Turkey in Texas

If you haven't figured by now, this week will be all about Texas, cowgirls and our trip.  Mainly because I'm trying to adjust to my normal time zone and absorb the fact that while we were gone for only 7 days, we got 24 inches of snow.  That kind of math does very weird things to your psyche.  When we left we were in jackets. Now we're in snow boots, mittens, several layers of clothes and wool. 

I thought I'd share with you our Thanksgiving!  I know you've all been dying to see and read about it.  I remember as a little girl we always did two Thanksgivings.  One at one side of the family with 20+ people and a buffet style.  There wasn't a room big enough to fit us all in, so we just grabbed a plate and found a spot to eat.  The other side was smaller and we'd sit around a table and eat.  Both were very different, but equally wonderful.

Our Thanksgiving this year combines the two!  We had 12 people and sat around a table.  Aunt Mer has this beautiful table and dining room.  What made it even more gorgeous was her tablescape. 

All fall colors, place mats, formal setting and olives.  Cans and cans of olives!

This year Zoe and I offered to make the place cards.  I saw little pilgrim boats in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog.  Instead of buying I thought we could use that as our idea and make them out of felt.  It actually worked!  I love when things like that work.  We filled them with jelly beans, M&Ms and Werthers. 

Then we decided on some pictures!  This year we had four generations present.  N, Zoe, Grammy and G.G.  Plus N's younger sister lives in Austin, so we also had Amanda, H-J, Grammy and G.G.  Instead of separating them, we just combined them.  Such an awesome group of people!

We also decided to get some pictures of G.G. with two of her great-granddaughters.  I think trying to rope a wild bull is easier than trying to get a picture with two, small children.  Sometimes H-J was looking at someone else.  Sometimes Zoe was checking her cuticles...

As the photographer, I realize that when Zoe is 25 and looking at this picture she'll say, "mom, why didn't you get me to look at the camera?"  I will just smile and say, "when the cuticles call, you have to answer."

Cousins, Cannons and Tea

We are back home from Texas.  It was my first trip to the large state and I wasn't sure what to expect.  It was hot, which took a little getting used to.  It was brown since it's winter and even though it's 75 degrees, apparently grass and stuff still dies.  I think what shocked me the most was how small the trees are.  I know Oak trees aren't small, per se, but compared to a forest of pine trees that we have here in Washington, those trees look small.  Not everything is bigger in Texas!

I will tell you the love in Texas is as big as the love in Washington.  We had the awesome privilege of meeting H-J.  She's 8 months of cuteness!  She immediately loved on Zoe. 

We couldn't just kiss and play all the time, so we took a trip to The Alamo!  I know I'm going to sound like a historical tragedy, but I honestly didn't know what happened there.  Since Zoe was very anxious to get outside and chase some squirrels, I'm still not sure I know.  Something about Davy Crocket, a guy who invented Bowie knives and a battle with Mexico.  Then I saw some petunias in November and was just as distracted as Zoe was.

Until we came to a cannon!  Actually we came upon several cannons.  Obviously there was a battle here and I think it's how Texas became a state in the U. S. of A rather than Mexico.  Again I was distracted this time by the size of Zoe's guns in comparison to the little cannon.

After we had chased all the squirrels into cacti (cactuses?) and looked at all the pretty flowers, we went to the San Antonio River Walk.  If you ever get the chance to be in San Antonio, chase some squirrels at The Alamo and then do the River Walk.  It's probably one of my new favorite places.  A river goes through downtown, you can eat along the river and just enjoy the warm weather in November!  If you're feeling carefree, you can take a boat along the river. 

We were totally carefree!  We even had Aunt Dee Dee to enjoy our carefree attitude with.  You can't ask for anything more!

Since we were totally carefree, we also decided to stop by Fredericksburg.  It's the cutest, weirdest place in Texas.  It's a German town in the middle of Texas.  Instead of BBQ, you can get sauerkraut.  I'm not sure about you, but I think I'll stick with BBQ, even though I'm sure most of my German ancestors are rolling in their graves right now.  They have a ton of adorable shops, the nicest folks and tractor seats along the street to sit on. 

After all the walking and all the sightseeing, we had to make it back to our kin for some tea. 

It was one of the best vacations I've been on.  Zoe was loved on and spoiled.  We were able to love on and smooch H-J.  We had time to sit, put our feet up and reconnect with our family.  I think I can speak for all three of us when I say, we weren't ready to leave.

Howdy Y'all

                                       

Things here on the blog are going to get a bit quiet this coming week.  We are leaving on a jet plane to warm temperatures, good BBQ, great music and many quilt shops that I've never been to before.  Granted they don't know about the guilt shops yet, but I'm working on batting my eyes and looking ever so irresistable. 

On a side note, this little fact has turned me into my mother.  When I was in junior high and high school my mom had this book called The Quilter's Travel Companion.  It listed quilt stores in every town in the US with a map on how to get there.  Anytime we went anywhere, we had to stop by quilt stores.  I was horrible.  I'd complain, ask to leave and generally be put out that we had to go to another quilt store.  "Isn't all fabric the same, mom?"  Then I'd roll my eyes.

Fast forward a couple decades, I've got my Quilter's Travel Companion and I've ear-marked the stores I'd like to hit.  Because I am my mother's daughter, I'll use the same star stickers she did to denote if I'd return to that store.

I'm not sure Austin is ready for us.  Our legs haven't seen the light of day in months so I have a feeling we're going to scream "tourist."  Fortunately we have a slew of family down there that love us for who we are.  They'll likely switch our SPF 75 sunscreen out for baby oil, but hey, it's about making memories.

I hope y'all have a great Thanksgiving and are reminded of all the blessings you have in your life.  If you also get to visit a quilt store, that will make this Thanksgiving even better.

Sleep, Precious Sleep

For the last month we've had interrupted sleep.  Zoe started out with a cold, then she got the cough.  Because she's a gagger, coughing is always fun.  Once we turned the corner on the illnesses, I foolishly thought that we could go back to sleeping through the night.

I couldn't be more wrong.

The last couple weeks have been filled with dreams.  She's been having nightmares.  She can't tell us what they're about, she just knows she needs mommy there to cuddle and make it okay.  Both N and I struggled with nightmares as children, so I have a soft spot in my heart for Zoe and her dreams.  I can clearly recall the horrible dream I had as a child and the only thing that made it better was my mom cuddling me. 

I'm so blessed that I can do the same for Zoe, even if it means I drink Starbucks like it's water.

This week we decided that before bed we'd talk about our favorite parts of the day and even what we would dream about.  My hope was to fill her head with good things so the bad dreams might not come in.  I'm proud to report that it's working.  She's having great dreams.

Last night she started laughing and chuckled, "it's a deal" as she giggled harder.  Nothing made my heart beam than hearing her laugh in her sleep.

That was until 3:30 when I heard "MOMMA!"  I rushed into her room and she goes, "is it time for school yet?" 

"No sweetie, not yet.  It's still ni-night time."
"Will it be soon?  They sing really fun songs there!"

Apparently both the nightmares and the good dreams wake her up.  She was just too excited to go to school and sing some songs.  She couldn't fall back asleep until 6 o'clock.

How can you get mad at your child when they're just excited to sing songs with their friends and learn at school?  I guess it's another Starbucks morning!  This momma is singing her own tired song this morning.

Yo! Gabba Gabba

There are many shows you have the privilege of watching once you have kiddos.  Some of them are great and some of them make you scratch your head.  One show Zoe LOVES is Yo! Gabba Gabba.  It's a DJ and his creature friends who sing and dance.  Because Zoe loves to sing and dance, I can totally understand why she loves the show. 

Foofa, Muno, DJ Lance, Toodee, Brobee and Plex (clockwise from the pink one)

N has a really hard time stomaching it.  It's okay, mainly because of Biz's Beat of the Day, which is Biz Markie giving us a beat with his vocal abilities.  Beyond that, I'm a bit lost.

Several months ago we learned that Yo! Gabba Gabba was coming to do a live show.  Because of Zoe's love for it, we bought tickets.

At the last minute N had emergency band practice, so he got out of it.  I'm not quite sure if he talked his band into having practice or if it was God's little blessing to him.  Either way we had an extra ticket and ended up taking my youngest nephew Connor to the show. 

He had no idea who Yo! Gabba Gabba was but was just excited to be out with us.  We went to dinner at Red Robin, arrived in time to get shirts for the kiddos and get our seats about 3 minutes before show time.  Connor just picked one of the guys, Brobee (the green one) and claimed him as the favorite.  He sat down, yelled for Brobee and immediately became a groupie.

Zoe's heart belongs to Toodee (the blue one).  She got her Toodee shirt and couldn't stand it, she started yelling for Toodee.

Then the show began.  The kids got up and danced, they sang, balloons fell from the ceiling, confetti rained down and I was blown away.  Those Yo! Gabba Gabba folks can really put on a great show. 

It was a night of laughs, dancing, joy and bonding.  Plus I got to see Biz Markie in person do his beatbox.  It was even better than that guy from those Police Academy movies.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'd know that we were touched by prematurity.  Actually if you want to get technical, both N and I were born prematurely too.  This isn't something that's new to us, although Zoe's birth was by far the earliest premature birth in either family. 

She weighed in at 2lbs, 10 oz and I'm almost sure as we were making mashed potatoes last night that one of our potatoes weighed as much. 

That time in our lives was devastating, emotional, full of worry, full of joy and shaped who we are today.  Our story ends happy.  Zoe is alive, without significant problems of asthma or cystic fibrosis, loss of hearing or eye sight, mental disabilities or the many more effects that prematurity can have on a child.  We are incredibly fortunate that the only effect of premature is some slight cerebal palsy in her left heel chord.  If you saw her today, you'd never know it was there unless you walked through the physical therapy with her.

Zoe's prematurity left an impact on us in ways we are still experiencing.  God took us through this journey, carried us, shaped us and without Him I'm not sure we would've survived that journey.  It was a time of emotional ups and downs that both N and I handled in our own ways. 

We spent 9 1/2 weeks going into that NICU and Intermediate Care Nursery, watching babies come and go.  Some thrived better than Zoe and some didn't.  As a parent you're barely ready to handle an infant, let alone a preemie.

Once we finally came home we were up every 2 hours for feedings.  Zoe was on several medications that we had to manage and we had to watch to make sure she remembered to breathe.  I think every parent worries about their child not breathing, but prematurity takes that to a deeper level.  We had to learn how to use breathing tools and infant CPR in case she were to stop breathing.  One time in her swing she did. 

I share all this because November is Prematurity Awareness Month.  In the United States 1 in 8 babies are born prematurely.  This number has grown at a rate of 30% since the 1980s.  Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. 

The March of Dimes was originally established by FDR to fight polio.  Since it's origin, it has switched efforts to fight prematurity.  This month please consider donating to March of Dimes.  They have made huge strides to slow the rate of premature births in the United States.  So far they've seen a 3% decline in the number of premature births, but there is still much work to be done.

As a parent I felt helpless and guilty for Zoe's prematurity.  To see her struggle and fight just to have the same chance as a baby born 10 weeks later was heart-wrenching.  The March of Dimes is an organization that is near and dear to my heart.  My prayer is by the time Zoe has children of her own, the cycle of prematurity in our family will end.

She's Full of One Liners

Last weekend Zoe asked both daddy and me on a date.  On Monday night we decided it was a great time for a date.  We went to dinner at Red Robin and then to Target to do a little shopping. 

As we were headed home, we got behind a slow truck in the parking lot.

N:  "C'mon people, get a move on!"

Zoe:  "Daddy, do you need to check your blood pressure?"

I have no idea where she gets it, but I love it.