This month has been so good leading up to Thanksgiving. I love how this holiday puts everything in perspective. Children are good at teaching me to be thankful. The other day Mason was helping Stanley say the blessing on the food, and his prayers included everything including the napkins on the table. To be honest, Thanksgiving didn't turn out exactly as we had planned. Unfortunately Nate and Stanley got sick, which made it impossible for us to celebrate here with our friends. As a result I made Thanksgiving dinner myself. I had prepared the menu, bought the groceries the night before, and I woke up excited about making the dinner: butternut squash soup, apple cranberry salad, russet mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, rolls (i bought the chicken* oops, and peach pie). It was fun at first to make the dinner, but by the end I was tired (waking up at night with sick Stanley - and without Nate's help this last few days since he has been sick .... I realized that I do not appreciate all that he DOES enough!!), and a little sad that my little guys would only feast on the thanksgiving rolls :). At that moment a thought came into my mind: oh, this must be how God feels when I only nibble on the feast he prepares for me. I made a commitment to feast more on His blessings (His words in the scriptures). After this Holiday, I also appreciate my Mother and Sisters more, and all the Moms out there who prepare Thanksgiving feasts - and also missing our family and friends...I appreciate them more too! Holidays need friends and family to be complete! Happy late Thanksgiving everyone!! I am so grateful for each of you - and I don't tell you enough!!! THANK YOU each of you for the blessing you are and have been in my life! Each life has touched mine for good and taught me to be better than I am.
piano books and piano lessons for this birthday!
bike rides
treasures
walks through the woods
i want to live here someday - these are the woods near my sweet friend Rainy's house and I had a little bit of envy for just a few minutes that she has such close access every day to these woods!!! p.s. - she just gave birth to her third little boy and he is adorable!!
this is me laying on my back soaking it all in. i can't get over the colors
one of my favorite days of this month - taking this little handsome man on a date. we went to ben & jerry's, then to Barnes and Noble to pick out and buy a couple of books. We just walked to the stores (since they are so close to our house) and just talked about everything we don't get to talk about when there are so many other distractions. Mason is so much fun to talk to - just in case any of you were wondering. He has so many great ideas about who he wants to grow up to be someday, and he teaches me so much about who I want to be.
apple stamps - another fun craft that we chose from Mason's craft book
Mason took this artistic picture
a picture of me that Mason drew. aha - I love him! he said that those things on the sides are wings. he knows how to make my heart melt. he still loves me, even with all of my weaknesses and he has hope in who I can become :).
a world puzzle he got from his little friend Hope for his birthday - with his friend Miss O "we DID it!!!" Right at this moment he is doing this puzzle again with his Daddy. I loved this gift. Nate and I had our first kiss while we were looking at a map together sitting on the floor of my family's living room (nerdy i know!) - a tale of things to come. Such happy feelings when you look at an atlas. The possibilities are endless.
Sunday morning breakfast turned into a milk bubble blowing competition. :) I had no idea that milk even did that!
I came home from a Messiah Sunday evening rehearsal with my violin, and this is how I found Stanley. Some people get drunk on carrots, apparently :).
a gift from his cousin William. the sweetest drawing and birthday message. It made Mason's day! Thanks William and Aunt Shirley! Mason is so lucky to have such loving and thoughtful and kind extended family!
making Thanksgiving Turkeys for Family Home Evening
helping me make jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner
we ended up eating at our house since Nate and Stanley were sick, so I took a few artistic shortcuts/licenses and bought this lovely *chicken :). oh well - I like chicken better anyway :)
We had another great weekend in DC for the National Security Conference Nate was working for. His job has provided so many amazing opportunities and blessings for our little family and I want to give a shout out to those whom he works with for being so kind to our little family and letting us tag along. Nate loves his co workers and so do I!
While he worked, the boys and I swam at the hotel pool, walked around the city, went to the Wegmans play center at the American History Museum, carouselled, and ate yummy food. This year we got to stay at a beautiful hotel called the University Club just a few blocks from the White House. It was a fun weekend.
the super moon, which looked much more super in real life
Founding Farmers was so kind to help us celebrate Mason's birthday. I realize I'm not much into making cakes - since this was the first we actually had a cake with a candle for his birthday. poor boy. I need my sister Shirley to live closer to me so she can teach me her amazing skills. He said "when are we going to celebrate my birthday?" and I was like "we've been celebrating Mason! But he said - you know like have cake and blow out a candle. Face palm. When he finally got his cake he said "Ok, now sing Happy Birthday to me!" looove him! Thank you Founding Farmers for redeeming this Mama.
a little too fancy for this farm girl from Utah, but a unique and special experience none-the-less
Mason enjoyed seeing 'Miss Piggy' @ the American History Museum and asked me to take a picture with him and her :)
serious bribery going on right there to get Stanley to smile for this picture
he likes having me take pictures of his treasures :). love my boy!
the bribe may or may not have included a ride on this Carousel
he likes to push the stroller
Mason had me read every single one of those planet information signs. i love his curiosity of outer space right now
our daily post-swim morning bath
we also enjoyed a nice trip to 'Newseum' after Nate finished up his work
On Saturday (Mason's actual birthday), we spent a fun day together. After we sang Happy Birthday to him in the morning, ate pancakes with strawberries and cream for breakfast (at his request), we took a drive to Washington DC. We first took a stop to see some of Nate's relatives--Tom and Karen Barbour--and chat about family history (which I love because Nate has some amazing ancestors). Then we drove to a candy shop, since ever since we went to NYC all Mason could talk about was the candy shop. We let him and Stanley each choose one candy. Then we went to National Harbor where we went on a ferris wheel. It was all of our first time on a ferris wheel and it did not disappoint. It was beautiful on that clear blue sky day to see that view of that city that I love so much. We also got a glimpse at the pre-super moon, and a beautiful sunset. I was so grateful that Nate had this special day planned for Mason that he was so excited about. Thank you Nate for being the sweetest Daddy any boy could dream of!
see the family resemblance? The Barbours were so kind and hospitable to us!
so fun to see Christmas popping up around the city
i PROMISE we do not normally let our kids eat this much candy :) and we had several good teeth brushing sessions later on
looking up at the ferris wheel
giving his ticket - can't get over him
sharing.. a little unsanitary, but SO CUTE and sweet, that I couldn't stop it
