Sunday, November 30, 2008

End of Thanksgiving Weekend

Since Thanksgiving is all about family, food, and feeling thankful for both, here are a few photos of our day that hopefully express my gratitude for all that I have.

The day before Thanksgiving Jordan helped me make an apple pie. She also made banana bread all on her own from start to finish (I guess that job of mine can now pass down to her!).



Earlier that day, Jensen helped me make sugared pecans that we took to some of our friends and neighbors. Those are a traditionally southern thing that I now love. I didn't have my camera out that early in the morning so I missed the shot of her in her apron...so cute!

In goes the turkey on the big day itself.

The whole feast.

The boys that I love.

And the girls that I love too!

I've lost track of how many of these hand turkeys I've received over the years, but I love each and every one.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Day Before Thanksgiving

It's the day before the big feast and the girls and I have been cooking already. More info and photos when I post about Thanksgiving later in the weekend. First, an update since my last post.

Jordan had her first ever middle school orchestra concert. She is playing the violin. The concert was on Nov. 11th. School started on August 29th or something like that. We missed two weeks of school due to the hurricane. So that means that these kids have only been playing these instruments for two months. A concert? Really?

At the start of it, the orchestra director said to us that even if our kids go on to be in the high school orchestra and are playing mozart and beethoven, that no concert would be more beautiful than the one we would hear tonight. And I think she was right. These kids had never even seen these instruments before two months ago and here they were playing songs that we actually could recongnize. Now, granted, they were simple songs, but I recognized them. I was duly impressed.

At the end they did a funny thing. They had been playing Twinkle, Twinkle (like I said, simple songs) and one kid piped up and said that the song was so easy that they could play it hopping on one foot. And they did! Very cute. I wasn't prepared so I didn't have my camera ready, but I quickly took it out.

Next, another kid yelled out that the song was so simple they could play it with one hand tied behind their back. Half of the kids set down their instruments and used their bows to play a neighbor's instrument. Funny.

Lastly, someone called out that the song was so easy that they could play it in their sleep! All the kids in the orchestra laid down, all the while playing the song perfectly.

It was a fantastic ending to a really great performance! Jordan might continue on in orchestra and if she does I bet this is the concert that I will remember most.

Monday, November 10, 2008

So proud of this girl...

Jordan's last meet of the season was yesterday. She has worked incredibly hard for the past year and yesterday had her best competition yet. She received her highest scores ever in all four events and her highest all around score. Go Jojo!

Don't they look like they're ready to kick some butt?

Look at those legs!

I totally skipped over Halloween

The election kind of took over but we did celebrate Halloween and had a great time.

The elementary school kids had early release that day and got out at 11:30. I hosted a mom/kid get-together and rented a moonbouce. We had lunch, a drink or two, and watched the kids play. The weather was absolutely perfect. Everyone went home around 3:00 or 4:00 and by 6:00 we were at another neighbor's house for a cook-out before our two hours of trick or treating. It really was a fun night. I love when Halloween falls on a Friday!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

An Historical Day

Jim and I both voted early but I spent the day at an election anyway...the Shadow Forest Election. Over the past week students have made campaign posters, the 5th graders "registered" all the other students in the school and explained the process to them, all students have been talking about the candidates in their classes and today it was time to cast their votes. The school computer lab was turned into the polling location for this special event. I was even one of the "Election Officials." And better yet, I think both Jackson and Jensen voted for Barack Obama (it took a little persuading for Jackson but I was relentless...the kids in his class have a lot of influence...everyday he'd come home from school and I'd have to start all over with my speech).

Jackson carefully studying the ballot

Happy he made the right choice :-)


A little persuasion trying to go on here...the "official" helping Jensen asked her which picture she "liked better" (huh?). I had never even shown her pictures of the candidates, we had just discussed names. Jensen pointed to John McCain. I said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jensen, who do you want to vote for?" She said, "Rock Obama." Good thing I was there.




The Shadow Forest election will go overwhelmingly to McCain. I'm hopeful the national election will have a different result. It'll be interesting watching the results come in tonight and in the morning we'll wake up to a new leader who will shape the future for these two.