A Refreshing Break!

A vacation week from the school routine was just what we all needed last week!  After traveling the previous weekend, it felt nice to be at home and have some free time.

Evie made lunch for everyone

Some cozy reading time after a trip to the library

Trying out a great game from the library called Klask!  

On Tuesday, I had scheduled surgery to remove a skin cancer spot on my scalp, but my appointment wasn't until afternoon.  I knew I'd need to take it easy for a few days afterward, so we did a pre-turkey trot (walk) around Indian Brook in the morning.  It was a beautiful day, and being outside helped calm my nerves before the procedure.

We headed off to my appointment after lunch, and everything went smoothly.  They got everything in the first pass with clear margins, stitched me up, and I was out of there in about an hour and a half.  I have had very minimal pain, but I was exhausted the following day.  I think I took about 4 hours worth of naps and still fell asleep on the couch in the evening!  I guess my body was working hard on healing.

Sweet message from Noah on the side of my (dirty) car!

Anxiously waiting to go in

Awaiting results

Not a bad view from my comfy surgery chair

In process

Enjoying a little treat afterward

Relieved to be done!  They glued over the stitches, so I didn't need a bandage.

Not bad, right?

Sooooo tired.  I had my best napping buddy to keep me company!

I opened my eyes from a nap to see the "Give Thanks" banner over the fireplace.  I'm certainly feeling thankful!

I have the absolute kindest neighbors!  This gesture meant so much!

While I was napping, Matt took the kids out to give me some quiet time to rest.  They ran a bunch of errands and went climbing, and I was so appreciative of the quiet house!  It looks like they had fun too!

By Thanksgiving morning, I was starting to feel better, but Matt and Evie were rock stars in the kitchen, prepping all the veggies for the side dishes, then running a quick Turkey Trot before we went to Aunt Pea's for the Turkey Bowl game!

I was supposed to be "taking it easy", but I couldn't resist the fun of the Turkey Bowl!  As always, it was a great time!

Matt was representing the family in his Colts jersey!

We came home and finished cooking our side dishes, and then returned to Aunt Pea's for dinner in the late afternoon.  Grandma Betti and Aunt Pea did a lot of cooking so that I wouldn't have to do much during my recovery.  The meal was soooooo yummy, and we had a nice, relaxing time just being together!

Matt got to taste-test the gravy since his sweater was gravy-colored!  :-)

YUM!  It's hard to pick a favorite, but those mashed potatoes and gravy were incredible!

Noah agrees - he loved the mashed potatoes and gravy!

It's hard to believe it's time to change gears and start thinking about Christmas already, but we went ahead and got our outdoor decorations up!  

Beautiful wreath from Dandelion Farm!

Someone is excited for Christmas!

Excited for his new Advent calendar!

Basketball season starts this week

Our snowman is barely hanging on!

The kids made these delicious Chocolate PB Cookies on their own!

We got some of the holiday spirit going with the Winter Lights at Shelburne Museum with Grandma Karen over the weekend.  It was a beautiful tour, and we all had a great time!

We had one last hurrah of fun before the break ended with a family game of disc golf.  Frankie was very happy to be able to romp around off-leash while we played our 9 holes!

Good girl!

Pure bliss!

Tired pup