Thanksgiving Homestyle

This year was pretty unique to us because we got to spend all the major holidays together at home. And while we missed our families, we loved having a nice calm Thanksgiving together this year. And this year I wasn't recovering from a c-section -- enjoyed the turkey a little more because of that!

This year I bought a rather large turkey thinking we were having more people than just the 5 of us. Ended up being just the 5 of us anyway. So I cooked the bird. And boy was it awesome!! I used Williams-Sonoma's brine mix and brined the turkey for about 36 hours before I roasted it in the oven. It makes for a slightly saltier turkey and gravy, but that turkey comes out so juicy and tender. I always say I won't spend the money on the brine but it's ALWAYS worth it.



We had basic sides this year, too, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, salad, delicious bread, stuffing, gravy.




These brussel sprouts are delicious. Want the recipe? I swear you'll love them, even if you insist you don't.





And while all of us enjoyed the spread, Max refused turkey and had a turkey shaped peanut butter sandwich instead. That child and food. I swear, he does NOT get his food aversions and weirdness from me.



We had a great Thanksgiving at home this year. Yummy food, family, relaxing, gratefulness, yummy food -- oh wait, I said that. But isn't that turkey just beautiful??

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

Yes, Lia is one! One whole year! And what a great year it has been. From the day she was born this girl had her own way of doing things. She decided when her birthday would be (by coming a day early -- I'm convinced it was her idea). She's so determined in every way but does things on her own time. Walking, talking, playing, eating -- all according to Lia. She's so happy all the time, hardly cries, gives lots of hugs and kisses and love all the time.



She sleeps through the night with her pink wrappie and her black and white woof woof. She is OBSESSED with shoes. This girl would have a million pairs of shoes if I let her. When I ask her if she wants to go bye bye she immediately sits down to put on her shoes. She brings us different shoes all day long to be put on her feet. She loves shoes. (Including those adorable ones from my mom on her feet!)

 

She also loves to get her hair brushed. She'll bring me her little brush and have me brush her hair and then she'll take it back and brush it herself. She loves to be carried by her daddy and to run around and play. She LOVES books!! She brings us book after book to read to her on our laps. "This!!" she says.



She seriously loves Max. And Max loves her, too. I tease Max sometimes and say we're going to take Lia to the store and see if we can sell her to another family. He immediately says "NO WAY MOM!!!" It's awesome to see my kids as such good friends. They laugh and play all day long. And when Max is at school Lia looks all over the house for him and is so happy when we get to pick him up.



She's such a clown, too. She will do things that she thinks are funny and laugh very loudly at them. Like throwing a ball or tickling her dolls. She loves baby dolls, too. It's funny to think I have such a girly girl already seeing as how I'm not the girliest myself. She likes wearing her jewelry and her dresses (although she protests a lot about getting dressed). She loves her baths and playing with her toys. She loves to snack! She'd live on snacks if we let her.

She's our sweet wonderful adorable smart crazy little girl who chatters all day long and keeps us on our toes constantly. She's such an amazing blessing.

So happy birthday bia bo bia! We love you more than words!

We went to In N Out for Lia's birthday dinner. It was fun to have my mom visiting again this year (she was here this time last year, too). I was bummed that Mattie didn't come with her, she was sick home with the flu. But it was fun for Max to have his Mimi's full attention for a few days! Max LOVED having her here.





Lia pretty much loves hamburgers and french fries, like her brother, and dad and mom. She ate all of her hamburger, a little of Max's and a bunch of french fries. I don't think she ever didn't have a french fry in one of her fists.



We came home and opened presents from Mimi and Danielle and us. She loved them all. Especially the "lawn moooer" from Danielle. She drags that thing all over the house. And she loves the shopping cart from my mom, too. My dad got her a bean bag chair just like her brother's (only purple and with flowers) so she can kick back like him. And she got cute shoes and clothes and books. She had a great birthday!





Max got a present, too. A Mr. Potatohead! He was so excited to get a present of his own! It's something my family used to do for my sister and I on our birthdays.













I made an oversized cupcake Lia for her birthday cake. She was so funny about it. The pictures make it look like she was really into it. But I don't know if it was because she was full from dinner or what, but she kind of picked at it and then would pick up a piece and pretend to eat. For real, she would take pretend bites. We were cracking up watching her fake eat her birthday cake!







Max blew out the candle for her!






 







I made smaller cupcakes for the rest of us. And I had promised I would make pirate cupcakes for Max at Halloween, but then I got sick and couldn't do it, so I just stuck the little flags in the pink cupcakes. He thought it was great.



I'm hoping year number two goes by much slower. I find myself wanting to absorb every second of her growing. We love her so so much. Can't imagine what our family would be like without her! I miss her babyness, but I'm so happy she's thriving and growing and loving life.

Last Baby Pictures

I wanted to post a few pictures of Lia's last night as a baby. Okay, so I'm being over-dramatic, I know, but Lia turning one is pretty bittersweet for me! I don't know why, really. I'm so happy she's healthy and bright and funny and cute. But on the other hand, I feel like maybe she's my last little baby (at least for a while) and I'm sad it's going by so fast!! Anyway... I took these pictures the night before her birthday while we were playing around the house with my mom who was here visiting. (Not the best pictures I realize, but it gets dark too dang early now to take good ones after nap!)







Here is Lia's woof woof -- the black and white stuffed dog that used to be Max's "Old Pal". Lia kind of took him over. She won't sleep without him.





We got her her own Rody Horse for her birthday -- a pink one at Max's request. We gave it to her the night before and as soon as we took it out of the box, before we even blew it up she was squealing and trying to ride on it. She knew it was for her and was sooo excited about it!

Lia Loves Juice

Yes, she does. She LOOOOVES juice. Actually, she loves anything to drink (except milk -- she's not too sure about milk). But this girl loves to carry around her juice cup all day long. Most of the time it's filled with water and she's just as happy with that, too. She has to have a cup while she's drinking dinner. She likes to sip and chew, sip and chew. She asks for juice by name, too. "FOOF" which is not to be confused with "BOOF" which means food. It's hard to tell sometimes.

The other night we caught her kicking back in Max's beanbag with her juice watching "Sesame Street." She stayed there for a good 10 minutes (that's a long time for our kids to sit anywhere!)