Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday at Rob's parents house and while I missed getting together with my family also, crazy as that is when we have two big dinners in one day, I don't think my brother-in-law and sister weren't too upset, as they were on their way to Hawaii for a vacation, with my brother meeting them there on Saturday. My mom was able to go with us to my in-laws as well and my dad wasn't feeling up to a large family get-together this year, so it worked out. Ashleigh helped me make a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake with caramel swirl to bring over that was a big hit and also our traditional pistachio salad. I love the wonderful foods that come with the holiday season. Can't wait to make my fudge nut bars next week! Joining us at Rob's parents' house were his grandma Ethel and his Aunt Penny, Uncle Rick, and cousins, Scott and Katie. So fun to see Katie, who's 9, playing great all day with Ashleigh and Ethan!




After not decorating last Christmas and realizing even though decorating is a lot of effort, it's well worth it, we got out all of our decorations this morning and were glad we did. Rob and I had a tradition of cutting our own Christmas tree in the mountains on the day after Thanksgiving for the first three years we were married, but with two little kids and me over 7 months pregnant, that's just not a feasible trip this year. So it was Ethan's first Christmas of decorating and he really got into hanging the ornaments and calling the glass balls 'Bubbles'. He has broken one of them already, but thankfully wasn't hurt.

The Election

Other than being disappointed and discouraged this week about the election results, it's been a good week. I am so thankful that the traditional marriage amendments passed in the states where they were being voted upon. During my quiet time this morning, I read in 2 Timothy 3:1-5

3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 3:2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 3:5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power.

Being the non-English/engineering person I am, I had to look up repudiated and it means to reject as having no authority or binding force. Sounds a lot like America today, but the fact that the majority still supports marriage in the traditional sense of God's definition for marriage give me hope for our nation. God's will happens through both godly and ungodly leaders alike and no powers of man or person will stand in the way of that!

Happy Halloween!

Ethan (16 mo) and Ashleigh (4 yrs) dressed up as Dragons for Halloween

For Halloween this year, both kids dressed up as dragons. It was fun seeing Ethan get excited about dressing up and the candy, his new favorite word. On Halloween, we went to the library for storytime and trick-or-treating and later went to our church's community harvest festival, which was huge! It's great to take the kids someplace safe and fun and safe with games, candy, food, jumpy castles, and a puppet show. We tried taking Ashleigh trick-or-treating when she was 1 around our neighborhood, but we don't know many of our neighbors and she doesn't do well with the scary decorations and costumes and I'm thankful our church offers an alternative to traditional Halloween activities. I left my camera in the car during the Harvest Festival, but luckily got a few pictures of the kids in costume at storytime with their friends.

Hanna (ballerina), Aurelia (Texas Cheerleeder), Tatum (poodle), Kenzie (princess), Ethan, and Ashleigh (both dragons)

Traditonally, Halloween in Colorado = snow, but this year, we had upper 70s for the high and a beautiful park day with friends after storytime. Ethan actually looks hot in shorts and a T-shirt!