Thanksgiving Weekend 2011.

Thanksgiving 2011 was at our house this year!  Since Aaron and I married over 10 years ago (wow) we've eaten everywhere from a restaurant with my parents in 2001 (our first apartment was soooo crappy),  our next little house in Austin with my folks and a few other friends,  Aaron's parents house,  Aunt Kathy's house in San Diego (I was sooo pregnant with the boys that we had to stop for Mylanta for my heartburn and I was wearing flip flops)  and Aaron's sister, Valerie's house.   Based on that lineage alone,  we have so much to be thankful for: people who love us and share their homes,  plenty of food lovingly made.  We've never had a year without somewhere to go. 

This year was particularly fun for me as I love  entertaining in our home here.  Our kids are also getting old enough to understand holidays and traditions.  Their excitement motivates me to make the most of these annual events.  Also,  for the first time in a few years I had the energy (sleeping through the night) to tackle and enjoy extra project.  We had 15 people for dinner and two sets of house guests:  Aunt Alene and then the grandparents.  Opie enjoyed getting to play with Lacey,  who I guess would be his mother in law? 
Unfortunately,  I took very few pictures!  A couple of these I stole from Alene who is excellent in the kitchen and behind the camera.  She's good at Lego building too.

Rachel evaded any photo that I wanted to take.  She also threw a coup about sitting in her high chair.  Daddy still had a lovely meal in the extra lawn chair. 

Aaron got up at 4:30 to put the 18 pound bird in the smoker.  It was fabulous and my whole oven was freed up!

I made this centerpiece using a Country Living as inspiration,  a growers bunch from the store and stuff I had around.

Aunt Alene caught the boys in their matching shirts.  Apparently Tommy was feeling feisty.  He told one of our guests that they "sure had a big,  fat head"  sigh.

  

It's The End of the Year as We Know It! And I'm Behind!

My last blog post was Rachel's turning 2 and now that's old news!  From Halloween till New Year's we're super busy and having fun.  All the kids turn a year older and Thanksgiving and Christmas are staggered between.  After having lots of colds and stomach bugs last year we've been very healthy this year,  and that I'm very thankful.  Here's a look at some of our happenings.

This is the usual business around here.  We're so lucky that Daddy loves to play and has a strong back!

 Only one very little snow and we're taking advantage of it.  The weather has been milder this year.  Less windy too.

The last snowman of 2011

Candyland!  Ben gets so excited to play games.  Rachel she loves to do what the boys to.  They're getting so big!

Our Rachel is Two Now

Rachel Autumn turned 2 this past month.   When she showed up in 2009  I hadn't realized anything was missing here.  I guess what was missing was a little girl because we just love everything about her.  Her brothers,  the neighbors, older women at church,  the dog-  all love her.  She's been growing into a happy,  independent,  talkative,  expressive little girl.   Happy Birthday Rachel Autumn!
I'm really not sure where else to take this post.  Here's a list of random things both that you may not know and I want to remember.
1. The morning that she was born there was the most brilliant harvest moon I have ever seen.  I will not forget it as long as I live.
2. When she was born she screamed the entire time they cleaned her, took her stats and eventually quit when they wrapped her up and were "done."  When they took me to our room Aaron wasn't holding her but watching her in a box thing.  "She's quiet."   After that she was the most peaceful baby ever.  Amen.
3. She has pinky fingers that turn inward,  like her mother and great grandmother.  The boys do too.  All over the house there's little handprints with crooked pinkies. 
4. She's never tired at night..... party girl...  ready for college I guess.
5.  Whoever gets her out of bed in the morning is obligated to hold her for at least 20 minutes.  She's our snuggle bug.
6. She now tells us "no,  no way"
7. When it's time for the last bedtime book she holds up her finger and says, "Just one more,  one more book."
8. She loves to play with her baby dolls.  When she gets upset she goes and gets one to love on.