Thanksgiving Feast 2012

Well Turkey Day was already over a week ago...but having to work 5 days this week has totally thrown me for a loop somehow. C'mon, is it Christmas break yet?!

This year we stuck around Olathe as the Nazarene Tourney was here (hosted by MNU) and we hated to abandon Matt. We missed seeing our extended family members but I was quite relieved to NOT have to travel. Matt's parents and sister came to join us and we really enjoyed having some of our MNU basketball family join us too!

I was pretty excited to host and have an excuse to try out new recipes...I was giddy as I researched and made my grocery list. But...at the grocery store I was quickly persuaded to forego a few of my recipes and just buy the easy version. Heck, why not? When I picked up the Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix and decided to go with it I could cross off about 15 other items from my list. Done.

I'm a messy cook and I always choose the tiniest workspace to spread out in. I did most of the prep work the night before so very little had to be done on Turkey Day. It worked out very well, actually. We ate at noon so there was no time to waste!

I decided to make Alton Brown's homemade green bean casserole. This is the only thing that really turned out sketch. It's not the recipes fault. Clearly it's my fault. My homemade onions got a little BBQed. I threw away these leftovers...and I NEVER throw away food...ever.

I started out boycotting the idea of soaking the bird in a brine. It just sounded too difficult. I feel like turkey is one of those things that could be done a million different ways but they all pretty much turn out tasting the same way. But then I decided to use Alton's roasted turkey recipe which called for a brine.

So...guess who is in here?

This was our first attempt at cooking our own turkey so we were quite proud, and it tasted great if I do say so myself. But upon further review of this pic...it actually looks pretty gross. Nothing like the pic of Alton's turkey! But, see, that's my point. Can't go wrong. Looks gross, still tasted like a moist, yummy, Thanksgiving turkey.

The Gang

Reesie didn't understand why she only got to eat puffs for her Thanksgiving meal.

And Cade took advantage of the holiday where everyone usually stuffs themselves to, himself, get away with eating almost nothing because everyone else was too preoccupied with the meal to do the normal "bargaining" to force him to eat more. Well-played, Cade.

And some family pics to commemorate it all!

So much to be thankful for!

8 Months Old

On Thanksgiving Day we also were thankful for 8 months of Reesie around our home! She brings so much joy with her sweet, sweet toothy smiles. It seems like everywhere we go lately people comment on her easy-going demeanor and ask if she's always that way. The answer is yes. She's the BEST baby. Like freakishly good. What a sweetie.

New tricks include a lightning fast crawl and climbing the stairs. We have a split-level so there's only six stairs at a time, but it seems the next thing you know she's smiling down at you from the bedroom level. Yikes!

She's been trying more and more baby food and seems to like everything but doesn't love fruits or sweet things as much as others. Go figure. Whose kid is this?!

She has started the exploration stage of pulling open cabinets but is not near as curious/destructive as Cade. Looking back at his 8 month entry reminds me just how active he was compared to her. She's still a mover and a shaker, just not really the same way Cade was.

This month has seemed to zoom past. Poor Reesie just gets hauled around here and there and everywhere. But I guess that's all she knows and she's always smiling just the same!

Four Generations: My mom, her mom, Reesie and I

I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough...

...and dog-gone-it, my job is important.

Click here to read an article confirming it from the business section of the KC Star today.

I was elated to see this...even though the principal brought a copy of it down at the start of first period as I was frantically running around my room unpacking groceries for the labs today...I guess if he read the article he'll probably keep me around...

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving! Clearly, I'm thankful for my profession and that I have a job, among many other things!

Four and Counting

Our Reese-girl just keeps sprouting teeth! She's a real trooper about it also...doesn't seem to bother her a bit!

Who, me?!

'Tis the Season

Basketball season is upon us and we've already spent some quality time at the good 'ole Cook Center cheering on our Pioneers.

Reesie makes a great cheerleader, just like I knew she would.

Cade is still not as into the game as I had hoped...so we'll continue to bring our huge bag of tricks to keep everyone happy and hope that maybe next year is the year he'll be captivated by the game.

He does look forward to when it is "his turn" on the floor, which would be during half-time and after the game when he gets to run around moderately unsupervised.

Reesie had scratched herself pretty good...but never fear because my friend Holly is a Photo Shop wiz!

Much better!

And check this out...

See what she did there? A little freaky, but pretty nifty!

The Beck's were in town the first weekend of games and Cade was so glad to have Lukas to check out cheerleaders hang with.

Go 'Neers!

Photog Cade

My camera is always full of pictures like these below. The funny thing is that he's actually attempting to take pictures of other people...he just refuses to turn the camera around.

It's actually quite scary how he never blinks when the camera flashes 2 cm from his face...

Trick or Treat: Pirate Edition

Each Halloween is a little more fun than the last as Cade gets older and more "into" the holiday. People started asking him what he was going to be for Halloween long before we had prepped him for it. At first he had no idea what they were talking about, then he started answering that he wanted to be a princess, then a cowboy, and then finally settled on a pirate. (He's a fan of the Veggie Tales "Pirates-that-don't-do-anything" and Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates so it seemed fitting). I bought some fabric to make a pirate outfit...and then found a whole get-up at Wal-Mart for $9. Don't mind if I do. Wal-Mart Pirate it is.

He often closes one eye (as if simulating an eye patch) and talks like a pirate. It's pretty awesome.

I was going to put Reese in Cade's pumpkin costume...but she had the cute little ghost outfit on...and the pumpkin seemed so boyish.

Waiting for Trick or Treaters

Please give me some candy

And we're off!