Turkey Day Picture FAIL

I had the best intentions to take pictures all day Thursday, but hosting for 15 got the best of me! We had 8 adults and 8 kiddos (under 6) from Jason's side, and it was a blast! 

The reasons I had a stress-free Thanksgiving:

1) I did a lot of prep ahead of time. I had the entire table set on Wednesday, and I made my desserts Wednesday night as well.

2) Everyone else brought the majority of the sides. Being that I have only one oven, it would've been virtually impossible for me if I were to make everything. 

3) Our guests were FAMILY. It's amazing how there's an instant weight off your shoulders as a host when it's family coming over. They don't care if your house is spotless, they don't care of they have to wait a few minutes for the last few things to cook, and they love you for hosting!

4) I was able to do the clean-up myself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I LOVE to clean up after a meal. There's something so cathartic about putting the dishes in the dishwasher and scrubbing those 9 x 13s. Anyone with me on that? No? It's one of my neuroses, I suppose. 

So today is gonna be the best day EVER! Jason surprised me last week with OU/OSU tickets!!! We dropped the kids off at Pa-Pa and Grandma's last night, got sushi takeout and rented a movie, enjoyed a quiet house (ifyouknowwhatImean, fellow parents of preschoolers), I slept in this morning (thank you Jesus), and in a few hours we'll be on our way to Norman! Go Sooners!!!

Currently...

1) Sitting in my workout clothes. The trouble is, I worked out at 9:15 this morning. And it's now almost 2 p.m. I'm really quite a sight. And I smell glorious.

2) Thinking about Emerson's morning meltdown. We took our books back to the library after the gym, and she cried the entire way there because of two books she was devastated to part with. I asked her why she was crying, and she said because those were the only two books she knew how to read. For the record, she can't read yet, but she memorized those two books and felt deliciously grown up each time she 'read' them out loud to us.

3) Excited about digging into these homemade granola bars when they cool. A family favorite! Recipe HERE.

4) Ready for the weekend! Date night tonight (Cardigan's for dinner followed by Skyfall at the movies). Jason's parents are coming over for the OU game on Saturday night, then we're having dinner at our friends' house on Sunday night. 

5) Loving Hayden's sense of humor. Her current favorite funny thing to do is pretend that she's asleep. When I open her door in the morning, whether she's standing up or sitting in her crib, she'll immediately flop down into a supine position, shut her eyes tightly, and begin to breathe heavily. In the meantime, she's doing her darndest not to smile, so her mouth is pursed and quivering. Oh she's hilarious! 

6) Asking Jax to pray a LOT at the dinner table because I love to hear his lisp. And for the record, I didn't teach him The Lord's Prayer. He learned it from preschool... well, now that I think about it, I think maybe he learned it from Emerson who learned it from preschool.

"Our God who aren't in heaven."

"Give us this day, our daily breath."

Happy Weekend!

Last of the leaves

Our front tree has officially lost its final leaves, as of this weekend. I know three little people who were thrilled last week after preschool when Momma stopped the car in the driveway and forced mandatory evacuation to the leaf-strewn yard. 

New website

The website for Legacy Wealth Management, Jason's financial services company, is finally up!

http://www.legacywealthus.com/

He and Dave, his business partner, have worked long and hard on it, and I think it looks great! 

Fall Festival-in'

Last night we took the kids to the Jones family's Fall Festival. They are dear family friends of ours, and Jake is now my employer (he owns HonorNet Publishers). We love being on their ranch, and the kids had a blast!

All dressed up on the porch, ready to load up for the trek to the ranch. I had fun using face paint this year on the pirate and cat.

Daddy and Hot Sauce cheese it up.

Here is Emerson, 13 months old, the last time we were able to go to this fall festival. She'd like for you to know she was the original ladybug of the family. As I'm comparing these two pictures, I realize I made Emerson's cute little antennae... gosh, gone are the days of creative craftiness! What did I do with all of my free time with only one child?! I guess I made antennae! Hayden should consider herself lucky that I slapped a bow on her head.

Getting some good Mr. Jake hugs on the way to the pony rides.

I just love this picture.

Hot Sauce wasn't afraid of the animals at all.

Look at this pond... hello gorgeousness. Jason and I have an invitation for horseback riding anytime we want. Yes!!!

Weekend in Peoria

I took a break from wife-ing and mommy-ing this weekend and flew to Peoria to see my sister Miley and her family (hubby Eric and kiddos Avery and Hudson)!

Reading books on the floor in the sunshine on my first day there. My sister has done such a wonderful job of reading to her babies... they both LOVE books. 

Avery and Aunt Becca making silly faces. We probably took 15 pictures just like this. 

We went to a nearby park for some chilly play time.

Their darling house with my sista's landscape prowess in all its glory. That girl can landscape.

On Saturday we went to the gym in the morning, then after Eric came home from a ministry trip, Miles and I headed out to shop (skinny jeans and boots for her, two tops from Old Navy for me), then to dinner at One World (yummy) where one of the funniest things EVER happened to me. I won't say what and where... just trust me that it was funny. After dinner we created monstrous, delicious, fattening, glorious frozen yogurt sundaes at a darling little shop, then we rented a movie and stayed up too late. Just what these sisters needed!

Pictures in the back yard after church on Sunday.

Such a gorgeous family!!!

Notice our glam poses. I talked Miley into it, and she looks awesome, no?! I was actually hiding my digital camera behind my back, hence the reason I look a little 'special.'

Workin' on his laptop like Daddy. Oh, that boy is so darn cute! He was very leery of me on my first day there, but day two and three we were famous together!

Monday was a really rough day for me... emotionally I was sad and missing my sister, and I felt completely behind all day long. Miley emailed and said she had been glum all day, too. That tells me right there that sisters aren't supposed to live far away from each other, missing out on daily life, not getting to share the simple and silly things in person. *sniff sniff* Don't get me started or I'll be depressed all day! :(

Potters, thank you for opening your home to me all weekend. Love you all!