Thanksgiving Weekend

  Did you all have an amazing Thanksgiving weekend?

  We had a full and fun weekend of family, friends and even a girls sleepover with Nana.

  Wednesday we spent the day prepping food. When you have 60 people at Thanksgiving, everyone brings triple batches of everything!!!!

  We prepped several batches of this Bacon Swiss Salad, but won't assemble until right before lunch on Thanksgiving day.

  Several batches of these Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecakes.

  And for our family dinner Wed night, because I grew up eating this, Double Sensation Pumpkin Pie.  

  We entertained a special guest from Tuesday night to Monday night.

  Meet Benson the Hedge Hog.  The kids were in "Hog Heaven!"  ;)

  I spent a lot of time asking people to wash hands and vacuum cedar chips off the floor!  But he sure is adorable!!!!

  Thursday we headed over to Dale's home he grew up in, which now belongs to Aunt Lucy!

  There were people and tables EVERYWHERE, but here is what stole the show.  Haha, the whole hog that was smoked to go along with the 2 turkey's.  Aunt Lucy and Uncle Phil run a local butcher shop and have the best, hormone free meat.

  After our HUGE lunch, we visited and played games until it was time to get out all the food again for supper before heading home.

  The next day, the boys loaded up in the RV and headed to the Sand Dunes for Friday and Saturday, in Wanoka.  No photos, because well...Dale.  ;)

  We headed over to Nana's for the afternoon and then a sushi dinner at our favorite place, Mr. Cao's.

  With no boys around to interrupt, we headed to our house for an ice cream sundae party while we watched a girlie movie.....

  DoTERRA has the BEST Mud Mask, especially when you add a drop of the oh so luxurious Blue Tansy to it and make it a  SMURF mask!

  Bentonite clay is very drawing and very warming, so the girls didn't last as long as Nana and I did.

  Nana slept over and the next morning we headed an hour and a half to meet up with some our Fercho friends and talk some oils with her family.

  We celebrated friendsgiving with a walk around the cemetary where the family was buried as well as ate at the BEST Mexican place for lunch.  

  This is Grandma Dory, she is 98 and the CUTEST little spit fire you ever did meet.  She was a hoot!

  We gave the adults some peace and quiet, and took the girls to the park for a few hours before heading back.

  We stopped in the large metro area we passed through on the way home, and made a couple returns and got some groceries at Sam's before heading home.  I should've known our "quick stop" wouldn't be quick, but I forgot Black Friday lines spill into Saturday lines too.  MY GOODNESS!

  We got home at dark and the boys got home closer to midnight.  They were sandy and exhausted but SMILING from ear to ear.

  We discussed home church instead of early service, and decided to see how everyone felt in the am......

  But our decision was made FOR us when we woke up to Blizzard conditions and a winter weather advisory.  Church services started cancelling left and right!

  Nothing says Sunday at home, more than a big brunch, and a jammie day!

  The wind was HOWLING at over 30 mph.  Towns nearby had 19 car piles ups and it was a mess!  So glad for a home day by the fire.

  I walked over to check on my kiddos and got some pics of our place all covered in snow...

  Sophie decided it was time for us to head to FLORIDA!  I told her, not yet.  My snow-o-meter is not filled up yet! I ADORE how cozy it makes the house feel.  If its going to be cold, it might was well be pretty and white too, right?!

  The kids LOVE when I make them homemade Cocoa after hours outside trapsing around in the snow.

  I have a recipe we make at Christmas with canned sweetened condensed milk and cream, but for times like these, just a quick batch of the easy stuff tastes great!

INGREDIENTS per 1 cup of whole milk 

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

    We are gearing up for a class a day this week, then next week is our team Christmas party.  SO MUCH TO DO, so little time.  Off I go!

​  Have a great week! Hugs, T