Moey's Heart & Hearth: November 2007

Today is Christmas Tree Day

Our tradition is to decorate the Christmas Tree on the day after Thanksgiving.

So, with Charlotte Church singing carols in the background -- whatever DID happen to my beloved Anne Sofia von Otter? -- we unpacked the tree and all the ornaments we could find.

Everybody enjoyed helping to set up the tree, a long task, interspersed with breaks for homemade hot cocoa and runs to Kroger for tinsel....

Kitty thought the rustly tree-branches were ideal hunting prey.

And as dubious kitty looks at the position he's in here, he was certainly eager to climb up the middle of the tree to the top just as soon as he could, and as many times as he could. Perhaps he'd like to be angel kitty after all.

Somewhere along the way Jr Spragus got the idea that he could "blow" the lights on and "blow" them off. I can't imagine how he got that impression. *Daddy whistling innocently*

Aha...with the tinsel, the tree looks snowy. Unlike the ground outside, which, although there were flurries overnight (I got up at 3am to check), was clear -- although the kids did get to play a little earlier as a few flakes were flying around.

We are looking forward to, perhaps, crafting some decorations of our own this year. But for now, our tree looks pretty and cheers up the living room. I think we are all in the Christmas spirit and looking forward to the rest of the season.

Thanksgiving Dinner

We did have a very lovely Thanksgiving Day. Quiet, relaxed. Most of the family watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning, and enjoyed spending time with Daddy, home from work.

We were hoping for a dusting of snow today, as the weather man was promising, but the anticipated event did not occur. Perhaps a few flurries overnight.

Grandma's house was filled with laughter all night thanks in part to the antics of Jr Spragus and Baby, who were exploring anything that could be turned on or off; rolled; thrown; rocked; pulled apart; fallen off of, or otherwise manipulated with baby hands and vigor.

And dinner, of course, was Thanksgiving-y delicious. Spinach and pomegranate salad; sweet potato casserole with lashings of butter and layers of marshmallows; turkey, dressing and gravy; parker house rolls; and the glazed carrots and green bean casserole. Followed by coffee and pumpkin pie.

Baby ate until he looked like he would pop. After three or so plates full, he finally laid his head back in the high chair and sighed. Perhaps the rest of us were in a similar state but not quite so expressive.

The four older children sat at a separate table, and were led in their Thanksgiving prayer by the oldest cousin, 11 years old. Eavesdropping their prayer even as ours was being said, I heard them give thanks for family and friends reunited, the food, and ponies.

Holidays for me will likely forever be bittersweet. How could I look at the happy gathering and not be, well, happy...and yet if only one could be in two places and enjoy an equally happy gathering with loved ones on the other side of the world.

We miss you.

We love you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Seasons Are A-Changing

Happy Thanksgiving.

Balmy Weather, Fair Friends

Today we had a visit from friends who dropped by to bring us a fresh pie; and who stayed in the sunny, warm weather, to enjoy the yard and play for a couple of hours. The day was relaxed and lovely, just visiting with another mamma while the children made "clay", and built a teepee at the side of the house.

Uncle D is over for dinner just now. As we were supping sweet potato pie and hazelnut coffee around the table -- after enjoying tasty soup, smoky Walts' Barbecue, some quiet discussion by the campfire, along with a little flashlight experimentation and a great deal of after-dark tire-swinging in the surprisingly balmy (for November) evening, I noticed that Jr Spragus had enjoyed making a little party of his own.