Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, for a few different reasons...maybe it's because I am pregnant, maybe it's because we ate earlier then in years past and had less time to snack before hand, maybe it's because Brian went against the roasting directions on the turkey package and only cooked it for 4 1/2 hours instead of the suggested 8...maybe it's because everyone in the family brought their best recipes, but whatever it was, it was one good Thanksgiving dinner and we are still eating the leftovers. I had a lot of fun decorating the table and making the centerpieces. The cornucopia was a pain but it turned out pretty good and I take comfort in knowing I won't have to do that ever, ever again.

The Big Seven.

Maggie celebrated her birthday this weekend with her friends. I decided to do a snow theme and mother nature didn't disappoint. The white flurries started just before the party and didn't stop until it was over, the timing was perfect. When the girls first came over they decorated snowflakes and their party bags with glitterglue and stickers...then we headed out into the blizzard to see Disney's "The Christmas Carol". The 3D was amazing, but it was a little over-the-top scary at times. Luckily, we didn't have any 'fraidy cats'. After the movie, we came back for cupcakes and presents. Maggie exclaimed more than once, "This is the best birthday ever" even though she probably says this every year and it wasn't quite her birthday!

Maggie's due date was suppose to be on Thanksgiving Day, we were going to have our own little Turkey that day, but she had a mind of her own and came almost two weeks early, the day after I quit work. I thought I'd have a two week break before she came, to finish all the odds and ends projects, but the timing didn't quite work the way I had thought it would...it rarely does.

I can still remember her jet black head of hair and the joy I felt at seeing and holding her for the first time. She is growing up so fast, becoming so independent but still holding onto her sweetness. We love you little Magpie. You will always be our little turkey. Happy Birthday!

Remembering...

Keeping with tradition, I made blankets for the little babies in the heart unit in San Francisco. Maggie and Sam chose the fabric and then we shipped them off. Getting new blankets for Caleb always meant so much to us.



Halloween is a special day in our family. It's the day that our sweet little Caleb came into this world. We remember him, we love him and we celebrate the time we had with him, our very own, little spook. Caleb would have been turning two this year, but Heavenly Father had other plans for him and so we wait for the day when we will all be together again.

Trick-or-Treating

The ghouls and goblins and witches were out in full force...we had over 150 trick or treaters. At one point Maggie yelled, "There's an angry mob coming to our door," and she was right, they came in packs leaving not one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup or Kit Kat left in the bowl.
and then there was the sorting,
the counting
and the eating.

Leading up to Halloween...

We celebrated the October birthdays with pumpkin pie and cake and...
a spooky Halloween dinner on the Eve of Halloween.
Like mother, like daughter...I helped with Maggie's class party...dressed as a witch and read them spooky stories.

Celebrating...

Celebrating...the first SNOW. Yes, the white stuff fell from the sky yesterday, enough to blanket the ground. Maggie came right home from school telling me she learned how to pack a snowball. She and Sam changed right into their snow gear and headed outside to try their luck at the snowball rolling. In honor of the first snow, they made a baby snowman, not so bad eh!

For me there is something magical about the falling snow. One of my favorite memories as a little girl, was watching the snow fall at night and pile up on our lights and walks and trees outside. The feeling of being safe and warm inside, but seeing all the quiet-beauty gently falling outside was beautiful.

Pumpkins...

Pumpkins coming out our ears...This year, we went to Mabey's Pumpkin Patch in South Jordan...the pumpkins, the price and the weather did not disappoint. Maggie and Sam loved that old wheelbarrow and the bumpy ride.

Our Jokester

Puff Daddy has taken on a new meaning entirely at our house.

Stone Soup

Maggie participated in her 2nd grade school program called Stone Soup. I had to go hunting for her costume at Deseret Industries i.e. the D.I. in order to find her a dress that was long enough and looked old. That place never seems to fail me when I am looking for a costume. She did a great job and we had a good time watching her.

Pregnancy Update

This morning was the first morning in 21 weeks that I have been able to drink a glass of orange juice. When I am pregnant and especially with my girls, I have to avoid acidic drinks...anyway, it was so good. I love Simply Orange, i.e. when I can keep it down.

The nausea is gone Hooray!, it lasted about 17 weeks making it a long summer in that regard. For those of you who have asked, I am due near the end of February, definitely a 2010 baby. Crazy! Thanks everyone for your sweet comments.

Apple Picking

We headed over to the family farm for some apple picking. There are a lot of apples this year and the grandkids had a ball picking the apples and of course, we've all enjoyed eating them.

Announcing...

Check out Maggie's newest family drawing...and yes, she is thrilled about it!

Mazes

Celebrating Fall

Walking through a corn/hay maze is always a fun part of Fall. The kids loved this little one at Wheeler Farm. I am enjoying the cooler temperatures and the warm Fall afternoons.

Corn mazes also remind me of my Freshman year at BYU. I was on a group date, each couple was suppose to go off and find their own way out of the maze. My date and I, who will remain nameless, stumbled upon the exit in the first 2 minutes of starting. Unfortunately, we didn't realize it was the end, so we spent the next hour walking in circles. At one point, he bent down to tie his shoe and some giggly girls came around the corner and saw him on his knee and said, "Oh, he is proposing" the oohs and aahs followed...ugh, the experience was enough to make me sick and I quickly told them they were mistaken. Funny now, but not at the time and especially not with that geeky guy...Brian gets a good laugh out of it because he knew the guy (they lived on the same floor) and he was also on the group date wandering around in that same corn maze.

Fall Recipes

Celebrating Fall

We are enjoying a lot of these Fall recipes and I am enjoying my convection oven that bakes things to perfection...I am convinced that my appliance can make anyone a good cook. I've tried apple pie, pumpkin pancakes, zucchini and banana bread.

Trees

Celebrating Fall

Even the trees know it's time to bear their fruit. These ornamental crab apple trees are one of my favorite trees in our yard, especially now when their branches are full of these.