Still Autumn At Thanksgiving

We had a very nice Thanksgiving.  It was at Jess' house this year, and when we got there, she had so many appetizers and snacks while the turkey was cooking.  I brought some sugar cookies and pink frosting, so the kids could decorate them later, and Jess' pumpkin pie was so good.  Nel made homemade whipped cream for the pie, and also some wraps which she cut into slices that were delicious.

Mia and Francesca were wearing the cutest Thanksgiving outfits.

My guitar-playing son-in-laws.  I love to listen to them play their music.

They hopped in the wagon, and Renecke pulled them for a long time around the patio area in the back yard.  They loved it.

Some beautiful Thanksgiving flowers.

Jess has a bunny throw that she drapes over the rocking chair.  It's so funny and cute.

We went upstairs in Francesca's room, so the kids could play in there for awhile.  It's decorated so nice, and it's a big and spacious room for Francesca to roam and play.  Jess put a little Christmas tree in her room with Pink ornaments.

Francesca was cracking up as she piled stuffed animals and toys on me, one after another, and so I let her, until I was buried in them.

Then, they started to throw balls at Jess while they were in the crib, a game they play.  And after that, they went after Nel in the tent haha.

A Mother always wonders if her daughters will be a gracious host when making a big holiday dinner for the family, but my daughters have learned to manage the time well, and always make the guests feel welcome and comfortable.

Jess lives in a nice area, and when we were driving out we saw beautiful trees all lined up on the street and still showing their Autumn leaves. 

It was a nice day with my family, and one that I'll remember always.  Thank you Jess and Brian.

 

 ~Sheri 

November Notes

It's been awhile since I spent Thanksgiving with all the family, but this year we will be together, and I'm looking forward to gathering and being with my loved ones on Thanksgiving day.

My mom's Thanksgivings were nothing fancy, but she always had good foods to eat that day.  Every year she used her Mother's gravy boat, and when she passed, I got this treasured item and have used it through the years on my own table at Thanksgiving.  She was funny about putting the names at the bottom of the items that people gave her.  I always thought that was a smart idea, and sometimes do the same.    

I used to read this book to my children when they were little.  They always loved it.

One day on a bike ride, Jess saw a sign that said, "coffee now open" at this Catholic Church right on the ocean cliff.  So, she rode in to check it out.  The church had really pretty grounds with flowers and a fountain.  She got a coffee to go, and it felt so nice to sit outside by the fountain and have her coffee.  Francesca loved her milk in her little coffee cup.  Then, they walked around the grounds, and Francesca and Jesus discussed peace.  Oh, how I want to frame this picture someday.

Nel's chalkboard art.  She's getting pretty good at it, and creates messages with each season.

I put away all my Fall cups and brought out my jolly Christmas ones.

And I think I'll have a sugar cookie that my son made to go with my coffee.

 

I watched The Pope say Mass on tv at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, which was special, indeed.  I thought about Jess in her travels when she took a trip to Vatican City years ago.

I miss seeing the turkeys up north.  They used to roam through the streets and even trot through the neighborhoods.  They were always entertaining to watch.

Speaking of turkeys... isn't this the funniest turkey costume my nephew is wearing?   His mom and dad participated in a "run to feed the hungry," and he was about 2 in this picture.

 Have you started decorating for Christmas yet?

~Sheri 

Sowwy

November is a mild month, and I enjoy the colder days and hot drinks, as we get ready for the Thanksgiving season.

We had a power outage recently, which lasted about a day, so I had to get all my candles out and put one in each room.  The ones shown here are my favorites.

There was also a dust storm in my town, and the winds were so fierce that I was a bit scared to drive home from Nel's house.  The winds were 80 mph, and there were tree branches falling in the middle of the roads while I was driving and street lights not working.  It was a strange day.

The first rain of the season.

Every day, I hug my Jesus doll and ask for strength in this world and protection.

One day when I was watching Mia, we were in her room having a tea party with her bears, and she said a word that made me smile.  It is her new word, i'm sowwy (i'm sorry).  I don't know where she heard it from, but it's a special word that we don't hear that often any more.   She says it playfully, but she clearly knows what it means.  She's a smart cookie already.  She will say it if she accidentally steps on the dog's foot, or trips over something, just whenever she wants to.  When I first heard her say this, I got very sentimental and I thought to myself, how can this precious child say something so easily that people find extremely difficult to say?  I don't understand it myself, because I honestly don't have a problem saying I'm sorry.  If you offend someone, you say you're sorry, it's as simple as that.  Yet, it still remains hard for people to say this.  In fact, I haven't heard these sincere words from some people in a very long time.   Dear Mia, keep saying the words, when and if they're needed, you beautiful child.

We have a new President!  I really like listening to him speak.  He talks calmly and concise.  I watched his Victory Speech and appreciate some of the things he said.

I hope you have happy and healthy November days.

I'm still enjoying my pumpkin desserts.  ; )

~Sheri 

Festive Quarantine Party

It was such a fun time at the Halloween Quarantine Party this weekend.  Nel and Jess worked around the clock and came up with so many clever ideas to make this day a blast for the kids.

The children watched a movie while the grown ups cleaned, prepared, and set everything up.

Jess in her cute t-shirt outside working on the haunted house.

Nel made a pot of jambalaya in the crock pot, which tasted like a dish straight out of New Orleans.  There were lots of kiddie foods too.

Jess made these pumpkin cookies, and later dipped them in melted chocolate.  I ate too many of them.  : )

Magic potion for the grown ups later on.

The table was fun and festive with the centerpiece being spooky books and the poison apple from Snow White.

Nel made the cutest favors and filled them with candy for the kids.

She also had pumpkins for each child.

They tried to make the haunted house as suitable as they could for the different ages.  These ghosts were so cute, and they lit up at night.

Jess created a long line of boxes so the kids could crawl through with cut-out windows on the sides.  They loved it!

There was a pinata also for later in the evening, a tradition that was passed on by their grandma.

Nel's dog guarding the cemetery.

Nel painting her nails and getting ready to put on her costume.  She said it's been a long time since she painted her nails.   That's motherhood for you.  ; )

Mia was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and Francesca was a Dinosaur.

I even dressed up!  A Spanish lady, and was surprised that I still fit into Nel's costume that she had when she was in her 30's haha.  The fan actually came from Spain, a gift that Nel brought back for me in her travels years ago.

It was a fun time for all, and they will have special memories for years to come.

My camera went a little wacky, and isn't this a spooky photo of Francesca?

Welcome November!

~Sheri