Late-November Garden

We have been enjoying several weeks of sunny-but-cold weather, interspersed with sunny-and-even-almost--warm.  One day we went to Red Butte Garden to enjoy the sunshine and let everyone run around for a few hours---expecting to find everything pretty much brown and dead---but we were pleasantly surprised by how lovely everything still was.  Many of the leaves were still bright on the trees, and we saw lots of interesting textures we might not have noticed in more verdant company.  There is something so uplifting about being outside in the sun and the air after many days of indoors, even if it's a little chilly!    

Fly, birdie, fly!

This birdie is always hunkering down and hoping someone will pet him.  I love his expectant "birdie" look (he gets this particular expression on his face only when he is being a Birdie)

The evening light was unbelieveably pretty---so golden and slanted.  It always takes me by surprise when this light comes on at about 4 p.m.; I guess I'm not used to winter hours yet.  But it is so gorgeous for the brief time it lasts.

The pond was iced over in places (very interesting to our little explorers)

Last rays of sun

Two feasts and five turkeys

We had such a great time at our Thanksgiving Dinners (both of them!) this year!  We had 19 delightful people at our house on Thursday.  The best part was hearing everyone perform: several original arrangements, solos, duets, songs where we all joined it---I loved it.  Such beautiful music!!  It's my favorite thing to have on Thanksgiving and I wished it could go on forever.

We cooked two turkeys at the same time, one in each oven (one brined, one unbrined, and they were surprisingly similar.  Both very good.  And my mother-in-law's turkey the next day was even better, and she didn't do anything to it!  So I am not certain whether I will brine next year's or not.), and of course there were also rolls and all the traditional dishes.  Everyone's contributions were delicious, but the pies were the crowning glory: French Silk, Blueberry Cream Cheese, Pumpkin Crumble, and Caramel Apple Cheesecake.  All wonderful.

Daisy took to David immediately and wouldn't leave him alone all night.  It was cute to watch her chattering to  him (and pilfering what she could from his pockets)

Friday it was quite warm outside, so we went on a walk and took some pictures before Feast #2.  I put the girls in their matching gingerbread girl dresses (SO cute).  I really hope Abe had a better grip on Junie in this picture than he appears to.

Such giggly wiggle worms!  I love them!

She's not entirely sure about this

Ky helps Daisy across the treacherous rocks

Snug and warm

Free!

This is all they ever really want to do (figure out how things work)

Block Creations of Note

Some recent things the boys (mostly Sebastian) have built, which I found worthy of preserving for posterity:

Theater

Railroad Arms

Planetarium (note projector shining from above)

Pendulum

Castle (by Malachi)

Temple (note "Pigoni" on the spire)

Veteran's Pool and Waterslides

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco (with Golden Gate Bridge at left, and Alcatraz in foreground)

Bo-dee

As Malachi explained ad infinitum to anyone who asked him, he sometimes dressed up like a monkey, but for "the actual Halloween" he was going to be a "Bo-dee."  Almost no one understood what he was saying when he said it (which seems odd; bo-dee-->birdie doesn't seem that difficult of a leap to me. But then, I do have the gift of interpretation of baby tongues.)  Luckily Ky has a grandma who can transform all these high-flying (ha ha) costume dreams into reality.  I did some quick searching online to find bo-dee inspiration, and my Mom eventually came up with the cutest birdie costume ever.  Ky looked just like his stuffed Birdie, and since he is always pretending to be a birdie anyway, he was finally dressed appropriately for the part.

We had to add a "peek", of course, though he didn't wear that all the time

Waiting to be petted

I love this birdie-boy!