thanksgiving by the sea

This was a first for us.  

We have not been away from our families on Thanksgiving...ever I don't think. 

I was really anxious and sad at the thought of everyone else being circled around the tables together, but it actually turned out quite lovely.  

I was really able to focus on being thankful.  For ALL of our blessings.  

Without scurrying around from house to house.  

Enjoyed just the four of us so much.  

 The fancy "beachy" table decor provided by davis & carson.  

 Shane's awesome deep fried turkey!  Yummo!!  

It was a lovely day.  

I even snuck out late afternoon and got a jump start on Christmas shopping.  

thanksgiving celebration

A turkey is a funny bird.

His head goes wobble, wobble.

 All he says is just one word.

 Gobble, gobble, gobble!

(in her very best opera voice.....)

Today was so fun! 

Carson had her little school thanksgiving performance & feast. 

I was so proud of her.  She spotted me right away and just smiled so big.  I just knew she would cry.  But, she didn't and sang her little heart out.  At home she has been practicing.  In her most serious Opera tone ever. 

While talking to my mom the other day, she said she would be dressed like a turkey, have a "nest around her waist", and "drop eggs from her booty."  I kid you not... we died laughing!  Of course the only true part was dressing like the little turkey that she is. 

i'm free!

Facebook-less.  Free of the bondage that it had on me.  I'm so embarrassed that it took this.  I guess I'm more of an all or nothing type gal than I thought.  It's funny that in my mind this is such a big deal.  Really?  Then yes, it was a big deal for me to let go. 

Let go and take in this...

I cannot get over the color of this tree.  It's a super cloudy day so of course the picture doesn't do it justice.  My goodness I could stare at it forever.  It reminds me of my friend Jaime's yard.  I've always loved the mounds of yellow leaves they get.  Not so much that I offered to rake them.  :) 

Let go & take in these adorable faces that are changing every single day.

Let go & take in these awesome belly laughs.

Let go & take in my son's incredible wonder.

There were so many days when i used bathtime to catch up on emails or fb.  See, I told you I was crazy over here. 

a few random acts

In order to simplify & take the stress out of our fun month,  I stopped numbering them in my head. 

My favorite thing about this little activity has been watching the kids come up with fun ideas. 
It usually starts with "Mom...i think ______ would make me smile." 

I love that they are beginning to process what it means to share kindness. 

*while eating out this week, we talked about what it means to tip.  the kids decided to use their arcade $ and pass it on to our waitress who was so incredibly delightful. 

*spreading coins at the playground so others can see a penny and pick it up...

*returning a ladies books to the library to keep her from getting out of her car in the rain.

*treating our new friends to an afternoon of frostys (thanks, nana!)

Didn't take many pictures of acts because it seemed a little silly. 

These memories will sure continue. 

day 3

sharing the love through snail mail today! 

The kids get so excited about writing letters, the stamps, and mailbox delivery so this was an easy task. 

davis & carson were so cute this afternoon~  doing random acts of kindness for each other through play. 

now i'm going to do myself an act of kindness and snuggle into my bed early. 

day two

Each morning I drop Davis off in front of his big elementary school.  This is his request and makes him feel so proud that he can do it alone.  It STILL makes me tear up when i watch him wave and give me a "thumbs up!"  from that big sidewalk.  Each morning the same 4 teachers are out there smiling as we drop (& hurry) them off for school.  It doesn't matter if it is raining, freezing, etc...  They are always out there with a smile. 

I appreciate them so much.  They make sure my big, yet so small to me, boy is staying on the sidewalk. 

day 2 act of kindness...  we took those four sweet souls a big cup of hot cocoa today.  they were absolutely delighted to hold it in their freezing cold hands.  we are so appreciative of their service.  I'm sure they'd rather be inside getting ready for their day. 

I'm feeling thankful that my sweet kiddos gave me another chance this morning to be a good mom. 

30 days of kindness

Today is November.  So glad the halloween hoopla has come to an end. 

I love this month.  Don't love being 5 states away, but going to make the best of it! 

Thanksgiving usually comes & goes for me.  We talk about being thankful.  We read books about being thankful.  We do a lot of reflecting. 

I wanted to do something a little different this year.  As a family, we're going to do 30 random acts of kindness.  Starting with today, we're going to make some people smile. 

Thankful that we are healthy and can provide opportunities for others. 

I envisioned this day a little different.  It was a tough one for us...i am pretty sure it's the sugar crash. 

However, we're thankful tomorrow is another day. 

Day 1:  Our pizza man mentioned that he loved snickers and my sweet davis decided he wanted to give him the snickers from his stash.  So thoughtful and a random act of kindness for sure. 

In between the yelling and sibling rivalry we did manage to put together this little thankful tree for our table.  A simple reminder to recognize all that we have and love.