So Thankful

At this time of year when we give thanks for what we have, I'm not really sure where to start.  I'm thankful for so much in our life right now.  The immediate is obvious.  I'm thankful for the two little ginger children that make my life feel so complete.  I'm thankful for their father, who celebrated another trip around the sun, for complimenting me in so many ways-- for being the best fit I could ask for and mostly, giving me such an great sense of security.  He loves me and this family in a way that I could want for nothing more.

I'm thankful for our friends.  The ones near and far.  The old ones and the new ones.

Here's to the old friends, the ones that we have celebrated Thanksgiving with for the past four years:

The Ganz Clan hosted this year.  We played a little football, blew some bubbles, and enjoyed being with five different families.

Cal got to act like a ten year old -- nails and make up done just like them.

Hazey hung with the guys and watched a some football.

And we all ate like kings.... two turkeys, four pies, seven side dishes, ten kids, and 13 adults.

I'm thankful that our kids had fun at a UVM/MN hockey game.  We made it through two periods of the game.  The kids were a little leary of Rally Cat this year, but they were pretty fired up to see him from afar. 

We are really, really thankful for our new friends, the Mahoney's.  They joined us for our annual Birthday trip to Montreal this year on a whim and they were such a great addition.

Anika, Eliza and Cally had a ball together.  We had a great lunch in the Old Port, ate crepes and fondue, and then headed to the Science Museum for Cally and Hazen's first I-max movie.  It was about the Arctic, 3D, and in french.  It was actually Cally's first movie ever (movie theater or not).  She loved it.  Hazen, well, it was during his nap time and I think the 3-D and surround sound threw him off a bit.  Even so, he hung in there for the 45 minute show.

We cruised around Chinatown, saw a big Catherdral, and had hot drinks at Starbucks.

The kids got to jump around on hotel bed, "swim" in the hot tub, and cruise around St. Catherine Street.  We did have a low point..... a lapse in judgement allowed us to choose a Mexican restaurant for dinner.  We figured it would be family friendly and better than any Mexican food we could get in Vermont.  The biggest red flag arrived when ordering margaritas.  When Kevin placed his order, the waiter asked if he would like lime, strawberry, peach, or banana.  When asked if we could just get a margarita on the rocks, they arrived in a very unnatural hue of fluorescent green and tasted like pure sugar.  The food was also, pretty sub-par...... but if that is the only thing we had to complain about, I feel very lucky.

 We wrapped up the trip with a fun morning of shopping and a visit to the Biodome.

Cal dropped her favorite watch over the edge of the crocodile tank and the only way to recover it was to do a highly illegal recovery maneuver.

Not only are we thankful for friends who are willing to join us on a whim, but all the people who make our life richer in so many ways.

November

 

 The snow has fallen in the mountains, John made his first turns up there.  I haven't seen the bases of his skis yet, but it looks like the coverage was thin.

 

We have to do what we can during this transition period--between seasons, between holidays, between travel, and between sports.  This time of year can be tough.  November is known for its cold grey days.  John always has a trip in November and hunting season is upon us, so we can't just go out and hike around our regular stomping grounds.

We've been lucky this year.  The weather hasn't been so bad and we've made the best of some rainy day options.

A painting of a mountain for Dad

Climbing with Hazel at Petracliffs

 

Enjoying a little sunshine

Dressing up in funky outfit from Auntie Cynthia

In other news, Hazen met with Dr. Hubble, his ENT for his tube surgery, and all is looking and sounding great.  He passed the hearing test with flying colors and everything looks good in there.  He even had a cold last week and didn't get an ear infection!