Forgot these...

Here's a few pics I forgot for Thanksgiving...
Keex and Atalie snuggling...

The girls and Bean and Paw Paw dancing...

Paw Paw reading a self-edited version of Cinderella...

Atalie listens intently. :)

And stories told by Uncle Jason.

It's been a while...

since I've updated. Lots has been going on!


Some things don't change. Yes, this is normal around our house.


The recent Nor'easter took out half of 2 of the trees in our front yard. Bradford Pears are not the sturdiest of trees. I rode down the street after the storm passed and a neighbor had one of those scarecrow-on-a-stick yard decorations still standing. But, no, not our tree. Maybe I should have staked a scarecrow to our trees.


Brian strapped Atalie to his back and proceeded to rake up the remaining mess in our yard.
Snow White helped. Well, sang and twirled in circles. Close enough.

Since then Atalie has been sick and managed to get a black eye at church. Pitiful, huh?

Of course that goofy picture was the one that showed her black eye the best. :)
Next came Thanksgiving. Brian worked this Thanksgiving, so the girls and I went to my parents' house and spent the day with them.


The next day Charis helped clean in anticipation of Thanksgiving #2.
Brian was home for this one and we invited both of our families over. I cooked my first turkey, which went amazingly well! I forgot to take a before picture, but here's the carcass. Just what you wanted to see, right? I have since been informed that, yes, that is a little weird.

Charis played her version of football in the front yard with Brian and her cousins. She busted her lip, but she was having so much fun that she didn't even care.


Then Sunday we had Thanksgiving #3 with Brian's entire family (grandparents, cousins, uncles, etc etc) in North Carolina. The girls slept on the way there and woke up just as we arrived. The firefighters posed for a picture (or 20, since I was taking them). They have a great yard and field, so Charis played with her cousins outside and got nice and muddy. Atalie chowed down on sweet potatoes, rolls, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. It was a hit! Then Carie graciously rocked her so she could catch a quick snooze.


This week it's been leftovers (my favorite!). I made a yummy apple pie using leftover cranberry sauce. YUM! And Charis made Brian a turkey sandwich. Well, mayonnaise sandwich with some turkey. :)

A Day to Remember

On one of the pretty fall days we had this month we decided to go for a treasure hunt. Well, treasures to Charis. She loves looking for leaves, sticks, rocks, pine cones, acorns...pretty much anything she can find outside. Near our house is a patch of woods and a small (and when I say small, I mean small) hill. So we packed up our basket and stroller, bundled up, and headed off.
This is Charis's first find. A stick. She was desperately trying to break it. I loved watching her...it reminded me of how small she is. It was such a struggle to break this twig, but she really delighted in the struggle. I glanced at her a moment later, and she told me she was watching the leaves fall. Well, "I yooking at tall yeebs tall down," translated as "I'm enjoying the visual splendor of the autumn foliage as it tumbles aimlessly through the breeze." Her daddy loves leaves, forests, land, and all things wild and secluded; she reminds me so much of him sometimes.

Lost in her sweet little thoughts...

It wasn't posed, promise. She was in her own little world, soaking up every bit of fresh air before I tortured her by making her go home and eat lunch. :)
And Atalie watched her sister tumble down the "hill" and roll in the leaves. Then Charis decided to try to teach Atalie how to roll around.

I think Charis was feeding Atalie a leaf...mmm....
I think this day will be etched in my memory for a long time.