Schwatken Thanksgiving

Jack and NonaJane helping prepare the Thanksgiving meal

pinecone turkeys, and fingerprint turkey placecards

6 years ago when we first moved into our home we hosted the Schwatken Family Thanksgiving.  Somehow we avoided any hosting gigs for the past 5 years, but were honored this year to do the job.  On the weekend after Thanksgiving, Adam's parents, brother, sister, nieces, Grandmother and Aunt all came to our home to celebrate.  I kicked it into gear and scrubbed the house from top to bottom, and managed to cook (from scratch :)) sweet potatoes, stuffing, and a vegetable dish (squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and onion chopped and baked in a vinaigrette dressing) along with chopped fruit and fruit dip, bean dip and chips, and a crescent roll cream cheese dessert! Adam's co-worker smoked our Turkey for us (it was Amazing!), Great- Grandma brought her apples and pies, and Grandma brought a hashbrown casserole.  I also invited my parents and a good family friend, Johanna, along for the meal.  We were able to spread the food out on the table and sit down to a real Holiday treat.  Before the guests had arrived the kids helped me to make some home-made decorations. It is not often I find my crafty side, but these did turn out extra cute. So cute in fact, that they were disappearing! When I asked where they went, turns out the guests liked them so much they wanted to save them as little treasures in their memory boxes. Even better!
While we were all stuffing our faces, a crew was in the basement laying the carpet.  By 3:00 they had finished, and we were able unveil that new portion of our house with loved ones all around us.  It made for a pretty monumental moment in our world, and we were so Thankful to get to share it.
Honestly, I had so much FUN hosting the Schwatkens... that I would like to offer to do it again next year :)

The kids table. Where Jack decided to be silly with my pinecone turkeys and broke their legs off :( See Jack, I am writing this in my blog so I can remember to give you a hard time about this when you are older.

If you choose to act like a weirdo for the family picture...

Why are all my iphone pictures coming out blurry!!! ugg

After the Thanksgiving meal, Grandma and the nieces helped us put up our Christmas Tree. It was wonderful having the help, and made it the most memorable year for decorating the tree thus far. I love that the ornaments are clumped in clusters all around the bottom of the tree. I love that NonaJane continually takes them off, re-hangs them and then exclaims "Yay!!!" The tree seems extra loved this year.

Jack 4, Madison 8, NonaJane 1, and Molly 6

like the Broncos ornament in the foreground? and the McDonalds ornament above it?  That's nice.... real NICE Clark. Elegant is not the theme of our tree