Week of Thanks

A week with Grady home and not working. A week with very little school. A week of beautiful weather. A week of day trips and evening popcorn and movies. A week of completed chores and projects. A week of friends and family and food. 

A week with much to be thankful for!

Grady spent two weeks in South Korea and was home and unplugged from work all last week. It was a wonderful 10 days together. Although I will say, I was kinda-sorta ready for him to go back to work. ONLY because I am old and boring and cannot handle staying up to midnight watching movies every night.

On Thanksgiving morning, we joined several thousand other folks for the annual Turkey Trot. Grady and Grady Lee were running the 5K and the rest of us were there to cheer them on. The last couple of months have been rather full and little effort was given to training, but I'm proud to say my little man ran well and finished "still with energy to keep going if I had to."

After the race, we enjoyed brunch and some football before gathering with several other families to serve a turkey dinner to refugee families through the One7 organization. My kids had a great time because there was an enormous amount of other kids to play with (and maybe because football and trampolines and face painting are always a good time), and Jax was looked after by a lineup of doting girls ready to wear him on their back or hold him tight and warm by the bonfire.

My little family celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Friday and, because many hands make light work, it wasn't a big kitchen fiasco. Earlier in the week the kids stepped in to cook and bake to help prepare.

Annalyse helped me put together sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and a jello salad; Grady and Grady Lee were in charge of making an apple pie; and Micah and Annalyse were in charge of making a pumpkin pie.  By the time Friday arrived, all that was left was mashed potatoes and gravy and the turkey and stuffing, which was no big deal because the men in my house owned up to the turkey and stuffing prep.

In hindsight, we may have begun a new Thanksgiving tradition. It was such fun to serve others who wouldn't have otherwise had a Thanksgiving dinner, and it was nice to enjoy a simple dinner as a family here at home. And Grady being home all week? That needs to definitely be a new Thanksgiving tradition!