joy and cheer

I am feeling very festive this week.  I just recevied good scan news and now I am ready to celebrate! I have been doing a lot of shopping and making and wrapping and sewing.  I have been thinking of goals for the new year.  Mike found the best tree ever and our little home is all lit up.  I am hoping to do a little baking this week too.  Can't wait to spend some time with the family in just a few days! 

Merry Winter!

best tree ever

                                      

Homemade salt scrub for friends at work

                                    

Donna's holiday cheese art 

                                        

merry winter card making with jessie

{this moment}

A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

growing

I do love being an aunt.  Literally a few hours after posting the adorable, brief video of my two littlest nephews from a year ago, I was 'facetiming' on my iphone with both of my nephews, playing together.  Technology is bizarre! Here is a screen shot of our video chatting session! Look how big they are now!!  Kisses!

I usually participate in the Friday ritual of {this moment} but I literally did not take one photo this week...It has been one of those weeks...Instead, I decided to look back at last year in my photo files.  My sister-in-law started blog posts called "flashbacks" to see what was happening about a year ago. So I found a few photos of our pretty tree from just about last year, this week.  Then I found this short video of my two littlest nephews (3 days apart).   Look at these two little bald giggly babies!! They were just barely sitting on their own! Now, these two are running, talking, and being wild!!

tis the season already

Thanksgiving flew by.  I guess I have been stuck in the mode of enjoying the moment instead of documenting and posting here...which is fun too.  But I have been slacking with the camera these days.  We went to Mike's mom's house for turkey day and had a wonderful visit with the family.  The power went out for an hour thanksgiving morning, which livened up the party a bit.  We ate a ton of food and pie. We fulfilled one of the thankgsiving day traditions and went bowling that night.  (I think I need some bowling lessons...)  We went to see the Muppets! Then I got to spend some holiday crafting time with Jessie, making holiday cards and homemade moisturizer.

And all of a sudden, it is December, I really want a christmas tree, and I have a massive amount of holiday things to do!!  Mike and I started the season by making a home brew of spirited eggnog which will age for 3 weeks and be ready for Christmas eve.  We have a lot and it is really strong so be ready for some good spirits!

THREE years babe.

I really can't believe it is our third wedding anniversary!  I love the photos I posted for our 2nd anniversary.  This year, Mike found us a lovely, romantic spot to celebrate.  He was trying to save it as a surprise but couldn't hold on very long.  We celebrated a few days early since we will be traveling today for the holiday.  We went to this authentic mexican restuarant (a little theme we have going) up on a hill that is literally right across from the Empire State Building, on the water.  We went really early, so we could get a window seat and see the view in the light first.  As we sat through dinner, it slowly turned dark outside, and we watched Manhattan turn on all of its lights and start glowing in the night.  The view was fabulous.  We ordered guacamole first.   A waiter came over to our table with a tray holding: choppoed chiles, limes, salt, pepper, avacadoes, and a big mortar and pestle, and made the guacamole right in front of us.  It was the best guacamole I have ever had.  Then we ate yummy authentic Mexican meals and shared delicious flan at the end.  We walked around a bit, looking at the Manhattan skyline, all glittering with lights.  It was a lovely evening, celebrating three years of marriage.

Thanks Mike, for being the absolute best partner ever.  We may have been handed a huge challenge, but we are making it happen every day. Happy Three YearS!

pumpkins and squash, some treasures

Well, I can't believe it, but winter is just around the corner.  The autumn season flew by faster than summer, it seems. A whole lot of fall fun and love to be thankful for...

A few fall treasures:

• making butterut squash pear bisque from this cookbook on many nights after a long day at work.  i used a butternut squash trick from here.  Instead of spending all of that time peeling the squash, you just cut it in half, bake it cut side down on a cookie sheet for 40 or so minutes at 375.  While it bakes, you can get the rest of the soup together.  Scoop out the soft squash after it cools right into your soup and blend away!
• Mock Thanksgiving - some what of a tradition at donna's house.  she hosts a few weeks before the real day.  It is festive and fun to visit with everyone and we get to eat thanksgiving dinner twice this month!! Oh and there is a christmas cracker moment - which involves a paper crown wearing contest.  I did not win this year. 

• acorn squash seeds - roasted with salt and paprika - YUM
• sewing and knitting on these chilly evenings as it gets dark earlier and earlier
• this amazing tree - i used to look at it from my home office when we lived across the street.  now i can see it from my bedroom window! the yellows and reds have been making my commute to work so much more enjoyable than usual. 

• The many visits to my farmers' market this fall; getting so much that I could barely carry it all back to my car! 
• Some lovely nephew time, playing in the sunny, fall leaves 
• Pumpkin cranberry muffins using this recipe (substituted 1/4 brown sugar + 1/4 maple syrup for the honey - so less sugar overall and added cranberries from the farmers market and skipped the walnuts!)
• Milk Oolong tea that Mike bought me from a fancy tea place in DC

• Getting ready and excited for visiting for thanksgiving and then for christmas!