Thanksgiving

This was another year of just our little brood.  I guess some people consider a family of 5 to be big, but with families of 8, (Wendy,) and 10, (Mitchell,) our perspective is a little different.

I cut back on the food quite a bit this year.  No pie from scratch, no hors d'oeuvres, not mash potatoes from scratch, actually no mash potatoes at all.  Despite the smaller menu, we had a great meal and we have plenty of leftovers.  Here is what we had.

Brined Turkey Breast

Sourdough stuffing with apples and ham

Green Beans with Glazed Shallots and Lemon

Yam Souffle

Yam Souffle’

Filling:

3+ C cooked mashed yams

1 C granulated sugar

½ C evaporated milk

3 eggs

Topping:

2 T Flour

½ C butter (room temp not too soft)

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 – ¾ C brown sugar

1+ C chopped pecans

Mix the yams, sugar, evaporated milk and eggs well and pour into a buttered dish.   Combine the topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over top of yam mixture(it is more goopy than crumbly)

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean

Cinnamon-Chocolate Fudge

*click the names for the link to each recipe.

Jackson's BIG day

Want to see perfection?

Okay, so this is just before, but I think he is pretty darn perfect.  Here is perfection.

I love that he climbed a tree in his suit, just after his baptism. 

Jackson had such a great baptism day.  Asher gave the opening prayer, Nana gave a talk on the Three Bears of Baptism,  Bear your testimony, Bear his name and Bear one another's burdens. Jackson "got it"  in case you were wondering.  As my mom gave the talk every time she would say "bear"  He would say, "I get it! bear and bear."

Then it was the big moment.  He was baptized by his dad, and he came out of the water glowing!

Then, I gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Then he was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. (more glowing.)

Here is a funny thing.  It was "his" day, and he was not shy about it.  He was sitting in front as people came in so he could greet everyone.  He stood by my mom as she gave her talk until she asked him to sit down so she could talk to him.  He stood by me as I gave my talk until I asked him to sit down, again so I could talk to him, and then he stood by me as I conducted the closing song.

Here are more pictures from the day.





I am grateful for :: day 19

This boy

Who, today was baptized.  He was so excited and so ready.  I love this kid and I am so proud of the person he is becoming.

I am grateful for :: day 18

Creative kids

Or maybe clever would be a better word to use. 

An example: tonight we were at a Thanksgiving potluck dinner for PIM (Partners In Medicine, they should get a gratitiude post all to themselves.)  As a way of keeping all the kids entertained while the adults chatted, there was a movie playing on a big screen.  At one point we looked over in horror to see  Jackson behind the screen pushing and pulling it back and forth.  Quickly Mitch went over, and put a stop to the behavior.  This was Jackson's response, "I was just making it 3D."  There was laughter by all and quickly forgiveness.  That is is quick on his feet!

I am grateful for :: day 16

This sleeping face

Last night, the boys were not going to sleep.  So I separated them.  I sent Asher to my bed because Mitch was working.  When I went to bed a little later.  I was just so happy to see this face.  I love his squished lips, and sweet innocent face.  I love that when my kids sleep they remind me of how they looked when they were asleep as babies.

I am grateful for :: day 15

Right now my boys are cleaning their bathroom.  Here is how it is done around here.

Step one: The boys strip down to their underwear.
Step two: I give them a bucket of soapy water and two sponges.
Step three: The boys sponge down (read; soak) the bathroom from top to bottom.
Step four: I give them a towel to dry it all up.
Step five: The boys get in the shower to wash all the cleaning off.

They have fun, I get a clean bathroom.  Everyone wins.  I am so grateful for boys who can now clean the bathroom.

I am grateful for :: day 13

My memories

I can't always have a camera with me.  I can't video and photography everything my kids do, (though I wish I could.)  However; I always have my memory, and mine is pretty good. (just ask my family)

Today for example;  In church, during the musical number, Lily felt inspired to dance.  She picked up the bottom of her dress (princess style)  and started to sway and twirl.  Then she grabbed Asher's hands, her handsome prince, and started dancing with him.  When the song ended, (and I couldn't make this up if I tried) she closed her eyes, tilted up her chin and puckered up for a kiss.  Asher didn't know what to do, he just sat back down in his chair.  Mitch and I were laughing harder than you should in church.  It was adorable.  That is not on any kind of film, but that moment is forever in my memory.

I am grateful for :: day 12

My Work

There are no pictures from today to post.  Because I have been taking other people's pictures all day.  And I love it.

I started my photography business over a year ago and it has been such a blessing. 

There are so many things that I love about what I do.  But I would have to say my favorite this is the people that I work with.  I have had the opportunity to take pictures of true miracles. People trust me with the very first pictures of their new baby.  I have been a part of first birthdays, an 18th birthday,  first family pictures and, generations.  I have learned so much from the people that I meet.  I feel like I meet a new person at our first contact, and by the time I deliver their pictures they are a friend.  I will truly miss my people here when we move.  I look forward to having similar experiences in our new town after we move.  Photography has just made me happy.  It is work I look forward to doing, and I love the results when I have a really great image.

This is one of my favorite images from this fall season.  I have photographed this little guy since he was one week old.

I am grateful for :: day 10

These hands

That made these little turkeys

This is a project that they boys have been begging me to do with them.  Life has been so busy, but I was happy to find the time to bake with my buddies.

I am grateful for :: Day 9

This face

Today, Lily came up to me while I was working on the computer and handed me our little point and shoot camera and said "cheeeeeese."  She wanted me to take her picture!

She was so funny, she changed her face with every picture.  I love this face!

I am grateful for :: day 8

My boys are best friends

Tonight Asher was in the tub and Jackson came in with his new library book.  He said, "Asher if you promise not to splash I will read this book to you while you are in the tub."  So he sat on the edge of the tub and proceeded to read.  I took this picture in the mirror without a flash (super high ISO 12800!) so they wouldn't notice and would keep on reading.  I love that they always have each other and that they are best friends.  Having these two boys together is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

I am grateful for :: day 7

The sound of my kids laughter

All three of my kiddos have the same magical laugh.  It is infectious and joyful and there really isn't a better sound in the world.

this video was taken at bed time.  It is way too dark to see anything, but you can hear the magic.

I am grateful for :: day 4

The tramp

The tramp was a gift from my mom when I was on bed rest when I was pregnant with Lily.  It was a life saver.  The boys would have had nothing to do without it.  It continues to be a source of fun and distraction.  The kids love it.  The neighborhood kids love it too.  I think Lily loves it most of all.  She is always begging to go "jump, jump.".  She even insisted on jumping in during the big snow storm a week ago.

I am grateful for :: day 3

My funny kids.

Today my boys were playing in the living room with my oven mitts.  They would hide them behind their backs and say, "Oh, you like my gun?  It's not a gun, it's a WEAPON WARMER!" as they flung it from behind their back across the room.

Lily has been wearing my glasses.  She looks adorable in them, but the funnier thing is that she walks, very carefully in them.  I think it must look like the ground is sloping to her.  It is hilarious.

Other funny Lily things.  When she has a poopy diaper, she laughs when I open it up to change it.  It's this, "Ha, ha, I got you good with this one!"

The other day Asher had a sock on his hand and he was using it as a hand puppet and singing Ke$ha's "blow" using a silly voice.  I had to pretend I didn't see it so he would keep it up.  I could have watched that for hours.

That is just a few funny things about my kiddos.   That I never laughed so much in my life as I have since becoming a mother. 

Thanks kiddos for 8 years of laughter.  Keep it coming!

This picture is 6 months old.  I have juts been looking for somewhere to put it.  I would like to take a current picture of them being silly.  Maybe tonight if I have time

I am thankful for :: day 2

These smiles.  

Missing teeth, crooked teeth, perfect baby teeth.  These smiles are like magic.  They will make you happy even if you don't want to be.

picture taken with the point and shoot at 10:00 at night.  At least I was able to get rid of the red eye!

I am thankful for

I did this a few years ago and thought it was time to do it again. I would love to take a new picture everyday, but my time is not really my own right now. I am busy with other peoples pictures. I will do what I can.

This picture is a few weeks old.
I love my man. I will never be able to express in words, (or in public, lets be honest.) Everything that he is to me. He is hot, a hard worker, a good father, super smart, so fun to talk to, and funny. I think I laugh more with(at?) him than anyone else. I am so lucky that I get to spend my life with my best friend.