I can't believe October has come and gone. I can't believe that it is already November. That is all!

Thanksgiving 2011

After our turkey trotting, we headed up to Yuba City to spend Thanksgiving with John's side of the .family We enjoyed a yummy meal, board/card games, football games, a Wii Just Dance competition and Christmas music on the car ride home. I am very thankful for my family and for the blessings that they are in my life.






















For the record, Carter was the Just Dance champion...that boy has got some moves. I have till the end of the month to cross another New Years goal off of my list. Lets just say that I should be busting a move on the Wii while Carter is at school to get MY moves perfected.

Gratitude on Tuesday

Today I am very grateful for the opportunity to live in this great land. I am also grateful for the opportunity I had to cast my vote today. I have always believed that you can't complain if you don't vote and let your voice be heard. I have an overwhelming sense of pride for my country each time I exercise my right to vote. Here is hoping for the change that is needed in California!

Recipe share and daily gratitude

My boys look forward to the roasted pumpkins seeds just as much as they look forward to carving their pumpkins. I tried a new recipe this year and the boys gave it two thumbs up!

Pumpkin Seed Recipe
1. Clean off seeds (try to get most of the pumpkin “goop” off.
2. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter (yep, you guessed it…these pumpkin seeds are going to be super healthy!)
3. Add 3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to butter and mix together
4. Pour butter/sauce mixture over seeds, mix well
5. Spread seeds in a baking dish – I like to use my jelly roll pan so there’s plenty of room to spread out the seeds and nothing spills over the edges.
*If you do happen to knock a seed over the edge when you’re stirring, hurry and get it OUT of your oven – trust me!*
6. Sprinkle with salt – I prefer medium-coarse sea salt (I know…again, super healthy).
7. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours – stir often. The actual baking time will vary depending on how many seeds you have, how big the seeds are, and how hot your oven actually bakes – so check and stir them often!
8. After mine are done, I dump them onto a plate covered with a few layers of paper towels…just to get any extra butter off…you know, because they are so healthy… I store them in an air tight container and they last for as long as I want them to. ;)
Enjoy the crispy, salty goodness! :o)

**Raimi's notes:We had a ton of seeds, 6 pumpkins worth. I only used 2 Tablespoons of butter.
I had to cook our seeds for about 40 minutes longer because there were so many.


My friend, Morgan is taking time each day during the month of November to record what she is grateful for. She is challenging others to do the same. I thought it would be fun to play along. There is so much much to be grateful for in my life and I am looking forward to really thinking about the things that matter most...big and small.

Today I am grateful for children who wake up with cheerful attitudes...even if they are up at the crack of dawn. They have always been early risers & we rarely have any trouble getting any of them out of bed. Those cheerful attitudes allow our day to start with a nice feeling in our home.

What are your grateful for today?

thankful

There really aren't any other words to describe how I am feeling...just very thankful! I have spent the last week really trying to think about and appreciate all that is good in my life. There is so much to be thankful for. Here are a few of the things that made me smile.

A quiet little knock on our front door at 8 pm last night. We opened the door and there stood our sweet friends Mer, Dylan and Baby Crosby. They were delivering a sweet treat and a CD of photos. Check out this adorable cake... *sigh* red polka dots. Doesn't get any better in my world.

But it does get better, look at this inside of this cake. So fun and colorful. Made with love from our sweet friends.Thank you sweet Tilton family.




I am thankful for the very sweet email I received in my inbox, from another dear friend. I used to serve with her in the YW's program and she was thanking me for the lessons that I share with the girls each week and letting me know that she appreciated the spirit she felt when I taught. Her note made me smile and count my blessing for her friendship.

I am thankful for good health...for myself and my boys. Nothing like a horrible little summer cold(mid August) to remind you how good it feels to be healthy.

I am so very thankful for the teachers who spend time with my boys on a daily basis. The school year is off to a fantastic start. The boys love their teachers and enjoy going to school each day. I know the teachers play a BIG part in that.


I am thankful for Tanner and his "I Love You's". There isn't a phone call from him or a day that he gets out of the car to go to school that he doesn't tell me he loves me. Hello, he is a middler schooler and is still doing this. I will take it for as long as I can get it. I know the teen years are fast approaching :-).

{photo taken by my talented friend, Meredith. more to come from this shoot}
I am thankful for modern day technology. Even though I don't get to see my family or favorite friends on a daily basis, I feel connected through emails, blog posts and FaceBook. We live in a amazing time.

I am thankful for my Mom. Our little family received some fun notes from her via snail in the month of August. She sent Brody a post card about his potty training. Tanner and Carter received notes from her about what great great examples they are being. The boys also each received a new school shirt and tucked inside was a Target gift card to buy school supplies...so fun!




For fun, I thought we would do a little drawing/give away. To any of you who have left a comment(thank you, we love comments) on our blog during the month of August, your name was entered. I entered your name for each comment you left. I am thankful for the fun connections I have with each of you.
The random winner of a Bath and Body gift card is



Congrats, Michelle. I will pop that in the mail :-).
Happy September,friends!

happy thanksgiving from our family to yours!



We hope everyone had a safe turkey holiday, surrounded by those you love. We spent the afternoon with my family in the Bay Area. 41 of us, enjoyed turkey dinner @ my parents house.


{ I hope someone else has this photo too-mine is blurry. Poor AShley got suckered into taking our family photo with everyones camera}

It was great to have all of my siblings in one place this holiday...thankful for each one of them & my parents!



Lots of food, lots of family, lots of laughs, & lots of dishes to wash-LOL!

A few things I am thankful for today:-
- a good hubby who took his wife to see TWILIGHT yesterday because she wanted to see it again :)!
- healthy, active boys
- boys who will still humor their mother/aunt & wear a silly hat for a photo opp..

- my home
- black Friday sales that start @ 5 am tomorrow...woot-woot!
- my family (all 41 of them today)
- christmas music, holiday tunes officially started tonight @ our house.
- memories
- yummy food

- the Christmas holiday that is fast approaching

Enjoy the rest of your November! Make it fabulous!

Thankful

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, these are the things I am THANKFUL for today (items in no particular order).

1. A hubby who can fix his own car when it breaks down(sure saves us money).

2. The stranger who loaned the above hubby a phone because he forgot his cell phone.

3. The beautiful Fall leaves (I love the orange, red, & yellow tones) on all of the trees around town.

4. Friends who are willing to step in & help you out with your calling when they know you need it.

5. A washer & dryer

6. The phone that allows me to connect with family who doesn't live close by.

7. Mail from friends & family. Makes me happy to think that they thought of us.

8. My family

9. My home

10. The fun holidays that are fast approaching.

11. Christmas music

12. I am happy that black Friday is this week. I am thankful for sales & good shopping :).

There are lots of things to be thankful for today & every day of the year.

What are you grateful/thankful for today? Have a safe & Happy Thanksgiving.