Thanksgiving weekend and maybe a few more days thrown in

After looking through my pictures from this last week (there were A LOT), I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the things in my life.  They are not huge things, but put them all together and my life is extremely good and fulfilling. 

So in absolutely no particular order (that would be boring and involve more work) here are just a smidgen of the things I have been blessed with in the last week.

I'm grateful for a really awesome uncle who taught my son how to solve a rubix cube.

This smile has been plastered on this boy's face since he solved the sucker the first time.

He has since solved it again and again, and it seems never to get bored.

Thank you Uncle Jeff!!!

I'm grateful we have access to awesome orthodontists who are willing to help my kids have beautiful smiles.

Here is one of them.

Thank you Dr. Ward for Andrew's sweet grin.

The braces came off today and Andrew is excited to say the least.

I told him no smooching...even if those braces were off.

(I would actually faint if he was smooching somebody.  AHHH!!)

 I'm grateful for a house that is trucking along.

The driveway was poured and blanketed just before the weather turned bitter and the snow fell.

Whew!

I'm grateful for Grandpas who are willing to play for long hours in the cold just to hear the squealing and fun.

It snowed 6 inches this weekend.

I'm grateful for a car that has absolutely no problem blasting through snow drifts...and the heater works something awesome too!

 I'm grateful for family history games and the parents who are willing to teach it.

I'm grateful for early Christmas parties and cute nativity costumes.

(that cow costume was off 5 seconds after I took this picture.)

Not sure it could get any cuter than this!

(That little angel in the background had a hard time standing still up there!)

I'm grateful for awesome grandmothers who purchase matching Christmas pjs every year!

...and I'm grateful for a crazy brother who photo bombs in his wookie pjs.

I'm grateful for sweet cousins who give thoughtful gifts!

(too many pictures to post...but my kids scored.)

 I'm grateful for three little girls who played for four straight days without one argument or fight.

The love was thick with these three!

 The picture is turned, but I'm still grateful for the opportunity to create memory books for my family.

We now have pictures preserved for years and years to come.

I'm grateful for our white elephant gift exchange every year.

This was the BEST gift...I covet it a little!

Grateful for this beautiful family of mine.

Could a girl be more blessed to grow up with these people?

I'm grateful for snow clothes, boots, gloves and hats that kept the cousins warm and cozy so they could play their guts out all weekend long!

 Grateful for my sisters and photo bombers!

 (sorry Cara, we missed you in this picture!)

I'm grateful for Cash and Carry and their enormous syrup isle that just makes my sodas taste even better!

(obviously not all my gratitude is for serious stuff!)

And lastly...I'm grateful for cheap Pottery Barn stockings with the wrong names embroidered on them that I scored for only $4 each.

...Well, Andrew and Grady got lucky, but the rest of them I am picking out.   That or Carter is going to be renamed Finn.