Thanksgiving Weekend

We didn't take many pictures over the holiday weekend but that's just because we were so darn hoppin'! On Thansgiving day, we had a leisurely breakfast while we quasi-watched the parade and then we transitioned into the dog show and a finger food lunch while we tackled a puzzle. A couple of friends came over and we played a few games while the turkey cooked. Our friends left for their family gathering just as we needed to do the finishing touches on our meal. Dinner was wonderful and left us full--but not too full to enjoy a bit of pie that Sonja made. It was her first and she did a fantastic job. :-) More leisure time was enjoyed before bed.

The next day, we did a bit of a divide and conquer. John and Jozsef went out for lunch while Nikolas, Hannah, and I went to do a bit of shopping. Hannah had the splendid opportunity to have some talk time with Santa, at the end of which he gave her a gold coin and a candy cane. She was thrilled! The rest of the children held the fort dogsitting and playing PS4 for a bit. After all of the division, we were able to get together again for a great dinner of leftovers. :-)

Saturday, sadly, Jozsef had to work but NIkolas was home. We spent some time enjoying a local Christmas event full of music, vendors, and time spent together. Nikolas stayed with us for a bit before joining up with friends for a bit. John, the rest of the children, and I snacked a bit, and shopped a bit before going home to round the night out with dinner and more puzzle time.

Sunday took us back to church and had us prepping for the busy week ahead of us. Nikolas and Sonja made grandma Pree's peacan tarts for all of us to enjoy. THey nailed it! The tarts are SO good.

Soon it will be Christmas but, there are several activites for us to attend before we clebrate Christ's birth. If we thought November was busy, I think December might have it topped! Here's to the holiday season! :-)

Lego Day

November was truly just one activity/event after another. Following Bushcraft was Riley's 12th birthday. He chose a Lego themed celebration. First, we got what has become a traditional birthday milkshake at Chick Fil A for the birthday boy before we went to the mall. Our destination was the Lego store where we set out to build custom mini figures. We had a blast! We spent about two hours sifting through parts looking for just the right pieces for our creations. The boys were so creative and the finished products were absolute keepsakes. Oh and the special corner mobs the boys made on the minifigure tower were especially unique. :-) We picked up tasty bubble tea before we returned home and met back up with the rest of the family for dinner, cake, and gifts. Riley got some great and thoughtful gifts and he was super happy about his day. Welcome to 12 Riley! We love you!

Bushcraft

With the teen retreat complete, we had a week to clean up, restock, and repack for another camping related event. This time the crew was different. All of the guys left for the weekend to attend an outdoor classroom gathering of bushcraft skills. If you're not familiar with bushcraft, think survival/primative skills. The guys went for three days and roughed it while they learned thngs like starting fires with a bow drill, wood carving, deer processing, HAM radio skills, map and compass usage, among several other really cool skills. They met really experienced people and other novices like themselves. There was a great community vibe and the weather was good too (important when life is all about tenting it). Just for the record, the macaroni and cheese was the fan fav food while they were experimenting with MREs--the rpimary food source. :-) The guys came home full of information as well as HAM licences. Nikolas had to leave a little early for a work event, but he still got his license and a headful of knowledge. Connor seemed to excel at the bushcraft skills. It was such a great trip and boy did they all learn a ton! I think it's reasonable to say that another gathering may be in the future. :-)

Teen Retreat

Directly after our photo shoot, the teens packed up to take a a weekend retreat where they would learn the basics of both physical and spiritual battle. Jozsef went as a leader, Sonja and Connor went as students. The weather was good which was a blessing because the children have taken a liking to hammock camping. They had a great time picking up new skills, bulking up on thier bible knowledge, and strengthening friendships. It's such a joy to be able to send them to these kinds of events, where memories of growing up are made. :-)