Third Grader

When John saw Ava's school picture this year he said, "if you boiled down a third grader to their very essence you would have Ava." How sweet is she?

Eleven

Today John and I celebrate our eleventh wedding anniversary.  We've crammed a lot into the past eleven years, but I wouldn't do anything differently. We are going out to celebrate tomorrow night with a big assist from Meghan. We're going to dinner at the Cafe Di Scala, using a gift certificate she got us LAST Christmas.  We had our first date at that restaurant when it was called Chat Noir.  Then we're going to see Wicked at the Civic Center. Meghan will stay home with the little girls so we can enjoy a rare evening out for our anniversary.  Have I mentioned how great it is to have her home?

Today our schedules (and the weather!) aligned for us to go pick out our Christmas tree at Howell's Tree Farm.  (Also the site of pumpkin picking) We loaded up the car and headed over to Cumming to kick off our Christmas season

Happy Anniversary!

Striking a pose in the Christmas trees....

Sweet Ava, picking out the tree she wants....

Meghan, John and of course Orbit in his puffer huddling against the chilly wind....

The perfect tree!!

How gorgeous is Meghan?

And SANTA WAS THERE!!!

Can you believe it?!?!?!?

An Orbit sized Christmas tree....

Home to decorate the tree with our usual Christmas decorating array of snacks....  Sausage, cheese, crackers, chips, french onion dip, Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, squeeze cheese, peanut M&Ms....  Does it make your stomach hurt a little?  Hey!  There's grapes!  And almonds!

Thankful, so very, very thankful

My mother made a wonderful meal, we are home, stuffed and grateful for a fantastic evening.

Ava assisting her Papa in the turkey carving....

Kate assisting her mother in fried onion culling....

Super fabulous Meghan....

Amelia, trying to give her older sister Meghan a run for her money in the super fabulous department....

At his most thankful....

We have had the most beautiful Fall I can remember.  Yesterday the temperatures were in the high 50's, today it will reach 60.  For the first time in as long as I can remember we are not cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  We love to cook, we love Thanksgiving, but John had a particularly demanding few days at work and my parents invited us to their house for Thanksgiving dinner. John's depositions ended yesterday afternoon, so he grabbed his clubs and recruited Meghan and Ava to go play 9 holes....

This morning I ran a funny Turkey Trot Race at the State Fairgrounds with a friend of mine.  When I got home John headed out for some more golf while I made our lone contribution to dinner: these rolls. Because we love to cook and plan for big meals we probably won't do this every year, but we are enjoying an easy, different Thanksgiving.

There is so much for us to be thankful for... our family, our health, our home and our good fortune. I love a day that pauses to celebrate all there is to be grateful for with a wonderful meal.

Annoying Little Brother

Meghan and her dog Aspen have come to stay with us!  While Ava and Amelia are thrilled (I mean thrilled!) to have Meghan here all! the! time! Aspen appears to have acquired a very annoying little brother in Orbit.....there's a lot of playing.  And a lot of puppy kissing. And a general lack of understanding that Orbit weighs about 40 pounds less than Aspen...

Visitors

This weekend the Minnesota Moorlach's paid us a visit.   The census our 1600 square foot house swelled to 5 adults and 6 children, plus one dog.  It was cozy, but not crowded somehow. It helped to have beautiful weather and Grandma Marilyn's inexhaustible energy!

The kids loved cuddling in for TV, games and movies...  including Ava who looks a little dazed in this picture.

Orbit found a new friend in Luke, especially at mealtime!

Amelia and Adam, solving the puzzle...

Saturday morning, with a big assist from Papa Ray, Grandma Jo and Grandma Marilyn, Brian, Hilary, John and I ran the Living History Farms cross country race.  It was the most fun I can remember having!  We ran through corn fields, crossed the creek (8 times) and scrambled up muddy embankments.  We stayed together as a group and I was honestly sad when the race was over!

Saturday night the whole crew went to Bambino's for dinner. On a busy Saturday night we enjoyed some hearty dinner and the kids did a nice job of managing a somewhat long wait for our food to arrive.  The yummy rolls helped! When our food arrived our dinners were accompanied by some of the biggest spoons I've seen set aside for eating - Ava models....

For breakfast Sunday morning I made the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.  I have made these a couple of times, but think I finally have the process down and this batch turned out great!  Up while the rest of the house was still snoozing I rolled out the dough, then doused it in butter, a lot of butter....

The rolls proofing....

The final product... with some to share...

We've looked forward to this weekend for quite awhile and here on Monday morning, now that it's over and Grandma Marilyn is packing up to head home we all feel a little sad....

Only Dad

John took Amelia to an appointment this morning, but first they stopped off at LaMie for a quick snack.  Only Dad would ok a macaroon and orange Pelligrino at breakfast! 

Puffer!

As the mornings (and evenings!) turn chilly our poor Orbit shivers like mad outside.  He loves being outside, going for walks, playing with the kids.  For the few days we had some snow on the ground he enjoyed romping around digging and rolling about in the snow. But then his little dachshund body starts shaking from the cold.  So Meghan bought him an early Christmas present - a little orange puffer vest.  He is so stinking cute in his little jacket!  And unlike his Halloween costume, he seems to like his vest.  He's a smart puppy - I swear he knows the difference! 

Blissed out

This morning I came home from the gym to find John curled up on the couch with Amelia practically humming with happiness.  See, normally Amelia (who is not a great sleeper) rises early so she can watch a Team Umi Zoomi before the morning breakfast routine begins.  This morning Amelia poo-pooed Umi Zoomi in favor of Big Break Ireland, a reality competition show on the Golf Channel. A few minutes later Ava joins them cooing, "oohhh, Big Break Ireland - I love this show!!"  One of the best possible starts to John's day!

Quite a Day

Amelia's day care is closed on all federal holidays, so today, Veteran's Day, I took the day off to spend with her.  We had quite a day planned.  We started by getting pedicures with her big sister Meghan.  (Amelia also talked them into painting her fingers as well.  With a little flower.  And a rhinestone.)  I am pretty sure I was in my 20's before I had my first pedicure.  Meghan seems to recall she was a Senior in high school.  So here we are with four year old Amelia, starting her young....

Waiting for her polish to dry with her big sister...

After lunch and a nap, Amelia requested that we make pumpkin bread.  She's been asking for it all week and fortunately we had the ingredients to make this recipe, with mini-chocolate chips added to the batter.  It is delish!  Amelia is a very good helper!

I love how Orbit follows patches of sun around all day...

While Amelia and I were enjoying a day of pampering and cooking, Ava was busy hosting Senator Tom Harkin on a visit to her school.  I got an email from a friend of mine who works as the Communications Director for the Des Moines Public Schools saying, "Ava is doing an excellent job hosting Senator Harkin."  I thought my heart might burst right out of my chest. Later in the day he sent these pictures - Love!  Is this setting her on the path to be a political staffer?  I'm not sure, but I am proud of her poise.  It was very kind of my friend to take and send these photos with an eye toward capturing Ava.  My family has a long history with Senator Harkin and they mean more than he could possibly know....

Ladies Who Lunch

We are absolutely loving having Meghan home, but I promise no one is loving it more than Ava and Amelia.  This week she has some time off from the work she is doing and decided to make special lunch dates with the girls.  

Yesterday was Ava's turn - she chose Centro - a favorite, fancy restaurant.  Meghan sends this picture to show the happiest third grader ever....

Today was Amelia's turn and naturally Amelia has to go with the edgier choice - Zombie Burger, where she actually had a Zombie hot dog.  This picture arrives from Meghan and my little girl looks so suddenly grown up.  Both girls felt so special to have this kind of attention from their big sister.

Last night it snowed - big, sloppy, gloppy wet snow.  The snow will be gone by this time tomorrow and this weekend it is supposed to be back in the 60's, but that didn't stop Ava and Jessica from racing outside to build a fort and throw some snow balls.  What you can't see in this picture is that Ava is wearing boots that are one size too small for her feet and snow pants that show her ankles. Who's the best mom?!

Back Together Again

Finally the floor project is complete!  Just in time for me to move on to the 100 other projects lurking in our house.  (The bedrooms, the kitchen counters, pavers outside, the storage area - ugh the storage area).  We spent quite a bit of time this weekend putting the house back together again.  We have a few little things left to do (like order a rug) but are very pleased with how everything looks.

Almost every morning Amelia has a whole wheat waffle with Nutella on top.  And she gets it all over her face. She reviews the weather in the newspaper while she eats and reports on the weather patterns.  Today it is going to be cold and rainy with Nutella all over your face.

Meghan is taking the girls out for lunch (individually) this week.  Today is Ava's turn and she has chosen lunch at Centro.  So is so excited...  She asked me to help her find a fancy outfit to wear for her lunch outing with her big sister.  Oh my goodness she looks suddenly 16 in this picture, doesn't she?

Whatever you do, do not cross the blue line...

Our flooring project is nearing completion!  Yesterday they sanded and put the first coat of stain/sealant on the floors.  They also put down a blue tape line and left strict instructions that we were not to be on the floors.  I, perhaps, emphasized this a bit too strongly to the girls because Amelia said, "whatever you do, do not cross the blue line or you will have to go to the hospital."  I probably wouldn't have been happy about it, but I wouldn't have sent anyone to the hospital for stepping across the blue line!

It was a lovely evening so the girls spent much of the evening outside with their friends shooting baskets.  Much like soccer, I don't believe there is a basketball scholarship pending for either of them, but it is fun to see them trying and playing.

Here Amelia shanks the ball off the bottom of the hoop. 

Tonight we could go back in the living room in socks only.  Ava and Amelia transformed the vacant living room into a dance studio. It will be very nice to be able to put the house back together this weekend and I think the new floors are just beautiful.

Camping Out

Sometimes we make things harder than they need to be...  We are back in the middle of a construction project in our house - one who's end result will be fantastic, but it makes this week feel kind of hectic.  Why didn't we do this part of our floor back in May when we did the rest of the main level?  I am sure we had a good reason at the time, but I can't possibly recall what it is!

Last night after bath the girls and I tucked into our bed for a little "Dancing With the Stars."  Our bedroom has the only operational TV in the house at the moment and it was fun cuddling with my warm, soapy smelling girls and watching some TV.  

An iPhone self-portrait.....

John does not like"Dancing With the Stars" so he watched a movie on his iPad, laying on the couch, in the kitchen....

The workmen made excellent progress on the floors yesterday and it appears we will be able to put the house back together sometime Friday.  The view into our kitchen...  the angle of this photo makes our house look much bigger than it actually is - I suppose that is an added benefit of extending the hardwood all over the main level!

Amelia also likes the couch in the kitchen!