thankful for: family.

i am so lucky to have such a sweet family. normally, thanksgiving is the only time of year where we all get together in the same city. my brother sam, sister-in-law jennifer, niece fiona, and nephew liam come in from california, and my sister lisa and brother-in-law todd come in from minneapolis. we do all the normal thanksgiving stuff; eat a ton, laugh, play, concern ourselves over my parent's dog's weight. this year though, a certain hartley wedding in july substituted our family get together for 2010. i am sad that we can't spend this thanksgiving together, but am thankful for all of the thanksgivings we have had and all that are to come!

last year, we had family pictures taken at loose park over thanksgiving, and it was fuh-reezing, unlike this year's eerie warmth.
they're pretty cute.

fiona and liam, picture posers extraordinaire.

all the girls! jennifer, lisa, mom, fiona, amy, moi.

hot tay-lah and chubbs mccue.

another of liam and fiona, they're so cute!!!!

my sisters and i.

my mom in her cute sweater and my dad in his posh turtleneck. (oh wait, it's a mock turtleneck.)

the guys! taylor, sam, liam, dad, todd.

aaand scene. everyone.

hartley halloween

k-state homecoming fell on halloween weekend, so our actual "holiday" holiday plans were non-existent. therefore, a very last minute holiday plan was formed around noon on sunday. we went to first watch for brunch, i ordered egg's benedict "since it was a holiday". at brunch, we decided to invite my mom and dad over for dinner and to watch the saints game. next came the grocery store, where i asked taylor if i could buy some gourds to decorate. he said no, and that i could go in our backyard and get some leaves instead. what, am i seven? still, i went home, looked outside, all the leaves on our deck were gross and searching beyond that seemed like too much work. so i took a nap. :)

i made a baked goat cheese appetizer that was delicioso, and a new recipe for baked pesto pasta shells that had sort of a funny taste at dinner but was awesome left over for lunch. taylor decided to make spiced rum spiked apple cider. and that was that! oh, and shamus sufficiently embarrassed us by showing off his great jumping on the couch, biting, barking and peeing on the floor skills!! but my dad was really happy to not cook for the four of us for the first time in well, ever, and we promised him for every 100 meals he cooks us, i'll make one.

next year i promise pictures, costumes, and parties. but i'm okay with our low key halloween numero uno.