Dear Lucas (6 years and 4 months,)

It's been a great fall so far. We had fun decorating the yard for Halloween and for the first time I didn't have to carve the pumpkin! This year you and your Dad scooped out all of the guts and gave it a funny face.

Right now you are very into Harry Potter so your Halloween costume was an easy pick. I had fun collecting the pieces to pull it all together. I even made you a broom out of sticks and found you a stuffed owl for Hedwig. It's been a blast falling in love with all things Harry Potter with you. I can't wait until you are old enough to finish the rest of the books. We stopped reading them together once they got a little dark and more mature.

We went trick-or-treating with your friend Preston and his sister Sierra. It has become a sort of tradition. I think this is the fourth year in a row we've all gone together. As always you guys had a blast! You got so much candy but the funniest treat was a Kraft cheese single. You thought it was hilarious.

I had to go to work and you had school the next day so we didn't stay out trick-or-treating long but that didn't stop you on wracking up the candy. You went through the candy and picked a few pieces and left the rest out for the Sugar Fairy who switched it out for a Lego board game.

This month your school had its very first awards day of the year. You made high honor roll and it couldn't be prouder. When you walked up front to get your certificate you saw me sitting there in the front row and your face lit up. I live for moments like that.

Over Veteran's Day weekend we planned to take care of my flight benefits for the first time and head to California to see our family. Flying standby was certainly a learning experience and you were a trouper. We spent a lot of time just sitting and waiting and not getting on planes. I think you took it a lot better than most adults would! I can't wait to go on more adventures with you!

While we were in California I went to our cousin Davia's wedding and you hung out with our other cousins. You had a blast playing with Ben and Ean. I don't think you even missed me while I was gone.

One of the coolest things we did while we were in California was go to the beach at Sunset. It wasn't planned it just happened that way. It was so pretty and you could care less that it was cold and windy. You still ran in and out of the waves and dug in the sand.

Getting back home to Georgia was another adventure. We ended up spending the night in the airport in Atlanta. When we got to Savannah I took you straight to school. You were really great at catching up on your homework. You even had to do your first report in a short amount of time. You could choose any animal and your of course decided to learn about Snowy Owls (the same kind of Owl as Harry Potter's Hedwig.) I can't believe you are old enough to write research papers!

One of my favorite fall traditions is taking you to the Children's Book Festival at Forsyth Park. In the years past you wanted your picture taken with the book characters like Clifford, or Pooh but you had no interest this year. Instead you wanted to sit and hear Peter Catalanotto read one of his books and talk about how he ended up writing and illustrating children's books. He was very inspirational and talked about how all kids are artists and that you should just keep writing down your stories and drawing. You were enthralled by everything he was saying and you slowly made your way up to the front of the group. Ever since you've been making little books and writing stories.

Over Thanksgiving break we finally accomplished another first when I took you to play miniature golf. You really enjoyed it. I don't know why we haven't been sooner. The place is right near our house.

For Thanksgiving your Uncle Ted wanted to take us all to his favorite restaurant Maggiano's. We all loaded up and headed down to Jacksonville. It was so much fun. We all sat at two tables pushed together and passed four courses of food around the table. It was nice to try something different as a family. I'm so glad we took a family picture before we left.

Before we left we also made sure to get a picture of all the cousins together now that Teddie is here. I am sure it is the first of many to come of the seven of you. Good news, Joseph and Joshua won't be moving after all. I'm so happy that you get to grow up together!

The Day after Thanksgiving we headed to Tybee Island for some fun at the beach. Ever since we went in California you had been begging to go back to the beach here. We built a "Sandman" and tried to get a good picture for our Christmas card. I can't wait to experience another Christmas with you! Every year it just gets better and better!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

Dear Lucas (5 years 4 Months),

So here we are and another year is coming to a close. We just had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we have so many reasons to be thankful. It has been so much fun to decorate our new house for the holidays. I'm also thankful that we have more room to have family and friends over more often.

Your cousin Steven has been coming to spend the weekend with us once a month. You really enjoy him being here. He is 12 but he is so awesome about treating you like a big kid. When he was here this time you guys built a tower of books at the Children's Book Festival and built periscopes at the Lowe's kids clinic. When he left this last time you were so upset to see him leave that you cried. It was so sad.

A few weeks ago your Dad helped build a house that is going to be on a show called "Extreme Makeover Home Edition." He helped his co-worker install shower doors and mirrors in all the bathrooms. We went down there a few times to see the house being built and you thought it was so cool because for once you could see "where" your Dad was working. I can't wait to see the episode when it airs in a few weeks! We might have to let you stay up and watch it too!

Last week we got together at your Grandparents' house to celebrate your cousin Colby's 7Th birthday. It was the first time since Joshua was born that all six grandsons were together in one place. Matthew is about to graduate from High School in a few months and Joseph and Joshua may be moving away soon so opportunities like this one will become few and far between.

Before school got out for Thanksgiving your teacher put together a special feast. You guys got dressed up in costumes that you made and sang three songs. Then it was time to feast on things like fruit, cheese, veggies, pumpkin pie, and apple juice. I love times like that when I get to be called "Lucas' Mom" and get to see you interacting with your teacher and classmates.

This weekend we went to Holly Days in downtown Savannah for the first time. You got a chance to play in "snow" and you loved it. You ran around and threw snowballs, made snow angels, and just had a blast. I hope one day before you are grown that we can take you to somewhere with REAL snow on the ground but until then this was pretty awesome.

The other cool thing we did at Holly Days was go "ice skating." Well, according to you it is "board skating" because it was more like you were skating on a big cutting board. You have never roller skated or ice skated but you were a natural. I was worried that you were too young and that I was wasting the $5 renting you skates. You sure proved me wrong, You were a natural! You begged to take the ice skates home with you. I can't wait to take you in a few weeks to go ice skating at the Civic Center.

I just know this is going to be the best Christmas yet. You are so excited and it is rubbing off on me. Before Thanksgiving you were begging to put up decorations. I let you have our little old tree that we used when we lived in the trailer and it is now your night light. Some days you will decorate it with your toys. One day you put a construction hat on the top and toy tools on the branches and one day you had a Super hero action figure tree. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Little one, I love you to the moon and back,
Mommy

My Second Round Week 8

Starting Weight This Round 246.8
Last Week 240.6
This Week:

Loss This week: .2 lb
Lost This Round 6.4 lbs
Total Lost Since July 1st: 31.4

.

I know it is not a big loss but I'll take it... especially since Thanksgiving was last week and we had a total of 3 Thanksgiving meals with friends and family... and several leftover desserts in our fridge (the last of which were thrown in the trash last night.)

Happy Thanksgiving

Hand Print Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1 15-oz. pkg. refrigerated pie crust
1 15-oz. can packed pumpkin
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees, then begin making the turkey hand print for the pie. Trace your child's hand print on a piece of lightweight cardboard, then cut it out to create a stencil. Place the stencil over one of the circles of pie dough and cut around it, adding turkey feet to the bottom of the hand.
2. Place the cutout on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
3. Next, place the remaining circle of pie dough in a 9-inch glass pie pan. Press the crust firmly against the sides and bottom of the pan. Crimp the edges.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and apple pie spice. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, if desired.
5. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean (except for melted chocolate). 6. Place the baked turkey cutout in the center of the pie and allow the pie to cool before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Happy Thanksgiving

We just ate our Thanksgiving feast a little bit ago and it was the first time I have cooked the whole meal (well minus the Turkey.) It was nice just getting up and cooking and not leaving the house to go to the multiple Thanksgivings we go to each year (although I do miss seeing everyone that we usually spend the holiday with.) Oh, and Curt has kitchen duty and gets to wash ALL the dishes by hand since there is no dishwasher. This just might be one of the best Thanksgivings ever!

Right as we were finishing up the meal it started to snow so we bundled Lucas up to see his first bit of snow and by the time we got outside it stopped. Lucas was bound and determined to catch a snowflake on his tongue so we stayed outside for a little bit and I think he finally caught one, or it might have just been rain. He keeps begging to go outside and catch more snow... but it is COLD!

Our Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey (cooked by Grandpa Jim)
Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Brown Gravy
Black Eye Peas
Macaroni and Cheese
Green Beans
Egg Noodles in turkey & chicken stock (Grandpa Jim's request)
Dutch Apple Pie w/ Cool Whip
Bread Rolls