Cabo for Christmas

We just got home from a marvelous week in Cabo San Lucas.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures.  Happy New Year to all!

Christmas cheer

It has been a fun couple of weeks since my last post.  I decorated the house and the tree and I must say, I am quite pleased.  This year I was very frugal in what I put out.  I have so much stuff, much of it meaningful that I don't have the heart to part with, but at the same time tacky, outdated and not my style.  The stuff I do like is on display and fills the house with Christmas cheer and it all evokes special feelings of family and love.

I cherish our stockings.  My grandmother made mine when I was a child and my mother-in-law (MIL) made my husbands when he was a small child.  I find it neat that they are essentially the same pattern.  (Mine is the dark green one second from right next to small red velvet stocking - which is my grandmother's.) Our first Christmas as a married couple my MIL made me a stocking, not knowing I already had one.  I hang both up every year!  My MIL made stockings for all her 13 grandchildren when they were infants.  I love that we have all the same stockings!

                                                                                                  This wooden snowman sits proudly on our front porch.  My sister and I got matching ones at a craft fair probably 15 years ago.    He is about 4  feet tall and made out of wood.  We  had to lug these heavy snowmen to our car .  We still talk about and smile over the memory of this purchase.     My favorite part about this snowman is his  face.  I love the rosy checks and the lopsided smile.  I proudly put him on my porch each year! 

This ceramic Christmas candy dish used to be my grandmothers.  I have filled it with treasures that I have purchased on my travels to Italy and Prague.  I have always loved the glass candies that look real enough to eat (think root beer barrels from childhood).  We took a wonderful family trip to Italy in 2008 and in Venice we saw beautiful Murano glass items.  Everything from large (and expensive) decorative bowls and vases to these small candies.  This past spring my son did a study abroad program in Prague.  My mother and I went to visit and were delighted to find beautiful things made with Czech glass.  When I found small candies I just had to get some to add to my collection.  I got to hand pick out each one displayed in the dish, and though I don't know which are from Italy and which are from Prague now that they are co-mingled I just love the memories they invoke.

My oldest daughter got me this cheery singing snowman duo several years ago for Christmas.  I have it set on a table in our entryway and almost every time I walk by I press the little button on the hand and it plays "we wish you a merry Christmas" while they dance. It makes me stop and smile for the 30 seconds of entertainment.  It's a reminder to me of family and love.







I have lots of snowman and Santa Claus pieces.  But the snowman in the picture below is an all time favorite. My youngest daughter made it for me when she was 12.  It's made out of muslin, stuffed with batting and adorned with buttons and a piece of gingham fabric for a scarf.  Every time I look at it I think of her and smile.

These ornaments are some of my favorites.  Mr. & Mrs. Claus used to adorn the tree when I was a child.  When my parents moved and changed their Christmas ornament theme, they gave many of their treasured ornaments to my sister and I.  I proudly hang Mr. & Mrs. Claus on my tree every year and it brings back wonderful memories of my childhood.  The raccoon ornament on the right is so much fun.  He is a little thief trying to steal an ornament and it makes me giggle.  It was a gift years ago, unfortunately I do not remember from who, but I love it.  It's whimsical and fun.

This is the most recent ornament to adorn our tree.  Last Saturday we went to a dinner party with an ornament exchange.  Most ornaments were the lovely store bought type with the exception of a few handmade ones. I was lucky enough to select this gem out of the pile of brown paper wrapped ornaments.  I found out afterwards that my friend Mark was the crafty maker of this one of a kind snowflake.  The rules were to either get creative and make an ornament or buy something unique/unusual.  He didn't know what to do so he went out to his shop (he is a farmer) and found some old keys, welded them together and then spray painted them.  He kept his project secret from his wife so he wouldn't be laughed at.  Turns out it was the hit of the party and I love it!

And speaking of snowflakes.  This collection of paper snowflakes is another of my favorites.  My oldest daughter is a math whiz and several years ago while home on Christmas break from college decided to make  some snowflakes using her nifty math skills.  I had no idea making an intricate snowflake was so complicated.  Each snow flake is large - probably 8" in diameter and just like in nature, no two are alike.  We have a vaulted ceiling in our family room so I hang this on the edge of our kitchen are that leads into the family room.  They add a festive touch to my holiday decor and like all the decorations I display, it has meaning.  And to me, that's what Christmas is all about.

Hope you are all enjoying the joyful Christmas season!  I know I sure am.  

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

It's finally over.  When I started 30 days of Gratitude I thought it would be easy.  How hard can it be to write about something you are grateful about during the day?  But it was hard, much harder than I thought.

I always had something I was grateful for, but how to translate that into a blog post that didn't sound obnoxious or cocky was difficult.  No one wants to hear that I was grateful I got to sleep in until 9 am on a random Tuesday or that I watched Ellen while I worked out.  It would imply my life is easy and that I don't work.  Though I know that's not true, I wonder what others think.  Perhaps I shouldn't worry about others because this is my blog not theirs.  But I do think about those things.  I do care what others think and how they feel.  Whether it's right or wrong, it's how it is.

As I look through my posts during this challenge I see that much of what I was grateful for are things, tangible things.  When did that happen?  When did I begin to place such esteemed value on the object/things in my life, that I felt the need to write about them?  Life is about people, emotions and events not things.  It makes me feel so shallow.  Something I will definitely need to think about and work on.

I have a great family.  My grandmother is still alive and lives nearby.  We get along well and I see her fairly often.  Though I am struggling with some of her neediness and wish my mom lived closer to help more.  I get along well with my parents and see them several times a year.   I love my husband and children.  My oldest daughter and I struggle with many issues and I hope and pray that one day we will have a close relationship.  But she is 21 1/2 and so sometimes I wonder if that opportunity has passed.  I hope not.  I adore my sister and her family.  We see each other often and I love spending time her.  I have good friends.  And great relatives on my husbands side of the family.   Family and friends - that is what I should be grateful for, because those are things that matter.

And good health.  You get to a certain age and you have friends that become ill or pass away.  It's hard and makes you think about you own mortality.  But today, right now, I am in good health.  And the people I care about are in good health, relatively speaking given age etc.

I am grateful that I am living and breathing.  I am grateful that I am loving and kind.  I am grateful to have a great family and friends and that I am in good health.  There is nothing else I need.  I am blessed.

What are you thankful?

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  To me it represents family and a time to reflect on what's important in my life.  I have always enjoyed being around my family; my parents, my grandmother, my children and extended relatives.  I have a close relationship with my parents and really missed them this year.  They live in Nevada and for a variety of reasons they aren't big travelers on the holidays.  Though my 95 year old grandmother was with us today and it was very special.

We spent today with my sister's family and her in laws and her brother-in-law's family.  To me it was a magical day.  Usually I host a dinner for 18-22 people from my husbands side of the family.  It's always fun, everybody pitches in, but it's work - the cleaning, prep and cooking - it takes some serious organization.  But today our family were guests.  I did make the cranberry sauce, contributed some wine and other ingredients but nothing compared to what's involved when it's at my house.

I was able to visit, observe and relax.  I not only enjoyed the food but all the people today.  From the three year old to the 95 year old there was a story to be told or something to be learned.  Some people view family gatherings as a curse, I think of them as a blessing.  I am not always happy with the neurosis that my family exhibits, the rudeness, the attitude.  But I love my family and I tell them.  Often.  My nephew said that as much as he enjoys his friends, spending today with them and not family would be weird.  And I totally agree.  I love my family and if I didn't have these wonderful people in life I'd be lonely and sad. I am so grateful for my family and the bounty of Thanksgiving.

What are you grateful for?

Food, Wine and Pie - 4th of July at Hayden Lake

 So proud to be an American!

Hayden Lake is basically the most awesome place EVER.  If you've never been, you are missing out.  This year there was a great mix of people - John, Kathleen, Will, Gen, Bob, Lynn, Jill, Robby, Cathy, Jim and Jake.  The recurring theme was clearly evident about 2 hours into the weekend.  FOOD - WINE - PIE.   Eat, drink, eat, repeat.

Thank goodness for the Pie Bible, seriously, this is a real book that Kathleen is familiar with.  I need to put it on my "must buy" list.  Bet amazon has it, they have EVERYTHING.  Anyway, her pie was awesome.  She starts out by making an incredible pie crust and uses 2 knives to cut the shortening into the flour.  Modern conveniences such as a pastry blender are non-existent so the old fashioned method prevails.  Then it was on to cutting apples.  Apple Pie = 4th of July, well, that and baseball.  Americana at it's finest.  She added some fresh cherries and craisins to the apple pie.  Oh my, it was divine.  In this photo she and John and are having a good laugh because they added a bit of special Hayden whiskey to the apple mixture. 

While Kathleen was making the pie, I was taking pictures and documenting the step by step process of crust making.  Which I think I was a good student - I made a peach/raspberry pie 2 days later and it was quite good.  That pie will be a future blog.

John and Kathleen had recently taken a trip to Napa and brought back 18 bottles of wine.  Quite the haul from the fun wine regions of California.  And guess what? They brought some to share, how cool is that?  We started off with a Schug Chardonnay.  It was freezing cold out and we were baking an apple pie, but we were at the lake and trying to do what folks who are in warm weather do while at the lake...drink white wine.  Hot cocoa might have been the better choice for the weather but this delicious chardonnay was perfect.  With 11 folks, a bottle of wine doesn't last long.  So, we opened another.  And another.  We played cards, prepped dinner, drooled over the apple pie smell from the oven and visited.  We caught up on life, work, travels, etc.  Being with family is so much fun.  :)  I am definitely blessed to be part of such an amazing family.

This was dinner.  And boy was it good.  John cooked a pork loin roast on the grill.  I made cole slaw, Kathleen made a great red potato salad, and then we had steamed green beans.  And more red wine.  It was so good and so comforting, despite the ridiculously cold temperatures.  The day had topped out at 63.  Which is very cold for this time of year.  Jake had checked the water temp, and it was a whopping 64 degrees.  WTH?  That is frigid.  The cold weather didn't deter us at all.  We have a big TV, but guess what, IT WAS NEVER ON.  We talked, played games and talked some more.  Who needs a TV when you have food, wine, pie and family?  And dogs.  John brought his dog, Jerry, and Bob and Lynn brought their dogs Tyler and Max.  Though they are nice dogs...I am so happy to be PET FREE.  When everyone was cooking and eating, the dogs were front and center - apparently their noses work well!  :)  Otherwise they were doing their normal dog things - butt sniffing and declaring dominance.

After a good nights sleep everyone was relaxed and ready to go for day 2.  The weather had not improved but that didn't deter Jill.  She is training for a marathon.  Yes, a marathon...26 miles, crazy huh?  She has a training regimen and she was to run for 90 minutes.  So, she gets on her running gear, eats a banana and heads out the door.  That's some serious discipline!  She comes back, hot and sweaty, not surprising if you've run 9 miles.  So, she decides to jump in the lake.  She may be very hot, but the lake is only 64 degrees.  And the air about 60.  She jumps in and swims frantically to the shore.  Apparently the water was quite cold.   Poor Jill.  But thankfully I was there to get a really cute photo of her wrapped in a towel when she was out of the water. ;)

With the swimming nonsense out of the way, we decided to play cards.  We started with go fish and then progressed to crazy 8's.  Oh my, the game took over an hour.  I think it was the longest game EVER.  We finally declared 2 pm as the stopping time.  Then we moved on to bridge.  Jim, Gen, Jill and myself.  Jake sat with Jill and  he attempted to learn.  He was confused though.  Gen and I were on a roll, had great cards every hand.   I really like playing cards with them, because there is table talk allowed (otherwise how do you learn?) and it's very relaxed and low key.  Nothing ruins the spirit of the game more than someone lecturing you on what you should have done/could have done etc.  You learn by playing, mistakes and all, not by being lectured at.  So, it was a great 2 hours of bridge.   So, by this time it's getting to be late afternoon and Lynn had been busy making 2 more pies.  Because you just can't have enough pies.  She made 2 rhubarb pies.  The entire cabin smelled divine.  She had also made a wonderful marinade for the numerous fillets of salmon she brought. It was clear we were going to have a feast.  By this time we had noshed on lots of cheese, crackers, sampled wonderful wines and simply relaxed and enjoyed each others company.  A great day.  Until...the croquet game makes it's appearance.  The front yard of the cabin slopes and the course was quite haphazard, but we took on the challenge anyway.  I think if there is ever a professional croquet circuit, we should sign up.  We rocked.  With wine glasses in hand, we could still rule the course! 

Here we all are at dinner.  Looking good, huh?

Not long after it was time for a bonfire on the beach AND fireworks.  

Not long after it was time for a bonfire on the beach AND fireworks.  

Our 4th of July was awesome.  Hope yours was too.  Wonderful to celebrate living in a country where we have so many freedoms.  We are truly blessed.  And I give my thanks everyday, do you?  Of course, there were lots of family members missing and we talked about them and wished them well and missed them.  Kathryn will be back in the US soon, she's been gone a long time in Japan teaching English.  She's making a beeline right to the lake and her family when she returns, and boy does she have her priorities right! :)  Nancy's family had work and other obligations, but we'll see them, hopefully in August.  Kristin is in Rome on a study abroad having so much fun (and working hard) that she doesn't even have time to communicate with us.  Sarah was working and hanging out with her Pullman friends.  Joe is traveling through Paris and Spain with his girlfriend and Liz is working back east.  It would have been great to have EVERYONE together.  But that's not feasible, and most likely never will be in the future...8 cousins are 18 or older and they have their own lives with work/school etc.  For those of us that were at Hayden over the 4th...I enjoyed it immensely.  I look forward to more gatherings with whomever is available to come.
Since we never know what tomorrow will bring...we need to live each day to the fullest.  Embrace it, love it, own it.  You'll never get it back again.  (That was my touchy feeling plug for the day.)   Oh and get yourself a Pie Bible because everything tastes better with pie. :) :) :)

almost 6 miles high

I am sitting in 21D en route from Orlando to Seattle approximately 30,000 feet up in the air.   They are offering free wifi through July so I decided to test it out.  Hopefully my aging laptop battery will make it through a few posts before dying.  I am really curious as to how we are connecting the internet so high in the sky.  I understand how it works on land but in the air?  We must be going through a satellite or something.  Oh well, I figure it's like TV, just accept that it works.  Reminds me of when I was a kid, I used to think little people were inside my clock radio singing.  The science behind how things works is really cool and often unimaginable.

I am on the aisle (because I get up to pee frequently) Sarah is in the middle and Jim by the window.  I love that the airplane seats now have adjustable headrests in coach.  First class has had them for years, it's about time us peons in the back get a quality seat!  Nice to be able to sleep without getting a major crick in my neck.  Though with free wi-fi I might be dinking on the internet and not sleeping.  Sarah is engrossed in a book, but I give her 30 minutes and she'll be asleep - she is like a cat, sleeping whenever she has the chance.  We've been calling her kitty or kitty cat of late!

It's nice to be going home, well kind of, I could have stayed on Marco Island for another week.  I want to go back.  I want to go with my sister for a girls getaway.  Yesterday was our 4th day on Marco Island and it was wonderful.  We didn't have anything planned and our beach guy, Ty, saved us 3 chairs/umbrella in the front row close to the beach.  We woke up around 7:30, ate breakfast of yogurt, bananas and ham slices.  I got to have my coffee on the balcony and read the US Today.  We headed to the beach around 9.  The sun was shining and the water warm.  We dozed, we read, we swam until 1:00 when we went up to the room for some lunch.

In the morning Sarah and I did take a long walk down the beach - we were gone for over an hour.  We saw lots of interesting things.  Diving pelicans, dolphins, lots of little fish and oodles of shells.  We also saw a one footed seagull.  It had two legs but one leg was a stump and the other had a foot.  I wonder what happened to his other foot?  But he managed to get around and fly, walk with the other seagulls.  We saw an old couple walking slowly through the sand.  The woman had a walker and her husband was trying to help her push it.  Rather difficult through the sand!   On our walk I was very intrigued by the people I saw.  People of all ages, shapes and ethnicity.  The common factor was that everyone was having fun.  AND it seemed that most everyone was comfortable in their own skin.  Many folks had cute fashionable swimsuits, but many did not.  And it was okay.  People were having fun, enjoying their families, friends, the warm air and warm water.  People exuded more self confidence in a bathing suit at the beach than I would have thought.  It was very refreshing.  I wonder if it's because most people realize they'll never see each other again?  Whatever the reason it was nice.  People had piercings, saggy skin, wrinkles, lots of jiggly fat and it just didn't matter.  What did matter was that everyone I saw was smiling and enjoying themselves.  And what's not to enjoy about one of the most beautiful beaches in the world?  Especially while enjoying it with people I love.  Sarah and Jim.  Just wish Kristin and Jake could have been with us too.  We miss them.

We were expecting an afternoon thunderstorm, as we'd had them every day so far.  But hardly a cloud in the sky and not as humid as previous days so perhaps no rain was coming our way.   I went back down to the beach at 3, in time for the smoothie handout - smoothie of the day was lemon ice - delicious!.  Every day at 3 pm they pass out smoothies to all guests at the pool and beach, we've had coconut, strawberry and now lemon ice.  Lemon ice was my favorite!  We lingered in the water for the remainder of the afternoon.  It was heavenly.  And the rain never came.  We went up and showered at 6:30 and went to dinner at 7:30.  Snook Inn was our dining destination this evening and it was a perfect night for dinner there.  The restaurant is located at a marina.  Dolphins swam near the boat slips, the sun was setting in a brilliant orange glow.  And the temperature was warm.  Jim and I had the all you can eat seafood buffet.  They had king crab, which was succulent and sweet, shrimp, oysters, tuna, grouper, frog legs...oh my it was delicious.  Reminded me of a place called the Seven Seas in Vancouver that we went to on a trip in the late 70's.   Sarah got a delicious steak sandwich so she was happy too!

The sun is very exhausting and we were in bed asleep by 10 pm.  We packed up after dinner last night so that we could enjoy our last morning at the beach today.  We lounged beach side from 8 until 11 then showered and headed out by 11:45.  We stopped at Crazy Flamingo for lunch, we needed our seafood fill.  I got the blackened grouper sandwich on garlic bread and Jim had the fried grouper basket (fish and chips).  We shared some conch fritters.  Sarah had another steak sandwich, which was even better than last nights.  We were well sated for our 4 hour drive to Orlando airport.  We made it the airport at 4:20, returned the rental car, checked in, waited in a long security line and made it to the gate by 5.  Our flight boarded at 5:50 and we took off at 6:30.  It's been a long day so far, but lots of fun.  Now, I'm sipping a glass of chardonnay while typing this post 30,000 feet in the air.  According to the flight status tracker of flight 19, we are somewhere above Arkansas right now.  Still a long ways to go. ;)

the week ahead

Tomorrow morning I leave for Puerto Vallarta.   It's a girls week at Kathy's time share.  I've got my kindle, my camera and a carry on suitcase filled with a few clothes, swimsuits and workout gear.  My kindle has 7 new books on it, all of which I'm eager to read.  I just picked up an Oprah magazine at the grocery store and pack of gum.  I can't wait to get going.  We all went in 2007 and said we'd make it an annual trip.  3 years later we are finally going again. 


I will miss Jake and Kristin's 20th birthday.  This will be the first time and it's feels strange.  Granted, I wouldn't have seen Kristin anyway this year on her birthday because she's in college on the other side of the state.  Jake has two finals on his birthday and then one the following day.  Wednesday night Jim and Sarah have plans to spoil Jake.  There are some presents on the dining table for him to open.  I already mailed Kristin's presents.  I will call both of them and tell them how Happy Birthday and how much I love them.  I am really proud of them.  

Sarah has an AP test on Thursday and the opening night of her play is on Friday.  It runs 2 weekends though, so I will catch the closing night.  She is such a go getter and I know she'll be the star of the play, even if she doesn't have the lead roll.

I will miss Jim too.  He's really a good guy.  I was having a bikini wax today and the wax lady (don't know what the technical term is) was talking about how bad the men in her life have been.  It was weird because I just couldn't relate.  I am lucky.  Jim is a good guy and I love him.

I've finished packing, now it's time for bed.  4:45 is going to come awfully early.

March 4 already?

Strange that it is already March 4, 2010.  The older I get the faster time seems to go.  January and February were like a whirlwind.  Seems like just yesterday we got back from Mexico and had a lovely New Years celebration at the Hawbakers.  Can hardly wrap my head around the fact that my life is half over or perhaps even more so.  I am trying hard to live each day for what it is (good, bad or otherwise) basically, to live in the moment.  It's hard though because so much of what I do, work wise, is to keep things in balance for the future.  Accounting is strange that way.  It's a financial balance of the past so you forge ahead in the future.  Sort of like laundry, you are never really caught up except for that exact moment in time.

I am so excited to forget accounting, work and taxes today.  Today, tomorrow and this weekend is about family.  I am having breakfast with Jake.  Then Sarah and I are heading to Seattle where she will have an official tour of UW.  Jim is back east at a conference in DC.  He is done this evening and will spend the rest of the weekend with Kristin.  Sarah and I will stay with Betsy and family.  Alex, Ryan, Philippe, Betsy....I wish we lived closer.  I love them dearly.  I'm so lucky to be part of such a great family. 

Road tripping with Sarah is always an adventure.  The music will be loud, funky, in appropriate at times, but we will talk, laugh and share.  She's a true delight.  So proud to be her mama!  I know the house will be in good hands with Jake while I'm gone.  He's a good son with a very good heart.  Things will be in good order when I get home, provided there is no pineapple vodka involved!  

Kristin being 3000 miles away has been an adjustment.  She is coming in home in 2 weeks though before heading back to UW in Seattle.  Wish I could freeze moments in time when all our family is together under one roof.  The older they get, the rarer it is. Glad Jim has the opportunity to visit with her and see her cute place.  Proud of her and her accomplishments, but I miss having her closer.


My family = love.  :)  And thinking of them makes me happy. 

weekend excitment

It's Saturday morning, the sun in shining, the air is cool and I'm looking forward to today and the days to follow.  Celebrating Sarah's 18 birthday with family and friends on Monday.  I'm working her birthday slide show, it's going to be a winner - can't wait for her to see it!  Glad to have Kristin home for the weekend all the way from Maryland! Will see Jake also this weekend.   I'm excited, because I enjoy spending time with my family and the moments when we are all together are getting less frequent now that everyone is getting older.  Definitely going to savor the moments!

I rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes this morning.  I challenged myself to a programmed workout with varying degrees of difficulty and I feel good.  Exercise really helps me clear my mind and helps me put things in perspective.

I am smiling just thinking about the fun ahead this weekend!

You Capture - Food

Food is my favorite subject because food and family go hand in hand.  I love to bake, cook and create. And I do so to nourish my family and friends - nourish their bodies and soul.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and it was hands down the best Thanksgiving ever.  There was no stress and I am serious when I say that. (Which is unusual because I can't ever think of a time in my 45 years when there hasn't been some stress on Thanksgiving!) We had  20 folks for dinner - one turkey, one turkey breast, lost of side dishes and everyone helped.  Everyone had a marvelous time - young and old!  There have been other thanksgivings that have been memorable, however, this one really takes the cake.  I am so thankful and grateful all 20 of us could be together and share the day.   After the meal was over, we set up the computer to Skype with Kathryn.  She is my niece and teaching in Japan right now.  We missed her dearly but it was wonderful to be able to see and talk to her!

I was so busy cooking, conversing and having fun that I only managed to snap a few pictures and only on my little point and shoot, which isn't nearly as nice as my Canon Rebel.  Regardless, you can see food and the people and for me, that's all that matters.

I have been noshing on left overs today and they are delicious!  Cheesecake with cranberry sauce and a glass of champagne for breakfast..YUM...doesn't get much better than that!

Enjoy the photos.  And see more at Beth's awesome website :)

Appetizers:

Shrimp, Smoked Salmon w/capers, cream cheese & onions, Skordalia & pita wedges and Champagne!

Baked Brie with sugar pecans and sliced apples (mouth watering delicious!!)

Time to Eat!

The whole family :)

The other end of the table!

Grown ups visiting after dinner :)

 Time for dessert:  pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, German chocolate cake, cheesecake and rum soaked fruit (deliciously sinful I might add!)

Skype'ing with Kathryn!

All the family members get in on the Skype'ing!

And there's Kathryn - all the way in Japan! We missed her!!

Prepping for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and a grateful heart.  I can't wait to share the day with family.  It's going to be hectic, full of chaos but most importantly filled with joy.  20 folks are coming for dinner...my oh my, it will be a house full.  The menu is:

Herb Roasted Turkey and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Apple Cornbread Dressing
Peas 'n Butter Sauce
Roast Carrots
Brussels Sprouts
Tomato Aspic
Rolls
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Apple Pie
German Chocolate Cake

Champagne/Vodka/Raspberry Cocktails
Wine
Sparkling Cider

I'm thankful that I have 2 ovens and capable folks to help.  It's my favorite holiday and I'm so excited.  xoxo

family

Family is where it's at. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. My mother, my sister, my husband, my children...are all amazing. I love spending time with them. Yesterday, I drove to Seattle with Sarah. She is a burst of energy, a true delight and I'm honored to be her mother. She talked about school, boys, friends, her dreams, her fears - all of things to me....wow. No greater gift than having your children share with you.

Today's agenda is a cupcake/coffee place. Sounds good. I am hungry right now and once my mom and sister get ready, we can go. Maybe we can even get in a game of scrabble too. Scrabble is lost on my kids though, it's not that they aren't smart, they just don't seem to like it. I truly enjoy the game and everyone in my family likes it, except my kids. I was pondering what it is I like about the game and it's really two fold. 1) the challenge and 2) talking/visiting while playing. The game evokes conversation just in the playing of words, especially new/strange and unknown words.

Sarah is with Kristin at AGD for the weekend. I hope they are having fun, although I am sure they are! My sister is my best friend, my confident and a grounding source for me. I remember fondly when she used to come visit me at Chi O and I hope that Sarah and Kristin's memories of time spent together will be as cherished as mine are.

The sun is shining and it makes me smile. Defnitely going to be a good day.