Thanksgiving is My Favorite

I love waking up and watching the cheezy Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, I love to anticipate eating all the yummy food and then actually eating all the yummy food. But most of all, I love that after the meal, there is nothing, or anything. We used to go to a field and play roll the bat or football, but now that we are all older, we sit around, drink coffee and talk. We can go to a movie if we want, with family members we never usually go to the movies with, or we can take a nap, or all of that.

There are no presents to open or birthday candles to blow out, and more often than not, no one has to work the next day so we can be as lazy as we want for as long as we feel like it.

I know, I know. Thanksgiving's not really about eating and being lazy. It's about the first meal the Puritans shared with the Natives here in America. I'm thankful for the journey that was made across a cold, unfriendly sea, and the country that was established 150 some-odd years later and continues to work all the kinks out. I am thankful I have the freedom to worship any way I feel led. But I'm also skeptical of how it all really went down 320 years ago. How accurate are the stories we are taught in school? So I'll just celebrate it in my simpleton way with casseroles and Scattergories and a good long nap - I can be just as thankful for those things.

Coloring and watching the parade. Strange it was not that long ago that I could lay on my stomach...

I think we only had to take 2 pictures to get a decent shot. This is also one of those moments that everyone kind of bemoans, but it's really worth it to capture how everyone looks each year. Isn't it so fun to look back on old pictures?

The Grands with Kate, Nancy and Spencer.

We went for a Turkey Day park outing. Nancy rides her tricycle better than Kate ever could, especially considering I never had to teach her how to. I think she's the more athletic of the two and wonder what it will look like to have an athletic girl. I do not understand them.

This fall, because we didn't have enough to do, we decided to begin tackling teaching Kate how to ride her bike without training wheels. I was amazed at how quickly she caught on. Hopefully come summertime, I can push Nancy and the baby in the stroller while Kate wheels her way around the track. That sounds like bliss.

A Night on the Farm

On September 24, Ryan and I got to go out for a night on the...farm. We have some friends that have a farm out in Dacusville, Greenbrier Farms, and they were having an event to showcase the venue they have available for events, but also to showcase their wonderful products they work hard to produce on the farm.

I must admit, I was very giddy about getting to go. We've bought from Chad and Amy since they started selling in the spring, anything from their early spring greens, to the meat and poultry and eggs raised on the farm, to the herbs that they grow (which was the ONLY basil that survived in my garden this year). I have spent most of the spring and summer reading about "real foods", the benefits of grass-fed and pastured animals, and the impact that the industrial food chain has on our health, economy, and environment.

Supporting Chad & Amy at Greenbrier and other local farms is just a small way I can help out some local businesses, eat a little bit healthier, be one less person that puts one million miles worth of gas on the road just for some bananas, be one more person that says chicken is better when it gets to be a chicken, and most importantly, feed my seemingly insatiable appetite for all things gardening and planting and raising and growing.

That said, it was SUCH a fun night, with local food and beer and wine, a hayride out to the pasture to meet the cows and chickens, and live music. The food was so yummy, and their venue is so pretty and open. They even have 2 wood burning stone ovens inside, where they were baking pizzas! I have to admit, I did daydream about one of the girls having a wedding reception out there, but I will try to stay out of all that and let them decide how they want their wedding to be.

Inside after the sun went down.

Finishing our hayride.

The chicken coops are rotated daily or every other day. They literally move the coops and the portable electric fencing to move them to fresh pasture. Because they eat their natural diet of grass and bugs, they are leaner that industrial chickens, have more Omega-3s, and even the fat is good for you, with cancer-fighting acids. And some of the yummiest barbecued chicken we've ever grilled. Thank you, chickens!

A pretty cow. I love the sound of cows tearing grass with their teeth.

Eating local cheeses, grapes from Greenbrier, liver pate (a first for me!) and enjoying the view from the porch.

Fancy Nancies

In September (that's right, two months before the one we're in now) I took the girls to a Fancy Nancy party at a Chick Fil A here on Haywood Road. We are big fans of the Fancy Nancy books, which came out right around the same time our Nancy was born.

It was 2 hours full of fun girl things to do, complete with glitter stickers on a placemat, coloring, rhine-stoning flatware, lemonade from real teacups and saucers, a yummy nugget lunch with fresh fruit, and parfaits for dessert! There were other, better moms than me who dressed up as well. I must confess I have given away every single one of my bridesmaids dresses to Goodwill (no offense, girls. And I thought my little gold number you all could wear over and over?!?!) So the only "fancy" things I had to wear were real clothes, which I did not want to get all chicken-nuggety. I had fun with the girls. Sometimes it just takes getting out of the house an away from my "list" to sit and enjoy them. They are doing another one the end of November, if anyone wants to join us!

Hyped up on her 3rd round of lemonade.

Nancy was terrified by the cow.

Happenings Since We Last Spoke

Just a sampling of the glorious monotony of our life as a family:

How can a little one go from this....

....to this? Overnight?

In order to make the crib to big-girl bed transition, we had to give Nancy Kate's bed frame and mattress. We did not have a bed for Kate, so for about a month she slept on her mattress on the floor. Both mattresses were old, probably 30 years and 20 years, respectively. Once we bought the bunk beds, we tossed the mattresses. The dog claimed one for herself for the day.

Bunk bed arrival, and a photo for proof of how they helped Ryan cram it into the truck, just in case...

Some dear out of town friends invited us to a family birthday party in October. My friend on the left and I have been friends for 22 years. We are both expecting our 3rd babies this 2010 year.

Nancy enjoying a milk & peanut free cupcake.

Do you think it's time for me to potty train N?

Saturday morning breakfast in front of the tv, scones, I think.

Yeah, leaves! Ryan did not get a picture of the girls jumping straight off the top of the slide into the leaves, skipping the slide altogether.

Um, supposed to be 6 individual scones. I have no idea what I did. The fam still ate them, though.

Kate dancing, Nancy being her graceful self.

Nancy likes to sing. A lot.

And she likes to dance. Wait for it....

A Mermaid and a Princess Dancer

This year I think the girls put on their Halloween costumes 3 different times. Once to trick or treat at a nursing home down the street (and every time we pass it, 2 months later, Nancy yells "THAT'S the place where we got some candy and gave hugs!!!!" She yells everything.), once to Boo in the Zoo, and once, OH, scratch that: 4 times. Once more for Trunk or Treat at church and finally the big, underwhelming rainy event of Halloween night.

I was crazy enough to think that we could go to the Clemson Homecoming game as a family during the day and make it back home to change the girls and go trick or treating that night. We did it, but I was the one that ended up having a meltdown by the end of the day.

Luckily, any leftover candy could be sent to school with Kate for the troops overseas. I think I sent about 4 pounds with her.

Our first year doing Boo in the Zoo. Kids loved it, but big yawn-fest for Ryan and me. We won't tell the kids it's kinda lame, they'll figure it out soon enough.

Did I mention there were no animals out at the zoo? We were at the zoo, but the animals were tucked away like celebrities at a large public event....maybe so we wouldn't feed them candy?

At Trunk or Treat, about to go down the slide. I had just gotten back from a Children's Ministry related trip to Charleston, and was so tired and felt so sick. This evening was quite a blur for me. I think everyone enjoyed it, though.

One of the "booths". Yes, Ryan is in there with the kids playing Twister.

Not much has changed for Nancy in the past year. She may be bigger, but she's still a candy fiend.

Cohen, the cutest dalmation ever.

At first glance it looks like Kate's giving the finger to Halloween, this being the 4th time she's had to be a mermaid in 10 days. But upon closer observation she's about to jump up and shout out "all the single ladies...."

Homecoming Game 2009

October 31st was Clemson's Homecoming game. My folks got tickets for our whole family and we tailgated together and went to (part) of the game - it started pouring just before kickoff. We made it through the first quarter, and walked back to the car and headed home to trick or treat.

This was the first time we'd all been to a game together since I was there 10 years ago. It was really fun for me, and also the first time our family of 4 had all been to a game together. The kids did great, had a blast, and we can't wait for more times like this!

Kickoff, Go Tigers!

Little brother Ray gives our seats a thumbs up. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Family tailgate.

The parade down to the stadium.

Listening to the band in the amphitheatre. Nancy wanted to close her ears. I could just squeeze her, and often do.

Beginning of a Long Goodbye

Our dear friends the Gainors are moving to South Asia at the end of the year. We got a chance to visit with them and Mary and Dave sans kids (all 8 of them stayed home with grandparents!) while we joined our friends in Jacksonville, FL for a couple of nights. Definitely on the list as one of the most grown up things we've done - stay in a hotel, no kids, eat out, pay for parking?!?! Who do we think we are?

It was truly a blessing to spend time with our friends. I met Mary and Brandy 12 years ago when we started Clemson. Twelve years!! I am thankful we have managed to maintain our friendships over the years of change, involving lots of moving, lots of babies, new jobs, and learning to be grown ups. It was a sweet time for me, as I got to see more of the work they will be doing after they leave the country, and helped prepare me and my family for how to keep in touch and love on them while they are gone.

Dave & Mary, Gray & Brandy and Ryan and me.

Enjoying some Indian food together. Now I'm not scared to go get some another time!

They guys at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium. We got to watch the team come out for practice. Apparently that's an exciting thing.

Mary and Bran - between the 6 of us, we only had 2 cameras, both with low batteries. There are very few good pictures!

A few weeks later the girls and I were able to visit with Brandy and the kids. It was so neat to be there. They were totally in transit, getting rid of furniture and food and toys and clothes, literally as we were there! A family came and hauled off their huge sofa! We had a good time visiting, and I enjoyed watching the kids play together. It was hard to leave, but knowing we'll see each other one more time in December helped. It would have been really, really hard for that to be the last goodbye.

When we got in the car and down the street towards home, I looked back and Kate had huge tears in her eyes. I asked her what was wrong, and she said "Sarala is moving to India and we'll never see her again, and I'll miss her so mu-hu-hu-huch!" I was surprised at her emotion. I think it's interesting that kids can spend very little time together and consider each other the best of friends. I cried too, knowing that I'd miss them just as much; and Nancy said "Can I cry too?" and started fake crying. She didn't want to be left out!

Jackson and Nancy, "to infinity and beyond!!"

Sarala and Kate enjoying some masala chai, some of the sweetest I have ever tasted!

Watching Toy Story, eating popcorn.