Thanksgiving Part Two!

Thanksgiving 2007

We hosted our first Thanksgiving at our house this year. Here are a few pictures but more to come. I have had some errors in trying to post the others??
It was an incredible day to give thanks at our house. I only had to look around to see all the blessings bestowed upon me and my family. The food was great, the laughter even greater, and there was nowhere else in the world I would have wanted to be this night!!

"The Dining Room Project"

Jim has been very diligent with his work in the dining room lately that it only makes sense to give him due credit and a "pat on the back" for the transformation he has made possible. You see, I bark the orders and he makes it happen..LOL!
I have the easy part but he has the challenge of actually creating what I tell him that I want. I should have posted a before picture for you to appreciate the difference. He installed crown molding, new chandelier, a chair rail down the middle with a brown taupey color. I think he has done a really nice job so far. More pictures to come when we actually put the furniture back in..Thanks again Jimmy for your patience with me through this project, I think we have created a beautiful setting for out first Thanksgiving at our home! Love D

A Beautiful Country Sky

My husband took this picture just as the sun was setting over a small lake right near our neighborhood. We live enough outside of the metropolis of Dallas that we feel like we are somewhat in the country bur close enough to the city. We see some very majestic skies and both stand in awe of the beauty it paints against the lake and trees. It only takes the little things to entertain us these days!!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving coming, I will try and start to post some of favorite recipes I have shared with my family during the past several years. This one is Tristan's absolute favorite of mine. Enjoy..I am bad about using measurements so sorry for the guesstimates!

7-8 Large Baking or Yukon potatoes
1 cup sour cream or creme cheese (or a mixture of both)
1 stick of butter (or margarine if you please)
1/2 cup milk
1-2 fresh cloves of garlic minced (I use a garlic press)
salt and pepper to taste (I love lots of pepper!)
Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Boil them for approximately 20 minutes (or until done)
Add all ingredients and mix well breaking up chunky pieces with a masher.
Test to see if they need more salt..
Enjoy!

The Importance of Motherhood

The Most Important Person
on earth is a mother. She
cannot claim the honor of
having built Notre Dame
Cathedral. She need not. She
has built something more
magnificent than any
cathedral-a dwelling for an
immortal soul, the tiny
perfection of her baby's
body…The angels have not
been blessed with such a
grace. They cannot share in
God's creative miracle to bring
new saints to Heaven. Only a
human mother can. Mothers
are closer to God the Creator
than any other creature; God
joins forces with mothers in
performing this act of
creation…What on God's
good earth is more glorious
than this: to be a mother?

-Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

I don't know about you guys but I needed this today. I have always held close his thoughts on motherhood but today really needed to wrap my head and heart around it. All that we do as mothers, the Lord sees the beauty of this work. And our children reap the fruit of our efforts on a daily and lifetime basis. It's just sometimes hard to remember this at 7:15 am in the morning as I'm struggling to get them both (my kids) out the door. The little one chases the big one and I'm chasing them both.
Oh, what a site we are in the mornings..Once they have both gotten off (one to school and the other to daycare) there is finally the sound of peace in the car. But then the sadness sets in, I begin to miss them and think of how long until I get to chase them again and steal baby kisses, hug my little boy (who is almost as tall as me now!), and just absorb their laughter and smiles. I know I am crazy to not just enjoy the silence.:)

The Holy Land

My mother left for her pilgrimmage to the Holy Land on Saturday morning. My parents actually run their own Catholic Pilgrimmage Company and take tours all over the world. Please pray for her (and the others) to have a spirit-filled pilgrimmage and to grow closer to Jesus in the process. Also, pray for a safe trip and a safe return.
I am hoping she will take some pictures that I can post although she's not as much of a picture fanatic as myself!

A Halloween Treat

I was extremely blessed and excited when my parents bought Jimmy and I a "pumpkin pan" from Williams-Sonoma for our anniversary. Those are the types of things that I often admire when I "window shop" there but may not have the discretionary income to justify buying at the time. I just LOVE any themed pans, cooking gadgets, grinders I can get my hands on. My parents stopped by to see the kids costumes last night and enjoy a slice of the bread I made. I actually had some hot chocolate to pair with it but the Texas weather is still dealing us warmer evenings! I used the recipe I had in a previous post and it came out very nice--enjoy the amateur photo,you can still see the molding of the pumpkin though..so seasonal, I love it!

A Beautiful Bee!!