Lots to be Thankful For...

Where's the turkey?

First Thanksgiving for the babies.

Attempting our first family Christmas card photo - this one is definately not it!

Sweet boy.

Miles is going to hate me for this picture someday.

Christmas tree shopping

Things I'm Thankful For:

1. Holiday cheer
2. My family's health
3. A miracle named Miles
4. A clean house (thank you Dyson)
5. Supportive, caring and fun family and friends

Things Miles is Thankful For (or what I can only imagine he's really thinking):

1. Milk
2. Mama & Daddy
3. Lots of love and kisses from aunties, uncles and grandparents
4. The monkey mat
5. Strong arms to hold him while he bounces on his legs

Thanksgiving Weekend

How nice to have a long Thanksgiving weekend off of work! I've got the Sunday blues thinking about the prospect of driving into the office early tomorrow morning and am sad that such a nice weekend is coming to a close. Thursday we spent Miles first Thanksgiving at my mom's house with 30 aunts, uncles and cousins. Our family is blessed because this holiday we have the addition of 3 new babies - Miles, Corey and Kendra. This works out to be about a 10:1 adult to baby ratio - which in our family is a good thing since everyone wants to hold them! The traditional Giesen family Thanksgiving menu included: turkey, dressing, cream corn, baked sweet potatos with apples and walnuts, cranberry salad, kolacky's (the most delicious Czech pastry filled with yummy poppyseed or prune or apricot) and apple and pumpkin pies.

Friday, my brother Matt was in town so we had him and my parents over for a homemade pizza dinner, Wii bowling and a Guitar Hero jam session.

On Saturday we actually ventured out for a little shopping and made a small dent in our Christmas gift list this year. We also got our Christmas tree. While I had this romantic notion of a light snow falling as we cut down a fresh evergreen tree for Miles' first Christmas the reality was that we went to the Mendards lumber yard and picked up a very nice looking (but probably sprayed green) tree for $14.99. Saturday night, with family still around, we gathered with my immediate family for another dinner (baked ribs and halibut) and round two of Guitar Hero. About 10:21 pm Miles let us know what he thought of so much activity packed into a few short days. Poor guy - he woke up screaming inconsolably, which is a rarity for him, until I rocked him back to sleep. He got up a few more times that night. Was it the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving day, being carted around shopping or Guitar Hero that put him over the edge? My conclusion - you can't be a rock star with a baby.

Today we kept it very low key but stayed in the holiday spirit by decorating the house and tree for Christmas. On a roll I also got spruce tops and put together my outside planters and we did laundry. All Miles had to do today was relax and play. He's a happy boy and sleeping soundly now. After a busy weekend I hope to be sleeping soon too and eating a lot less this coming week!