Giving Thanks

I am thankful that our Turkey was cooked perfectly (thank you JP!) and my homemade pies turned out pretty decent.

I am thankful my Grandfather is out of the hospital and doing better and that we will get to see him in December.

I am thankful that my husband knows how to repair vacuum cleaners.

I am thankful my children go to bed without complaint (most of the time).

I am thankful that I could watch the Parade yesterday while also cooking (in my newly opened up kitchen)!

I am thankful for the abundant sunshine and good weather we have had this week; now bring on some cooler temps and rainy weather to usher in "winter."

I am thankful that I only have 2 presents left to purchase and I will be finished Christmas shopping.

I am thankful for the generosity that will allow us to be in Louisiana this Christmastime to see our families!

I am thankful for the little girl in her bed calling out "Mommy" even though it is too early to get up.

I am thankful for the little boy who is still sleeping in his bed.

I am thankful for my husband who is still sleeping in his bed and will be more thankful when he is up.

I truly have much for which to be thankful. We are very blessed, healthy, and happy and there is nothing more I need in life than knowing that everyday.

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you remember to give thanks every day!

It's My Birthday

It's my birthday and I am TWO today! I'm full of trouble and love to test my parents by climbing as high as I can and getting into all kinds of stuff that is not mine. I smile often but can attempt a good tantrum if I don't get what I want . . . I just don't understand why that makes my parents laugh so much. My vocabulary is growing every day and I'm getting better at telling Mommy and Daddy what I want. I love to take baths and go night-night and I love Elmo and Minnie Mouse. My favorite meal is breakfast (I'll eat any version of it) and my favorite foods are fruits and pastas. My best friend is my brother and I love to play Legos and Choo-Choos with him and of course I love to play in the sand and dirt!

Super Van

Those of you scoring at home remember the little shunt the VW got into. That was the end of the much beloved wagon. So after much discussion a new vehicle was decided upon and it is a minivan.

Meet Super Van!

It is a great vehicle to say the least. We went with another Honda which probably brings our family aggregate total to 5 or 6. We bought it used because the new prices are just ridiculous. Obviously it gets worse gas mileage than the wagon did, but I have tried to adjust driving habits such that I just don't drive as much. Since the Boy wants to ride his bike to school that cuts out the most often made trip. For road trips the MPG won't change very much because we now have enough room to not have the big roof box on top.

The Big Hill

Over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of October we headed to Flagstaff for the opening 2 races of the Arizona Cyclocross season. Cyclocross is another style of bike racing usually taking place in a park. It is both off and on road and takes place on road bikes with a little thicker tires to allow for grip when off road. It happens to be my favorite style of racing, but we do not have very many races in our season so one cannot focus on just that.
The races in Flag took place at Sinagua High School. Near the start/finish area was a giant hill and the Boy saw it immediately upon his arrival. He needed help getting his bike up there but just hopped on and rode right down first try. Below is a slideshow of one of his attempts later in the day. After the racing was done on Sunday he asked if we could take a lap of the course. He did a great job and when we got to the big hill he wanted to go again. He pushed his bike up there, mounted it, and just bombed down the hill one last time. You can see by the ear to ear grin he is sporting that it was just as much fun as it was the innumerable times preceding this one.

Riding to school

In the past I rode the boy to school towing the trailer behind my bike. This was tons of fun for everyone involved. As it happens, the boy has grown enough that he cannot fit in the trailer comfortably with his sister. He misses taking this trip to school and asks to ride in the trailer frequently. Although Christi and I want to accommodate his simple request it is easier said than done but we did not want to let him down. I spent yesterday afternoon on the phone with his teacher to make sure that we could house his bike at school and brainstorming how to drop him off in the back of the school so he wouldn't have to ride on a very busy street.


We worked it out and today was the first day he got to ride his bike to school. So we loaded up the trailer with some items for Pickles entertainment and off we went. I had to remind him a number of times where to ride and how to behave when coming to unmarked intersections and when passing other people but he did a fantastic job! I am very proud of him as it turned out to be 3.2 miles and that is a fair distance when you are less than 3 feet tall and on a bike with 20 inch wheels. There was not a single complaint, issue, or problem so I am hopeful that we can do it a little more often in the future.

Happy Birthday JP

Today is JPs birthday . . . and although he treats it as any other day, I know he is excited. Actually The Little Guy is more excited than anyone. That kid loves birthdays! JP and I have been buying gifts for each other all year . . . new floor, new cabinets, new sink, new faucet, new countertops . . . you get the picture so we agreed he didn't need anything for his birthday. BUT when you have kids you forget it's not very easy to explain that theory to them so I had to find things last night to wrap for him.

Luckily we had also just bought him an attachment for his pasta roller that is still in the box so I wrapped that up. To say The Little Guy was a little bummed by just one present is an understatement. "What else are you getting Daddy?" He was a bit disappointed with present opening time this morning. We are taking Dad out to his favorite restaurant tonight - Oregano's for a whole bunch of wings and pizza so he will be a happy man.

JP has been hard at work this year not only being a great Dad and husband but being Bob Villa as well. He has done an OUTSTANDING job on our remodel doing most of the heavy work himself and he deserves to have a really nice birthday. I am really proud of him and his fabulous skills around the house. By the way, he wants a new drill if anyone is looking for Christmas gift ideas.

With much love for the birthday boy,
C

Eating at the Breakfast Bar!

Check out the breakfast bar and that view into the den . . . . We are loving the new kitchen!

Halloween

With Halloween occuring on a Saturday and our countertops being installed in the nick of time it was a perfect excuse to have a party! We also enjoy sitting on our front patio waiting for trick-or-treaters. The usual crowd was in attendance but my pictures are only of the kids. Other cameras captured pictures of the adults and I hope to get copies of them so I can share some of the great costumes!
We all agree this is JP's best carving work to date. It looked fabulous on Halloween night all lit up!

Pickle enjoying a sucker . . . that hand is her friend who is also 2. There was a lot of fighting over that sucker . . . his parents wouldn't let him have candy but he figured out how to get some!
This about sums up what Pickle thought of Halloween.

Here they are . . .
And the whole gang - we were very safe with a whole Frie Brigade!

Here is Pickle parked at the food table . . . she learned the inevitable skill of "Olive Fingers."