Duck Pond

Every year, North Florida Regional (my employer and birthplace of both boys) lights up the Duck Pond. So many lights and they blink in concordance with piped in Christmas music. Truely a beautiful experience when you walk around the pond. This year, Mom, Pop, Sissy, Gavin, Noah, and myself (Matt was stuck in a Lake City oil change garage...) met up with Phoebe and her parents.

Noah made police siren sounds the entire time...

A pseudo family picture...

Phoebe playing hard to get!

Children's Choir!

Another pure joy of parenthood! Gavin has been going to Children's Choir every Wednesday night at church since late August; therefore, I have been holding my breath in sheer excitement for this night! Who doesn't love a children's performance??? Gavin is in the front row in the middle... He is also the youngest. I slipped him in this choir when he was two. Don't look at me like that! I certainly could NOT wait another year for a Christmas performance!

His group sang two songs: something about a ladybug and "Does the Baby Need a Blanket" complete with hand motions. So CUTE! Gavin did a great job. Of course there were few hops and jumps and one episode of squatting; but hey, showbiz is hard work!

Let's get our tree!

All year long, Pop trims these Choctawhatchee Pine trees (yes, I know their official name! I helped plant 500 of these boogers) And sometime in the late summer, we all start eyeing the tree we will claim.... If you notice the "star" at the top of the tree, that's us marking our territory with a glass globe light fixture. Who said we don't recycle?!?

The boys are pleased with our choice...

Sometime between these pictures, Daddy cut that tree down and our nice little bathroom light fixture busted. Dang. I guess we should've taken it down before we cut the tree?

The only thing that could make this picture any better is Daddy in camo... Mama loves her men in camo!

Now time to decorate!

Pop hiding in the leaves, again?!?

Round two of Pop hiding in the leaves-- 2010 version.

The problem? Gavin said "Pop's hiding in those leaves over there!" Then Pop misjudged footsteps and popped (no pun intended) out at Tebow (the dog, not the very, er, nice quarterback)

Yeah, so, Gavin thinks this joke is old. And Noah, well, he saw the whole thing first hand... Next year, look for the boys hiding in the leaves to scare Pop.

Sky

The sky at Mom and Pop's house in a early December sunset

Thanksgiving

Ahhh.. Thanksgiving. A holiday solidly converged on food. Love it. This year a 24-pound, brown sugar and Jim Beam rubbed, kosher salt brined turkey emerged a crispy golden brown from my oven. Success. Delicious Success. Thank you Chad for lugging that thing to Mom and Pop's house. And thanks Amelia and Chad (again) for riding in my car seats... I forgot my car rides 5 folks only if your hiney can fit in a car seat. *shrugs* Oops.

The boys had a Thanksgiving picnic-- so much easier than fielding food off the carpet. And we had very nice complimenting outfits for all of 10 minutes...then life happened and sweats and T-shirts and bare feet appeared. *shrugs* What do you expect from us?

After the food, all the cousins (not the first cousins once removed) played our typical game of elimination sort-of volleyball. I guess that's what you'd call it. Or a "let's-stand-in-a-big-circle-and-hit-a-kickball-in-the-air-and-see-how-many-times-we-can-hit-it-around-this-circle-no-wait-let's-eliminate-each-player-that-screws-up" game. Love it too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brothas?

"We have nothing to fear but our Mothers!"