Flashback Friday!!

My dad just recently e-mailed several of our famous, 'round the table Thanksgiving pictures, and I thought it perfect for FLASHBAAACK FRIDAY!!!

I'm not really sure when my dad started this tradition, but the first picture here is possibly, the very first one? 

This was obviously before he started using the tri-pod, since we are all looking dead-on at the camera. And my grandma was still around, but this was her very last Thanksgiving. Blah.  

 Look how young Cody and Nathan look!!  And under that shirt of mine, little Hope was growing.

 AND GO AHEAD AND RIP OUT MY EYEBALLS, BECAUSE PIERCE IS IN A HIGH-CHAIR. WAAAAAAAAAA. 

AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT, GO AHEAD AND RIP OUT MY HEART TOO, BECAUSE NOW HOPE IS IN A HIGH-CHAIR!   (Which BTW, I don't even see Pierce or my dad in this pic. What's up with that?)

Okay, I'm finished with my fits.

But it is crazy sad, just how quickly the kids are growing up.

These pictures are just a reminder of my constant saying.

Time is the enemy.

The Polar Express. Sort of.

Everyday when I pick up the kids from school, I am greeted with the SAME EXACT QUESTION, "mommy, are we going to go do anything?" They are always hoping that we might go see some friends, or go to the park, just something fun! 

And generally I am the poopy-pants mom, who has to tell them that we will go home and do homework and be responsible. No fun. 

But yesterday, I had something fun to spring on them! 

"Kids, we are going to the Polar Express!" A few excited screams and what felt like a busted ear drum later, we were on our way. 

Our neighbor had 3 extra tickets, and this was a "little production" put on by the library.

*And when I say little, I do mean little.*

The kids were thinking back to when we went to Polar Express with my parents, and assumed this would be the same.

But then I had to break.it.down.

There are no dancing elves, the train doesn't move, no singing, no special cocoa, and no arrival at the North Pole.....

And then it was about THAT time, I was ready to give someone a "YOU ARE SPOILED, AND MOST CHILDREN WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THIS!!!" lecture, because, well, look.

But I didn't have time to guilt them.

 We had a train to catch!

By this point, kids were feeling excited again.

But then Hope would keep leaning over and whispering to me, "when are the dancing elves coming?"

But they had to settle for someone reading them the book. 

Which Pierce declared as, "one of the most boring things I've ever done."

I just ignored all that, and snapped away.

But there was a visit from the big man! Neither of the kids really dig Santa, but they did manage to grab the loot and run!

AND, that was it.

I guess the moral of this story is, my kids are spoiled. OR don't take them to the big-time and then expect them to enjoy the little stuff. WHO KNOWS.

But as I put the kids to bed they both told me they had a really good time.

I'll take it.

I will stop talking about my camera. Eventually.

Cameras anonymous? Anyone know if there is such a thing?

Because I may want to slip in the back door at the next meeting.

Picture after picture. Trying to find that "look" and learn all those blasted settings!

Then picking the brain of my super-smart, photog friend, who schooled me hard. Especially on the importance of the correct lens.

Exhibit A) G's lens

Exhibit B) B's lens.

Huge difference, right?

And eventually I will get there. All in due time.

But what kind of obnoxious mother would I be, if I did not practice on my own offspring?

Pierce will amuse me, here-and-there (that's not a cig hanging out of his mouth, it's string cheese)

But the one who LOVES to practice for me?

Our very own one-girl show!

She loves the attention!

I mean just look at that face?

All an act.

And I love it.

Okay, off to go look up support groups....

Keeping it shallow, G & T.

Anyone that reads my blog must think I have no life. 

It's basically just me rambling about my kids, my husband, my family, my friends. There is nothing deep here, no scholarly wisdom, no crafts, no recipes. It's just a rambling G, sharing my life, and things that I find fun, or amusing. 

Such as texts between Tracey and I....

I fully realize this is narcissistic of me to post these

But I think our shallowness is fun.

Life is tough sometimes

So keeping it fluffy, helps me wade through it.

Maybe one day we'll have a book with a collection of our shallow texts.

I'd SO buy it.

And just so you know, we do send each other serious texts, but who wants to read that stuff??

AND NOW?

NOW,  Tracey is official with an iPhone, and we can FaceTime!!  Seriously. Where does the fun stop?

Keeping it shallow, G and T.

A fresh approach to the Christmas card

We now have all of our professional pics, and of course, as always, Brittany  did an awesome job. 

And now I have the tough job of deciding what I should put on our Christmas card.

With so many CUTE ones, how do I decide?

But since I enjoy being a little non-typical, I was thinking of veering away from images like these

And maybe change it up with something like this.

Isn't everyone going to enjoy a card with a picture like this? 

I can see it now....

'Merry Christmas from us to you, where we just learned the truth about Santa!'

OR

'As we leave 2012 BEHIND...'

Just thinking it's time for something fresh.

I'll let you know....

Thanksgiving, brought to you by my new camera.

You know how when someone has a new baby or a new pet, and they keep wanting to show you pictures of it?  And you know how you politely 'oooooo' and 'ahhhhhh'? You know, right? 

I'm basically that obnoxious person with a new camera. I'm taking far too many pictures, and will show anyone who will oblige me. I can't help it though, I'm just THAT excited about my camera. 

So you can only imagine me with it on Thanksgiving.....

Practicing away. 

Trying to capture my moms table setting...(all the girls get an ornament from Williamsburg, and a tin of her homemade fudge) 

And the food.

All the glorious food!

Hands down, my favorite meal of the year!

And how good does this bird look?

Paul is the MAN.

And he makes a great turkey.

Besides food, there are two other F's that make up Thanksgiving.....

Football of course.

Anywhere you looked, a game was on.

And the last F is of course family.

Honestly, there's no description needed for these pictures.

It's just our family

Doing our family thing. 

All the while I was practicing with my camera settings

On any willing participant

Or any unknowing soul. 

I'll always remember this Thanksgiving as the one with the new camera.

Just as I'll always remember my mother and her gloves. Oh, those gloves.

Thank you mom for our holiday traditions.

And thank you dad for the traditional 'round the table photograph. As much as we moan about it, I think it's pretty awesome.

Thanksgiving 2012, brought to you by the letter F and my new camera.