Thanksgiving may have been a week ago...but all that I am thankful for certainly has not faded since then.
Family. Friends. Faith.
The night before Thanksgiving I had a little helper in the kitchen...my own Ratatouille: Remy Rat. Drew helped me get the stuffing ready to cook and bake a pumpkin pie. He was an awesome little chef and I look forward to spending more time with him in the kitchen this month baking cookies and throughout 2011 as we find more kid friendly recipes. (I also baked an apple pie after Drew went to bed...both were delicious.) Come mealtime Thanksgiving, Leo could not get enough of the stuffing; and Drew could seriously live on cranberries. Silly boys.
And, it appears we have another
tradition brewing - Thanksgiving morning we headed off to the ice area to skate with the local high school hockey players,
just like last year. This year I got to skate while Damon hung out with Leo in the stands. Thankfully, one of Drew's favorite players took him under his wing and skated around with him the entire time (and took Drew to check out the varsity locker room - way cool) and I just got to skate around leisurely, take some pictures, and take Leo for a spin around the rink a few times (in my arms, not on skates...maybe next year!).
Here we are all accounted four at the end of a long Thanksgiving day...not exactly Christmas card quality as I had hoped, but still a nice picture of the four of us (and for our three month report!!)
[notice that Leo is wearing a 'Rookie' hockey jersey - for his first "skate" around the ice AND for his first Thanksgiving...and see how cute his hair is? that's what it looked like before it got hacked this past Saturday morning. hacked bad...bowl cut bad. poor dude; and Drew looks like he is patiently waiting for another piece of pie...he's so smart. and lucky - he got the last piece of the pumpkin and the last piece of apple]
Have I mentioned yet that the temperature on Thanksgiving was the coldest it has been in 25 years?!? Yep...a high of ELEVEN. If it says this cold all winter, I seriously don't think I can live here anymore. Winter should not last six-months with high temps below freezing and lows in the single digits. Anyhow...we had a little respite from the freezing temps on Sunday so we headed out to our favorite tree farm. It appears that even in Drew's short lifetime of four years he remembers this place vividly from the two times we've gone there and was set on doing some very specific things: 1) find a tree; 2) play on the straw; 3) roast hot dogs for a snack; and 4) see Santa. Well...we were able to accomplish numbers 1, 2, and 3...but Santa did not arrive (by helicopter) until after we left - did you hear that tantrum?!
Our tree (the one Drew is standing by above) is in the house...in a stand...yet leaning against the wall. Go figure. My goal at this point is just to straighten it out, put lights on it, and add the star. And put up the stockings. And fill the Advent calendar (oops...today was December 1). And shop for gifts...wrap...mail and/or place under the tree - don't that be decoration enough? [the nativity scene is in place - thanks Drew...and there are red berry wreaths hanging on all the bedroom doors...and there's spruce tips are in the pots outside on the porch...and there's a swag on the front door...and we have a moose in our yard that lights up and moves...so i haven't completely giving up on holiday decorating...but now that i am back to work, i need to cut my losses at some point, right?!!? unfortunately, probably not - i'm too much of a perfectionist...but, oh so how i want a simpler life!!]
At the end of the day...every day...I am thankful. So very thankful. For so very much...but right now, especially thankful my two very cute and curious little boys that continue to show me the simple joys in life - like snow, trees, straw, and roasted hot dogs.
Until next time...may you find, share, and cherish the simple joys in your life with those you love!
