Holiday Preparations

We are ready to usher in the holidays!  The kids were in charge of setting up our Dicken's Village scene this year.  They were excited to handle it themselves and were actually very careful and worked together pretty well!  The kids love to show it to any friends or neighbors that pop into the house.  We also put up the Christmas tree and the kids each hung ornaments from their boxes.  It's always fun to unwrap each ornament and reminisce.  And the evenings feel so cozy with a warm fireplace and twinkling tree.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we joined an effort that is lead by a local friend of mine to assist families in need.  We helped to gather up Thanksgiving meal supplies and spent a Saturday morning at a local church on the south side of Chicago packing up bags as folks streamed through.  Not only did a huge amount of food get into the hands of those that need it most - but this day also provided an opportunity for us to have a dialogue with the kids about what really matters, and to stress the importance of giving unto others.  I know we all left that day feeling gratitude for the blessings in our lives and saying extra prayers for those that need some extra help this season.
This takes us up to Thanksgiving - a holiday we always look so forward to!  We spent Thanksgiving with the Brown crew out in Clarendon Hills.  It'a always nice to get everyone together and to enjoy a wonderful meal together! The next day, we made it over to the Brookfield Zoo with all the cousins.  Feeding the birds was a highlight, and Tyler always loves to see the penguins (his fave).  We also walked down to the park near Grammy and Grandpa's house for playtime, and the kids also opened up their annual Christmas ornament from Grammy.  This is a special tradition from Grammy, and the kids really enjoy opening those each year.
On Saturday, we drove down to Lafayette to have our second Thanksgiving celebration with part of the Reder crew!  Tracy and Steve prepped a delicious meal (as always!) and we loved seeing Kelsey and Ethan too, both home from college.  We missed the Burkholders and my parents, but look forward to seeing them for Christmas!