Elizabeth has been asking for an apron lately, and this morning I found the time to make one for her. As soon as I handed it to her she said, "Can we make something?" So, of course, we made muffins! I have a yummy recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip muffins that everyone loves. Enjoy the pics of the girls at work and the new apron.
The sky is a brilliant, cloudless expanse of blue. The sun is shining intensely. The breeze is blowing across my feet as I type, and my wacky children are swimming in the pool! More like jumping in, screaming at each other about how cold it is, and then jumping out. But they have been doing this for several minutes now.
We may not have the acreage we dream about. We have to deal with neighborhood bylaws that we don’t like. But we have a sweet little piece of paradise right here. I’ll take it!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We had an excellent day with our local family. Mark’s parents are in North Carolina, but we’ll see them at Christmastime. My sister and her husband were a gracious hosts and we had a blast hanging out together. Their two sons, their wives, and two grandchildren were there along with my parents and our family of six. The weather was perfect, the company awesome, and the food plentiful and delicious.
We always have much to be thankful for, but this year was made a little more precious to me after my cancer scare in the Fall. Everything is just a little sweeter now 
Enjoy some pictures of the day:
My Sister and I
Some cousins with Grandmom at the sandbox.
The rest of my pictures won’t upload for some reason, but I"ll work on it! Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours.
Here is a fun survey I copied from Jen’s blog.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, but I can’t put the gifts out until Christmas eve or the cat will eat through the paper.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial – I can’t keep anything green very long. We went over to the "dark side" after having to take all the ornaments off of two trees one year because they lost all their needles before Christmas day.
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving
5. Do you like eggnog? No. Totally disgusting.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Baby Alive – loved this doll.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Teenage nephew
8. Easiest person to buy for? My girls – they still love everything
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail a photo card
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A vacuum cleaner that I actually asked for. Be careful what you wish for…
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf. I broke my own "not before Thanksgiving rule" and watched it two nights ago.
13. When do you start shopping? October
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Recycled? No. Donated to charity? You bet.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Um – do I have to pick? Probably some kind of cookie.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes – now we have a pre-lit tree. Best invention ever.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s? Of course, but only if I sing it.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Love our angel, but the fake tree won’t hold her weight so now it is a foil star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year The fact that stores start marketing in August
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Homemade tacky kids’ ornaments
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and stuffing.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Already got it – a clean bill of health and the best family around.
May 24. A proud mom and dad with the happy graduate.
On our way north. No, we didn’t let them ride that way all the way to DC!
floridamomto4