Thanksgiving 2011

This year we had quite a crew with Erika and Brandon coming into town right before Thanksgiving, and then Grandma Z, Mom and Dad, Veronica, Rachel, and Alex coming to see us to celebrate the holiday. We had lots of good food (if I do say so myself) and lots of fun visiting with everyone and holding the babies.




Here's cute little Trent -- luckily both of the babies did quite a good bit of sleeping in so that we were able to eat to our hearts' content!

Fred with Great Grandma Z

We also had a little birthday party for Alex, Dad, and Tiffany. Here is the cake:
We loved having everyone and hope that next year will be even bigger and better!

Fred's Blessing Day

Fred was blessed on the same day and right before Trent on November 20, 2011. It was so great to have Erika, Brandon, Roz, Mom, Dad, Sam, Tiffany, Zoe, and Trent there to be with us! It was a bit of a windy day, but beautiful weather and we felt so blessed to have our little happy bundle.

Fred's 2 - 5 Month Pictures

Time has really flown by, and Fred has been in and out of so many fun stages already that I haven't had time to blog about all of them yet. But here are his monthly pictures so you see his progression. He is a very happy baby and started smiling at a very early age. We love him to pieces and can't wait for all of the adventures that lie ahead!

5 Months - February



4 Months - January

3 Months - December


2 Months - November 8


1 Month - October

2011 Nature

We had a few interesting nature sightings over the past few months. The first was this bird in our yard. It looked like some kind of sandpiper to me, but according to my bird books it looks like a common snipe. We didn't even know those existed, but it appeared to like our lawn!


We also have a lot of beautiful red flowers in our yard, so we get quite a few hummingbirds and butterflies. Here is one, not sure what kind, but it is always fun to get to see them close up.

Dad's Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Dad accidentally left his stuffing recipe here, and so I thought I would publish it for all in case anyone wanted to give it a try. It is good as a main dish too!

Dad's Savory Sausage Stuffing
Serves 8-10

1 loaf french bread
1 pound ground sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place cubed bread in a large bowl. Brown sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Add onion, celery, mushrooms, and carrots and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add sausage mixture to bread cubes and toss to mix. Add all remaining ingredients and toss until well blended. Place in a sprayed 2 quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Can't Wait for Thanksgiving!

Is it Thanksgiving yet? We are so excited for everyone to come and celebrate with us! And for those that have other plans, it is not too late to book your tickets. Everyone is welcome and we have enough room for all to throw back some pie and turkey Texas style!

Andreas Turns 2

Andreas turned 2 on October 28. He has been growing so fast and learning so much that we forget he has not been 2 already! He knows his alphabet and loves to point out letters and numbers. He even can count the number of stairs! However, he also is starting those great two-year-old tantrums. But he is such a great helper and loves to participate in helping take care of Fred, emptying the garbage, doing the laundry, taking the trash out, or any other chores that he can get involved in. We really enjoy his sweetness!
Here is Saul starting out the festivities:
We did a little decorating and even got him some Garfield balloons (one of his new favorite DVDs to watch).

Andreas was meticulous in tearing off the wrapping paper and putting every piece on the table.
Andreas's Tia came over and gave him this super cute new outfit.


The hit of the night was this recycling truck that Andreas played with nonstop.

We made a homemade tres leches and it turned out great!
Just some pics of Fred and the fam: