Life at a "Swell's" pace

For the last week we have had the most amazing beauty all around us. A heavy snowfall of about four-five inches has been hanging around here on the Willamette Valley floor. We woke up to a fluffy downfall, and have played in it every since.

We got, in total, about five-inches.

After playing in the snow most of the day, we took a walk to the local park to see the Christmas lights against the white snow. Skylar wanted to ride in his sled through the snow. It was such a fun, and beautiful walk for the three of us.

We met up with Scottie (Skylar's cousin) while we were there too! She was out for a snow walk as well.

The cities living Christmas tree all lit up for Christmas!

Before we walked back home we stopped off at the local candy store to grab some handmade chocolates.

The next few weeks were full of slick and snowy fun trying to get around town. We had some errands to run throughout the week, so we were eager to try out the Compass on the roads. It handled wonderfully!

Skylar loved the snow piles that were scraped up by the snow plows in the parking lots everywhere we went. He had to climb to the top of each one and conquer them like a king.

We have been baking and cooking at home since the snow came down. Nothing is more enjoyable than warm, blueberry muffins on a snowy morning.

We had a fiesta taco night too. Watching the snow fall in the background was really magical.

We've also been keeping away the seasonal ills with essential oils.

A good blend during cold season:

3 drops Peppermint essential oil

3 drops Lemon essential oil

4 drops Oregano or Tea Tree essential oil

5 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

Add these to a diffuser.

We have even put together a few puzzles.

What happened this time last year?

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.