Happy Turkey Day

I don't typically like the nickname "Turkey Day", but Irene's friend from Kung Fu class told her to "have a happy Turkey Day" and Irene just laughed and laughed and relived the conversation many times and marvelled at her friend's sophisticated wit. Somehow, Irene's delight with the phrase made me warm to it.

Yummy in my tummy (as Mare-mare would say)

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All dressed up

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We are thankful for...

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Popsicles and cousins.

What you can't see is the bacon in G.G.'s lap.

Best Buddies forever

Mary saw this picture and said, "That Irene? And Holt?" Note to self: Label family pictures!

The thing about Uncles is they'll rough house with the kids on a full stomach. Not me.

Monday's child is fair of face... Indeed.

Harper Ann shows off her Thanksgiving belly.

I'm sure between the two of them they got it figured out.

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Finally, someone got some clothes on that child.

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All good things must come to an end, even joyful and blessed Turkey Days.

Late night Dominoes (Is there any other kind?)

This Is Halloween

Irene spends a lot of time planning her Halloween costume. All year long she brainstormed about what she would be, ranging from wolf to warrior princess. Her most cherished hope, though, did not come to fruition. What she would like is to see the four of us coordinate and dress up as a unit. I love my child, but I don't feel I have to prove it to her by dressing up as Cruella de Ville or the Tattooed Lady. Someday she'll understand.

The Katy Rice Harvest Festival isn't strictly Halloween, but Mary wore her Halloween threads, so it gets thrown in here.

Here she is in pj's when we went back for evening festivities. Fried food makes her mean.

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Our Church had a picnic the day before Halloween. Once the kids discovered the most awesome fallen branch of all time, the planned games kind of petered out.

This is neither her game nor her chair.

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Although she didn't get us in costumes, Irene did get to go trick-or-treating with a friend, something she's wanted for a couple of years now.

Did I mention Irene did her own make-up?

Even when she was melting, she was still the cutest jack-o-lantern in Katy.