For 2011 we have Ann’s mom and dad here along with the usual suspects. This tradition gets more special every year. How lucky we are to have such great family and friends nearby to celebrate the day.

thanksgiving_2011

55 Photos

Like branches of a tree we grow in different directions,

yet our roots remain as one.

Each of our lives will always be a special part of the other’s.

(Author unknown)

Oh my! What a weekend! Dramatic weather, travel challenges, last minute sign placements, music decisions and more. It all came together in an absolutely beautiful, heart-warming evening of friends and family celebrating the marriage of Alex and Shelby. Scott and I have no sense of losing Alex but instead are so thankful for having the good fortune of gaining Shelby – a wonderful gift to our family!

These photos are just a sneak peak of all the fabulous pictures yet to come. Thanks to the assistance of Leahlynn Reed, Scott was able to magically be both father of the groom and wedding photographer. Scott will have more photos in the next week or so … he’s got two real big banquets this week so y’all will have to be a little patient. In the meantime, if you want to share any photos of the wedding, please upload them to your favorite photo site and share the link with us in the comments section here on this page.

Words really can’t express our appreciation and love for our family and friends that have always been there to help in guiding both Alex and Sam to adulthood. To have so many of you there with us in Stephenville was truly humbling. The quote that just keeps running through my head is this:

The best part of life is when your family becomes your friends, and your friends become your family. (Danica Whitfield)

By the way, here’s those final music decisions Alex made:

•Father & Bride dance •Mother & Groom dance •Bride & Groom dance

Kind of hard to break the tradition. Here again are images from our day. Image updates every 15 minutes automatically (if it doesn’t, just refresh your browser)

We’re done! Here’s a brief slideshow of the images.

I was talking to Marti this week and mentioned that I had made some soup. She did a quick assessment of the squash on her counter and asked for the recipe. I have been inspired by my friend JM and decided that Scott and I need to add a recipe category!  I’ll be making JM’s recipe for Egg Flower Soup soon. At the moment, though, it’s all about squash, specifically butternut squash. I cut a recipe out of the paper last week but then when I read it, I decided I didn’t want to stand over the stove waiting for things to boil, simmer, etc. and I wanted to see if I could make it tasty without whole milk, cream, etc. We like it. What do you think?

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Soup:

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs.)
• 3 slender or 1 ½ larger leeks, white parts only, chopped
• 3 cups light vanilla soy (you could use milk but I like how this is a little thicker and sweeter without a lot of calories
• 3 cups water
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 – 2 tsp. Fresh grated nutmeg
• 2 T. Cinnamon

Garnish per cup of soup:

• ¼ apple, cut into small cubes (I leave the peel on)
• 1 – 2 T. finely chopped walnuts

Peel the squash. Cut the ends off. Cut in half the short way and then cut each piece in half again. Scrape the seeds and string out with a spoon. Cut into 1 – 2 inch chunks and put into crock pot.

Stir in the leeks, milk and water. Salt generously, put on high, put the cover on the crock pot and walk away for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, check to see if you can start to mash things together. If you can, do it, if you can’t, put the cover on and try it again in 30-45 minutes. After you’ve mashed it all together, put the cover on and let it cook on high another 1 hour. NOTE: On mine, the mash tends to bubble up and touch the cover – no big deal, just push it down and stir all together. When everything is a soft mash, stir in pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Using a blender or a food processor, puree the soup in small batches (2 cups or less) until it is creamy. NOTE: Be careful about blending hot liquids – the steam has to be able to escape somewhere and if you don’t plan for that it will most likely go all over the place (experience speaking). If you’re reheating, microwave on high for 3-4 minutes – it tastes best really hot.

Put the apple bits in the bottom of a bowl (again, experience speaking – otherwise they might splash hot soup on your hand as they drop into the soup). Pour the soup in, sprinkle with walnuts and enjoy!

It was time for some new beach towels. I found these on sale and got more than just a good deal – I got a bunch of memories of spending summer days at my grandparent’s on Buffalo Lake,  Montello, WI.

The colors and the texture of these towels just brought back a flood of memories: Gramma’s Fiestaware, the turquoise blue butterfly chair, those metal geese flying over those HUGE white leather recliners, Mexican blankets on the extra beds, and that funny, impossibly small metal table and chair in the bathroom off the breezeway … I don’t even know what I remember and what I’m conjuring up in my own mind.

It makes me think of Gramma yelling “Paul? Paul!” from inside while she got everything together and Grampa outside having a laugh while he entertained everyone. I think of Gramma coming to the top of the boathouse to watch us playing down below in the water or for us to zoom by in the boat. I think of the meals. Oh my gosh. All the food.

I’m absolutely certain that, as a result of my time spent at my grandparents, these days when I’m hosting a large meal it somehow doesn’t feel complete unless I offer crudités like olives and fancy little pickles … It wouldn’t be a holiday meal at our house without a door prize … and I have an EXTREMELY hard time following recipes without some sort of spontaneous change to the ingredient list. These are all things that must be deeply embedded in my DNA because I swear they happen without me even thinking about them!

It all comes back to style, though. It was the big things like the huge windows overlooking the lake and the repeated use of white – even the rocks that bordered the driveway were painted white! It was the little things like the fancy ashtrays and the many different glasses. It was the blessings at the meals. It all came together in Hattie’s own style.

There’s nothing like San Antonio Fiesta! Mom and Dad nabbed a hotel right on the riverwalk and despite having to dodge some raindrops, a great time was had by all! Saturday afternoon was spent in Kyle at the Calvonos with baby Anthony as the rightful center of EVERYONE’s attention!

“If, when we were young, we tramped through forests of Nebraska cottonwoods, or raised pigeons on a rooftop in Queens, or fished for Ozark bluegills, or felt the swell of a wave that traveled a thousand miles before lifting our boat, then we were bound to the natural world and remain so today. Nature still informs our years – lifts us, carries us.” Richard Louv http://richardlouv.com/ begins his book “Last Child in the Woods” with that beautiful statement. He is right. For me, the outdoors has always been an integral part of what makes me who I am. Whether it was my Mom yelling at all of us, “Go outside and run around!” or finding a solitary moment to lay in the field behind the house to watch the clouds, outside is a place I have enjoyed and have found I truly need. I believe everyone is enriched by the opportunity to spend time in nature.

Why am I passionate about Camp Grady Spruce and why am I asking you to care? Because I know from personal experience that when a camping program is not just located in the outdoors but is focused on outdoor programming, it has the power to reinforce love and respect of nature as well as getting along with others and learning to be creative and improvise. Making sure children – and the outdoors – are cherished and protected pretty much gets to the essence of what Camp Grady Spruce is here for.

Scholarship requests are poring in to Camp Grady Spruce at record-breaking rates. As a board member, in addition to making a donation, I am involved in reading over scholarship requests and am, quite frankly, horrified by the prospect of how many more well-deserving children there are than funds available. Everyone has their own preferred charities. I respectfully ask that you help Scott and I support this worthy effort in any way – big or small – that you can. CLICK HERE