Getting in the Holiday Spirit

Had a fantastic afternoon with Ben, making Christmas cookies at Dinner Savvy. We now have 10 different kinds in the freezer ready for Christmas!

Joy to the World

The Advanced Recorder club played it's first concert today at the retirement center next door to the school. Ben played his flute, but was in the very back, so I had to record him from behind to see him play.

He played a solo at the end, but my video camera ran out of power and didn't record it!! Auggh!!

Rise Up Bouldering Competition - Lynchburg, Va

Here's video of the Triangle Rock Club's Climbing Crew at the bouldering competition last weekend. Ben is wearing a white shirt and he's got red hair. You'll see him at about 1:58, and at the end getting his 1st place ribbon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ePxmdu0k8

Thanksgiving Fun

Mema and Papa came to visit for Thanksgiving and here are some fun things we did! Ben and Mema work on a Christmas puzzle - only 500 pieces and we all finished it.

Gary snuggling with the dogs!

OK, I snuggled with the dogs too.

Gary and Papa working on the next puzzle - another 500 piece Christmas puzzle.

Alek and Mema making snowflake ornaments.

The snowflake ornaments turned out SO pretty.

So I hung them all on our kitchen light.

Mema on Thanksgiving Day, wth her turkey pin.

Me making homemade noodles for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Yummy Thanksgiving Dinner - yes, I have turkey plates!

Ben's cranberry turkey jello. The top layer is cranberry jello, and the bottom layer is lime. It was good. The turkey mold worked pretty well.

Mema and I at Thanksgiving Dinner.

Papa and Ben at Thanksgiving Dinner.

The morning after, we made Julia Child's REAL Hollandaise sauce over poached eggs and ham with english muffins - yummy egg benedict.

Thanksgiving Desserts

Over the four days of Thanksgiving, we enjoyed four different desserts - one each day! Monday, we had apple & cherry squares. This dessert is one of Gary's favorites, that his mom makes for him. The pastry is almond flavored, and the dessert is like a kugle (not sure I spelled that right!). It's very yummy! I don't know why I don't have a picture of it!

Tuesday, the day Mema and Papa arrived, I made a pie crust that was too crumbly, so Papa worked on it and made it right. Then Mema and Ben rolled it out and made the peach filling from peaches we had frozen in July. They were so beautiful, and the pie was delicious. Here's Ben and the Peach Pie ...

Wednesday, Mema rolled out the crust and I made the filling for a chocolate pie. It set up perfectly, and when we went to eat it, Gary wanted the traditional Cool Whip on it, Alek wanted a cherry, and Ben decided to make chocolate shavings! Truly a group effort, and again, it was delicious. Here's Alek and Papa with slices of the chocolate pie ...

Thursday, Thanksgiving, Mema made another crust, and Alek rolled it out and made the pumpkin filling. We ate this one a few hours after Thanksgiving dinner. He made pretty cut-outs of turkeys, pumpkins and leaves to decorate!

What a fun holiday of desserts!

Alek's Second Tone Zone Jam

Alek rocks at Sam Ash in the November Tone Zone Jam. Next month he and Ben will play with the Jam at a restaurant.

Turkeys

Here are my happy turkeys who came out this week to help celebrate Thanksgiving.
The plaque below was made by Ben last year, and I just love it - they painted his hand brown and his fingers each a different color, to make the turkey. I love that it's so permanent, on a tile. The candle next to it came from my mom a few years ago. It smells of pumpkin and spice!
Below is my biggest turkey, from my mother-in-law a few years ago. He's about a foot tall. The 'give thanks' sign came from downtown Apex last year, from 'Out of the Kiln'

From 'Out of the Kiln' last year ... I bought a turkey pitcher for my mom and mother-in-law last year and gave them as Christmas gifts.

This my big turkey platter, and turkey candle holders. The candles came from my mom. I got the candle holders from Tuesday Morning a few years back.

This was my first turkey, from Mary Louise, my mother-in-law. He's so pretty, with pretty fall veggies around him. He's only about 8 inches high, but has lots of personality.

These salt and pepper shakers came from my mom a few years back. I'm sorry they are blurry, they have very pretty colors.

This turkey is pretty ugly, but he's metal and hollow, and now has a candle inside him. The tall candle holders came from Southern Living home show, and the candles from Kohl's.

Happy Thanksgiving!