Inside the studio...

Just playing around with the flip cam several days ago... not sure what to think of H's interpretation of a Mama face.

'Tis the Season...

... to celebrate birthdays!

November 26th:  Happy Birthday, David!  It took me approximately 12.5 years to know it, but I have an amazing brother.

December 1:  Happy Birthday, Grandjoe!  I alway knew you were great, and the same goes for Henry, too.

December 1:  Happy Birthday, Cory!  I am grateful to share your years with you and am so proud of you.  I love you, I love you.  H does, too.

December 5:  Happy Birthday, Grandjane!  Thank you for being a good example because we all know I'm turning into you.  H is lucky.

December 17:  Happy Birthday, Josh!  You're 21 now, and I hope you know that you are a fun and important part of our lives.

December 17:  Happy Birthday, Caleb!  Henry's youngest uncle is sure to have lots of wisdom to impart over the coming years.  Hope your 21st year is a legal blast!

We are so glad you were all born!

New Adjective

Last night, after I told Henry a story about how he and his friends suddenly realized that they outgrew their tricycles and ended up purchasing bicycles, he requested that the second story be a different one.  However, he clarified that "it can be a little bit bicycle-ly." 

Shore is Fun!

Ahhh... Thanksgiving weekend at Sunset.  It's my favorite beach trip.  The addition of kids makes it bit more eventful.

And so charming!

Penny isn't allowed inside Sea n' Isle, but the time spent outside is made bearable by time near water...

Whose idea was this one?

Henry was pretty upset about his wet jeans (how dare those waves!), so off they went.

Ryleigh got some extra attention.

But, in true grandparent fashion, she wasn't the only one.  Both Anna and Henry were hand fed some Cheeze Its to protect them from tooth grit.

And in true Sunset Beach fashion, there was lots of couch time.

Oh, and Elizabeth was napping during photo time.  Good for you, Elizabeth.

Vogue

Some of my favorites from Thanksgiving Day...

More than meets the eye--figuring out an old Transformers machine.

Some of the strangest from the day came during the end of our post-lunch walk.  Henry suddenly began striking poses and asking me to take a picture...

Blue Steel

Thankful

I am thankful right now that I can settle down in my heated home on this cozy bed with my macbook to type this blog.  How privileged am I?  Very.  I also have a family that I love and who loves me back.  I am thankful for all of you.  The love, silliness, and support keeps me going--not always pleasantly--but at least going.

And on Thanksgiving Day, I was thankful that our travels went lightly and that we actually managed to get one good family photo.

A special thanks goes to:  Aunt Laura for hosting our wonderful lunch in Florence and to Grandjane for keeping us well fed from Thanksgiving evening to Sunday morning at Sunset.

Practice Feast

The two preschool classes at H's school hosted a Thanksgiving Feast on the Friday before Thanksgiving.  The feast was to begin at 11:00, and when I got to Henry's class at 11:05, they were still waiting for the feast to be set up, so the kids and parents were stuck waiting in the classroom before we could enter the dining area.  Henry saw me walk through the door and threw his arms and upper body across their snack table and said, "Nooooooo... I still need to eat!"  I assured him that I wasn't there to take him home but to eat the feast with him.  The boy has a stomach schedule, for sure.

His disposition didn't improve even when we entered the sofa room with all the other kids and parents...

It did improve, though, once we got our food.  The macaroni and cheese was his favorite, followed closely by the apple slices.

We both ate well and were prepped for our upcoming week/ weekend of bountiful feasting.  Thank you, Henry, for inviting me to the preliminary feast.