Thanksgiving weekend in Michigan

Happy Thanksgiving!

My mom (Nonna) is the original Fancy Nancy. She decorates a beautiful table and a tasty turkey. I wouldn't want to spend Thanksgiving dinner anywhere else. So thankful for a healthy, happy year for our families. As we followed tradition and went around the table sharing what we are most thankful for, family topped the list...nothing else really matters, does it?

Tonight we are back in Chicago and looking through our photos to relive our family filled weekend. A little recap of some of our happenings...

Thanksgiving morning began with a walk and exploration along the (new-ish) nature trails and docks on Reed's Lake. A crisp and windy morning on an otherwise beautiful and balmy Thanksgiving weekend.

To shed the carb weight, Andrew ran in the 1st annual Kent Country Club 5k. He ran along the golf course amongst wild turkeys (who managed to escape capture the day before). Guess what else...he won! He beat all 25 racers/walkers/elderly golf cart drivers. Here he is about to cross the finish line and Eloise running to greet him.

As in typical Eloise fashion, she bites it and lands on the cement. But Andrew swoops her up and carries her to the finish line - actually there wasn't even a finish line. She scraped her knee, but all is okay.

First place finishers posing at the clock with George practicing his putt in the background.

This cute boy loved the golf carts.

Nonna took her grand girls (and me!) to see the Nutcracker. Such a fun memory to take Eloise to her first ballet - and especially special that it was a ballet that I spent so many years performing in. I was SO much better than any of those mice this year. I mean, come on.

We were happy to get together for a play date at Breton School with Reedo and Cam and their families. How quickly our EGR friend's families are growing and it is SO much fun to get together with our kids and watch them play together - and catch-up with our friends at the same time. We are thankful that Ryan and Dave each welcomed baby boys just last week and Reedo's little girl will be here in a few months. So amazing, right? And the cutest kids...ever.

We had a second Thanksgiving feast at Poppy and Yaya's house on Saturday. Such a fun, chaotic (8 kids under 8 is a lot to handle!), football watching celebration. George preferred painting with mashed potatoes to eating them.

Now we plan to enjoy every single second of this Christmas season. So many fun things to do in the next 4 weeks and such a magical time for our children. Next on the list, decking our halls with boughs of holly (not to mention don we now our gay apparel).