one huge weekend

So our Thanksgiving came, and went.  And I took zero pictures. sigh.

We ate with dear friends, a crowd of 50 plus people, and what a fun sweet day together.  I made a huge pile of food to contribute... including 300 sausage balls that Matt helped roll on Wednesday evening), plus baked ham, scalloped corn, and rolls.  Lydia made broccoli salad and Julianna made a gorgeous apple pie.  Fun to have the girls ready and able to contribute to the food spread!  

Isaac has a new found love for roller hockey and a hockey stick is now on the top of his Christmas list.

Matt might be scheming to get a stick for himself (these guys are currently playing with broom handles!)

Friday morning the friends started rolling into town.  Anna is a special treat for my girls - she grew up here, and I love to see the light in the girls' eyes as they find more and more commonalities between her childhood and theirs! What a special friendship for them!

and the only other photo I managed to take - Luke with a snowman ornament we created Friday afternoon.  Our house and hearts and hours were full all weekend long.  And it was wonderful, also intense and busy and exhausting, but wonderful.  If only I had taken a picture :)

This morning it felt good to get started on a 'normal' week.  And it felt good to get a handle on the huge pile of laundry in front of the washer!  So grateful our Christmas decor is up and our first Advent candle is lit and we are two nights in to our Advent read-aloud (this year Tabitha's Travels).

Oh I do love the holidays!