So Many Thanks

This week has been a blur of activity.  We celebrated an early Thanksgiving with Mom, Craig, and Rachel.  There were two full days of cooking and eating madness.  I cooked my first turkey, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Here's a peak at our feast starting with Sunday brunch and moving to "Thanksgiving Dinner":

Sunday Brunch Table 

Homemade sticky rolls, pumpkin chocolate chip mini-breads, and cranberry orange scones.

"Eggs in a basket" - Hash brown baskets with an egg baked inside and covered with cheese.

Homemade strawberry jam, pesto cream cheese, and cinnamon butter.

Salad of arugula, pears, and parmesan cheese curls with dijon-lemon dressing.

Assorted fruit and cheese platter

My first turkey!

Maple glazed carrots, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, 

and roasted brussel sprouts with pecans.

Scared! Scared!

Last night we couldn't help but laugh at the way Brady reacted to the new bath toy Daddy picked out for him.  I hope you enjoy!

On another note, we are very happy to have Nana Lisa (aka Skinny Nana) here visiting with us for the next ten days.  Uncle Craig and Aunt Rachel also came into town today.  We enjoyed church and brunch together today, and tomorrow will celebrate an early Thanksgiving.  More pictures to come.

Veteran's Day Thanks

Today I am especially thankful for the three men in my family that have served our country in the Navy.  My Grand was a life long Navy man, retiring as a Captain.  Uncle Robert and Johnny also served early in their careers.  I am very thankful for their service and the privileges I have as a result of all our service men and women.

I am also thankful for my Nana who stayed at home with six children while my grandfather was away on duty.  Now that I have two of my own, I don't know how she did it!

Here's a picture from this past summer for your to enjoy.  Nana and Grand celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June.

Two Months!

It's official!  Baby Ben is now two months old.  It is amazing to think about this.  My due date was November 3...he should only be six days old right now.  If I were to guess, he now weighs about 6 1/2 pounds and has grown almost 3 inches in length.  I am so thankful for our little miracle.

Brady continues to get bigger and smarter by the day.  Every Tuesday and Thursday he attends preschool at Jamestown Presbyterian Church.  Right now we are busy learning colors, what Thanksgiving is all about, and how to play a match game.  I also enjoyed bringing him to the grocery store to by dried beans on Monday.  He proceeded to tell everyone we passed in the aisles how he was going to bring his beans to chapel as an offering.

Today I also had the opportunity to catch up with a dear friend.  Her father has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Right now his prognosis is very good, but he will definitely be in our prayers in the coming months.  I am thankful to have someone like her in my life.  Although we do not have the chance to speak often, she is still like a sister to me - we never miss a beat when we get back together.

Lastly, I want to express how thankful I am for my husband.  He is a great father and an amazing counselor and mentor to the youth in our church.  I look forward to growing old together!  Hopefully, both of my boys will learn to be just like him as they turn into men.

Winter is Coming!

As a native of New Hampshire, I am used to it snowing as early as September.  Moving to North Carolina six years ago has definitely made me less tolerant to the cold.  We have had an extraordinarily HOT summer (over 70 days above 90 degrees); this fall has not been much better with 80 degree days still coming our way within the last two weeks.  I am happy to announce that it officially dropped below the freezing mark last night!  The change in temperature makes me ready for the holidays.

Speaking of the holidays, I am especially ready for the first Christmas with both of my little boys at home.  We have decided to stay home this year, and I can't wait to trim the tree, to enjoy the Christmas Eve service at JPC for the first time, and to share our family traditions with Brady now that he can really understand what is going on.

I am challenging myself this year to think beyond the quantity of presents around the tree.  There is something to be said about thoughtful, homemade gifts and making memories.  I can not wait to cook, snuggle up, and truly remember why we celebrate this most wonderful day in a way I have not done before.

Showered with Love

Just Think

Your son is here not by chance,

but by God's choosing.

His hand formed him

and made him the person he is.

God compares him to no one else --

he is one of a kind.

Your son will lack nothing

that God's grace can't give him.

God has allowed your son to be here

at this time in history

to fulfill His special purpose

for this generation.

-- Roy Lessin--

Our family is very thankful for the outpouring of love we received from our church family this evening.  Since Ben decided to enter our family so early, there was no time for a baby shower before his arrival.  I find it only fitting that they decided to host the shower for us tonight instead - on the day Ben was originally due to be born.

One of our dear friends, Thea Oglesby, gave us a card with this poem along with her gift (special thanks for the car seat base!).  I could not have expressed how we feel about our miracle baby any better...and then I read this verse on the inside:

"Everyone shall stand in awe and confess the greatness of the miracles of God...they will realize what amazing things he does."  Psalm 64:9



I Voted!

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."  Acts 4:29

This morning Garrett and I headed off to the polls with Benjamin in tow while Brady was in preschool.  As soon as we returned home from picking Brady up he zoned in on our "I Voted" stickers.  It was hilarious to watch him dance around the kitchen as I snapped photos.  I am excited to some day teach him about what a privilege it is to vote.

Over the last few days I have been studying the book of Acts - reading about the early church and the trials faced by all of the first disciples as they found themselves persecuted by the Roman government and the Jewish leaders of the day.  It seemed that no matter where they turned they were faced with challenges and criticism.  Amazingly, they were able to keep their faith strong and perspective in tact.  All of those earlier believers, especially Peter, were not afraid to speak of the miracle that is Jesus' resurrection.

Today I was reminded at how different my life could be if I did not have the opportunity to cast my vote, and I am truly thankful to those that made this opportunity possible for me.  Those who do note vote give up their opportunity to choose leaders who will hopefully "speak with great boldness."  No matter what the outcome of today's elections, I am confident that my voice has been heard.

First Attempts

I have been inspired over the last few months by a handful of friends who have opened their lives to me thorough blogging.  There's no better time to try something new then when you are home on maternity leave with two babies that are miraculously sleeping at the same time, right?

My maternal grandfather, John Hooper, has kept a daily diary for as long as I can remember.  He meticulously records what may appear to an outsider as just mundane details of the day.  I can not express enough how much I treasure the opportunities I have had to read some of these entries.  Grand has told us all throughout the years to take up the same practice.  I have tried to follow his advice.  Unfortunately due to the demands of daily life, I have put off this thing that I "want" to do for other things that I "have" to do.

I feel like now is the time to stop making excuses.  More and more I realize how fast time is going by, and I do not want to miss recording these wonderful memories.  Writing posts on the Internet may not be exactly the same as the hand written journal, but hopefully having these thoughts publicized will help keep me accountable.

With my first post drawing to a close, I want to thank my Grand again for being my inspiration.  The Wayside Inn in Sanbornville, NH was his childhood home so I affectionately name this collection of faith and family reflections in his honor.