Gratitude: Family

Despite being cold, November is an exciting month because of a) its proximity to Christmas and b) its tendency to promote feelings of gratitude in Americans.  And so, because I do not want to spend an entire month complaining about the cold that will only surely get worse, I have decided to focus on things that I'm thankful for.  Cliche, yes, but it really gets me in the mood, you know?

When I started to compile a mental list, of course at the top was Family.

Where do you start when you say you're thankful for your family?  

Matt and I are so blessed.  Our parents have laid a wonderful foundation for us to start build a life together through their examples of healthy marriages.  Our siblings all know and follow the Lord.  We have a rich heritage of generations of believers.  They have provided us with the most precious gift we could ever give our children - a family knit together by a commitment to the Lord.  

My parents and sister live in Oklahoma and my brother made a recent move to Houston.  I can not wait for them to come up for Thanksgiving in a couple weeks.  I treasure our years overseas together and when we sit around the dinner table, our conversations inevitably turn to "remember whens" that grow more fantastic every year.  Remember when . . . Dad thought the Native Americans were astronauts?  Elyse got pinned underneath her dresser?  Mom used to bring an air mattress while we were camping and make the rest of us sleep on the sand? Ryan wore his wrestling singlet around the house?  They are to blame for ALL of my quirks. 

I love how we all insist that Tucker be in family pictures.  

The rest of my family is spread from shore to shore, so it is rare that we are all together, although they made a great showing at our wedding!  I had to go pretty far back to get a picture of all four grandparents in the same place.

I am envious of how close Matt's family is - most of them live in one of two states.  When I first visited Kentucky with him before we got married, I had to be "approved by the aunts."  I am so thankful I met their approval!  Matt really loves his aunts and uncles and is always telling stories about picking dandelions for a penny each or how they all got Underoos for Christmas.  Just kidding, he doesn't tell that story, I saw it on a family video and I think it's hilarious.  

Of course since this picture was taken, we added another family member, baby Evan:

Matt really loves his nephews.  We don't get to see them enough.  This picture is already a year old and Connor is almost two!  

We hope to someday live close to them so the cousins can grow up together.  Evan and our baby will only be six months apart.  Matt would like nothing better than for his brothers to live next door, one on each side.  

So, this thanksgiving season I resolve to spend more time being grateful.  

it's so cold here

I know the seasons are supposed to just flow together and you look around one day and say, "How did it become summer already?"  That is actually how I felt this summer, as the days gradually got warmer and then in the middle of July it was finally HOT and we realized that summer does come to Long Island!  Fall, however, leapt upon us the same week the kids headed back to school, the warm days suddenly crisper and all at once I couldn't wear shorts anymore.

And THEN . . . NOVEMBER.  With November 1st came The Big Chill.  The one that finds me shivering in my house and wailing, "It's here!  I'll never be warm again!" after looking at the weekly weather forecast.  Poor Matt, what a way to wake up.  It's hot drinks every night.  It's hat-mittens-scarf-coat every morning.  It's "the thing I love most in this world is the button that heats the steering wheel."  It's wearing Uggs every day regardless of your outfit. It's unbelievable bills from the oil company.  It's heating bags of rice to wrap around your toes while sitting on the couch.  It's a crackling fire in the fireplace to welcome you home after work.  It's spotting deer in the frozen meadow on the way to your car.  It's the countdown to Christmas music.

Now, I realize November has only been in effect for two days, but those days were a shock to my system.  Today being Election Day, the littlest had the day off and I took him to a playground and walking path . . . and didn't get warm the entire time.  It was in the low 40's all morning.

And so, with the change of seasons comes a change in menu.  Goodbye grill, see you in six months.  Hello, soups and stews.  Unfortunately my crockpot bit the dust last week which is cramping my working-woman style, and I might just have to buy a new one to see us through the harsh winter.  I will kick off the new season with what I had for dinner last night - and lunch today.  I tore this chili recipe out of a Real Simple magazine and I like that it uses black beans instead of kidney.  I modified it a bit but you can find the original recipe at their website.

Southwestern Chili

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 poblano or bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 pound ground turkey 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup corn kernels (from 1 ear, or frozen and thawed)
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar (2 ounces)
• 2 scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and poblano and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
2. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 minute.
4. Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes, chili powder, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
5. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the corn, add more water as needed.
6. Divide the chili among bowls and top with the Cheddar and scallions.

My only changes were to sub turkey for beef and tomatoes for carrots - I made it with carrots for the first time this week because I had some in the fridge, but I didn't like it as well.  I also add a little extra chili powder and red pepper and such.  And salt.  Always more salt. :)  Add a side of cornbread, and hooray, dinner is served in a flash.  

Happy Halloween!

Our church does an outreach every Halloween called Trunk-or-Treat.  People decorate their cars and make little games and pass out candy from their trunks.  This year we had 25 cars and a ton of kids!   Of course we like to bring the Moose, who this year dressed as . . .

A Moose!

Fancy that! 

Oh, gee, look at me! 

Of course Moose's friend Charlie was there, dressed as a squirrel.  See the little acorn in his paws?  

They've grown up so much since last year!

Our small group did two trunks, one in the Star Trek theme.  Check out little Spock's eyebrows.

We drew some crowds . . . 

And guess who showed up!

That same little tiger! 

And his Peter Pan brother . . . 

And the rest of his brothers!

THEN we got a special treat.  Another family had just welcomed a bulldog puppy into their lives and they brought her!  We were so pumped.  Sweet little Lucy.  

Moose started to fade under all the stimulation.  

Aww, little buddy.

And a good time had by all.  

Tigers and Heros

Yesterday the little guys at the nursery school had their annual costume parade.  I was pumped, but maybe not as excited as Matt, who thinks kids in costumes are hilarious.  There were some very funny moments, as these kids are 2-5 years old and unpredictable and adorable.  

Plenty of Buzz, Woodies, and Jessies. . . 

 

This Oompa Loompa won first prize in my book.  Amazing. 

But I was there to watch the littlest class walk in a slow circle around the parking lot, clutching their rings and looking bewildered.  Specifically for the Tiger, who in this picture looks a little upset that they put him so close to Tigger.  

He was by far the most realistic of his costumed classmates.  (Although I must point out the rolly-polly Tigger, who is especially awesome because his twin rolly-polly sister was Pooh Bear.)

"I'm a Tiger!  Rarr!"

"I've got a TAIL!" It's back here somewhere . . . 

Found it!

It was a wonderful way to start my morning, full of adorableness.  And Matt caught the tail end of it and proclaimed that our kids will always wear costumes. No need for clothes, just funny costumes with a hole cut out for the head. 

Now I must relay this hilarious story, because although it isn't mine, it bares repeating.  Two nights ago I got a phone call from #2, the 7-yr-old, who was out with his mom and the afore mentioned Tiger child.  He had a terrifying tale.  His GREATEST FEAR, the thing that keeps him crawling into his parents' bed, the big bad monster of the night . . . is raccoons.  The kid HATES raccoons.  This is unfortunate, as their house backs up to a forest preserve and the critters have been seen around their house numerous times and left evidence of their visits.  So, keep this in mind as I proceed.

The kids' mom had strapped #2 and Tiger into the van and gone in to grab something before they took off.  Through the open van door crawled a . . . RACCOON.  Into the van with the kids!  According to the retelling of a 7 and 2-yr-old, they were scared, but they just sat there for a second.  Then Tiger, with all of his 2-yr-old strength and reasoning, KICKED the raccoon with his little foot clad in the corduroy slip-ons I'd put him in that morning.  Kicked it good, right in it's face!  And the raccoon hissed at the kids and then took off out of the van.  Tiger saved the day!

And then he got on the phone and told me in his little Elmo voice, "I kicked it in the FACE!"

this calls for apple cider

I know most of America has been experiencing some freakish weather this week.  We've had some odd weather, too - in the form of 70 degree days!  It has been unseasonably warm, which is puzzling to the senses when you walk outside and immediately shed your jacket.  It was inspiring, and I found Matt outside attacking trillions of leaves outside our house yesterday with the leaf blower.  I don't think I'll find him there today, as it has dropped 25 degrees overnight.  It's cloudy, blustery, and the type of day that necessitates a mug of apple cider.  Don't worry, I've got one.

Yesterday, however, was sunny and bright, and a certain proud kindergartner's fall party.  I decided to walk to the party and pushed a tired two-year-old in his stroller through the windy streets, passing the entire second grade on their walking field trip to the park.  Everyone was loving the day!  

This kindergarten party was quite adorable and well planned, unlike the chaos I was anticipating.  All the kids had made shirts to be either pumpkins or ghosties.  

There were crafts,

scary treats,

 

a mummy station, 

and plenty of exclamations on how adorably he treated his little brother.

By the time the party ended, the little guy was no longer tired, but raring to go!  We headed to the duck pond for some afternoon exploring.

"I want to hug a duck!" 

This picture actually points towards our house.  The white house on the left is our nearest neighbor.  We can't see the water from our house because a stand of trees blocks the view - those are our trees!  I love living close to this pond, and Moose loves it, too.  Everybody walks their dogs here.  

the little bay

My drive to work takes between 4 and 6 minutes, which I am thankful for every morning as I fly out the door.  The entire three miles are idyllic, but lately the stretch that takes me past Little Bay has been remarkably beautiful.  I've consistently hit it at both high tide and the moment that the sun turns the world to gold, and each time wished for a little extra time in my morning - and that I had my camera beside me.  

I finally remembered to bring my camera, but it was cloudy this morning so I didn't hit it at sunrise, but later in the morning.  Not quite high tide either but there's still water in the bay.  At low tide it is completely empty, filled with pluff mud that masquerades as quicksand.  But at high tide, it's visited by swans.  The bus stop I frequent twice a day is along the same bay, and it is comforting to watch the changes in both tide and season.  I have been watching and waiting for the point in the fall when the trees on the opposite shore have turned. 

getting used to autumn

I still feel like I'm getting acclimated to Fall.  I didn't grow up with four changing seasons so the advent of crispy weather still takes me by surprise every year.  I find myself surveying the leaves with a twinge of anxiety - afraid I might miss THE moment when the world has reached its brightest hues.  Lately I've started to think that the moment is now!  I've been driving my errands in a daze, taking the longer routes just to stay on the streets lined in ancient maples a minute longer.

Today I saw a car slowing down and the driver pointing out the window and I certainly hope they were exclaiming about the trees across the bay and not the size of the homes.  It was the first time I'd seen anyone slow down at this particularly beautiful stretch and I wanted to tell them I had just finished taking some pictures of my own!  

These are from our house . . . the large hickory tree whose summer shade keeps us cool but ensures my garden is planted 100 yards from the house.  

The stand of trees at the end of the meadow. 

And we have a couple run-down sheds that look more charming if you focus on certain aspects of them.

I think Autumn never looks as stunning in pictures as it does in real life, but I felt compelled to try!