Thanksgiving

This year, we shared Thanksgiving with 3 other family's (Erin's, Laura's and Heather's) over at Heather and Dave's and it was perfect. I admit, I was happy to get a break from making the Turkey, and worrying about having the house clean and presentable - but it was more enjoyable to have the kids be with their friends and us too!

The weather was mild and warm, and the kids played happily outside while we nibbled on crackers and brie with pepper jelly and fig jam, veggies and dip and watched football, and relaxed.

Laura made place cards for the adults, from the pattern I've used for years. It's simple, but classic and I love them. Her handwriting on them was much prettier than anything I've ever done.

She also made super cute one's for the kids, using her son's hand as the "stamp."

The table looked great.

We started with cream of parsnip soup, rolls, raspberry & honey butter and cinnamon butter.

Then salad (which we brought). I tracked down an old friend, who made this salad for a Thanksgiving dinner I attended in 2001 for this dressing recipe. SO yummy. I think I put a little too much dressing on, but since I tossed it right before we served, it was OK and not too soggy.

Then the main course - all the traditional stuff, and ALL so delicious. We brought the yams, and we also had turkey (of course), garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

I wasn't very good at taking more pictures once we started to eat - the company was great and we were having too much fun. Apparently the kids had good conversations too - I love the look on Emily's face here, I wonder what Jonah was telling her?

Laura also made this cute "Thankful tree" for the kids to write one. Jacob's thanks was just scribbles, but he told me he was thankful for Colin and little cars.
We had a dessert buffet. YUM! I brought pumpkin pies, almond and pear flan, and Rick made his award-winning (we like to throw that in there whenever we can) lemon truffle pie. We also had bittersweet chocolate pecan pie. In between dinner and dessert the kids made these cute cookie & candy crafts - which pretty much served as dessert for them.
A picture tells a thousand words ....
Emily loves any craft activity - one you can eat is even better.

Jacob was really focused on his.
Even though it ended up looking nothing like a turkey or a cornucopia!
Even Rebekah had a shot at it.

All in all a perfect day! Thanks Heather and Dave for hosting!

Balloon Inflation

In 9 years living here, I've never been to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. It's on our list of things to do - and now that our kids will be getting bigger, and more manageable, we're starting to think about it.

However, one of my favorite things to do is go and see them inflate the parade balloons the night before. We love to see them go from this - To this!
This year the crowds were HUGE! The weather was really nice, and mild, and I'm sure that's why (we've been in sub-zero weather, and not had to wait in line at all!) Emily did not enjoy the line - several blocks long, but was quite thrilled when we finally got to see them.
They really are quite impressive, up close.





Jane got a great view of a crowd of butts, and then fell asleep - poor little thing. They were roasting too - I had planned for the cold, and bundled them up.

Jacob lasted long enough to see a few balloons, then conked out too. If I had realized how long the lines would be - and that we would be out so late, I would have given him a nap. Oh well, he saw a few and there's always next year ....
I was so grateful that we had borrowed a friends double stroller - it was a pain to maneuver through the crowds at first, but it would have been awful trying to manage them both once they were asleep.Even little Emy was getting sleepy by the time we left (9pm), but we stopped on the way back to the car at Crumbs for cupcakes and hot chocolate to revive us!

What's up?

Anyone know what's going on with Blogger? It keeps double spacing some of my text. I'm not sure why, or how to fix it.

Also, I keep getting booted off every few minutes (why it took so long to finish the leaf post, and why I haven't posted about Thanksgiving yet.)

Is anyone else having this problem, or is it just me (which I suspect?)

Thanks!

Rooms With A View.

We don't live in the mountains, or look out over the ocean, a beach or river. Yet every fall, I think we have some of the greatest views from our windows. The trees surrounding our house turn the most beautiful colors, and I love gazing out at them, from just about anywhere in the house.

Really, I also always think how great it was of our Father in Heaven to create trees - they shade our house and provide privacy in the summer - then in the winter (when it's dark and we close the blinds early anyway) the leaves all drop off, and let that winter sun in to warm our rooms. Perfect. For me, it all just adds to the general thankfulness and sense of well-being that I enjoy at this time of year.

I've taken many, many pictures of the leaves this year - so thought I'd post some of our "view."

This is what I see out of my kitchen window. The living room window.
Jacob's room.
Living room (looking up a little.)

More Jacob's room (he has the best - because this maple is in front of his window - I LOVE this tree.)
Our backyard.
More living room (when they were still going from green to red.)

Really, it fills Jacob's WHOLE window. Beautiful.
More of the maple, turning green to red.
Gold - out of the kitchen window.
The pile raked from 1 week's worth.
Emily, getting ready to fall backwards!

The city has a giant vacuum truck, and they come along and suck up the piles, but only until the end of November. It's been so warm this year, that there are still lots of leaves on the trees. I'm worried that they won't fall until December, and we'll have to get rid of them ourselves - or worse, start snowing on them. I'll be praying for a very windy week or two!

Out of the Mouthes of Babes.

On Sunday morning, Emily was playing with Playmobile (one of our families favorite toys - so creative.)

"Look Mama", she said "I made our family." I went over to look, and she described everyone to me.

Dad is sitting on the couch. You are yelling at Beka, and Jane is hanging on your leg and crying to be picked up.
Jacob and I are fighting and wrestling.
I must have looked (at the least) crestfallen. "Oh Em, Is that really what our family does?"
She came back a few minutes later and said she made a new one. Rebekah is sitting on the couch, listening to her iPod. Daddy and Mommy are hugging, Jacob and Emily are hugging. Jane is looking at Pumpkin.
A little better. Still, very sad and a little eye opening. Perhaps we need to work a little harder at being the 2nd family. Also, ignorance is bliss, right? Maybe I'll pack that Playmobile away for a while ....