SLO in Arkansas: November 2007

Thanksgiving

Well, we made it through our first holiday at home as a family:) It was relaxing not to travel, but we really missed being with family. Silas and I were adventurous and decided to tackle the traditional holiday cooking all by ourselves. I was a little nervous, but we did much better than I expected!! Silas cooked his first turkey, which turned out fantastic!! It was really moist and flavorful:) I made the pumpkin pies, corn bread and dressing, and green beans. Silas finished up with his mashed potatoes and creamed corn. I haven't made the sweet potato casserole yet, since we are still eating on all the other food! That may come next week! All in all we had a great time cooking and eating. We also realized again what we already knew....our kitchen is way too small to do anything in, and makes cooking rather difficult! oh well, we still had fun. Here are some pictures of the table setting and the bird. I also included some of Ty on his first Thanksgiving day:) He slept through the actual meal, so I actually got to eat a plate of food at the table!! Yay!! We went over to some friend's house to eat and spent the day eating, hanging out and relaxing. It was great to slow down and have a laid back day. We also watched plenty of football. Tyson really is fascinated by the game, and has fun watching too:)

My boys

I have not been as good at taking pictures these past few weeks as usual, but here are some new ones for now. I will do better this week! Ty will be 4 months old on Tuesday...I can't believe it! We are definitely into the teething phase with all its glory of drooling and chewing. It's pretty cute though. I personally hope that teeth do not show up too soon....Im just not ready for that yet! It has got to be a nursing mother's worst fear!!! Anyway, everything else is going really well. I will enjoy a small break from teaching this week as the students are gone for the holiday. I cannot believe that I only have 3 more weeks of classes once they get back. This semester has really flown by. I have enjoyed teaching much more than I thought I would, and will miss it next semester. (My class is not offered in the spring).
Anyway, not too much else is going on for now. We have decided to stay in Searcy for Thanksgiving. It was a difficult decision, but after trying to travel with a little one recently, we have decided this will be best for our family this year. I am really going to miss my family, and my Dad's dressing!! Silas and I have packed up and traveled every single holiday since before we were married, so we don't know what to do with ourselves now that we are staying home! Silas will be glad not to have to get in a car though, I am sure!! His 3 hour commute every day is enough for him:) I'm sure it will get easier to travel once Ty is older, but he is awfully hard to entertain for more than 15 minutes in the car.
I am trying hard to get into the holiday spirit, but it has been hard for me this year. I really think it's the silly weather messing me up! It's hard to be festive when its been 70-80 degrees and you are sweating during the day! I am looking forward to getting my Christmas tree up soon...maybe that will help. I can't wait to put it up once Thanksgiving is over:) I think Ty will really like the lights.

Cute Pictures

Just wanted to post some random pictures of Tyson's cuteness:) He is finally taking a pacifier at times, and I think he is adorable with it! He has also started sucking on his fingers, either one or as many will fit in his mouth. Now when he grabs handfuls of my hair, his hands are always good and slobbery!!! Gotta love 'em!

Halloween

Tyson was a pumpkin for his first Halloween. His big evening consisted of sitting on the couch and crying! He was really tired so we decided not to take him out and about. He was awfully cute in his outfit though! Thanks to my sister Renee for getting it for him! We are looking forward to next year when he is walking around and can enjoy the activities a little more. Personally, I am looking forward to eating his candy!!

Pumpkin Patch

I took Ty to a Pumpkin Patch with the MOPS group this week and we had a really good time! It was in Quitman, AR (about 45 minutes or so from Searcy). It was a gorgeous day to be outside and enjoy the fall weather. We were able to take a hay ride, walk through an enchanted forest, listen to a Native American woman tell stories, and pick our own pumpkin from the patch. There were several places to take some cute pictures too. We ate a picnic lunch outside and had a fun and relaxing day. Ty didn't seem too impressed with the pumpkins, but he sure was cute sitting with them! I think he will really enjoy this next year when he can walk around and participate more:)