Gingerbread Sand Castle

The catering department hosts our F&N Christmas Open House each year. This year our districts theme is Survivor. They decided to use the theme for the party. The head of catering asked me to create a gingerbread sandcastle for the main table display. I was so excited and I knew Sweet Knees would be too! He loves this kind of thing. It's like when we make cakes, I take care of the creative bit and he gets all the logistics. I have learned so much from him, but I still have a loooooong way to go. We spent a little over 14 hours on this piece and it turned out AH-MAZING! I was so proud of my sculpting skills with the little crab, he is so stinkin' cute!

Thankful

Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Turkey! Turkey! Turkey!

Pie! Pie! Pie!

Family! Family! Family!

We had dinner at Photo Op’s house this year. Her in-laws were in town too, so she had a house full! After we ate we played games and told stories and laughed until we were sick. 

Photo Op and her Tofurkey!

We have a few traditions we do Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving morning we always have a pancake toss for breakfast and then watch the Macy’s Day parade together. And we always put up Christmas. So we spent the day hanging ornaments, putting up decorations, placing the Nativity scene, and of course eating! I pretty much spent the day in the kitchen – my second favorite place to be – and cooked to my little heart’s content. Everything made from scratch – oh it was heaven. The turkey was so moist; I am sooo in love with brining! Little Love still being the youngest in the family placed the star on top of the tree. We always have so much fun placing our ornaments on the tree, reminding each other of all the great memories associated with each one. We have a tradition on our family that we draw names for ornaments and we swap each year either buying or making. This is our year for making! Can’t wait to post pictures!!

A tradition we had when I was growing up was my Dad’s Onion dip. We carried on that tradition this year. Little Love was in charge of making it. She had never had it before, but she tried it and loved it. I had to put it away because she would not stop eating it!

The Halloween That Almost Wasn't

…then suddenly she realized that she never posted any Halloween pictures and she hung her head in utter shame.

We did not make it to the pumpkin patch this year but we still had a blast carving our pumpkins!

Sweet Knees as always pulled out the big guns when it came to his pumpkin! As Little Love and I were inside carving like normal people, he was outside with his dremel….pumpkin was flying everywhere!!  But I guess I have to admit, his always look amazing.

Something I have always loved about Little Love is that she is so incredibly unique at what she wants to be for Halloween. While all her little friends were princesses she was Tim Noah Jungle Explorer!  She never is bothered explaining to people who or what she is...I bet that is why she does it, to have a conversation starter with as many people as she can!  This year she chose JEM. you know, from that 80's cartoon, the one where she is really Jerrica digsuised as JEM the Rock Star and she has to touch her magic earrings to be made into JEM? of course there is no JEM sewing pattern so we made due the best we could. She loved it!

We went to a friend neighborhood out in Gilbert for Tricks or Treats. It was so fun, just like when we were little. Kids all over the place! People laughing and talking to neighbors! It was the best Halloween I have had since I was a kid.

This is the Booth Family. We road out together to the Ferguson's house. 

After we went to have dinner at Chipotle, they had $1.00 burritos if you came in costume - couldn't pass that up! 

HALLOWEEN WAS AWESOME!!

(i still think I win for best costume- stay at home mom!)