Thanksgivingukah...

Man, it's officially in the books...the first and only Thanksgivingukah I will ever live to celebrate (unless, of course, I am somehow around 78,000 years from now...)!  And the day was just about as glorious as I would have assumed a combination Thanksgiving and Hanukkah would be!

 Hanukkah actually kicked off at sunset the day before Thanksgiving, so the boys had already opened up some gifts that they were eager to get to play with (they each get one from Josh and I and one from my parents for all eight nights, so 4 new toys in our house each night and considering they generally share fight over toys these days that's a lot to get into each night!).  So Colton and Levi started off their morning with their new favorites (at least for 24 hours)

 We have a couple of traditional Thanksgiving breakfasts: either French Toast Casserole (my pick) or pigs in a blanket (Josh's pick).  This year, I asked the boys what they wanted.  Colton chose pigs in a blanket, and we all know by now: what Colton wants, Colton gets, so...pigs in a blanket it was!

The rest of the morning was spent playing and watching the parade

While I was busy setting up the house.  I've shown a couple preview shots, but here's our Thanksgiving set up in all its glory.  I must admit I was pretty pleased with how it all came together.  And maybe even more impressed at the small budget I used to accomplish it!  I had the burlap on hand and already showed you my tricks to transforming Dollar Store vases into gold mercury/ombre vases and creating my $1 table runner from a roll of wrapping paper.  To complete the look, then, I just added scrapbook paper for place mats, tied 50 cent ribbon around the silverware, bought some baby's breath for the vases (some of which I spray painted gold), and printed out some thank you notes I had designed.  Oh, and the kids' table got some fun treatment too with my fun turkey crayon holder I made in about 3 seconds!

With everything all set to go, our guests started arriving and it was time to officially commence Turkey Day 2013, complete with mischief between two brothers and their cousins!

And as everyone started finishing up dinner, Colton was very eager to point out that it was time to light the menorrah and do Hanukkah!

When it was all said and done, it was everything Thanksgiving...and Hanukkah...are supposed to be: family, food, fun!  Hope you all had a fantastic day as well!