day in the life of me...

Turkey Jook....

Every year, I get a phone call from one or two of my readers the day aftger Thanksgiving regarding my turkey jook recipe.  Yes, I'm cooking it right now as I type.....First thing Allison asked this morning was "did you make the jook yet mom?"  The answer was NO.  I cooked all day yesterday and attempted to clean up all night...I didn't get a chance to put the turkey in the pot late at night so I'm making it now.  It's still our Black Friday tradition...it smells delicious all over again!

What's up with the beautiful sunny weather?  ENK is out again!  I blame Dan. 

Here's my link to my original turkey jook post two years ago:  http://pineapple.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/day-after-thank.html

Table for Five...

We have never spent Thanksgiving without anyone else other than our nuclear family before.  This was our very first Thanksgiving in our own dinning room table with ENK seated at the head carving the turkey...  We wanted this. We needed this.  We have so much to be thankful for this year....

This is Randy reading his "I am thankful because..." letter to the family (notice the pj he's wearing. He does like wearing his jammies all day long!)

ENK has been watching Food Network shows on "properly carving a turkey" "I'm a visual person. I see it once and I can do it!"  Genius. My brined turkey with savory herbs?  Perfect!  I cooked up a storm this morning...  I cooked as if I was cooking for my whole extended family... Cooking for five or fifteen. Same thing...

This and that before Thanksgiving...

The kids had this week off from school. On Monday, we wanted to just lounge around all day long at home. The kids wore their pj's all day long.  This was Randy's favorite part!

We went to local park nearby on Tuesday.  (Wilsonville Memorial park) See why they love this park?
This park has this awesome slide like no other I have ever seen.   All you need is a small cardboard or just slippery shoes to slide down all you want! I dared Lindsey to slide down... "Mom, I'm too big now!"  She went around taking pictures of trees and flowers instead. It was a beautiful sunny day in Portland! Today, ENK and I took the kids on this 2 mile nature reserve trail in Sherwood. 

We ended the day by going out to the Pearl for dinner with our summer host family... Our kids with Dana, Stacy, and Jonathan! They all seem to look alike!
ENK and I after dinner

I'm brinning my 20lb bird for our family Thanksgiving feast... Will this turkey be enough for the five of us?
Overall, Life is good and God is good!  We are truly blessed!

I am amazed....

Somehow, this picture survived the fire.  No, I'm not amazed that the picture survived the fire but look at the size of my wedding!!! This is Wilshire United Methodist Church.  This was taken at the beginning, someone said that by the end of the cermony, there were guests standing on the balcony of this small church!

How many guests you may ask?  I don't even know.  Why so many guests?  My dad.  He's just got a heart of gold.  So many people came for him.  He is loved and he loves so many....  they all came for him.   Really.  I'm not kidding!
 

How did I get here?

I heart these young kids!  Several collegiate youth members returned home for Thanksgiving break.  I was so happy to see them at church. I hugged every one of them with so much love in my heart. How did I end up in Portland and how did I fall so deeply for these guys? I feel like a mom with 50 kids! Man, I'm getting old!!

We had a sweet memorial for one young youth member who passed away last year.  We planted a fruit tree in his loving memory....

House Update...

This is a secret...

If you see Oregon's weather this week, it's all rain. Rain rain rain rain and rain. But what we know that others outside of the NW don't know is that there are breaks. Beautiful breaks of sunshine that shines through the window, reflecting the autumn leaves.... I see the rays, even brief as it may be, it gives me the opportunity to say THANK YOU God for the sunshine today.

Time with dad...

Grill cheese sandwich...

Ginger ale...

Lego time with dad...Perfect Sunday afternoon.

House Update....

Silver Falls hike...

We had a rare mid week day off for Veteran's Day. ENK had a day off and the kids had a day off. After our morning meetings at the house talking with our contractor, plumber, framer, and our cabinet maker, we headed south to Salem to meet up with John and Ken's family at Silver Falls.  I have always loved Multnomah Falls but this Silver Falls was grand. I was really impressed with how close you got to the falls... It was beautiful!  Along the trail, the girls caught a salamander... Sarah called it and she's taking it to her Science teacher.
 

  

Our drive home...just gorgeous!