First Family T-Day

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with just our little family of four. We decided to stay home instead of traveling to Utah to be with family and turned down generous invitations from our adopted Vegas family to spend the day together and start a few traditions of our own.

We started with a Holiday Hike...



in our Holiday Hats


Then we came home and made our Holiday Feast (I was too tired to set the dinning room table, so we all dined at the "kids table" in the kitchen). I learned a few things about cooking a turkey like...it takes a lot longer than the instructions tell you...but we like our stuffing crunchy, so it worked out.

Cole and I made our Holiday Toast (really, any reason to toast is good for us).


Later we had our Holiday Pie (thanks to Becky's homemade apple pie filling).


Then had a Holiday Nap (not pictured).

And ended with Holiday Gas (I know a refined lady shouldn't speak so frank, I'm just saying it seems to be tradition around here).

What a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Apparently God & Santa are Synonymous

In the middle of the day, in the middle of a conversation...

"Stop Mom. Close your eyes. Dad, close your eyes too. Heavenly Father, Santa please bring me a rocket and a see-through back-kak with colors and a clean-up sheen (machine). And a clean-up sheen for Mom too. Amen." - Cole, age 3

I guess we know what we'll be teaching at FHE this week!

P.S. After a trip to Target, add fireman boots to the list.

Is Santa a Forgiving Man?

Mom: "How have you behaved today, Cole? What Should I tell Santa"?
Cole: "I've been naughty."
Mom: "When Santa asks me, I'll have to tell him you've been naughty."
Cole: "No, you don't."
Mom: "You want me to lie to Santa"?
Cole: Pause..."Santa will forgive me."

Milk Chart Reinvented

We added chocolate (oh ya, and fruits, veggies, bread and meats) and upgraded the previous milk chart ...hopefully it will work.

Does this bird look mean or just put out?

I kinda thought he was staring me down when I put him up for display. I think he knows what's next...

I thought about skipping Thanksgiving decorating this year, because Christmas is so much work, I thought we should enjoy it longer, but alas this turkey was boring his eyes into me saying, "the least you could do is put me up on display before you know you..."

So, when I put away the Halloween stuff tonight (ya, I know I'm a little slow) I remembered I had a new pilgrim couple too!

Now thanksgiving just got a whole lot more exciting! Bring on the pumpkin pie. (BTW- I'm the only one in my family that likes pumpkin pie, so if you are interested in a piece, please give me a shout out. Heaven knows I don't need a whole pie to myself. Perhaps I should spare the bird and share a piece with him...a peace offering of sorts, a gesture of my giving heart or maybe just an indication of my dislike of handling raw meat.)

Nonetheless have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm in Africa. You're in America.

That's what I said last night before I drifted off to sleep in our new KING SIZE bed.

Yes, that's right folks we've upgraded...yeah baby!

And it has been a long time coming...

I remember a piece of advice we received, but did not take more than 11 years ago...marriage advice that was oh so on the money... "Whatever you do, spend some money on a good bed. A Good Bed=A Good Marriage."

So, I guess you could say we've renewed our vows with this recent purchase. And I love it (or errrr...I mean him...).

I can't feel Greg move when I sleep, heck I can't even hear him...cause I'm in Africa...or at least it feels like it. I am having a little sadness over not having a cute headboard anymore and I'll need to remedy the tug-0-war that we are still having with a queen-sized duvet, but I can deal.

When it's time to go to bed, it's business. No more do I need to create a divide with my beloved body pillow (acquired during my first pregnancy). No longer will I have to listen to Greg's tall tales about how he was forced to sleep on an itty bitty portion on the edge of the bed. Gone are the days of sore backs and pains (tried the foam mattress, but I am so not a fan...too hot and uncomfortable) Long gone is the dumpster mattress we acquired with the questionable stain (hmmm, now that's a story...) and say good good bye to the "firmest mattress in the world" (seriously that was embroidered on it) from our newlywed days...

Hello KING SIZE Sterns and Foster beauty
And hello soon-to-be new bedding
We are so glad you joined our family. (And no, kids are not allowed!)