The tree is up, the lights aglow.

The day after Thanksgiving we put up our tree and our lights. I was excited that this year, Thanksgiving was on the 22nd, which meant that we'd get to have our decorations up for a long time. Things come right down after Christmas so it's fun to get things set up in our new house.

We put lights up outside. First house on the block. That's how we do in our new neighborhood. Got the ball rolling as our neighbors put their lights up over the long weekend. 

(Note we did not a single bit of Black Friday shopping)

All that decorating work definitely deserved some hot cocoa!

Last holiday season, our friends Andrew and Maria gave us these awesome hologram glasses. You look at Christmas lights wearing these babies and each light turns into either a reindeer or a snowman!

We have two stars. A blue one and a red one. For many years we (by we I do mean "I") would decorate our tree keeping with the theme. I would keep the "weird" ornaments in the back if even letting them on the tree at all. Silly right? It's my Faux-C-D... Like OCDish. The right amount of pinecones, ribbons or bows. I now have children, children who have learned to love decorating for the holidays as much as their parents.  So aside from the star, we still alternate red and blue since i helps to remind us who's turn it is to put it up top, we let them exercise creative freedom. After they go to bed, we do a little moving to break of the 3' and 4' clusters.

 These kiddos have super special ornaments that they receive every year from their Papa Ron. He orders special Lenox ornaments, a different character for each grandchild. JT has the nutcrackers and HeaBug has the reindeer. Those are the first to go on the tree. We've collected quite the array over the 13 Christmases that we've spent together.

Even Uncle Edward got in on the decorating. We kicked off our Christmas season by watching our FAVORITE, Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Even the kiddos sit through this one. May your days be Merry and Bright!

Fishing and Baseball: Just one of those rad Saturdays!

Last Saturday we woke up early to a drizzle outside. Pulled on our jeans and kids in their boots, stopped at the donut store and headed over to El Dorado Park for the Youth Fishing Derby. The lake is stocked with trout and catfish, children under 15 are provided with instruction, poles, bait and help and they can fish for free from 9am-1pm.

This was their first time fishing!

Fishing isn't really a kid's sport. There's a whole lotta patience involved. HeaBug was already a little wigged out at the live bait. I did make her carry her own though.















We went through the workshops and learned what fish we were looking for, basic safety, etiquette and best practices. We learned how to hold the fish and given a chance to practice casting a line.

Mr. B set the kiddos up while HeaBug and I went to get bait. We baited the hooks and casted the lines. The group next to us were pulling up fish after fish after fish! Poor JT was getting discouraged. There were two gentlemen from the park and dept of fish and game that were offering help and advice and encouragement. One of the men set JT up, helped him cast his line out far enough and then had him lay the pole down on the ground. He told him to watch it carefully and when the line started to move to give it a quick tug and then start reeling in! Sure enough, it worked. JT caught two fish and HeaBug caught one!

They were both very excited as were we! We were by no means prepared for them to actually catch fish so we didn't have a line or even a bucket. The other gentleman was helping us take the hooks out and offered to give the fish to other people that would take them home for eating. He was really great helping HeaBug take her picture with her fish.

After the Derby we headed over to Blair Field to watch the Dirt vs. Bags inters-squad tournament. JT was so excited to see some of his coaches from Dirtbag Baseball Camp this past summer. When we got there we found out that the game had been postponed two hours so it wouldn't start until 4. Mr. B, JT and I watched them warm up and practice. JT got to tour Blair Field with one of the Team's coaches and directors and a few other boys. They met with the players in the dugout and even got to run from the first base side to the third base side on the dirt.



JT spent most of the time at the rail, chatting with the players and watching them warm up. We had to briefly leave to take Mr. B home and pick up HeaBug but we came right back to the field to watch the game. I told JT that since it was such a steady drizzle and I was super cold, we could stay for 5 innings.

On our way home, Mr. B sent me a picture message. He took Uncle Edward to a Clippers game for his 30th birthday. Their seats were amazing!

 



We were so wiped at the end of this full day. So many cool things, when I asked each kiddo at the end of the day what their favorite part had been, neither JT or HeaBug could pick just one. Love that.

The next night we celebrated Uncle Edward's birthday with his favorite dinner, pork chops, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes... Then we would normally make strawberry shortcake but I didn't get the stuff in time so we made an almond cake and slathered it in homemade strawberry jam! Happy 30th Birthday Unk. We love you SO SUPER much!

Thanksgiving Events 2012

Thanksgiving is always a big deal here. You can see previous years here:
Thanksgiving 2010
Thanksgiving 2011
We have a lot to be thankful for.

Some of my family spends the night at our house on Thanksgiving Eve. We start the prep for the next day, get a kitchen plan together, visit, nosh, talk and laugh. The last few years, we've made a little tradition of going to see the latest Twilight Saga movie. This year, Breaking Dawn 2 was the final installment. Our group has changed over the years and this year, we were definitely missing my niece, Mara who is currently serving a mission for our church in Germany! We made a sign with her name on it and took pictures "with her" in the theater. My nephew's girlfriend was also spending Thanksgiving with us for the first time and she was so helpful and fit right in. It was such a good time! Cheesy I know, but I really want to see it again!

I pre made a French Toast Bake the night before and got it in the oven by 6a so that we could eat early because now on Thanksgiving morning, we play softball. We head to a local park and just play ball. Everyone is invited and we all play, young, old and in between. Although those of us older than 10 are all sore today...

When we got back to the house, we set out the nosh. Yummy things that we'd eat up all day! We had Brie En Croute with apricots, Cheese (smoked gouda, beecher's flagship, extra sharp cabot cheddar, several kinds of goat cheese), water crackers, smoked salmon, nuts (pistachios, cashews, and almonds), veggies, onion dip (with greek yogurt), hummus nom nom nom nom...

We had a 22lb brined turkey from Trader Joes that we lathered in chunky garlic butter and herbs de provence. We bustled around the kitchen and between all of the helping hands, managed a yummy dinner for 17.

Roasted Turkey, Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Whipped Nutmeg Yams with Marshmallows, Cornbread Stuffing, Cheesy Onions, Cranberry Sauce, Corn, Corn Bake, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls and plenty of cider to go around! There were also 11 pies. No lie. Kudos to Breeze who rocks making the Pumpkin Pies! She let the kids help too and they loved it.

 

It was so yummy and being surrounded by people who we love and who love us was the best part. Some we see often and some not as much as we'd like. The table is always open and the feeling at the end of the night is a good one.

I could list the things that I'm grateful for here, again, but I truly give thanks for these things everyday.

Hau'oli La Hanau Cissy!

We celebrated my beautiful sister, Cissy's birthday at Clearman's Steak and Stein in Pico Rivera. Stepping into that place was like taking a trip back in time! The interior featured a huge indoor fire pit, there was live music and low lights. I ate myself into a food coma. All meals come with a salad, red pickled cabbage (I thought ick at first and was SO wrong), homemade dressings, cheese bread and onion rings. All you do is pick your meat and how you want it.

I went for Top Sirloin, medium, with broiled scallops. Breeze had the Filet, as rare as rare can be. Ciss did the Ribeye medium rare, and I can't remember what the fella's got. 

They bring your food out on a grill, (everything is cooked over charcoal!) and with vodka as the fuel, give it a last good table side fire.

The potato was bigger than a Costco Potato, no joke. Well, maybe the size of a Costco potato but one of the really big ones. Then the  server asks if we'd like butter... there is only one answer to that question thank you very much... and starts scooping pads of butter onto our plates! Oh my goodness. 

House Bleu Cheese... homestyle onion rings. It was heavenly.

Lucky to have wonderful sisters. I love them so much.

And THESE guys... they're the best.

I think I'm good on red meat for a while...

If you have a special occasion coming up, this was quite the spot!

Clearman's Steak and Stein