I took these pictures a couple of Sundays ago. Samuel had woken up from his nap. Derek, Caleb and I fought over who would get to go see him first (that smile on his face when he sees you walk in is priceless). Then we compromised and all went. Then hung out in his room for almost an hour, just playing. Jacob had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs, so he missed out on the fun…but got a really good nap in. Fun, simple times…some of my favorite.
Caleb is OBSESSED with Ford Mustangs. He’ll be in the middle of a sentence and yell out "Mustang!" every time he sees one. And let me tell you, I now know that there are a LOT of Mustangs out on the roads, thanks to Caleb. Dana’s mom and dad happen to own one…a red, convertible, suped-up version. And Jim offered to take Caleb for a spin. I kept it a secret from him until we were on our way. Oh, was he surprised and excited. And he got to ride with "Dr. Bones"…a Halloween passenger.
After we got in the car Caleb said, "Mom, that was SO nice!"
Thank you, Jim…you made his day!!
Ok…several days late, but here it is.
A girl in our ward (at church) has lived in L.A. and Manhattan. In both places she started what she calls a "Gourmet Club"…a group of women learning the art of cooking and entertaining. She decided to start a Frisco branch of the Club. I had been to her home a few times for parties, and was so impressed by her. Printed menus, delicious food (like the best I’ve ever had)…lots of attention to details, gifts as you leave, place cards, etc, etc, etc. SO FUN! So here’s how it works: 14 women, 7 "pairs" or "teams"; Each partnership takes one month out of the year and plans a theme, menu, table setting, invitations, etc. My partner (my neighbor Donna) and I have February, and we’re already working on it. Recipes need to be from scratch, and you do at least 4 courses. The trick is that you have to research, search for recipes, then practice and experiment prior to hosting. And then at the end of the night you pass out the recipes that you used. So last Saturday was our first dinner. The founder, Phoebe, and her sister, Deana, were our hosts. The theme was Jane Austen and the Opulent Regency Period, but with a tasty twist. Here’s the menu:
Sparkling Ale
Cream of Onion Soup/Cranberry, Walnut and Lemon Scone
Stoneleigh Abby Salad with Beets and Roquefort
Pemberly Pork Loin with Cherry Marmalade/Fricasee of Potatoes and Mushrooms/Sauteed Broccolini
Lady William’s Biscuits
Buttermilk Custard with Raspberry Jam
Hot Herbal Tea/Warm Apple Tart and Clotted Cream
It was all unbelievably delicious. And EVERYTHING was homemade!! Amazing! I think it’s one of the funnest things I’ve done and it’s completely taking me out of my comfort zone. I love it!!
This custard was my favorite…with vanilla bean and hidden berries inside.
Happy Belated Halloween! We had such a fun time last night with the boys. My mom came over to see the kids and help pass out candy. It literally takes a village…one to trick-or-treat with the big boys, one to pass out candy and one to corral Yoda. Our neighborhood is hoppin’ on Halloween…I’ve never seen anything like it, but it’s SO FUN! Sometimes the kids come in waves of 30-ies!!!
Here are lots of pics from yesterday:
Caleb with his cute pre-K teachers!
Hey guys, WAIT FOR ME!!
We had a fantastic weekend! Busy, busy…but SOOOO fun.
Friday NIght, Steve treated us all (sans Samuel) to "Walking With Dinosaurs LIVE" at the American Airlines Center. We surprised the boys with it. The show was incredible, but watching the boys faces was the very best part. They were enthralled! And so excited…it was a real treat. Thanks, Pops!
No flash allowed, so my pics are blurry…but you get the idea!
Saturday we had soccer games, and a music theory test for Jacob, and a neighborhood Fall Festival, and my first ever Gourmet Club Dinner (which I will post more about tomorrow).
And here’s a sneak peak at costumes, from the neighborhood festival:
Sleepy YODA
The showdown
And yesterday Derek threw me a super b’day party. Thank you for all of the b’day wishes, cards and e-mails. I had a GREAT day…one of the best ever. Derek and the boys showered me with cards, flowers, gifts and treats (pumpkin cheesecake, homemade apple pie, etc). WOW! And my mom, Steve, Kay, Mark, Anne and Audra joined us for the party…and a pumpkin carving contest. So Fun! Thanks guys!
Caleb made the crown!
Steve had a "killer" creation, Mark, Anne and Caleb had a very crafty haunted house…
Derek was his typical creative self, and Jacob was so proud to be voted "fiercest" this year!
Leave it to my husband to be THERE, at a time like this…
He assures me that he is safe. But last night he could see the glow of orange in the mountains. And this morning his car was covered with ash, "like snow" he said. And he said the ash just rains down and it’s smelly and hazy. My mom and Steve have a home outside of San Diego that has been spared before, but just barely, a few years ago. We’re hoping that’s the case this time too.
We had a yummy treat last night that I recommend wholeheartedly. It was Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (Blue Bell, of course) topped with pomegranate seeds…yummy. Pomegranate seeds are my very favorite color in all the world…gorgeous! Try it…
Last night the heat came on. Two days ago we had the A/C on. Only in Texas would you run the A/C one day and the heat the next. Crazy!
Samuel is crawling all over the house now and getting faster at it. He hit his head on the trash can foot lever the other day…this mobility business is going to be interesting. And if I leave the room there is a likelihood that I will come back and not be able to find him (he’s that fast!). Here’s where I found him the other day.
Another blog post.
I have LOTS to blog about though, so I’ll post more than once this week, you can be sure.
I’m thrilled that FALL has finally decided to join us in Big D. this year. It’s supposed to be cool and crisp all week…hooray!
Derek and the kids finished their go-cart this weekend. It still lacks the "seat" (which is my job). But they were pretty thrilled with it. And it’s already caused some minor injuries. Oh, joy!
And this little guy has his Daddy’s picture genes…he anticipates the flash!
Woke up this morning to loud thunder and rain. And it’s still going. I can’t remember the last time we had continuous rain like this…it’s nice.
I just finished this book…a love story about a high-schooler and a vampire. I know, I know…it sounds hoaxy. I was dogging on the book from the beginning, even telling Derek I thought it was juvenile (and it kind of is!). I was skeptical right up until page 372, and then I was HOOKED. Couldn’t put it down. And I think I might run out to get the 2nd in the series today. It’s not educational or inspiring, but definitely entertaining and captivating.
I have lost all desire for housekeeping. What’s wrong with me? I’m a homemaker, for heaven’s sake. Off to do dishes…begrudgingly.
One of my favorite fall traditions is going to the pumpkin patch. I took Jacob to this farm when he was 3! Caleb, Samuel and I enjoyed a hay ride and feeding the goats, cows and sheep. Samuel had a little cold, so he was not his normal smiley self, but I got some good shots anyway (cute outfit is from his Grandma Sherry).
This goat had grabbed Caleb’s cup and was shaking it!
And while walking thru the "patch" I found these 3 pumpkins lined up in a neat little row. It reminded me of my 3 little pumpkins.
BOO!
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