Thanksgiving

This year we had our first Thanksgiving sans family, so we decided to invite some friends. Before we ate, Libi led the kids in some appetite-inducing exercises:

Then we got down to the business of stuffing ourselves silly. The spread:




The menu:

Cider glazed turkey (roasted with a cedar plank, but I did not taste any difference)
Apple stuffing
Cider infused gravy
Brussels sprouts with pancetta, arugula and brioche
Mashed potatoes with leeks and sour cream
Butternut squash soup
Roasted cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Tasty rolls, bean salad and a slew of beverages were provided by our lovely guests.

After days of prep, cleaning, baking pies, fighting with IKEA (that new table in the picture better last a thousand years!!), and general insanity, I finally got cooking and dinner was served at 4.40pm. This was only forty minutes later than my broadcast eat-time of 4pm! Bonus!! It was a lovely Thanksgiving!!

Yes We Did!!!!!

Ragin' Oma!

As I made my blog-stalking rounds today, I came upon these awesome pictures on my cousin Jackie's blog. She cares for our grandmother (Oma). One night Oma came out of her room dragging a bat, looking for robbers. Recently she asked my cousin for the bat back, and Jackie told her she could have it back if she could prove she could swing it. Go Oma!!

Dress Rehearsal

Yesterday Lucy got her hair cut, and today we worked out (pretty much) her Fancy Nancy costume for Halloween. Here's a sneak peek:

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Happy Birthday, my darling baby! I can't believe you are five!

Soufflé!

I made this! Yum!

The Wood Menagerie

I finally finished my wooden animals! I cut out the shapes on a band saw, sanded them down and finished them with watercolor (for the eyes) and beeswax. I found the painting the most intimidating part!

Diana Days

I came across my old Princess Diana look-a-like photos today. Here's one with a comparison. What do you think?


Here's one more I just found:

Too Brilliant!

I had to put this on both my blogs -- it's too awesome!

Yeeehaaawwww!!!!!!!!!!!

We did a service project at Ensign Ranch right after we moved to Washington. After we were done, we did a little horseback riding.

My friend Anna took these pictures and I love them!

The Back Yard

Finally, here are the before pictures:

There's a couple of deer under the apple tree here:


And after the gardeners worked their magic:


Can you believe that pathway was there that whole time? There was even a fountain and little (empty) pond out there that I'd never seen!

Forever Mighty!

Lucy had show and tell at preschool today; things that start with the letter S. Amidst a slew of rubber snakes was this real corn snake named Slick. I was the only brave mommy, which is just another reason why I am, and always will be, Jen the Mighty!

I Didn't Know It Was My Birthday Already!

Court puts temporary halt on "Project Runway" move

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Friday temporarily halted plans by film and television producer The Weinstein Co to take its hit TV program "Project Runway" to the Lifetime cable TV network from rival Bravo where it now airs.
The preliminary injunction, handed down in New York State Supreme Court, means that for now the fashion design contest starring model Heidi Klum will not jump to Lifetime Network in November 2008, as had been scheduled.
NBC Universal, the media wing of General Electric Co and the owner of Bravo, said it was pleased with the ruling, while separately privately-held Weinstein vowed to appeal.
In his roughly 40-page ruling, Judge Richard Lowe said NBC Universal had shown, among other things, a likelihood that it might eventually prove it had a right of first refusal to re-sign the show to a new cable TV distribution contract before Weinstein reached a separate agreement with Lifetime.
The program, in which contestants design new clothes each week and are judged by Klum and other fashion experts, is currently in its fifth season on Bravo. In its fourth season, it averaged 3.8 million women viewers ages 18 to 49-year-old and its finale lured 6.1 million women in the same group.
Lifetime, which targets women and is owned by Hearst Corp and The Walt Disney Co., said it was disappointed but would continue to pursue its deal with Weinstein so that a sixth season of "Project Runway" would air on its network.
Weinstein also said it remained committed to the Lifetime deal and that it was "glad" Judge Lowe required NBC Universal to post a $20 million bond as the matter proceeds in court.
That sum is 10 percent of a $200 million bond for which Weinstein Co. had asked claiming that was the amount of the deal it had with Lifetime.

Summer Pics

Many of you have informed me that you don't care about my ramblings; you care about pictures of Lucy (sometimes pics of Mathias, never pics of me). So here you go, a smattering of pictures from this past summer. Enjoy.

The glory of summer was the slip-n-slides in the backyard. Even on rainy days Lucy begs Mathias and I to go with sliding with her.

We went to the lake a lot. It's awesome and only ten minutes away.

Mathias' birthday. I borrowed this behemoth to pick up the ping pong table we got for him. I fell out of it only once, thank you very much.

The victorious birthday German and fervent admirer.

Biggest burger I've ever seen.

I don't know what she was up to. Some sort of magic lobster wrangling, I suppose.

Fourth of July fireworks with Isaac.

Now the sparklers are lit and the kids seem a bit nervous.

Cameron was the most nervous of all. We literally blew up our backyard. Videos to come.

At the train museum in Issaquah in April.

It snowed THE DAY we moved here. For the record I did not take this picture: I was inside packing all of my stuff to move back to California. It was April, for Pete's sake!

The Preminger dance.

One of the many bouncy house adventures.

Short, But Soooooo Sweet!

I love this one-second video. It cracks me up every time!

For My Dad

Lucy: I would LOVE to be a bird!!!

Me: Why is that?
Lucy: So I can poop on people!!

Sigh

Crazy world
Full of crazy contradictions like a child
First you drive me wild
And then you win my heart with your wicked art
One minute tender, gentle
Then temp'remental as a summer storm
Just when I believe your heart's getting warmer
You're cold and you're cruel
And I like a fool try to cope
Try to hang on to hope
Crazy world, ev'ry day the same old roller coaster ride
But I've got my pride
I won't give in
Even though I know I'll never win
Oh, how I love this crazy world

I love this song. I love to hear Julie Andrews sing it. So many times, today included, these words embody everything I feel.

Skipping Beats

How is it that every time I watch this my heart skips several beats? Just writing about it makes me all misty-eyed!

Swoon! Where have all the great romances gone? Will there ever be "another" Sound of Music?? Here's hoping! But for now I'll snuggle up with Mathias and watch this scene again and again!

Laughing Out Loud!

Because I have to laugh at this -- otherwise I'd be crying.

Season Premieres Have Landed!

Potatoes Unite is coming back online! Check it out, fellow TV junkies! 90210 is first up for discussion!
Here's a pic to tantalize!

Guess Who Found the Camera?