The Past 5 Days: Pizza, Thanksgiving, Pool Party, Baptism and Family

I hope you all have had a wonderful first day of Advent and a very happy Thanksgiving weekend. There's been a lot going on here the past 5 days, lots of fun and lots of exciting things. Hang on to your hats because this post is going to go fast and be loaded with pictures. 

On Wednesday Husband took the day off to prep for the weekend. We were hosting so there was some last minute cleaning and food prep to do. Also on Wednesday C turned officially 2 1/2. My parents and my brother Peter arrived that evening after a slightly icy and slow going start. Peter met M for the first time. He called her Baby Slaggy because he thought Slagathor would be a good name for the baby.We had a pizza party and had a good time! 

My mom made C a laminated sheet of animals from National Geographic magazines. It is his favorite thing. Here are Peter and C enjoying the sheet. 

Thursday morning brought making Monkey Bread and watching the parade. That was really fun and we had a good time! My family arrived from the hotel and we spent the afternoon playing games and chatting. My brother S arrived mid-afternoon and it was his chance to meet M for the first time. That was swell. Husband and I prepped a turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, glazed carrots, corn and rolls. It all turned out GREAT!! 

C and I made everyone a turkey as a place setting earlier in the week. 

We had pie for dessert. My blueberry loving boy enjoyed his blueberry pie enormously. 

M joined in her first holiday game night. (She's holding her dry erase marker.) When my family gets together we play games. It's what we do. The game of this holiday was primarily Say Anything. It was really fun!

Friday was kind of a typical day. Husband went to work. My kiddos and I went to the hotel to visit and so C could go swimming. I took pictures but on my mom's phone so I don't actually have any. He had a blast! He also took a shower afterwards but since we were at the hotel he used big boy not tear free shampoo and Dove Men's body wash. I though that was SO funny because he smelled just like a little man the whole day!

Yesterday was a very special day because M was Baptized after the 4:30 Mass. It was a beautiful little service. There was another Baptism during Mass but I like the afterwards ceremony better because it really is all about the Sacrament of Baptism, with a mini homily and the blessing of the parents. Deacon Bob did a great job and really made it special for us! 

Just about to the actual Baptism part. We're very reverent. No seriously though, this was a fluke that this picture was taken and turned out halfway decently. I just think it's too funny. 

Washing the sin away! Praise His Glorious Name!

During the parents blessing. My brother S and our friend Lisa are the Godparents.

A new little Catholic! 

After the Baptism we had a little gathering at our house with my family and Lisa and her husband. It was a much smaller ordeal than C's Baptism after party and therefore was much less stressful. 

Today my family left and Husband's brother's family popped in for a visit. Well, I was expecting a short few hour visit and got a whole day visit. M met her cousins and the final uncle and only aunt. So now M has met almost all her major family players with the exception of her great-grandparents on my side. I took exactly zero pictures of their visit however. 

This evening we watched a Christmas movie and set up our Christmas trees. 

We let C decorate the tree first and he just piled them all on balanced on the branches. But he had fun which is the most important part. 

After bedtime we redistributed the ornaments. We have yet to bring up the tree skirt or any of the other Christmas decorations from the basement but we certainly will tomorrow. We also haven't added our ribbon to the tree yet. 

And with that, we head to bed because hosting for 5 days in a row is exhausting. But we are so glad we didn't have to travel, were still able to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and induct our little girl into Catholicism. Success!