Anniversary Week & Thanksgiving Preparations

Excuse the lazy blogging, but we have been in hibernation mode. Here in West Michigan, we are experiencing our snowiest November in a decade, at 28.4 inches. Seriously. In November. I mean, it’s nothing compared to Buffalo, NY… But Peyton has already had snow days!

Yesterday was our 4th wedding anniversary 🙂 We are heading out tonight for a nice dinner sans children (rare and exciting). David is impossible to get presents for, so I have to get creative. It’s especially tough since his birthday, our anniversary, and Christmas are all within a matter of weeks. So this year, I did little presents, which he could open every hour on the 20 (as our anniversary is the 20th). It took him the better part of the day to realize the significance of the 20 😉

Some of the gifts included this mini desk vacuum, new gloves, and a much-needed mouse pad with a photo of the girls.

And I always tease him, since our first anniversary when he got me a giant bouquet of roses with beautiful, twisting twigs interwoven with the flowers; I called it a tree. “Other girls get flowers, not me – I get a tree!” It’s been a running joke between us. Here is this year’s tree: Lilies and hydrangea are right behind peonies on my list of flowers that turn me into a total girl.

In other news, we are getting ready to host Thanksgiving next week! Which means, annoying our contractor to finish some cosmetic issues on the main level, like paint drips and nail pops…as well as some bigger things, like finishing the framework/drywall/painting on the formal dining room. How grown up do I feel? The formal dining room. Growing up, our dining room was the homework table, and tent fort on rainy days. Here is our finished product:

We are doing a table-hustle and adding a few tables for the big dinner. I am obsessed with my linens. Look how shabby chic this table cloth is! I’ve been working on centerpieces, using these frosted mason jars from Target:

Our menu is going to look something like this:

Starters: Shrimp cocktail and extra spicy cocktail sauce, veggie tray with a fun red pepper dip centerpiece, relish dish (David and Peyton could live on olives and pickles). Dinner: Turkey (duh), stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pasta salad, some fun veggie sides (green beans, corn), and wild rice. Dessert: my aunt and uncle’s famous pies, and my extra bad for you cake balls and pumpkin flavored fudge!

I think that sounds pretty coma-inducing. We are going to plan on eating during halftime, so everyone can watch the Lions (hopefully) win! We are starting off the morning with the parade and maple parfaits, as my parents will be staying Wednesday night here! I’ll post the recipe on here later 🙂

What are your favorite Turkey Day dishes and traditions??