Goodness, we’ve had a busy time these last few weeks. Starting the week before Thanksgiving, every room on our property ended up being full with a total of 13 people from out of town staying with us.

The kids were delighted to see so many of their aunts and uncles (both honorary and those by blood). They were surrounded by so many people who love them and cherish them, and it made my heart full to see it.

Aunt Boo flew in Saturday and the kids got to pick her up at the airport with Jake while I prepped the house for guests. Uncle James came in Sunday night and played cello for the kids, leading Michael to decide he wants cello lessons when he’s older. I’m still trying to convince him to try piano first.

Oma and Opa came Monday, and many books were read, games played, walks taken, and snuggles had. It was a very fun time for all.

We decorated my grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving Day — lots of greenery and autumnal colors. Even though Thanksgiving is a large affair in our family, we haven’t really decorated for it much until this year. It was our biggest group yet, so we wanted to make it a beautiful affair.

We had 39 people around our tables! We were missing a few for the big group picture, but we got most of us by propping my phone on a chair with its self timer going. I made a mental note to prep a tripod for next year.

We had fun taking pictures and running around outside before and after the meal. It’s usually a tradition for us all to take loads of photos and dress up, but unfortunately the fog didn’t let any sunlight through, so photos were limited.

I was hoping we’d get a family picture that was relatively respectable for a Christmas card, but the kids weren’t having it. The below picture is the closest we got — it’s pretty adorable, though. It might still make it onto a Christmas card.

I didn’t get many pictures of the food, which was excellent thanks to teamwork and my dad’s foolproof turkey-cooking method, perfected by years of honing. And Michael had a blast taste testing the whipped cream for the multitude of pies: apple, pumpkin, walnut, custard, chocolate bourbon pecan, and more!

The day after Thanksgiving was beautifully chilly and low-key. We sat outside by the fire, played multiple games of cornhole, ate a lot of charcuterie and leftovers, and enjoyed each other’s company.

Then Jake had to quickly fly out for a work trip, leaving Sunday around the same time as many of our guests. The kids and I were quite sad to see him go, along with all the uncles and aunts they’d enjoyed all week.

We kept busy with crafts and activities, and getting some of our Christmas decorations up. We made popcorn and cranberry garlands together and it was quite a success.

We also got a mini Christmas tree and a few fun painting crafts, and made sheet hammocks to play in under the table, and had a play date with some dear friends. I’m very grateful for my little community and the encouragement and support of my friends and family. They made me feel much less alone as I navigated the ups and downs of this past week.

Although I missed my husband, I survived solo-parenting after Thanksgiving! I admit I had been dreading it, but no one died! There was minimal yelling and minimal tears! I got a relatively acceptable amount of sleep! And though I probably consumed more caffeine than was good for me, I am proud of how the week went, all things considered.

However, perhaps not surprisingly now that Jake is back and the weekend is almost here, I have a cold. So we are now taking a much-needed slow and quiet few days, recovering our introvert energy and leaning into the soft, hopeful joy of the Advent season.

To end, I’ll share one of my favorite folk/bluegrass bands, the Hillbilly Thomists — they recently released a gorgeous Christmas album. Here is their rendition of On Jordan’s Banks, which is one of my favorite Advent hymns. It’s keeping company as I write my blog posts and articles with a cup of tea to keep the chill away.