In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Wow, I can't believe Thanksgiving week is here already. I just loved this video. I LOVE Thanksgiving. I really missed not having this holiday when we were down under. I think that anyone can benefit from stepping back and looking for things to be grateful for. When I think of everything I could mention, I get teary.

it's nice to know

that these guys weren't a fluke. their second album, contra, which comes out in january, is sounding like it's going to be almost or just as good as their first. this is the video for the first single from the afore-mentioned album. it's called cousins, and it doesn't stink!

todaysmama holiday meme

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
a new lens for my camera, a hand-held blender, camera gear, adobe photoshop cs4, and books! books! books!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
when i was a teenager i started to make a hand-bound book and never finished it. years later my mom finished sewing the pages and bound it for me. it was an amazing present.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
a really funky afghan.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
my parents always made christmas so fun, it's hard to say. probably when they gave me and my twin sister each a little kitten.
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
c.: anything with car, truck, or robot. m.: art supplies
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
my mom's homemade rolls. they are perfection.
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
i might try a gum-drop wreath i just saw on a blog, or help the kids make their own snow globes
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
it's a wonderful life. hands down, favorite movie of all time.
9. Favorite holiday song?
"christmas time is here" from a charlie brown christmas. (but i really love so many others)
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
hanging out with family and watching my kids open their presents.

i can see the pines are dancing

on a recent fall-getting-close-to-winter day, we all went to the park together.

can you see m. at all in this first one? she's standing under that really big tree.

it was cold. this is m.'s cold face:

this is when daddy helped her cross a fallen-tree bridge.

here is little c.'s cold face:

here is m. playing on the bridge

i like the way the light turned out in this one:

daddy climbed quite a tall tree, like a conquering hero:

i just loved the way little c. was looking down in this one:

our halloween

i suppose i should finally put up our halloween pictures. it's taken me a while because i've been working nights and i've been pretty tired. but halloween was AWESOME! the best part about it is that j. has forgotten his trick-or-treating candy and i don't have to worry about inordinate amounts of sugar going into his system. oh, and i thought it was so funny when people were asking what kind of candy s. likes. she's barely 8 months. give me a break.

at the stake halloween carnival with the cousins.
going trick-or-treating!

buying that firefighter costume for j. was the best money i've ever spent! can't wait to see what he wants to be next year.

all hallow's eve (and week)

halloween week is always such a blast in our neighborhood. we get to go to the ward party, the school carnival, and then regular trick-or-treating. i had lofty aspirations for costumes this year and once again fell back on the store-bought stuff. oh well, these kids look cute in everything! and they had such a fun week.