Another highlight before the Feast was when Ethan broke his bedroom window by tapping the ice on it with a metal horseshoe thing he had. We love him dearly but would be glad to send him away for a few years until the cause and effect part of his brain clicks in. We nicknamed him The Mischievator when he was 2-years-old and 4 years later it is still an apt name.
On to the big dinner.....One of the great things about coming from a large family is that there are enough of us to constitute a crowd even when most siblings are elsewhere. We had a crowd of 28 for our small dinner this year and though we greatly missed those who were absent it was also nice that for once everyone had their own chair at the table! My sis planned the deets and there were added elements of competition. Who can resist tackling others while hopping on one foot? Not me. Name that tune, hoola hooping, talent shows and games made it a fun family day.
We came home to read from our own thankful jar. I love hearing what the kids came up with and how poorly they spelled it. Then we had our first video chat with my missionary parents and my faraway sister....So despite the broken window and the other ornery moments (I really needed to tie some of my boys up due to their incessant need to wrestle each other) I have much to be thankful for. We're healthy, we're warm, we have wonderful family and friends and we're blessed with the knowledge of the true gospel in our lives. The slices of pie I had for dinner, breakfast and lunch are just bonuses.
