is where the heart is xoxo
This is our first year having our very own Thanksgiving at home...alone.
I'll be honest, I thought I was going to hate it and I was on the border of planning a last-minute trip to bask in the warm desert sun and forget about homesickness for the long weekend. But things were crazy busy and at the last moment instead I woke up at home and was GLAD, even EXCITED!!
I have been in some kind of funk for the last month, I'm sure you can tell from my lack of blogging. I got home from my trip and there has not been just one minute to sit, catch up, and breathe. As soon as I got off the plane I feel as though someone pushed the FF button on me (fast-forward) and I have been totally struggling. Little did I know the very thing I needed was to just stay home.
It has been the greatest breath of fresh air and we are now going in slow-motion.
Our few
and only decorations
The kids happy to be kids and keeping an ever-watchful eye on me in the kitchen, curious of the growing mess I was making.
They ended up with some elaborate cushion forts.
fueled by the veggie tray--guess they don't like peppers
my little sweet helper setting the table
Daddy harvesting some herbs
Our full warm delightful table, filled with steamed green beans, gravy, rolls, roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, garden carrots, red potatoes, sweet potatoes and herbs, Tofurkey, a loaded green salad with candied nuts, craisins, feta, cucumber, tomatoes. Mashed potatoes and stuffing. Success, in my eyes. For someone who has had way too much bad luck in the kitchen I was feeling like a PRO! I did forget the fruit salad though, but no one noticed.
Slicing up the Tofurkey
We all sat and enjoyed every bite and moment sharing our Thankfulness. I glowed hearing the kids' long, neverending lists of what they are thankful for. But in the end, dad was left clearing and stuffing his face from the kids plates.
We took a break and played, went to a great kids movie (Hugo), and we did loads of puzzles while the pie baked. Speaking of ... it was my first time making pie. We made apple and boy was it mouthwatering.
I had forgotten that a sweet life is just taking it easy at home. I'm still beaming and still at home enjoying every slow-motion moment. We have been playing games and eating cake into the wee hours of the morning. And if I once again forget to slow down and be thankful, I just so happened to have taken a video of my kids long telling tales of thankfulness. xoxoxo
I hope you all had a warm, happy day filled with what really matters, and it's not in the presentation or the fruit salad, but making time to sit with the ones you love.
p.s. it's good to be back
5 comments:
Such a handsome family!!! Sure love you guys!!
wow, you guys look ADORABLE in these pics...i love all your colors and patterns, matt's tie and your shoes and socks amy! loving bella in her little apron too, and the tumbling photos. what a fun, peaceful wonderful day you had! maybe one year we should all come to you :) then it wouldn't be so peaceful but it would sure be FUN! glad you are finding that sweet resting spot in your heart amy. i miss you and can't wait till we see each other again...when?! so thankful for my family, both here and in utah! mwwaaahh! xoxo love you guys so much.
touching to read. remembering why we get together- to make time for the ones we love- Its perfect :) Glad to see your cooking was a success!
pop goes family perfection. all of that sounds so tasty... you did it, you matronly lady! i'm glad you had your first thanksgiving at your wonderful home with a lot of your own harvest. way cool. cute family pictures. miss those kids.
So should I start blogging again at Penny Lyra, is Penny Lyra what you miss or is it me blogging in general. Do I need to just blog more, even if it's on my Tumblr? Do you need to blog more? Do we need to blog again!? I miss blogging. I like blogging. I like when you blog and your Instagrams. I think Instagram gets in the way of blogging, but I want to start blogging more regardless of Instagram.
Are David and I silly for thinking we might go back to Spain a third time through the language assistant program that barely pays anything, but just enough. My Dad gets so angry, but I love Europe!
Rent in Spain is so cheap! You should move there with us somehow. You don't need a lot of money. You really could go over to Spain and live off of $5,000 for a year doing what we did, but of course more money would be better so you could move back to the US with money. You'd be royals with $10,000. Rent is between 400-700 euro a month.
Apply to do what we did here, http://www.mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/auxiliares-conversacion-eeuu.html The application period starts tomorrow at midnight Spanish time, so I think that's 4 pm for you. You have to apply right away to get a good low number to have a better chance of getting your desired area of Spain. I'm sure there are other ways to work in Spain and better jobs, but this is the best way I know.
You just apply online and then you have a couple of months to send in your paperwork. When you apply, you have to upload a transcript, letter of rec (you can use an old one), statement of purpose, and passport. You either have to be a college graduate or be in your last year of study, that's really the only requirement. When you apply you choose your top 3 areas. Right now, the program is canceled in Valencia and Catalunya. Email me or call me 503 821 9377 if you have any questions are think one of you might apply. I know you have a family, but I really think you could do it and you probably have more money than us.
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