Gratitude

Can't be thankful enough for this baby girl and our crazy life!

Pardon my annoying voice, wish I knew how to edit that out!

Turkey DinDin

Our Thanksgiving was quiet but relaxing, which gave me another year to practice the art of cooking a Thanksgiving dinner. I followed a new recipe this year and to my pleasant surprise the turkey was great! Some of you have asked for the recipe so here it is...

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 cups Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (do not discard lemon rinds)

Turkey:

• 1 (15-pound) free-range turkey
• 2 bunches fresh poultry herbs
• 2 to 3 cups hot water

To make marinade: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

To make turkey: Preheat oven to 350°.

Clean out cavity of the turkey and rinse well, inside and out. Pat dry and place turkey in a large roasting pan. Pour the marinade over the turkey.
Tie turkey legs together and cover tips with foil. Stuff cavity of turkey with lemon rinds and one bunch of poultry herbs. Place the second bunch of herbs in the roasting pan. Place turkey breast-side up in roasting pan. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add hot water to the bottom of the pan. Stir to make gravy for basting. Baste turkey and cover with foil. Roast turkey another 30 minutes and repeat basting process. Continue basting every 15 minutes until the thermometer reaches 180–185°, approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Remove turkey from oven and place on cutting board. Cover turkey well with foil to keep warm. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
You can click here to get a video and more.

Our Four Month Old

Addelyn is four months old now and is in the 97th percentile for weight and 83rd percentile for height. She is a healthy girl but we know better than to ever take her health for granted. We are so thankful for this precious girl and as a tribute to her four months I thought of a list of ways our lives have changed and the things we love.

1. We love that we get to start our day by saying 'goodmorning' to you and you quickly smile as big as your little cheeks will let you.
2. Daddy and I now walk around the house whistling, humming or yes, even singing songs to your toys such as "You Are My Sunshine" or "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes..."
3. We love that you are a girl who knows what she wants. For instance the "no talking" rule while eating.
4. You love to to be close but still independent. There is no better place than in the pack looking out at the world around us.
5. Bentley can't wait for you to throw his ball for him and continues to place his ball by you every chance he gets.
6. We started the rice cereal a little early, but you couldn't be happier. You do a dance with your hands and feet in between spoonfuls and lunge forward for your next bite.
7. You roll over on your tummy constantly only to realize you really don't like it on your tummy but can't seem to figure out how to get back yet. 'The Turtle Affect'
8. We love to listen to you babble with such purpose, you know exactly what you are saying.
9. You have a great attention span for books and I love that I get to start sharing the books I've been collecting all these years, for my classroom, but really for you.
10. As tired as I may be and as crazy as it may seem, I lay beside you and can't wait for you to wake up for your 3 am feeding. Then I put you back to sleep again only to look forward to seeing your smiling face in the morning light.

Addie Ann & Marek Man

This last weekend Brent, Leeanne, Marek and their buddy Joe came down for the Duck game. The guys went to the game while the mommas and the babies did a little shoppin' and relaxing. The next day we went to Berkeley for brunch and a little more shopping. We were so glad to have them and wished they lived closer.Strapped in side by side ready to go!Two Duck fans playing together in the play gym!What are those babies lookin' at?

Halloween 2009

I didn't anticipate Halloween being so fun with an almost 4 month old but we had some good times. Friday night we went trick or treating in downtown Davis with Jen and Allie, Michelle and Ryan, and a couple other families. No candy for Addie of course, but we had fun dressing her up.

Saturday we went to a pumpkin patch and Kevin and I carved the family pumpkins, then it was game time! We watched the Ducks upset the Trojans as the trick-or-treater's came to our door. We can't wait for next year's Halloween!I know, the wrong kind of bird.At the pumpkin patch but I'm not gonna last long, I'm going to scream until I get a nap!Working on picking up her punkin head!We wanted a picture of Addie in there too, but she was out cold in the car with Mom.I'm teething, lots of bubble beards and waterfalls.Starting the carving while Addelyn's taking yet, another nap.Mmm...pumpkin guts!We're ready for trick-or-treaters! What a big day for this baby penguin, this calls for yes, another nap.