Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

1st Thanksgiving (and a picture overload)

Oh, HAAAAY! I've missed y'all!
We went home-home for the entire week of Thanksgiving, so I took a little blog break to spend time with friends and family. We had such a great week, and it was awesome to get to enjoy so much family time! Ready for some cuteness?

We left last Sunday morning and made the 3-hour trek back to Abilene. Jaqsy girl was a traveling rockstar; she slept about half the time and chatted me up the other half. 
I have a feeling this won't be the last time I'll see those eyes conning me into something ;)
angel eyes
Grammie welcomed us with a hot lunch, and we just spent the afternoon playing and napping! G-Pop came home from work that night, and he got to be off with us for the entire week, too! Poor Grammie had to work the first half of the week, but we were pretty lucky to have so much time together.

We spent Monday and Tuesday having lunch dates, visiting with friends and Rob's family in between baby naps, and running errands to get ready for Thanksgiving!

On Wednesday, my dear friend, Kaila, came over to finally meet Jaqs! We've tried to get together several times, but she's an Okie now, so it's not like she can just drive down any ol' weekend! I had SO much fun catching up with her. She's one of those friends that I can pick right back up where I left off with, and I adore that about our friendship! I'm happy there won't be as much time until our next visit :)
I think J was pretty excited to see Kaila, too!
 Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving! We have many things to be thankful for each year, but this year was especially sweet with the addition of our baby girl. I can't even imagine my life without her; she brings us unending joy and has taught me a lot in her almost 8 months of life. God is so GREAT for providing me this blessing.
We had a small Thanksgiving with my side of the family this year, but my momma still cooked up a feast! I wasn't as helpful this year as I usually am, but I tried in between chasing my babe ;) We had a DELICIOUS meal, and Jaqs even got to try some mashed potatoes; she much preferred her old favorite, sweet potatoes!
My cousin, Jessica, has a baby girl, Kenlee, who is about 6 weeks younger than J, and they came over to play after lunch! Jaqs was napping, but Kenlee hung in there until she got up. It was so cute to watch them together! They were just grabbing at each other's outfits and hands/faces. It was pretty adorable, and I think these 2 are going to have a lot of fun together as they get older!
3rd? cousins!
my Nana, dad & the girlies!
Jessica and me with our babes!
We went over to Rob's grandparent's house that evening for their Thanksgiving! We missed their meal because it was the same time as our first one, but we got to have dessert and hang out with everyone, so that's what we really cared about :) Jaqs LOVED watching their dogs run around. We don't have any, so it was all new to her. Rob held her and chased them around, and she was CRACKING up! It was hilarious and so precious, but much to my hubby's dismay, I stand by my no-pet policy for now! HA!
Grandma Galusha & Jaqs
After the Galusha festivities were over, we came back to G&G's house to wind down. Jaqsy Pea is all about rolling around nekkidies before her bath-time! Freedom!
giving mama paci sugars
On Friday morning, I went shopping with my mom & her BFF. It's tradition, and it is always a blast! I know a lot of people think that Black Friday shoppers are CRAY, and some of them are, but we just do it for the fun. I love being able to get a ton of gifts purchased and marked off my list in such a short amount of time. Bonus? I got some awesome deals this year, and I'm nearly done with my shopping! Whoooooop.

That night, our family friends came over for pizza and football, so I got to spend some time with my Nattie girl. If you've been reading for long, you may remember her, but I claim her as my "niece" even though we're not related. I just love that girl and can't believe she's FIVE now. I've loved watching her grow!
Jaqs & Natalie got some QT in also
On Saturday morning, we had to get up and get moving because we had a mini-photo-sesh with Megan! Of course it was the one FREEZING cold morning of the week, but Megan has a little girl, so she wasn't phased by the occasional whining of my girl. I've only seen a few teasers, but I'm anxious to get them all! I just know she got the perfect picture for our Christmas cards :)
mmmm, breakfast + GG lovings + practicing our new growling trick
J's outfit + teaser from Megan!
it's safe to say we're OBSESSED with this little lady
We headed back home on Sunday, and once again, the pea was a near perfect traveler! This time she decided to stay awake the entire ride, but she was happy the whole way home, so I'm thankful for that. Once we got home, Jaqs conked out at 6:45 and slept until 8:30 the next morning, so I think she was worn out from her week of FUN!

 Thanks for always being the BEST hosts ever, Mom and Dad!
Can't wait to do it again at Christmas :)


I think I'm all caught up now and can get back to 'regular' (whatever that is for me) blogging. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are filled with joy during this magical season!

Monday, November 12, 2012

gluten free for the holidays

My first gluten free Thanksgiving and Christmas back in 2009 were a little tricky, but my mom and I have it all figured out now. We didn't have to change much, and I continue to eat  my way through the holiday season ;) Mmmm!

My family essentially does the same meal for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's always been that way for us, and I love it because it's hard to beat a traditional turkey dinner in my book! Here's a glimpse at our feast...
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Sweet Potato Casserole: we pass it off as a side dish in the South, but it's more like dessert! It's a favorite in my family.

There is ALWAYS an olive tray, and we are all adamant about which are the best. My pick? BLACK all the way. I can't stand green olives!

Sweet Tea: it's not turkey dinner without it.

The Bird: it only comes twice a year, and it's always worth the wait. We usually stuff it with onions, celery, apples, and whatever else we can find then roast it in an oven bag. It turns out perfectly browned and moist every time. Oh, and please, no butterballs! For traditional turkey gravy, we boil a saucepan of the juice then stir in several tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in an equal amount of water.

Cornbread Stuffing: My mama always made both cornbread and regular stuffing, but cornbread with cranberries is my favorite. To make it gluten free, I make a batch of Bob's Red Mill cornbread a couple days in advance and let it dry out, then follow recipe as usual.

Pumpkin Pie: We always use Libby's recipe, and it's never failed us. The filling is already gluten free, so we just use a gluten free crust to make it safe for me. Don't forget the whipped cream...that's a MUST!

Green Bean Casserole: my brother's favorite! The traditional recipe is chock full of gluten, so this was the biggest change up for us. I haven't tried this particular recipe, but it sounds like a winner to me.

Other favorites:
Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

happy hearts

After our gender reveal party, we decided we'd just spend the whole week in Abilene. We both had the week off and there's no sense in driving back and forth for no real reason, right? Right. We had such a fun week seeing friends, hanging out with our families, and making a MAJOR dent in Christmas shopping.

Thanksgiving day was spent at my parents' house with my brother and grandparents. My mom and I did the cooking, and I must say, it was one yummy meal ;)
Rob & I took our annual Thanksgiving pictures for the Christmas card...
 The best gift this year! All wrapped up in her first bow...
 We watched football...
 And made the most delish turkey...
 Nana & Papa...
 Boyce men...
 My wonderful parents...
 My brother, Kenneth...we missed you, Nicole!
 That evening, we went to hang out and eat more with Rob's family. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics, but it was more of the same! Food, family, football...the Thanksgiving basics.

Thanksgiving night means business: planning for Black Friday.
Yes, I am one of those crazies out at 4 in the morning. I hated that more stores started sales at midnight this year...takes some of the thrill away! Anyway, my mom, her bestie, and I always do Black Friday shopping together...it's so much fun!
Lisa with her stores/purchases mapped out...
 We found some great deals and ended up with a truck-load full of Christmas presents! I was loving that I got A LOT of Christmas shopping done in just a few short hours. Totally worth getting up at 3:30 for! The only thing on the agenda for the rest of the day was relaxing, so hey, I can definitely do that once a year!
My momma and I ready to feast on huevos rancheros after a busy shopping morning...
 Here's part of my loot...had to hide the big stuff from the hubs ;)
Because it's for him, not because of the $$$...ha!
 Black Friday was definitely a success this year!

While we were home, my mom also pulled down a box of my baby clothes that she'd saved. She washed them up, and now they're ready and waiting in baby girl's closet :)
The dresses are so sweet, and it will be special to have her pictures made in some of the things I wore as a teensy one. I really love that first outfit in the picture...it just may have to be her coming home outfit if it fits her...so girly!!

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of blessings this year!!
Our Christmas decor is now up, cards are ordered, shopping and wrapping are nearly complete...I adore this time of year! It's just so full of joy, and my heart is happy.



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