…discounted fall decor which resulted in a lovely centerpiece.
…family that was so willing to help paint our living room!!!!
We were so sad to have Adrienne and Cassie and Doug leave this morning. We had such an enjoyable weekend full of laughter, games, food, conversation, laughter, smiles, and general good cheer. I was telling Tom this has probably been my most enjoyable time with his family, probably on account of just having been in the family longer. It was great because having them here really felt like family. Not that I didn’t miss my family, but it is a blessing to have in-laws that are so warm and understanding. I wasn’t worried that they would judge us for the state of our house, for the fact that their beds weren’t made before they got here, or that most of those other “host” type things were done. Tom and I simply didn’t have time. We were thrilled that we had the house relatively clean- meaning the floors were free of drywall dust (no small task) and we had three functioning bathrooms (go Tom!) and a fully wired kitchen (go Tom!) The house turned out to be the perfect gathering place. The living room was large enough to accommodate everyone, and we had moved in our couch and two chairs and so there was plenty of seats. All of the electrical outlets came in handy as the Foutzes are a huge Mac family, and everyone had brought their laptops.  The kitchen was only snug at a few moments, like when the turkey was coming out and the gravy, beans, stuffing, rolls, and sweet potatoes were going in, all while. . . you know the story.
Everyone had their own room, and thanks to Mom and Dad Foutz’ kind gift of an aero bed- everyone had a place to sleep. Tom and I couldn’t have been more proud of our place.
Here’s pictures from the weekend:

Here’s the table and the fam (senza Stan), No that’s not beer, it’s Sparkling Cider.

The feast. Doug made a few Danish items which was fun, and I added roasted asparagus. I must say I found a great recipe for 1/2 whole wheat rolls, if anyone wants it. Also, can I just mention the gorgeous poinsettia. (Home Depot $5.00) Thanks Pam!

Here’s the whole fam. Pam had been so thoughtful, and arranged for all of us to ahve these black hoodies (that Doug and Tom are wearing) along with these cream and blue scarves) to be delivered for a family picture. BUT- they were on back order and didn’t arrive in time. So this is the best we got.

The color wheel. Oh, how this thing stresses me out! I finally settled on a color. It is a bit golder than I anticipated, but it’s warm, neutral and changes through out the day, and looks 100% times better than what we had. Not to mention it looks great with the oak floors. There is a splatch painted in the background. Pam was SUPER helpful with the colors, she was so kind to sit down and think it, several times with me. Thanks!

Pam the Painter- doesn’t she look like an astronaut in this painting suit!

Stan the painting man. Don’t you love these pictures! We had such good light on Saturday. (You can’t tell here, but we decided to paint the ceiling a slightly darker color than the crown molding so that it would “pop.” Stan was a really good sport and followed all of our desires, despite the added work.

Cass the priming lass! We decided Cass should do the intricate fireplace painting and priming.

Here they are, all three Foutz children painting away. Adi, was really they super painting machine. She started before anyone, caulking all the crown molding, then she started painting the walls, all the while offering advice and good humor. Adi, you’re great!

All in all it was a great weekend. I can’t believe how great everything looks, and I’m just so grateful to such a welcoming and helpful family.