in NH (yay, finally), a winter storm, my busy week at work (already compacted by the holiday) and down a resource as my coworker's mother unexpectedly passed away (and the wake to attend), let's just say the holiday plate was full in many ways.

But, as always happens, the holiday somehow came together perfectly. Food was a plenty, we had a great time with the family and it was a lovely day. Only downside being our friends were ill and unable to make it. We missed them, of course.

  

Turkey Cheese Platter

Teepee and Fire Cupcakes
(Have you seen those hilarious pinterest "nailed it" photos? This came mighty close to becoming one of those.) 

I'm loving being able to decorate my new mantel.

The boys and their cousins had an amazing time playing together. Cousin Derek had traveled all the way from Vermont that morning and got settled in to play before the rest of the cousins showed up. He evaded my camera most of the day. It became a game between us for me to try and catch him. Below you see him making a quick exit to the left.

How Stinkin' Handsome is My Baby Boy?!?

Maureen and Patrick - Photo Bomb 1 With Joe

And Photo Bomb 2 With Jim

Then Just the Two of Their Pretty Faces

There was some sort of major battle going on with the cousins. There was lots of running, screaming and craziness...it was great!

Dylan, Cade and Jacob

Corwin (at back), Emily, Cade and Dylan

Emily Got Cade
And I got a photo of Derek's Arm

Mid Battle

While the Cousins had their kind of fun, the adults had ours. We hung out in the kitchen, prepped food, had drinks and caught up.

Lovely Ladies - Kristina, Gretchen, and Maureen

Selfie
(With Monster Size Camera No Less - Go ME!)

Cousin Gretchen and Her Lovely Mom Auntie Kathy

Kristina and Jim Goofing Off

The Kids Table
Of course it was my kid not cooperating.

Had to include this pic too. I noticed that Cade was following
cousin Jacob's lead with the tongue out. Too funny.

And the Adults
(Like my lovely new chandelier?)

I was there too!

After lunch was devoured and cleaned up, we had a traveling snowball fight down the aqueduct to the pond for the kids to burn off some energy and the adults to make room in full bellies for dessert. It was a fun\crazy trip.

Cousins!
Corwin, Emily, Cade, Derek, Dylan and Corwin

Back at the house, dessert was had, games were played in the basement and the family merriment continued.

Cade and Dylan had fun attacking auntie Maureen.

Cutie Cade

Dylan and Cousin Patrick

It was a really, really great day! Great way to start the holiday season! And since it was a full turkey day, there wasn't a lot of time for outside play. So the next day, we took it easy, did some cleaning and some playing.

Not easy to make a snowman with day old, icey top layer snow, but we kind of managed a little one.

Holiding Hands

After nap time, we packed up the leftovers (which were plentiful), and continued the holiday with Friendsgiving! Our friends, the Meyer's invited us over. The kids had fun playing and the adults actually got to spend some time chatting with each other. This new phase of playdates where the kids self entertain is pretty freakin' amazing to me. The kids' favorite game of the night was sliding down the stairs.

After play, it was dinner and a movie. It was a fantastic night with friends. We promised to try and do this type of family gathering on a regular basis.

Dinnertime
Cade, Libby, Caroline and Dylan

Of course, we are now full swing into Christmas season. Our Elf on the Shelf made his first appearance the night before last and the advent calendar started last night (yeah, we're a little behind but the kids haven't noticed). The decorations are slowly going up and we will be getting our tree this weekend. Let the crazy\busy\stressful\fun Christmas season begin!

Sunday Funday Hike

Before I start saying lots of words, just take a second and look at this beauty: 

The light on the mountains is just so incredible in the morning. Really captured the awesomeness of this view. I feel so calm and happy in NH. These pictures help to capture why. 

After our big day of Storyland, we were up early (as usual). Mike helped me get the car mostly packed up and the boys ready before he headed back to Massachusetts for soccer. The boys and I headed north for some hiking.

Now this was my first time hiking with the boys "solo." It's a pretty amazing time in our lives that I'm able to do this sort of thing now. Dylan is getting so independent and Cade is following right in his footsteps. Cade still needs momma a good amount but not having 2 kids completely dependent on me on every moment means I'm getting braver about the adventures I can handle alone with them. And by alone, I mean not by myself. We met up with Mike's Aunt Kathy, cousin Gretchen and her son Derek for the adventure. But let's be real, kids only will "let" parents help so I went in expecting that.

On our drive to Storyland and back the previous day, I'd pointed out the mountain to Dylan and showed him what we would be climbing the next day. There were lots of visible rocks. Dylan repeated over and over that he didn't like climbing rocks. He didn't want to climb rocks. Well, guess what his new favorite thing is:

Climbing rocks!

He scaled those things like a champ and I had to keep reminding him not to get too far ahead of me. He told me over and over the rest of the day that climbing rocks is his favorite thing! Cade did great too but his little limbs still needed lots of assistance.

The mountain where we met up is one we'd done before. Except the first time we just took the loop over the bluffs and didn't go to the peak of the mountain. In any case, being familiar with it, knowing it was in the realm of possibility for my kids to do and being just north of our place in NH and a little south of Kathy's place in NH (she's only lived there a short time) and Gretchen's place in Vermont, it was a good place to meet.

And it has spectacular views for the effort.
You can see the slopes of Cannon Mountain ski area here.

Hiking Boys
Dylan, Derek Cade
(Aren't they all so cute carrying their own backpacks?!?!)

Studs

Me and My Handsome Boys
(Don't worry mom, it only looks like were close to a steep cliff...we were in a safe spot, I promise.)

Just Gorgeous!

Cuties in Backpacks

It was a ridiculously beautiful fall day....perfect for hiking! And to get to spend time with Gretchen, Kathy and Derek was a rare and wonderful treat. We'll see them again at Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks but definitely hope to have more hiking dates. It was great fun!

Gretchen, Kathy and cute Bruin

Doggy Bruin is very attached to his boy, Derek. Now since my boys call for a fairly slow pace and Derek is a very experienced hiker, he was usually leading the pack. If he got more than a couple of feet from Bruin (which was often), Bruin would whine. Cade's phrase of the day was "doggy sad, doggy sad!" So he would try to make dog happy by patting him and offering him some water.

Here he is offering Bruin a drink from his camelback.

Dylan personally requested his picture with this cool rock.

View to Franconia Notch

When we got to the bluffs, we stopped for a snack. Dylan and Cade found a great cave in which to dine.

Derek, Gretchen and Bruin

Boys on a Big Rock

It was really just a perfect day. The hike took a little longer than planned and we had a full day ahead of us which made a few things rushed later on, but the morning was just wonderful. Great weather, great company, fantastic views. For the record, no photo doctoring of any kind was performed on any of the pictures in this post.

Snowy Lafayette

This was our "yay we did it" picture in the parking lot.

After we said our goodbyes, the boys and I hit the road, grabbed some quick grub then made the 2 hour drive back home and went straight to a birthday party. The boys stayed there, Mike and I went back to the house, unloaded the car, then packed up again to head downtown for our big overnigt anniversary celebration in Boston. Our friends brought the boys home until the babysitter could take over. 

As for us, we had a great night in Boston. It ended up being not much of a story to tell. I guess we're boring like that now. Short walk to a nice, long, leisurely and delicious dinner. Bellies were too full and we were too tired to do anything else. But actually being able to have uninterrupted conversations is kind of a big deal in our lives right now. As is being able to laze around in bed in the morning....even though sleeping late isn't really possible for us anymore. It was a nice getaway to end a great, long weekend.