Happy Christmas!

For my friends near and far I wish you the happiest of Christmas's.

Picture was taken during the fall in the woods on Pop's farm.

Snow Angels

I am blessed to have my very own snow angels.  As we receive our first real snow storm of the season my youngest looks up in the sky, blinks as the snowflakes fall on his eyeleashes and says...

"It isn't summer!"

We received quite a bit of snow on Friday and it started again on Sunday.  Days like this are meant to be enjoyed next to a roaring fire while nestled up with a good book.  The kids went outside to go sledding and get engulfed by high levels of snow.

 

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Well this past week seemed to last a lifetime for multiple reasons.  I was feeling pretty lousy as others were this time of year but decided to trudge through it as it was my last week in the office for the next several weeks.

I come home on Monday and feel chilled to the bone.  I take some Advil to try and bring down the fever and sit in front of a roaring fire and decide that a scalding shower is the only thing to warm me up.  I am in the shower and Rich comes in the tell me what the youngest said.

After dinner Peyton usually needs to be "cleaned up".  No one said he was the neatest eater around but he does eat. 

Rich says, "Okay Peyton time for me to clean your hands and your beautiful face."

Peyton' replied, "No me good (we are still working on the speech thing) Mommy is beautiful."

So needless to say even when I was feeling my worst my three year old can make me feel fabulous.

Thanksgiving Blessings

For the past several years I have cooked the Thanksgiving feast.  The menu was extensive as it usually is.

Menu

Appetizer:

• artichoke and parmesen dip

Main Course

• turkey
• stuffing
• butternut squash
• creamy mashed potato
• green bean casserole
• creamed onions
• candied yams
• jello salad (family recipe)
• cranberry bread
• pumpkin bread
• cranberry relish
• cranberry whole berry sauce

Dessert

• pecan tart
• pumpkin pie
• apple pie

Everything is made from scratch as the Thanksgiving feast should be.  Everyone went home with full bellies and a memory of yet another Thanksgiving with family.

As another blogger has done an extremely nice job with her "Things to be thankful for "I will try and replicate a list.

Things to be Thankful for in the past year

• Walker graduates from kindergarten and starts the 1st grade with a bang
• Peyton successfully completes speech therapy and begins his 3 year old program at school
• Reaching the 10 year anniversary mark with my husband
• finally getting my act together and utilize facebook
• having a good job in this job market
• being constantly surrounded by good friends
• knowing my children have a good sense of humor ... and know when to use it
• having a father that still likes to call to say good night to my kids
• having a husband who is willing to put the Christmas lights up the day after Thanksgiving
• having a job that allows me the luxury of working from home on Fridays
• knowing my kids are compassionate as well as passionate about things that surround them
• knowing that I live in a democracy that even though elections may not go the way I want I still have the right to vote
• having made friends all over the world through my blog

I have certainly missed many but these are the highlights.  So... what are you thankful for this year?

Thanksgiving Art

Every so often Walker comes home with a school project that he is suppose to complete with his family.  This was the latest.  I told him that other than a few spots that were colored with crayons we needed to find things in the yard to complete his turkey.  We took two different grasses from our yard to create his feathers and arms.  I dried piece of fruit for his eye and of course he needs glasses.  I have to say this was the best one yet.

10th Wedding Anniversary

Who thought this day would come so quickly.  It seems like we were actively planning our special day just moments ago.  November 14th 1998 was our wedding day.  Then... I look at my two kids and house and think... ummm... yup I guess it has been 10 years.  When we were first married we thought for our first we would go to Paris to celebrate.  In reality when the time came I was happy just to cross state lines.

We spend the first two nights at Boston Park Plaza Hotel.  A friend of ours was able to get us upgraded to the concierge level of the hotel.  What a treat that was.  We had drinks with our friend and then we all went to dinner at DaVinci's.  We couldn't have been more thrilled.  Not only did the concierge for the Park Plaza send over an appetizer the executive chef came out to greet us personally and sent over a special dessert and glass of wine for everyone.  The second night we went to the Hamersly Bistro for dinner.  Very delicious as well.  

So after two nights in Boston is was time to go to the Griswold Inn.  What a disppointment of the room after staying on Boston.  They advertized it as a deluxe suite.  The bed was so uncomfortable we almost slept on the couch.  However we did make reservations at Cafe Routier.  The menu made it difficult to choose.  We ate to our hearts and stomachs content.

This was the first time we have left the children for three nights in a row.  They did fine and so did we.  They had a great time at their grandparents and apparently were very well behaved.  We will be sure not to wait so long to go away again.

From reading Supermom's blog she not only has the same anniversary date but the same exact date.  Happy anniversary to her as well.