Merry Christmas

May Your Days be Merry and Bright

2010 has been a good year for us. If you follow our blog you already know all the fantastic things that happened this year.  Instead of listing out all the events we are going to share the things that really make us happy. 

 

Things that make Pete happy:

A full belly

Clean pants

Naps

Christmas tree lights

Things that make Emmie happy:

Movies

Mya

Jenna, Cora, and Kate

Candy

Ballerina dresses

Swimming

Cheese

Polka dot blanket

Things that make Brenden and Julianne happy:

Baby Pete's smile

Emmie FINALLY using the bathroom on her own

A house with heat

Each other

Ph.D.s

Family

Good Friends

Kettle corn popcorn

Webcams

In house laundry

Road trips

Two cars

House guests

Not sharing walls with neighbors

Nursery

The Gospel

The Christmas season

This list really could be endless.  We have a lot to be grateful for!  If you are reading this... you are on our list.

Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Brenden, Julianne, Emmie, and Pete

Behold, the Wrath and Destruction of EMZILLA!

Family Portraits a la Paint

I say Julianne cheated by using a smaller brush.  No fair!

Sushi + Pizza

Tonight, Juls went to Trader Joes with Emmie to pick up some sushi and I went with Pete to Little Caesars for Pizza.  Great combo, right?  Emmie insisted on having chopsticks of her own to use.  Then, when I asked her for some she said, "No daddy.   They are very shark.  You will hurt your hand!"  Warning taken.

Julianne just used her fingers.

Geometric Soda

Emmie's new Beau

Emmie has her first boyfriend.  His name is Jack.  He is awesome.

Dogs and cars

If you know me at all then you know how much joy it brings me to see a dog hanging its head out of a car window.  Something about seeing that flapping tongue really makes me laugh.  Brenden gets so annoyed because I always point it out to him when I see it on the road.  

This blog is kind of like seeing that tongue flapping dog.  I don't know what it is about seeing these people and their pets but it really makes me laugh.  Maybe it is the fact that most of the owners really look like their pets.  Anyway, thought I would share...

http://awkwardfamilypetphotos.com/

bad hair day

Emmie woke up this morning and her hair looked like this...  I swear we didn't doctor it at all.

Don't mind the grumpy face, I would be grumpy too if I woke up and found out my hair looked like this. 

Happy 2 months

 We can't believe our baby is 2 months old today!
 

Here is Emmie at 2 months, for comparison.  Do they look related?

For the Grandparents....

Too cool for school

Top happenings since you read our blog last...

1.  I went back to work this week.  I have to admit it was hard leaving this guy.  He has started to smile for real, not just when he has gas.  It is adorable.  We have yet to capture it on camera.  He has really mastered the blank stare though, don't you think?

2.  I was talked into directing the Christmas choir for church.  We have 2 rehearsals starting this Sunday.  I have never directed a choir... or really ever sung in one.  I guess knowing how to play an instrument is a lot like owning a fancy camera.  Just because you have a great camera doesn't mean you are a great photographer.  Wish me luck. 

3.  "Poop in the potty" has become an extremely common phrase in our house.  I never thought I would say poop so many times a day.   I am happy to report that Emmie is doing much better in that department which has seriously brought down Brenden and my stress levels.  I will spare you a picture.

4.  Emmie is loving her baby Pete.  She even read him a book the other night.  I'm not sure how interested he really was but it was a nice gesture.  

5.  Brenden has almost finished his first semester as the official Dr..  He says he never gets tired of students calling him Dr.  If you want to make his day, call him Dr. when you call him on the phone.

Congratulations.  You are now updated. 

Thanksgiving Mystery

If you can correctly identify what this was supposed to be, you get a prize.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Warning:  This is going to be a LONG post.

We are lucky, blessed people.  The list of all the things, people and blessings for which we are thankful is way to long to blog about, so here are just a few specific things that we are thankful for today.

1. Yummy food
2. Full bellies
3. Gregg and Rachael for coming and visiting us in Nebraska

 

We have been cooking up a storm the last couple days.  Among other things, we tackled our first turkey.  In the end, it was honestly one of the tastiest, juiciest turkeys I've ever had!

First, Thomas the Turkey.

Here is Tom soaking in a brine (in a ice chest) overnight.

Now brined, Tom was stuffed with some aromatics (onion, apple, cinnamon, rosemary and sage), roasted at HIGH temp to brown the skin and then fitted with a tinfoil shield to protect his succulent white meat from overcooking.

 

The result LOOKED good...but how did it taste?

Ready to carve.

Getting in touch with my inner caveman.

The carcass of a delicious, delicious bird.

Next, the supplementary eats:

A Pie in the making

Gregg's requested Cherry Pie + Rachael's creepy smile

Rachael taming the wild chocolate filling

Valley d'Ouefs

Gregg inspecting something chocolatey

Herbs

You know what would go well with meat?  Meat Sauce.  Long live gravy!

 The Full spread.  Taters, gravy, turkey, stuffing, rolls, salad, beans+carrots

Overcooked Chocolate Cheesecake

 Homemade (by Rachael) Cherry Pie!  (village inn apple pie not pictured)

Last, the culprits

Gregg

Rachael

Julianne

Brenden

Emmie

The Eggman

Creepy pilgrim women

Brenden's Vinyl Priority Wish List (for Christmas)

Dear friends, family and wealthy benefactors:

I know everyone is probably clamoring, wondering what vinyl LPs you should give me for Christmas.  Well, here is a prioritized list:

1. The Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl, vol 1-2
2. Dr. Dog - Fate
3. The National - High Violet
4. The Beatles - Revolver
5. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
6. Radiohead - Kid A
7. J. Tillman - Singing Ax
8. Iron & Wine - Around the Well
9. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
10. fun. - Aim and Ignite

Yes, it is

Emmie was eating breakfast this morning - oatmeal and an orange.  I had left the kitchen, and when I came back Julianne had also given her an English muffin with peanut butter.  I said, "Is that a peanut butter muffin?"  Emmie then looked up at me and very clearly enunciated, "Yes, it is."  Very matter-of-factly.  Usually she just blurts out a "yup," or something of the sort.  Julianne and I both looked at each other immediately - surprised by the such a coherent, calm statement from our usually crazy and hyperactive child.  Very funny.

Recent pics

 Is it too much to ask to get one decent picture of these two?  I had to bribe Emmie with a starburst just to get her to sit down and hold Pete.

Emmie's hair is really coming in now.  She has these crazy stringy bangs though.  I really want to cut them but I fear she will look like Lloyd Christmas.  What do you think?  Do I just let them grow?

 

Pete's hair unfortunately fell out only on the front half of his head.   The good news is there are tiny little sprouts of hair growing. If you click on the picture and make it extra large you can see the new hair.  I think it will be blond!

Kiddos

Cute but crazy... but the red head is a little more crazy. 

No more sweets

Just last night Brenden and I were lying in bed talking about how we both have a problem with portion control and how we were going to eat better. 

This is what Brenden ate for lunch today...

In case you can't tell, it is a double-decker hamburger. This just screams portion control doesn't it?

Also- B and I have sworn off sweets until Christmas with the exception of Ivanna Cone when Gregg and Rachael come and Thanksgiving day.  So all you people who tempt us with treats on a regular basis (namely Brad and Emily), go easy on us!  We're bringing sexy back.