Observations about Thanksgiving this year…

Having 2 ovens for Thanksgiving ROCKS.

The girls are old enough to help bake pies.

What did we do last year for Thanksgiving when I was so sick?  I don’t remember.

The girls eat more and more of the Thanksgiving meal every year. ;D

We don’t use the dining room much…but when we do I love having it.

We are watching It’s A Wonderful Life with the kids for the first time.  I LOVE this movie.

I love my family.

I am happy.

Why is it that when you go to a destination it always seems to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r but when you are coming home it takes no time at all?  I’ve never understood that.  So when we drive to Moab…even though it is only about 6 hours…about the time we get to Idaho Springs…only 45 minutes from the house…the kids start saying, “Are we THERE yet?”  Yeah.  That gets really old really quickly.  ;D

Just a couple of favorite photos from the first day of our trip…

More to come.  ;D

Lots-o-loot.  Too much I’m sure.  That’s the great…or not so great…thing about living in the burbs.  We went barely and hour and their baskets were full.  See that basket Laney is carrying in the photo below.  Yeah.  FULL. ;D  Happy Halloween!

We didn’t have to worry about people stealing our pumpkins and smashing them…oh no.  Other “things” were afoot last night.

Corey and I are laughing and laughing.  The girls are not.   So now our jacks look really creepy for Halloween…or maybe just gross.  Laney begged me not to take a photo and both girls want us to throw them away before the trick or treaters arrive.  Muahahahahahah!

We carved pumpkins tonight.  Such fun.  I love traditions. ;D

I don’t usually post while on vacation.  However.  This year we are staying in a hotel.  Just to shake things up.  And I find that staying in a hotel makes it a little more conducive to using a computer than staying at a campground does. ;D

…the photos from our home fireworks show.  I love that we can buy fireworks here in Colorado.  In Maine we were lucky if we got a box of sparklers for the 4th. ;D  We got a large pack of fireworks on sale this year and there were a ton inside.  You know its pretty good when the neighbors come out and watch.

Having fun playing with long exposure time.  I told the girls to not move…but move the sparklers.  So much fun to do this!!!!

I’m so thankful I have Corey who will light these things.  Cause even tho I will participate…I hate lighting them.  I especially hate the loud ones and I hate those freakin popper ones…the little white ones that you just throw at the ground and they snap really loudly.  The girls just LOVE THEM…even tho they are the most simple things on earth and Corey will do all those nice loud ones with them.  When they come out…I disappear inside.  Thank goodness for a fun Dad! ;D

Corey really does have the best ideas. ;D We were trying to decide where to watch fireworks for the 4th.  Lots of places were firing them off on Saturday the 3rd.  One of those places was Glendale…which just happens to be where Corey’s office is.  In a high rise.  On the 15th floor.  Facing the directions of where they were going to shoot off the fireworks.

We avoided crowds, parking problems, noisy people, mosquitoes and enjoyed comfy office chairs, air conditioning and hot chocolate!  Oh yeah…and we could see the fireworks just perfectly!  The 15th floor offers some advantages…and so does a private parking lot and a badge to get in the building.  What a neat way to watch them! ;D

My only issue…I still can’t exactly figure out my new camera when taking photos at night.  So these aren’t the greatest photos…at least not how I like them! ;D

I’ve been feeling kinda rotten since I got out of the hospital.  Just frustrated with how slowly it seems to be taking to get better.  No magic pill to take…you know.  But today was sunny and warm and I thought maybe if I sat outside for a little while it might make me feel a little better.  It did.  Now I still can’t run any marathons or anything but something about sitting out in the sun…does wonders for my soul.

When I downloaded my camera tonight I was very surprised to see that I had over 160 photos!  Granted it was Mother’s Day…not that we did much given the circumstances.  But for some reason I was feeling great behind the camera and everyone was cooperating well. ;D

Here are just a few I’m going to share.  Of course there isn’t room for all 160!

Ava turned 9 yesterday.  Already she is focusing on the fact that next year she will be in the double digits. ;D  We took her to Red Robin for dinner.

I’m upset at how sick I look.  But as we joke…I almost died. Hey.  If I don’t make jokes I cry. ;D  I’m trying to get used to including pictures of me…no matter how I look.  It took a lot out of me to go out.  But I’m glad I am out of the hospital and able to be with my family for this occasion.