Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at Mel's again this year on Saturday. I so love that her hubby Den is American!! I did tell her that even if we just had toasted sandwiches and water, it would still be THE BEST Thanksgiving ever.

I realised that we only took photos of the desserts - oops, but there were 17 sweet pies for dessert so it was pretty amazing to see. I managed to fit in 6 pieces of pie this year!! The mains was amazing too - turkey, chicken, stuffing, mashed spud, sweet potato with marshmellows, stuffed mushrooms, beans, more stuffing, salads and gravy.

But the best part of all was the company.

Good friends. Good food. Easy to think about what we are grateful for at this time of year.

This one is funny of Toni standing up on the chair for a good shot of the pies!!

Dean and Jared were given a $100 challenge to try and eat a piece of every pie (17). They were given a time limit but didn't quite manage. I love the looks on their faces as they tried to get through it.

My annual job is the drinks, a bit of homemade punch and apple isle with cans for the kiddos and we are all set. I really am starting to like Thanksgiving - I wonder why!! :) Check out the photos of the desserts that Jackie took. See why we love Thanksgiving??

The epitome of summer is .........

............after tea jumping on the trampoline in their pyjamas. Why can't more days be as warm as this at 7.30 at night!!

A 40 and a 2

Jonty had his 2nd birthday on Thursday. He was born on the 11th of the 11th at 11.35 am. I remember everyone joking at 11am about having a minute's silence for all the war veterans (the 11th of November is Remembrance Day) but I was in the middle of pushing out a GINORMOUS WATERMELON, so I wasn't paying much attention. Sorry Pop!! The day was extra special because my sisters and Mum were able to be there for his birth. Famous last words were, 'well this is the last one, so might as well make it a party'.

My older sister Lisa, celebrates her birthday on the 12th of November and this year she was turning the BIG 40 so we decided to make it an extra-special joint family party.

On Friday night we had a barbecue and party to celebrate these two big milestones.

We played cricket, jumped on the trampoline and ate alot of food.

I made a train cake for Lisa and Jonty with each of their names written on the side of a caboose. When Simon came inside earlier that day, he was very surprised. Too surprised because I said, 'what didn't you think I could do it?' Personally I didn't think so either so I was really pleased with the end result.

And at the end of the night, while we were all chillin watching Harry Potter,

Jonty full of fizz, chips and cake, kept going and going and going!!

A show and a wedding

On Saturday the annual Westbury show was held in the showgrounds just behind our house. Sarra was performing in the school band and school choir but we always go anyway. It is a nice alternative to the Launceston show as it has all the same stuff, albeit on a smaller scale but not the crowds.

I was surprised how smooth snakes actually feel, not having the desire to ever touch one before!!!

Later in the day, I took Oliver and Hallie out to Evandale for Miss Jacobs' wedding. She was Hallie's kinder teacher and is now Oliver's. She and Justin have been together for 7 yrs and finally were tying the knot. She is an amazing teacher and we didn't want to miss sharing a piece of her beautiful day. Congratulations Mrs Neal!!!

Oliver with kinder friend, Sophie

There was a lovely pond which the kids played at when they got bored waiting for the wedding to finish.

The newly married Justin and Rebecca Neal

My Wing Man

This year with Oliver being in kinder 3 days a week and Sarra and Hallie already at school full-time, I have enjoyed just having Jonty at home on his own. Usually it is only the first child you get to enjoy this with and then it is many years until you have one on your own again.

The nice thing about having (usually the last one) one at home on their own is that you are so much more relaxed than when it was the first and it is a whole lot more enjoyable.

Jonty loves doing whatever I am doing when he is home alone and in the kitchen he becomes my wing man as I cook and he sits on the bench playing with the dishes in the dish rack.