Our Family Thanksgiving!!

I believe we would all agree to say Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. Well except for the kids. I'm pretty sure they would say Christmas is their favorite. The smell of Thanksgiving as it pours out of the oven and off the stove. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, corn fresh from the stalk and pies galore! The rumbling of laughter as family comes together. The stories we tell as we reminisce on the last months we have been apart. Warm hugs and embraces. The holidays have begun!

 

This year was even more special to me. My brother usually only comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year he not only brought his girlfriend Amber, whom we all seem to love!

but he met Brienna for the first time! I expected him to act 'manly' but he scooped her right up. I've got to say that is a side of him I am just not used to. Maybe it's Amber who has helped bring this caring side out of him..

Cute right..!

I think the only near silence we hear is when we have all sat down to eat. In which case you may hear a lot of 'chewing' and 'um this is so good'.

 

This is Brienna's first Thanksgiving. She was very spoiled today. Held, rocked and kissed all day long.

It seems to be a tradition. I have to admit. I look forward to it just to hear Jason and Eddie laugh. We all sit down to watch 'Griswold Family Christmas'. At every turn of the movie Jason states, 'This is my favorite part" as he quotes it.

 This year my mom bought a gingerbread house for the kids to work on. I'm pretty sure they ate more icing then what made it on the gingerbread.

This was their beautiful creations.. Although I'm pretty sure none of us will eat them. Those fingers of theirs were probably licked more times than I can count, and I don't recall them washing them... hahaha

Good job guys!

Holidays take on a whole new meaning now that little Brienna has joined us. I believe she had a great first Thanksgiving. After loosing our first baby through miscarriage I am ever so thankful for our precious gift from God. Besides the gift of salvation, family is the most important thing to me. Every single one of them has a very special place in my heart. Onward - Christmas!

Baby Luke

Congratulations Ryan Hilary and big sister Wendy. Luke is here!

Hilary was my doula and was pregnant when my little Brienna was born. It was great to finally meet Luke!

He is 3 weeks old and already has so many expressions!  

I had so much fun taking pictures of him! When we arrived he was so cozy in his little swing. I almost didn't want to bother him... Almost... He is so cute I couldn't wait to get my camera out. He doesn't like to be bundled up. Every time we tried to put him in the cocoon he would try to stretch right out of it!

 This is what he thought of the sling.

 Wendy, Luke's big sister is so adorable. I was taking a few test shots when she squeaked, "cheese'. She loves taking photo's and being around her baby brother. Of course she tries to crawl all over Luke. Hilary told her she could go take a bath. In which case she got extremely excited and started yelling, "bath!" What a good dad Ryan is. He scooped her right up and took her for her bath. I didn't hear a squeak out of her after that.

This is my favorite! I love baby feet.

YUP! You are reading his onesie correctly. Luke was born at home with the help of a midwife.

These were taken by my amazing assistant Miss Kaylee!