Life at a "Swell's" pace

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year. We have quite a lot to be thankful for, from rekindling the love in our marriage, to my mom pulling through her heart surgery completely. This year seems to be the year of being so thankful for so many things in my life. We tend to forget sometimes, what it is to really be thankful for in our lives. That's one reason that the three of us, Jeff, Skylar, and I, like to spend the Thanksgiving holiday to ourselves and reflect on what's really important. It gives us a chance to really bring together the year and reflect on what's truly important. The holidays have nothing to do with stress, negativity, or even the food. They are a lot more than gifts, the weather, or people in it that cause harm to our spirit. Thanksgiving to us mean a lost more than anyone can ever imagine, and I am sure they mean a lot more in your home as well. Here is a recap of our Thanks......Giving.

The decorations include the lantern that changes with the seasons.

I love to see my kitchen counters covered with food, prep, and love on this day!

This is my favorite thing to make, my Thanksgiving stuffing, I refuse to let the secret out on how I make mine. I have seen so many people make "their" version of stuffing, and no one adds my "secret" ingredient. :D

The apples getting prepared to be placed into a pie.

How cute is this table cloth? It gave Skylar a lot to do while I was setting the table. He loved it! I picked this one up at Michael's.

The table is getting set. I let Skylar set the table any way he wanted, so being a boy, he didn't think to add the fancy decor. But it was his time, so I loved whatever tablescape he came up with. I think it looks lovely.

We added a giant poinsettia and our homemade tee pees to the tablescape.

The garlic, cheddar biscuits were the hit of the table.

Jeff carved the turkey, as he does every year.

After we ate, we all sat and put together the Oreo Turkey Pops that came from Brit+Co. You can still snag these Turkey Pops, while supplies last, on the Brit+Co Shop Site here.

It's Friday! Yay! And currently we have about four to five inches of snow on the ground here in Oregon. The Willamette Valley is always a fun place to live because we get a lot of rain, a lot of snow, and a lot of sun. It just depends on the time of year. My son, Skylar is out making snow angels still and he has hit the kitchen window with about eight snowballs so far. Super fun!

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So with that, here are my Five on Friday loves!

1. This Soup.

Because it was tasty and came from the local cafe here in town. Although I love homemade butternut squash soup, this was definitely a nice, warm comfort to enjoy on a cold night.

2. This Package.

Because it came just in the nick of time. We have been reading "A Series of Unfortunate Events" in the Red Snail Classroom and just finished the first book, so the second came right on time. We even made Puttanesca Sauce to celebrate finishing the book!

3. This Research.

In our Red Snail Classroom we have been studying history facts from the 1960s. This was one of those moments where some computer research was needed. Things are so different now days, with finding out facts. I remember having to research for hours in the library from actual books. Now everything you need to know can be found from just a few clicks and buttons.

4. These Pictures.

Because this year marks the tenth Christmas for my little Skylar. Of course, he turned 10 this past September and isn't so little anymore, but to me he is always my little baby boy. This picture above was his first Christmas back in 2003 when we lived in Arkansas, and the ones below it are his third Christmas, in Oregon. Such happy memories have been made in the past 10 years. You can see the full album from Christmases past here.

5. This Ice Cream.

Because recently the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers played in their Civil War game. Of course, the Ducks came out on top, but it was a very intense game. I'm talking, edge of your seat action! So to honor the moment of the civil war, we purchased the Duck Tracks and Beaver Tracks ice cream from Umpqua, a local dairy here in Oregon. The Duck Tracks were finished off first, in honor of the Ducks win, but for some reason no one really touched the Beaver Tracks. hmmmm....

Eco -Tip: When looking to wrap your holiday gifts this year, use the alternative of newspaper and brown paper bags instead. Some wrapping paper isn't biodegradeable and therefore can't be recycled either. Using a more eco-friendly alternative will be a great message to go more green for the gift receivers, as well. You can read more about ways to green up your holiday by visiting the Green Living section at Examiner.com. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me: Go Green.