Thanks Mom

My mom just had a houseful of 19 people for Thanksgiving, 19 people who never wanted to leave. Thanks Mom, thanks for a yummy dinner (actually several yummy meals), for not complaining when your beautiful kitchen and family room looked like a nuclear bomb hit it, for taking out 18 bags of trash...a day, for playing with our grandchildren even when they were being pills, for providing a place where the family can get some quality time together, and for being cheerful through it all. We love you and REALLY appreciate you, why do you think we want to be around you so much?

Sisters

Annie and Natalie in the crib together. So precious.

Things you may or may not want to know...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Nope, my mom just liked the name, it was between Melissa Anne and Amy Elizabeth.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I almost cried last night when Annette didn't go to sleep until 1:30.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Usually, but it's not as pretty as my Mom's.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I doubt you really care, but probably roast beef.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Two girls. Wow, how did that happen?

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I guess that depends on what kind of person I would become!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not as much as I used to, that's something I inherited from my brothers.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No, doesn't appeal at all to me. But my brother Corey has done it! That always surprises me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Right now I'm really enjoying Honey Bunches of Oats...but I hate the commercials.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Since all that fits me these days are flip-flops, I'll have to say no!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Physically, not really. Emotionally, yes, I think our church teaches us to be that way from a very young age.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Depends on my mood, but I really enjoy vanilla over a chocolate chip cookie.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Probably just their overall appearance. I was always amazed that my roommate Brittany noticed peoples eyebrows, I would never notice something like that unless it was painfully obvious.

15. RED OR PINK?
I'm going to go with pink, but red's great too!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Indecisiveness.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Corey, Sara and Brady, they're the only ones from our family not in California. I miss being with my college roommates, they are people I can truly be myself around, Beth is kind of like the sister I never had. I miss our friends Dave and Holly, we used to do stuff every weekend in our college days, that was really fun.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Only if they want to.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Plaid pink pajama pants, green shirt...sexy!

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Scrambled eggs.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Little Einsteins in the background. If I were listening to music, it would have to be Ben Folds.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Tiffany Box Blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS ?
Newborn babies, the pavement when it first starts raining, cold fresh air, when you go outside and can smell a restaurant's cooking.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My Mom, of course, the third time that day!

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
She's my best friend...love you Mom.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Something on TIVO so it can be fast forwarded, sports are way too long. I do like tennis though.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Blonde, thank you Debbie!

28. EYE COLOR?
green/hazel

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes, but would love to get LASIK

30. FAVORITE FOOD ?
Italian.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS ?
Happy endings, has anyone ever seen/read Ethan Frome, man that was depressing.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
"Not One Less", a Chinese film about a teacher in a remote village with a lot of determination.

33. WHAT COLOR SOCKS ARE YOU WEARING?
none!

34. SUMMER OR WINTER ?
Every season is wonderful and I'm ready for it at the end of the previous one.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Depends on who is doing the hugging or kissing.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Dessert. In general.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
Hmmm...whoever I say will then be the most likely to respond, I'll just say, who knows?

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW ?
I just finished "Twilight". My book club is now going to read "The Good Earth".

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
It's a pad of paper, so people's names who I need an address update from for my bay announcements.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT?
BYU game, not my choice, but I'm glad they won.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Natalie's laughing and singing. Someone with a beautiful singing voice. Rain on the roof.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
No brainer...Beatles!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Switzerland, it's gorgeous.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I'll copy what my mom wrote: Jack of all trades, master of none. Although, I am good at teaching Math to kids.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Mission Viejo, CA

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Whoever wants to respond.

Pumpkin Carving

This was the first year Natalie joined in with carving a pumpkin. I must say, she didn't seem too into it, James did most of the work. Being her girly self, she wouldn't dig in and get the pumpkin guts, but she did take the spoon and scoop out the seeds a couple of times.



This is a new thing, we tell Natalie to smile for pictures and this is the cheesy grin we get.



Here it is again. And our work of art, real original, I know. Natalie wanted a "scary" pumpkin, this is the best I could come up with.



And lastly, the lone pumpkin on our porch. Hey! We're pretty proud of it. Although it's no Dave pumpkin, we tried our best.