Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was a low-key, home celebration. What would a holiday be without a little homeschool education time about the origins of Thanksgiving and then some art projects to go along with it. Joy made a wonderful meal featuring the usual menu items and Brett carved the whole turkey. Then he took a nap before heading in to work.

A big lego turkey...not sure this one would taste as good.

Here we are sitting down together for our turkey meal. I'm showing how big my mouth is for all the eating that is going to happen.

Trying to do my part to help Mommy out with the baking.

Daddy, cutting the turkey, and did I just witness you sampling some of the turkey before we say prayers...

I think my part should be to lick any beater with sweet stuff on it--sign me up!

We Love Grammy

We celebrated Grammy's birthday in Tracy this year as a part of our early Thanksgiving celebration. The boys loved getting the opportunity to gather with Grammy to take pictures and thank her for all the fun times they have had with her the past year. Sometimes they even pretend to fall asleep for her.

Yosemite

We took a day trip to Yosemite National Park this month. We had realized that we hadn't been there since before Griffin was born and so we clearly needed to expose him to one of our favorite places to visit. After packing up the car, we ventured off, uncertain of when we would return home since we were on a somewhat flexible schedule. We went on a couple of hikes with the boys and of course they loved collecting sticks, climbing on rocks, and checking out all of the leaves on the ground. All of the fall colors were in their splendor. Since this was also a field trip for homeschooling, we had planned on doing some stargazing to punctuate our astronomy unit that we have been doing for the last 6 weeks. So of course the best spot in Yosemite to see the stars is at Glacier Point, so we began the 45 minute drive up there from the valley floor. There was not a single car that we noted in front of us nor behind us on the drive up, but there sure were a lot of cars driving back down! By the time we arrived at the top, the parking lot was empty and it was pitch black dark. Perfect for seeing stars...except for the large cloud cover that fully covered the sky by the time we arrived up there! After we started to head back down the hill, the skies opened up and we pulled over to have a spectacular view of the milky way and many other constellations. Thanks be to God for the beauty of his creation.


We adopted some sticks into our family for the picture.



Yosemite Falls at its lowest flow state of the year, still pretty.

I remember this tree from two years ago, and now I can almost stretch my hands around it. Maybe in another two years...

Ready, one, two, three...jump!

I found this leaf, do you think it can fly on its own again?

So guys, what are we looking at here?

How many different ways do you think we can pose on this log?

We are dancing and singing our way down the path.

Griffin, what are you looking at? Everyone else go the memo.

The sign that said, caution: stay off the rocks, deaths have occurred, didn't seem to phase any of us.

Okay, here I am at Bridalveil Falls...you've gotta check out all these great rocks.

I read the whole sign to Mommy, and then I proceeded to climb on all the rocks anyways.

I want down too, Daddy, let me at those rocks!

Some of us chose the path less traveled by...

Giant Win!

We all had Monday November 2nd off, and so we convened on the couch to watch the entire Game 5 of the 2010 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers. This was the first postseason game that we had been able to watch in its entirety live together. The boys were wearing their Giants attire and we did all the Giants cheers that we could come up with. What a moment to share together! The Giants won their first world series championship since moving to San Francisco ending the third longest current streak. We enjoyed snacks and the entire celebration. How cool to see a true team come together and win the whole thing. Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci submitted the Giants as a team for his Sportsman of the Year award. So if you see us wearing our Giants stuff throughout the winter months, just know that we are still smiling inside over the victory.

Hey Garrett, am I in this picture?


Yeeaahhh! We're doing this, we're going to win it...


Daddy, don't worry, Brian Wilson will close it out and we will win.

Mommy, are you excited?

November 2010

November was another fun month. We celebrated the Giants World Series championship (still), played in our new dirt and leaves, visited Yosemite, celebrated Thanksgiving, studied the heavens, and learned a little bit too. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and focused on things that you are truly thankful for.

Halloween Parties

We went to our two usual halloween parties this year: church and Chris and Michelle's. With the Giants in the World Series, we couldn't help ourselves being Giants themed for the day. Oh and did I mention that Game 4 of the World Series was on Halloween night. Garrett and Bryce dressed up as the Autobot Transformers Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, respectively. Brett was Giants closer Brian Wilson (he tried to really have a good outfit by getting his contacts in but to no avail) and Joy was Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, while Griffin sported the Kung Fu Panda outfit for Giants Thirdbaseman Pablo Sandoval.


"Fear the Beard" Brian Wilson with his controversial orange cleats closed out the game 4 win for the Giants, so how was he at our party too...good question.



Look out here we come to save the day!

I am the Kung Fu Panda!

I am Optimus Prime, leader of the autobots.

I am everybody's favorite Bumblebee--did I tell you I transform into a 2009 Chevy Camaro! But I get like 16 hours of energy per 1000 calories.

We autobots take aim at the rocket ship target.

I've got this figured out, try a game, get some candy...

Can I have more than one since I know you, Caitlyn?

I'm gonna get Goliath just like David did, only with bean bags.

Mommy's yummy dessert: shark infested water (jello).

Mommy's yummy snake wrap on display before we ate it up.

A massive twister experiment, can we really all fit on here?

Darth Vader visited our backyard just a few days before halloween.

Captain Rex showed up too, it is still unclear how we get all these visits from guys who lived a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

And then they invaded the house...

...and demanded payment in fruit snacks.

Don't mess with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.

Soccer: finishes up

Garrett's soccer season finished up at the end of the month. He made some significant strides this year in soccer. He became very aware of where the ball was at all times, often peeling back to get in between the ball and the goal (they don't have a goalie at his level). He also would come up to the group where the ball was a blast it forward, sometimes to a teammate who was starting to head down the field toward their goal to rack up an assist. As long as soccer is fun for him we will continue to learn along with him the intricacies of the game.


My eyes are on the ball.



I'm gonna get to the ball first.

Go Tow Mater Hawkeyes! Yes that was our team name.

The halftime show, included both of my brothers wowing the crowd with dribbling and shooting exhibitions.

Look, Grammy, there is my brother Garrett kicking the ball.

Lining up to discuss strategy with Adrian before kickoff.

We're all going after the ball. I'm number 8.

Gettin' ready for the other team to kickoff.