1. Eaten. Thanks given. Everyone deserted Mom's table to take a family pic in the living room.
2. My twin sister is a mom. #thanksgiving
3. Served with whipped cream, glasses of milk, and mugs of coffee.
4. Black Friday happened.
5. There's a piano at Grandma's house. It's irresistible.
6. The boys just plugged it in. Mixing white and colored lights is our new fave. Egg nog up next.
7. Headed home. Next to me: coffee, mom's banana bread, and Breaking Dawn. It was a fun drive.

*Not pictured: wedding dress shopping, two lunches at Chipotle, drawing names for Christmas gifts, Mad Gab, holding my new nephew, and Hadley building lego towers.

Enjoy whatever tasks that are on your plate today.. the cooking, baking, and general getting ready. Today I am stuffing clothes into a duffel bag, giving Hadley a bath, packing a cooler for the road trip, doing a quick clean up of the house, thinking of what games we should play with my family tomorrow night, excited for good conversation with Grant and while we drive, bringing Breaking Dawn in the car because I did things backwards and waited to finish the book until I saw the movie, and anxious to see how Hadley will like a long drive now that she's facing forward in the car. We love turning around to peek at her. She always gives us the biggest open mouth grin.

I also can't stop thinking about my new shop! It's really out there! And I'm really thankful to all of you for taking a peek and telling the world yesterday. Even bigger thank yous to you guys who placed orders!! There's still time to enter the giveaway- you have until midnight tonight- I hope YOU win!

I'm thankful for specifics..

That traffic is not a part of my life.
That we don't have too many places to go. Home is where I thrive.

That I feel so much better, stronger, and more energetic than last year.
That my husband loves me and wants the best for me. (even when I forget this)
For a girl just like me, right next to me.
For the time after dinner when I do the dishes and listen to them play wrestlemania.
For people that I love talking with.
For 2 bathrooms in our house. Upstairs and down.
For good food. For healing.
That I miss my daughter after she goes to bed.
For a simple, sweet daily routine. (routine! I love it.)
For a husband that I respect and trust and enjoy.
For the fun little shows that are part of our time together in the evening.
For baking. For banana bread.
For enough time to take showers and sleep.
For peace that stays with us, even though we have problems.
That God is in control of all the intricate functions of our bodies.
For a family full of brothers and sisters in Christ.
For hard work, and the initiative to do it.
That we don't have too much.
For His faithfulness.
For strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
For blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside.

Whoa. November. Slow down! Anyone else smitten with this too-short month? I could live in it for ages! The sudden appearance of Christmas commercials, the 4:30 in the afternoon lighting of lamps, the scarves and slippers, the planning for turkey and pie and holiday company, and the question "is it too early to hang these Christmas lights?" hangs in the air. But sadly, guys, we're almost to the middle of this month of anticipation already. and we need to talk about what's going on. So much good stuff. What's up with you? Here's the latest from our house...

1. My twin sister had her first baby!!! I have a new nephew! His name is Davis. And, on the same day, my baby sister got engaged!!! I have a new brother! So thankful for all of these people.
2. Jumping into the holidays with reckless abandon. 
3. Bring on the Christmas movies, ABC Family.
4. Voting.
5. Enjoying the green grass and mild weather. And an occasional backyard bonfire.
6. Soup that "tastes like Thanksgiving turkey"-Grant. It was actually chicken. 
7. Watching Dancing With The Stars. Can't be helped. :)
8. Eating these chips and pineapple salsa.
9. Breaking Dawn this weekend!! We are absurdly ready for this movie.
10. Getting to the gym with my fellow tread millers. 
11. Sipping cup after cup of Easy Now tea. I'm not really tense, I just picked it out for fun. 
12. On the hunt for a good pomegranate/raspberry tea. Any recommendations?
13. Annual Deer Hunting weekend with the Harms clan! It's our Early-Thanksgiving every year.
14. Communicating with the baby in my house, who understands so much now. I love this age! 
15. Playing "Home Alone". (hands on cheeks, yell "ahhhhh!") Dancing to Linus & Lucy. 
16. A few Christmas playlists on repeat. Instrumental, mellow, vintage.. I don't mess around.
17. Pecan-Crusted Chocolate Pumpkin Pie. Again, not messing around. 
18. Mom came to visit! 
19. She brought me groceries and sat at my table and ate my pumpkin bread and played with my girlie.
20. A mom who buys you your favorite bottle of kombucha? So cool. 
21. Initiating pajama-wearing for miss Hadley. (instead of just sleeping in her squash-stained clothes.)
22. Going to see Eric Hutchinson in concert this week. We love him.
23. ahhhhh!!!!! a concert. it's going to be like a for reals date. What should I wear? 
24. Keeping a little something up my sleeve just for you. It's a big surprise. More soon! 
25. And concocting some fudgy walnut goodness. Sharing soon.

A little E. Hutch to give you a taste of what we're going to hear. The acoustic version of this song (if you can find it) is my favorite!