Friendsgiving 2014

One of the things I loved most about watching older friends and cousins grow up is seeing the incredible friendships they formed. Being in or attending each other's weddings, throwing baby showers for the other, play dates and baby-sitting their kids. Friends become family especially when you are so far away from your family. When I moved here, I had no idea that I would meet such amazing friends. We have a small group, and all of us are from far away (California, Missouri, Connecticut!), so we are exploring this new city together. We try to get together as much as possible, both just us girls and sometimes with the men, too. I had been wanting to host a Friendsgiving for as long as I can remember (just wasn't feasible with working Black Friday back in Missouri every year), so when one of my friends in our group suggested it, I jumped in and offered to host!

A printable that I made up for the occasion. Unfortunately, the words were cut off a little bit, but it was still cute!

See my husband hard at work in the background? He's the best!

We offered plenty of beverage options, but I wanted to have a signature drink! You can find the recipe here!

The no-sew burlap table runner worked great on the food table along with a menu I made up! 

I just used the burlap table runner I had made over a white table cloth and sprinkled a few leaves over it! Then added the center decorations and a couple pumpkins. 

The center table decorations were so easy! Just painted mason jars and flowers from Dollar Tree! You can see the construction of them here!

Didn't quite get that roasted color I was hoping for, but for a first try, I'll take it! Delicious!

Sorry, this picture turned out a little blurry!

Not the best picture of either of us, but it'll work!

I adore these girls, and Jared's face in the background cracks me up, so I had to leave it in! So blessed and thankful for great friends that become family. :)

It was an amazing night filled with great conversation, games, and fantastic food. I had fun designing a couple printables, decorating, and cooking along with my husband. Everyone brought a side dish or dessert to share, too, so we had a ton of food! There was enough for leftovers for days. I was so excited to cook a turkey for the first time, and although it wasn't without its struggles, it turned out delicious.

Did you host or attend a Friendsgiving? If so, what was your favorite part?

Thanksgiving Recap

Thanksgiving is amazing, isn't it? And while everyone had a great time, no one is really that sad that it's over either, usually. Because the Christmas holiday is right around the corner! Well, tomorrow may be December 1st, but today I'm recapping our Thanksgiving holiday because it was definitely an interesting and exciting one!

Thanksgiving morning, we woke up and headed out, so that I could run the Turkey Trot! A friend of ours ran with me, and while he did absolutely amazing, placing 2nd in his age group, I did not. A few weeks ago, I discovered some pain in my right foot, and I was told it was a stress fracture. I thought I let it heal enough, but apparently, I'm stubborn (who would have thought?), and I started training back too soon. It felt okay for the race, but at the second water tent, someone was eager to get a cup and stepped on it making me fall and re-injuring it all over again. I ended up walking almost the last mile and then running it in at the end. Thankfully, my husband was there at the end cheering me on with our dog, and I grabbed her to have the push to finish! If he would have known it was hurting so bad, he probably wouldn't have let me, but what can I say, I'm really stubborn sometimes! Earned that medal that day! ;)

Later that day, we went over to a friend's house for Thanksgiving since we were all away from our families. We played games, watched the football games (of course, yay for a Seahawks win! P.S. I'm forced to cheer for them due to my husband. Still a Vikings fan!), and ate a delicious dinner. I was seriously so full that I didn't even want dessert. That's when you know I'm entirely too stuffed!

My family on Thanksgiving. The cat looks upset, but he was purring, so don't let that fool you!

It's so nice having close friends here to celebrate with! I hosted Friendsgiving for a few of my other good friends a couple days before, and it just makes you feel so blessed that you have people you care about (and who care about you) to spend it with! So very blessed and grateful!

On Black Friday, since this is the first Black Friday in four years that I did not have to work in the retail world, I definitely didn't want to brave the crowds for sales, so we opted to go skiing instead. Since my foot felt okay and was just a little sore and not swollen, I thought it would be fine. Well, when we got to the resort, just trying to walk in my ski boots a few steps was more than I could handle and sent me into tears. So much for skiing! We ended up at Urgent Care to make sure it wasn't seriously injured or broken. Turns out it was still the original diagnosis, but I was given a boot to wear. Not my favorite accessory, but it seems to be helping. Just a couple of weeks of it and then a couple more of rest and activity as I feel okay enough, and I should be good to go!

         

Friday night, we finished off another great weekend (Randy's days off are Thursdays and Fridays anyway) by watching his alma mater play that school I work for! There weren't many North Dakota fans there, and they got crushed by the Utes (not that I'm too sad, I'm a Utes fan, too!), but we still cheered them on! 

We both look exhausted from the busy week! Sheesh!

What did you do on Thanksgiving? Anyone brave the crowds for Black Friday, and if so, how crazy was it? I heard it wasn't too bad this year! :)

Happy Late Thanksgiving, and Here's to a Wonderful 2014 Holiday Season!

Gratefulness

It may seem obvious that "Gratefulness" is the title for my blog post today with the fact that it is Thanksgiving, but truly, friends, I have sat down at my computer to write this post at least a dozen times. I keep adding and re-writing because I constantly feel that I don't have the right words to say to express how truly grateful I am.

You see, I had a really rough couple of years before I reached a turning point in my life and before I met my sweet husband. Times when I never thought I would see a time when I was legitimately happy. I was still truly blessed with so much at that point in time, but now, looking back, I am speechless. The blessings in my life outnumber all of the not-so-good times, and I wake up happy every day. I find myself just sitting in my car thinking about all of the good in my life, and I don't know if I will ever be able to find the words to thank the Lord for all that he has done in my world and how He has changed my life. Because of Him, I made it through the hard times to stand in the place that I am now, and I am truly grateful.

When I was younger, we would always go to a friend's house for Thanksgiving. In reality, the friends were more like family, and we knew all of the visitors that would be there. We always shared what we were thankful for, and my answer was always "friends" or "family" or "the opportunity to spend today with each of you." And while those answers were always true, they did not express my gratitude enough.

This year, I will be without my mother, father, and siblings on Thanksgiving. I will still be with family, my husband and our dog and cat, but it's still a different feeling for me, and at times I have felt sad. But I am thankful that I will be able to speak to them and know they are safe and enjoying each other's company while I enjoy being beside my husband with our close friends. I will be appreciative that I have the chance to visit them and talk often, as there are so many that have lost their loved ones and will be without them this holiday season. I am grateful that my family is growing, and I have such a wonderful new family, as well. I have the chance to be a daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and aunt but never feel like an "in law"  because they have embraced me in their lives, as well.

That husband of mine brings me such joy, and I thank God every day for that love in my heart. That he put the two of us together, to continually uplift and encourage one another, to constantly support and enjoy each other's company. To be best friends living every moment beside the other.

I am humbled by new beginnings. By opportunities that range far and wide and for the chance to experience this amazing world. I am grateful for new friends and when I miss my family, remembering the families that are apart on this day because they are serving our country either domestically or overseas. I am thankful for hobbies, especially the chance to run on this cold morning  and accomplish another goal when so many don't have that same opportunity.

Most of all, I'm grateful for the future. The chance to make memories and chase dreams and continue living every day.

And I'm thankful for you. You are the reason I write. Your encouraging words and support make blogging so enjoyable for me, and the passion I feel when it comes to this blog grows every day. Thank you for making it meaningful for me.

On this day, and every day, I am thankful for life. Let us remember to embrace each day even more than the one before. To brush off the bad and remember all of the good. To live for one another and to encourage each other. And let us pray for peace both in our nation and in our world. Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Free, Downloable Friendsgiving Printables

Who says you can't write two posts in one day? I have so much coming up for you, and I know many people are hosting Friendsgiving dinners ahead of Thanksgiving (or this upcoming weekend!), so I wanted to share the two printables I made for our dinner. I will do a full recap on the blog of our Friendsgiving dinner later! I made a general printable, as well as a menu printable (which you have full access to edit!). My husband and I are pretty traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving menus, so most of the items on our menu are ones you would expect. Hope this helps if you are hosting one!!

You can download this one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-5ar_ib73nmdEUzYThDWERiX1U/view?usp=sharing

You can download this one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-5ar_ib73nmWVNFUFRlVXFqTUk/view?usp=sharing

What are you doing this Thanksgiving? Share below in the comments! I am running a 10K Turkey Trot on Thursday morning with a close friend, and then my husband and I are going over to her and her husband's house to watch football, hang back, eat appetizers, and then eat the big turkey dinner at 5! We're excited for a week full of festivities!

Happy Holiday season! I consider tomorrow to be the start of the Holiday season, and it's my favorite time of the year. I hope you're enjoying it as much as we are!