the evolution of thanksgiving

"Mom, the stuff in the middle of the turkey won't fit out of its butt," I said in desperation. It was my first time to cook a turkey and my mom had to give me instructions over the phone on how to do it. I had four hours to get my first Thanksgiving meal prepared. Alone. All alone to cook a full Thanksgiving meal. I was determined though. I made turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, rolls and pumpkin pie.

Eric showed up right as it was almost ready. We sat at the table together and enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal. When we were stuffed full of food, we snuggled on the couch together and watched the Cowboys play football until we fell asleep in a turkey coma.

No, that's not what happened this year on Thanksgiving. This story took place 10 years ago when Eric and I worked at the Gristmill together and had to wait tables the next day. We were very sad to not spend the holidays with our families, but in the end, we created one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories. I think the food, combined with the football is what made him finally decide I was the girl for him. :)

This year was much different. We were surrounded with family, continuously playing card games, chasing the boys around and the only cuddling involved was when Austin whined "hold me!". Not to mention the fact that Eric and I could not fit on the couch together anymore with my growing belly. Though this Thanksgiving was definitely not as relaxing as the one 10 years ago, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm very thankful for all God has blessed us with.

a dinosaur and a bat

Cold weather is officially here. We welcomed it in style all dressed up like a dinosaur and a bat. The fleece costumes kept the boys warm while they played in the freezing cold. OK, it wasn't freezing, but after a l o n g, h o t summer, it felt like it!

fall festival

Today we headed over to our neighborhood's fall festival with the boys. They were very excited to jump in the big castle and slide down the big slide.

They both enjoyed their first taste of cotton candy

They loved watching the clown make them some balloon swords.

All was fun until this sweet little boy's balloon popped. He made this sad face, not once, but twice and got new swords. The third one didn't pop until we got in the car on the way home.

They also got their faces painted. They each sat very still while she painted.

It's so fun to relive childhood through our own children's eyes!

acorn park

The boys and I met Erica, Grace and Carter at Acorn Park yesterday to play. The boys were so excited to take their buckets and hunt for acorns. They are truly acorn obsessed!

Filling their buckets was serious business! They did actually spend some time playing too!

hat heads

Aren't kids in hats the cutest?

Happy Friday

Be sure to take some time to stop and smell the flowers this weekend

a day at the park

The boys and I met our friends at the park yesterday. They were so excited to see Taylor and Rylynn! They hugged, ran around and had so much fun playing together. It's so great as a mom to see your little kids loving their friends and enjoying themselves.

just following the rules

acorn obsessions and a ghetto bike

Austin's favorite bike is at least 14 years old. It belonged to my niece Taylor and my sister got it at a garage sale, so who knows how old it really is. Even though we have lots of new bikes for him to ride, Austin prefers the run down, ghetto one. He also prefers to use his feet Fred Flintstone style instead of using the pedals. I'm thinking one day that bike might accidentally disappear...

Counting acorns with daddy

The boys are slightly obsessed with acorns. Rarely do I wash a load of clothes without an acorn being washed and dried. In case you were wondering, acorns come out the dryer just fine. Ethan even made his own acorn garden in the backyard. He cleared out a patch of ground and "grows" his acorns there. He tries to make sure the acorns get enough sun and water to grow. We may end up with 50 oak trees in a tiny spot next to our deck, but hey, it keeps him occupied!

sweet little birdies

Some colorful animals found their way to the tree in the baby room. My dad cut an owl and bird out of wood and I had fun painting and decorating them. I know I'm probably going a little overboard, but it sure is fun!

cravings

1. Blueberries and strawberries sprinkled with a little sugar
2. Frozen grapes
3. Egg and bacon sandwich with mayo, cheese and jelly for breakfast #2
4. Twix
5. Water with ice instead of just cold water
6. Homemade strawberry limeade
7. Cherry poptarts right out of the toaster for breakfast #1
8. Tub of ready to bake cookies for whenever the urge arises
9. Chocolate Frosty with a couple Doritos

YUM!

night night machine

Ethan invented a "night night machine". He woke up one morning talking about the machine he built. Eric climbed up on his bunk bed to see it and sure enough, there it was. Here is how it works...

• Crawl into bed
• At the foot of the bed are books to read to help make you sleepy
• Move on to the stuffed animals to cover them up and tuck them in
• Move a little further to your blankets and pillows
• Voila! You are fast asleep!

Apparently they are portable, because he built one on our coffee table in the living room too.

I love the age he is at right now! I can really see his imagination working and it's so fun to see what he comes up with.

6 years

Eric and I celebrated our 6th anniversary by heading to our favorite place Outback to eat. I think we have eaten there almost all of our anniversaries. We thought about branching out this year, but my pregnant self couldn't resist the thought of the cheese fries or yummy salad.

Eric brought to my attention that I have been pregnant 1/3 of our marriage. Isn't that crazy? 2 1/2 kids in 6 years is pretty good. I feel so blessed every day to have such a supportive, loving husband and such sweet little boys. I love that our family is growing and I couldn't ask for a better partner to share it with. I love you sweetie!

Pirates' Halloween

We had a really fun Halloween this year. The boys were very excited to be pirates and were even more excited about going trick or treating. I think it was actually the thought of candy that excited them the most.

Trick or Treat!

Tinkerbell wooed the pirate boys, but only one eventually won her kiss.

Mommas partying it up

Eric's mom was in town to join in the festivities.

The boys both wanted to fill their buckets "up to the top". Austin checked his progress with his flashlight often. We had a really fun time just watching the kids enjoy themselves.
Happy Halloween!