Decking the halls...

The day after Thanksgiving is always reserved for decorating and Andy is always a trooper! Grandpa and Grandma watched Adam while we got the house all decked out. I was really looking forward to Adam seeing all the decorations and his reactions did not disappoint!

I knew from the minute he walked in and exclaimed "hiiiiiiiiiiii Christmas tree!" that this was going to be our best holiday season yet!

A very Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of family, lots of great food, a festive parade, and unbelievably sunny and mild weather! 

We woke up nice and early at Ommy and Poppy's and geared up for the parade.  Adam was very excited (or maybe I was the one that was excited and it just rubbed off on him).  It was great getting to share this with my little turkey.  The marching bands always caught his attention and he was introduced to Spiderman!  All in all, it was a great parade and I still plan on running that thing some day.

We spent a good part of the day making turkeys (Andy did his on the smoker, mine was nice and cozy in the oven), setting the tables, and watching a little football.

Family began showing up around 5:00 and we then spent the rest of the evening chatting, eating, drinking, and watching the cousins play.  We even had a turkey carving demonstration for Drew...and then for me. 

It was the perfect Thanksgiving (except for the fact that my dad was sick and couldn't come) and we are so thankful and blessed to be able to enjoy such a feast with such a wonderful family (whom we apparently preferred to spend time with than to bother taking pictures of...oops!)

Thanksgiving lunch at Adam's school...

We experienced yet another rite of passage as parents, Thanksgiving lunch at school.  I don't think there's anything more fun that showing up and surprising your child in the middle of the day and then getting to eat lunch with him as he shows you off to all his friends.  "This is MY mommy."  "That's MY daddy." 

I loved every minute of it.  I loved watching Adam pass the plates out to everyone (that was his duty for the day).  I loved watching Adam place heaping spoonfuls of stuffing and collard greens on his plate (who knew they could serve themselves?)  I loved watching Adam politely pass the food on to Lilly who was sitting next to him.  I loved seeing him gobble up all of his turkey and then ask for more.  I loved watching him clear his plate and wash his hands...all on his own.  And I loved the food...it was really good! 

I'm so thankful for the great school that Adam goes to.  I'm thankful for his amazing teachers whom he loves and trusts.  I'm thankful for his great friends.  Mostly I'm just thankful to be Adams' mom. 

Happy birthday Liddy!

Our sweet little Liddy Poppins turned 6 last month and we just had to celebrate.  Andy whipped up a batch of blueberry banana cupcakes and iced one with peanut butter just for the birthday girl. 

Adam was so excited to celebrate another birthday in the house and spent the day and night chasing Liddy around so he could give her birthday hugs. 

After we serenaded Liddy with a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" it was time for her to make a wish, then Adam helped her blow out her candle and open her presents.

We don't know what you wished for Liddy, but we hope it comes true!

XOXOXO

Family feast in the woods...

Our final night in the camper we headed back up north and spent the evening camping at Bull Run Regional Park.  It made for the perfect central location to invite Andy's family to join us for an outdoor feast around the fire. 

Adam was excited to see his cousins and had fun playing in the leaves and watching them climb trees.  We had a great dinner of hamburgers and brats and finished the night with s'mores. 

It was a great way to end our fun camping weekend!

Trip to Jamestown

I remember as a kid LOVING Jamestown so I was excited to take Andy (who had never been) and Adam knowing they'd love it too.  It is really so well done, and the new museum was great with lots to keep Adam's attention. 

Once outside we had fun walking through the Indian village and then up to the Fort where we walked through the masonry, the Church of England, and got to see the Governor's mansion. 
 

Then we made our way to the water and got to not only see the ships but got to go onto them.  I'm not sure I recall being able to board the ships as a kid, so this was an added bonus for sure.  The tour guides, dressed to the times, were great and encouraged us to explore and even lay down in the beds.  Adam was mesmerized!
 

After exploring the ships we walked back through the Indian village and let Adam run around.  He was very well behaved and seemed to really be taking it all in.  Looking forward to exploring more places like Jamestown with Adam in the future.

Pre-Thanksgiving...in the woods

I'd have to say that Pre-Thanksgiving is definitely my third favorite holiday of the year...behind of course the real Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This year marked the 8th annual Pre-Thanksgiving and while we had a minor hiccup (originally we were slated to celebrate at Wintergreen but mold and leaking walls got in the way..sorry Dad) we didn't let that get us down and instead we invited our wonderful friends, Chris and Aimee and their son Ryan to the woods for "Pre-Thanksgiving on a stick!" 

Ok, so the only sticks used were those we threw to Liddy, but I think that saying has a nice ring to it. I have to say though, I was very impressed with the feast we were able to put together in the middle of the woods, and while we did have an oven in our camper, it didn't work. So, we had to get creative and found that the smoker was the perfect device for cooking mashed potatoes, stuffing, and of course the turkey! 

 

It was so great spending time with our friends and Adam and Ryan had fun playing in the woods together.  The fire was the perfect backdrop and we were once again reminded of how thankful we are for our family that isn't blood related. 

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving to all our friends!

 

Playing catch...

There aren't a whole lot of things that are better than sitting back on a brisk fall day and watching your husband throw a football with your son. Throw in a pumpkin ale and it's autumnal heaven.