Thanksgiving traditions

All the prepping and excitement that goes into planning our holiday weekend.  I will never forget Drew actually noticing the cost of the groceries the Sunday before - $264 - do we have enough for that?  Hmmm  Honestly I am not sure.  Than going home unloading the groceries and wondering what is for dinner that night?!?!

Well its Wednesday and we had to make one more trip for Chips and Salsa right before my sister arrived.  Thrilled that her family made the drive on a Wednesday night.  Even more excited that there wasn't much traffic!  They even drove through a rather unexpected 60 minute snow squawl.  One that delivered almost 2 inches of snow on the ground.

Check out the video of them sledding!

https://youtu.be/12_b7m2_vuQ

Here we are sitting down for some soup after sledding.  Nothing I love more than this FULL table!

Thursday morning was FREEZING.  we had to close the coop door the night before - 7 degrees.  Lots of folks cancelled on the turkey trot.  We even left our kids home for fear it really was too cold.  Chris and I dressed right and headed over.  Immediately wishing we brought Nick!

Awesome town run that was started 7 years ago by a few guys that just wanted to put a 5K together!

When we came back, my sister Jackson and Maddie (along with Drew) were already at my folks helping out.  Riley and I set the table and started the feast here.  LOVE the table setting they brought over.

I got to curl her hair before dinner.  She was all prettied up

Love having time with this lady - Sister's relationships change through the years and thankful for exactly where its at right now.

How very fortunate we all get to make this happen so beautifully

My mom did the beautiful center piece.  We get to enjoy it now for a moment before the table fills up.  Nora spent a little time outside earlier today.  Chris had the oven temp turned up for the turkey and the smoke detectors made her anxious - imagine right?!  As if that is a bad thing.  Thankfully she finally came back in.

We will thankfully have enough food to eat =)!

Now we are ready!  Look at this beautiful table

My folks were excited to have the grandkids together for a photo chance using the adorable hats they gifted them from their recent travels in Switzerland.  

Take one!

Change is up a bit for take 2 - 

I might not be posting the winner =)!

Next we round out the evening with a carpet ball tournament.  We tried bringing the table inside as its VERY cold out - but it is just a bit too big (kinda a sign in my opinion.  Tournament bracket is posted.  Uncle Jay rocked the house - beginners luck maybe?  Nick was the only kiddo to advance to the net round (clearly the adults came to play!

https://youtu.be/KJMgnecBIoE

Friday morning was spin class at the Zoo - Adults all went while kiddos cuddled in for a movie and donuts with Oma Sue and Goomba.  WE got fired up for the evening football game that was equally as chilly but a great showing of friends and neighbors.  

Here are just a few more captures of our time together.

These are the sweet funny things and I am glad my sister caught this one.

Loved loved loved having us all together for the weekend

Exactly what we love and enjoy about Thanksgiving.  The time with family - and to know we actually all enjoy our time with family is such a wonderful blessing.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Nick's Party Continues

So Nick's party was memorable in NJ, but he requested a flag football game with his buddies.  That saturday we figured out how to play on the HS turf.  It was FREEZING

But we had lights - I want to remember driving them ALL in the mini van and hearing them sign along to the radio on the way to Pizza Petes!  Great group of friends nick has right now!

And now to the family chicken paprikash party!  thanks to my father for playing chef once again to the best meal ever!

We will see this guy shredding it on the slopes!

And THIS closes the chapter on the leadbetter birthday year.  Nick - thank you for brining the joy!

Sturbridge

When your son actually asks you to volunteer for his field trip - you should say yes when you can.  Sturbridge was somewhere I hadn't been in YEARS.  and right up my simple alley.  4th Grade field trip here we come!

Can you see Shane in the back working on the press?

School time shenanigans - sun group of boys I got to pal around with.

Free range chickens throughout the farm and we managed to take a photo with these guys?!?!  rather adorable - 

Jersey Here we come

When we looked at the long weekend in November with Soccer finally over and Nick's birthday tucked in there we thought of making the trek to Maine to celebrate.  However when the McCulloughs thought through their time share set ups and discovered there was one needing to be used, we found a place in Jersey that was right between us!  We all hate thinking that next year will look VERY different - so lets take advantage of THIS year.  Jersey here we come!

We hit an additional bit of traffic and have some of the best friends - They won't let us miss happy hour!!  They were ready for us

I have never stayed at a time share and these places are AMAZING.  Planned activities, games all over.  You never have to leave the property.

Or our room - here are the kiddos catching up with some old time cartoons.

I think we need to send this to the timeshare marketing.  Clearly the tub is awesome enough for them all to watch a movie from it!

May photos like this never get old

Or ones like this - those are some good looking carrots - How lucky we are to be fed by Brian!

Saturday some good ole' pool playing and hot coco drinking

Followed by a solid chess game

Michigan played Penn state this weekend - glad we dressed right.  Farrah chatted up this adorable sweet old lady who was there with her family.  She had amazing memories of her time traveling with her husband and family.  It was beautiful watching Farrah make these connections and watching her re-live some of her memories.  Kind of amusing the one fan in the room watching the game with me was her family member and also a PSU fan.  Yes, Michigan won.

5 bikes, one mini van, one beautiful ride.

Yes, it was worth it

Planned activity with the time share - caramel apple making!  Yes please, sign me up.  I didn't indulge in one myself, but played clean up to the kiddos.

Shuffle board on a Sunday morning anyone?  Always reminds me of my grandparents in Arizona!

While the boys played golf we had some fun events with the kiddos - for Nick's birthday request - a little flag football.  Love how everyone was excited to play and we had a photographer!

We than opted to take the kiddos to atlantic city - the pretty part!  THIS was awesome.  Made me think of the movie Beaches.  for many reasons.

The kids could play here for hours - getting rather sandy and wet - but having a blast.

Beautiful crop of kiddos.  Love that Macy is wearing a hat that we recently made, its not perfect, doesn't even fit her quite right - but she is wearing it and that is just adorable.  The capture of this series of photos is so heart warming

We toured the rather empty board walk and got to soak in even monuments along the way.  nick has become quite the history buff.

Of all places to eat, the Rainforest Cafe was the winner!  Kids were thrilled of course.  I let Shane and Macy walk around and take cool photos or the animals around - apparently these animals were the winners!

Each kiddo got to pick an animal (as if we need more stuffed animals) but it was fun to watch them decide which ones amount the WIDE range.  I have to admit - tate really is the most creative and thankfully no one chose the gorilla!

The night ended with S'mores - well planned!

I LOVE reading their baby books on their birthday and somehow (I can only imagine) I forgot to pack Nick's baby book.  With Krista staying at our house she was happy to snap photos and send them along.  Not to bore you with the hole book (come on over and read it!) here is the front cover memory.

Nick's birthday was a dreary yucky day (perfect video game weather in their opinion!)  

We dragged them out to Cape May checking out the sights (from the car) 

A photo from the web of when its NOT gross and raining

with a QUICK pit stop to take a photo and meet an eccentric bird watcher!

We had the most delicious lunch at the Blue pig

Some one received a delicious apply pie for dessert!  I love how excited he was to enjoy every bite - one sweet and lucky 12 year old

I had to snap a few photos of the inside of the hotel as well.

The ball room was just getting started to decorate for Christmas

Farrah will never cease to amaze me on how simple she sets up crafts!

Clearly these are the only types of cookies I should be 'making'

Listening to them laugh about this ginger bread house - 

Priceless

Magic tricks - Impressive

cocktail delivery - yes please!

Happy hot tub kids?  Amen!

Dinner by Brian - seriously the best.

This weekend was filled with simple family fun - nothing crazy, nothing out lands, nothing over planned.  Rainy cozy be together kind of stuff and we love love loved it.  Thank you Farrah, Brian, Tate and Macy for letting us bunk in with your time share fun and celebrate Nick's birthday - Love our every day lives together.