thanksgiving 2011

 Thanksgiving 2011 was a day to be very thankful indeed.  Amazing food (we've deemed it the best in family history), kids' craft projects, relaxing by the fire, and happily enjoying the company of family.  

cinderella

My Cinderella pumpkin from the Central Oregon Pumpkin Co. Patch in Terrebonne, Oregon made its way up to Vancouver, was roasted and baked into our Thanksgiving pie.  Well worth the extra effort!  This year I broke away from tradition and went with some new recipes.  I turned to what I consider to be the most reliable recipe source online, Smitten Kitchen.  Basically, I've come to the conclusion that her recipes are fail proof.  This was no exception and I will probably stick with these recipes for life (with this exception: the pumpkin filling recipe called for canned yams and I used all pumpkin.  I'm a purist.).  Read her two part series on pie crust, it is pretty enlightening...in the "duh, your great great grandmother knew what she was talking about" kind of way.  It was to date my best pie crust ever.  

And of course, there was Matty's pecan pie.  His specialty.  The only thing really missing was Jonathan.  Simply because I have such fond memories of Matt and Jonny making this pie together in years past.

We managed to escape Thanksgiving without any leftovers, except a few pieces of pie (now gone!).  That was a stupid move in that Ali and Mary made simply AMAZING THINGS that I could have and would have eaten for days.  So in that regard it was a smart move, because heaven's knows I need to stop. eating. period!  We are headed to Mexico for New Years...could there be a worse time to wear a bathing suit than post holiday gluttony and ultra white winter skin to boot?  Barre3 is going to be my constant companion in the coming month, let's hope it works!

(Have I ever put this many links in a blog entry?  Think not.  Must be feeling like quite the serious blogger tonight.)

sigh of relief!

I am officially caught up on my blog.  Amazing, I know.  Tomorrow we drive over the pass to spend the week and Thanksgiving with family and best friends.  Hooray!  I will take pictures to post after the week. And then, for heaven's sake, I will try to resume blogging at more regular intervals!  These crazy four hour catch up photo editing and blogging sessions are utterly ridiculous!

the kopers

We had a lovely brunch last weekend with Auntie Ali, Uncle Steve and Cousin Ryan at our house in Vancouver.  Ali and I had planned a photo session in attempt to capture a Christmas card family photo.  Breakfast was very yummy (if I do say so myself!), the pretty leaves were still on the trees, Koper's were dressed in super cute coordination...  You know how this story ends, right?  The camera batteries were 100% dead.  We whipped out the iPhone so as to not completely miss the opportunity.  I don't think it will make the official holiday card, but I love it anyway.  And I love them.

instagram by fritz

 Smokes!  What am I saying here??  

 I find hundreds of photos of the walls, carpet, and black voids on my phone.  These three are actually pretty interesting!  

Over Mommy's shoulder.  Email and Instant Messenger with Daddy.  

i will now have to go camping

On the way down from McKenzie pass we turned down a little forest service road for one last bit of adventure.  Truthfully, I think Matt just wanted to bounce around off-roading in the car on the unplowed rutted out dirt road.  Around a corner and then....this...  

Slice of heaven.  The most stunning, perfect little mountain lake.  Do you like how I'm completely manhandling Wally?  "Get over here and be in this picture with me and the gorgeous lake!"

My snow adventurers.

This boy is rarely deterred by any obstacle.

 We walked the circumference of the darling lake.  It has just four campsites.  I was smitten.    

 I knew I'd have to take these boys camping some day, but it hasn't been on my list of rites of passage to happily anticipate.  Until now.  I have a grand scheme.  We are reserving (if possible, I have no idea) these four campsites for a weekend (So no other random camping wackos will be with us.  I'm terrified of camping wackos.  My immediate family knows exactly why.  Scarred.  For.  Life.).  Friends and family are going to be forced to join us.  They will be happy they did.  

 Tana ran in after what she hoped was a duck, but was really a rock.  She ran out on the ice and broke right through.  Reliving her glory days.  

Happy snow dog.  Happy family. 

mckenzie pass

We set out looking for a family friendly hike in the woods.  What we found was snow!  As you can see from our inadequate shoe selection...we were not quite expecting it!