Reading goal

I just finished listening to another book. After I updated my reading progress to 'completed' on goodreads.com, I decided to count how many books I have read this year. Thirty books thus far. I just may surpass my goal of 35 books!  Just five more to go. Seeing as I'm already into three different books (one book on CD, on hardcover, and one on my kindle), it's totally doable!!

Thanksgiving

We had a great time in Vermont, celebrating Thanksgiving with Mom, Bert, Anthony, Rita, Mitch, and Reba. 

Since work gave me a fresh turkey, I set it in a brine to soak on our way up to VT Wednesday evening and roasted it Thursday morning. I don't know if I ever really asked Mom how she felt about me just commandeering the turkey preparations. I hope she didn't mind!

The turkey was DELISH, by the way. 

Everyone ate their fill and then it was time for the Men of the family to rest. 

Grace photo bombed. 

Thursday evening/night we played games. Everything from Memory to Scattergories to Monopoly.  I cleaned house in Monopoly. ;)

A great weekend for all. Even if it was cut shorter than I'd have liked. 

Thanksgiving vs. Christmas

Since just prior to Halloween, every store I have gone in is bedecked with Christmas.  Christmas decorations.  Stocking stuffer ideas.  Christmas foods.  Even Christmas caroles on the loudspeaker, in some cases.

I have steadfastly refused to even THINK Christmas just yet.  I refuse to allow all the 'marketing geniuses' and their silly notions to rush me along through the holiday season.  I wish to experience one holiday at a time.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  I love that it's all about food and family.  When I am hosting Thanksgiving, I feel like I'm in my element.  I thoroughly enjoy the symphony that I create in the kitchen.  When I am not hosting Thanksgiving, I love spending time with family members I don't always get to see.  Sitting and relaxing with each other while smelling the yummy foods cooking is my idea of heaven.

This year's Thanksgiving will see me relaxing.  I will enjoy the company of family I don't get to see often enough.  With the exception of listening to Christmas music during the day (a tradition I have held on to from my own childhood), I will do nothing but celebrate Thanksgiving.  Perhaps after work on Black Friday I will put together a Christmas shopping list.

One holiday at a time.

First dance!

Approximately once a month during the school year, our town's rec department puts on a dance for the 6-8th grade students. The last Saturday of October was the first one of the year. Knowing that my girls would more than likely want to attend, I volunteered to chaperone.

It was Dianna's first Rec Dance. Also a first for her best bud, Katina. Here is a picture I snapped of the two of them just before the dance started. Don't you just love the looks of sheer excitement??

Happy Halloween (a little late!)

This year we had a ghost (again! Third year in a row....I now wonder if Mom ever got tired of my dressing as a clown for years on end...), a nerd, a minion, and a ninja. 

As in years past, we joined the neighbors for a fun evening of trick-or-treating. 

The parents were all surprised to find there were adult treats at one of our neighbor's houses. 

She had beer and wine waiting in the cooler. How awesome is that?!?

p.s.  Sorry for the grainy quality of the pictures.....that's what happens when I use my cell phone camera rather than my Canon Rebel.

More to come!

So I just posted a couple of pics of the kiddos carving pumpkins.  I have more pictures to share, but no time to upload them right now.  Need to get ready for church.  Check back later for more images!

Catching up

I've got some pictures to share, but not a lot of time to post them.  Here are a couple that Gordon took the night before Halloween.  The kiddos really got into preparing their Jack-O-Lanterns.  I think this was the first year that I didn't have to do all the work myself!