I am Thankful For...

What a week at the Tracy's!

We really broke in the new home with these fabulous guests.  We hosted my parents, my sister and fam and brother and fam this year for Thanksgiving. If you can't tell from the photo, that's 13 people, 16 total! And I would do it all over again :)

We were only missing my brother Brandon and his little fam, and then we would have had the whole clan of Furnell's!

 

Here we all are at the end of the day, bellies and hearts full.

I am so grateful for my family, near and far. They truly are the greatest blessing in my life. 

Now if I could only get Norah to go back to entertaining herself, sigh...

I will call her, Princess Tiger Lilly

 

Each  year our church has a congregation Halloween party. All the kids dress up and we "ooooh and aaaaah" over the cute babies, laugh at the funny costumes, congratulate the inventive ones and silently mock the "what were you thinking" ones. Naturally, Norah was honestly the cutest one there. Everyone loved our little Indian.

 

However, the night did not go how I had in mind.

Our little Indian was pulling on her necklace, tutu, feathers...really anything touching her. Daniel captured the perfect photo to sum up our (my) evening.

Me: I made this damn costume and you're gonna wear it whether you like it or not

Norah: Nooo, No, No, No, NOOOOOO

 

Luckily as time went on, we let the little Indian run wild and that seemed to please her. Sometimes we just need to learn to let it go. I'm still learning...

 

By the way, I miss homemade costumes. I don't think I ever had a store bought costume growing up and hopefully, I can help my kids be imaginative with their costumes through the years. Because really, look how cute this is (and simple).

 

There you have it folks.

End of the night, all smiles. Well... one smile and a cookie. Good enough :)

 

 

Fall has arrived

 

Are those leaves changing colors???

I THINK SO!

 

I must say Fall is a beautiful time in West Michigan!

I love the changing of the leaves, pumpkins, apple cider, light sweatshirts, boots, layers, return of my TV shows...it's a glorious time!

 

And Norah thinks so too.

Here we are on a gorgeous Autumn afternoon, setting out our pumpkins we just bought out of a wagon off the side of the rode, $2/pumpkin. That's the way to go folks! 

 

I do, however, fear what comes after Fall.

The darkest, deepest, saddest despair you will ever know...