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:

Halloween 2011

This year for Halloween we went all out. We decorated the house back in September anticipating that with the new baby we would not have time to decorate later. When the fateful day came around, Andreas was a zookeeper (complete with lion) and Fred was Mickey Mouse. Andreas did a great job of trick-or-treating and loved his outfit.
Zoe came over to trick-or-treat and was very cute in her kitty outfit.




We never thought we would be some of "those people", but last year we got a big inflatable M&M which we put outside for Halloween.

A good time was had by all and we are already looking forward to next Halloween!

Fred turns 1 Month

The last few weeks have been a bit of a blur. Last week somehow Andreas was able to bring home a nasty cold bug that quickly spread through the family -- getting through to those with flu shots and those without! Luckily Fred was spared (miraculously). My mom got to come and visit for a day, just long enough to catch the cold, but we loved being able to spend time together. While she was here Andreas kept asking for "Pahka" (Grandpa) and when she left he kept asking for "Mahnga" (Grandma).




Trying to take pictures of kids together I have found to be a difficult thing to master.
Here with one of the difficult to capture Fred smiles:
Here's Fred at 1 month:

Andreas after enjoying a particularly good smoothie:
A common sight these days:
What you couldn't see in the picture above was this guy buzzing around in the background begging for a story. This man is no respecter of naps.
Grandma brought some early birthday presents for Andreas which he thoroughly is enjoying! Thanks Mom!

Just for Fun -- Fred is 3 weeks!

Fred is growing like a weed and we are loving being able to be all together as a family for a few weeks! Here are a few pics of our last few weeks.

I love the tiny feet and hands of newborn babies! Here are Fred's:

We also decorated for Halloween a little early this year. Andreas was a little scared of a few of the moving decorations at first, but currently has overcome all fears.







I think the comment from Saul after this particular lunch session was "I wish his Grandmas lived closer to help clean up messes like this." On the bright side, he is getting better at using utensils.


He loves to wear his daddy's shoes!