Thanksgiving

Jaybird - early in the day...like on the ride there!
















Bella in the moonwalk. We happen to have connections....like a friend of ours owns a moonwalk business...

















Katie doing her favorite thing
















Damion and Kailey
















Card and Leila

Liendo Plantation

We went to a Civil War reenactment this month - Liendo Plantation:
Liendo Plantation was built in 1853 by Leonard Waller Groce, the son of Jared Groce, who was one of the largest most respected land owners in Texas. Originally a Spanish land grant of 67,000 acres assigned to Justo Liendo, the plantation's namesake, Liendo was one of Texas earliest cotton plantations. It was considered the social center of Texas receiving and lavishly entertaining early Texas dignitaries and notorieties. Liendo was considered a typical Southern plantation. Sufficient in all its needs; it was a self contained community. Like most Southern plantations, , Liendo fell on hard times after the Civil War and changed owners several times thereafter. Liendo had always been recognized for its warm Southern Hospitality, but few people know that this same tradition of generosity probably saved it from destruction. Among the more notable statesmen and historical figures that have spent time at Liendo was George A. Custer. At the end of the Civil War, he was stationed at Liendo. It is said that both Mr. Custer and his wife were so impressed with the plantation and the gracious hospitality shown them during their stay, that they made sure Liendo was not harmed in any way in appreciation.

















This is the original house - totally restored with period furniture.
















Bella and Card at one of the cannons
















Waving our Southern soldiers on

















Card and David got to hold one of the guns - the man who is asking for his gun back is a Navy recruit

This Months Happenings

We took a little trip to the Houston Gem and Mineral show this month - they were nice enough to have it in Humble, so we invited Dad to join us. They all had a great time!

These were the coolest things and this one was my very favorite! It is a rock that a guy paints on. Needless to say, Katie talked his ear off for a bit and we watched him paint some. These coons were my favorite - they are so cute! They can make this into a necklace - yep, I would sure wear it too!

Card just being himself. This was the black light room, so I could not see the look on his face until after I took the picture.

Dad and Card checking some stuff out. Dad treated the kids each to a bottle of real gold and their Dad-Dad (Will's dad) gave them each some money to spend. They each bought a sculpted rock (lapidary) - Card got a deer, Katie a horse, Bella a leaf with a ladybug.

Katie looking over the collection.

BTW- these pictures were featured in our local homeschool newsletter! So ask the kids for their autographs next time you see them!

Two Tired Boys

This is what Mommy found when she got off the phone with Ms. Amy a few days ago.....it was a bit of a long phone call :)

Katie's Favorite Picture of Jay

Dehydrating today...

Did a little dehydrating today - cannot wait to see how the agave, cacao, cinnamon banana's turn out!!!

Had a helper or three....
jay, being the baby - he is such a doll!

Photo Shot....

Since Katie and Card were dressed up for yearbook pictures - I decided to snap a few of my own after their "offical" photo shot....

Sarah's B-Day Continued

Bella gets in on gift time...

Mom-Mom and Jay

Itsy Bitsy Spider??

Mom, Jay and Lenka

Cousins!

Sarah 1st B-Day!!

Our little Niece/Cousin is 1 year old!!

Sarah bear in her rocking chair..

Sarah and Amy the Gorilla....

Annual pumpkin carving

everyone is cleaning out their pumpkins

Dad-Dad helps the smaller ones :)

after the cleaning, Dad-Dad carves a face in each pumpkin, mommy toast pumpkin seeds and usually cooks down the pumpkin insides, sometimes even makes pumpkin pie out of the insides... not this year though....

not a yearly tradition, but after pumpkin carving this year, we went out and hung some sheet rock - hopefully we will not have any to hang next year!

then we lite our pumpkins and let them glow for a bit - in order from l-r - Jack's, Bella's, Card's and Katie's (which she did all by herself this year)

Thanks Dad-Dad for the fun time and thanks Mom-Mom for finding such a great deal on the pumpkins!!

When you are down and out

you let your 2 year old do your homework....
and play peek-a-boo with him

totally messing your covers up - but the 11 year old is happy to fix them for you again :)

spend some time the kids - after all, you are all locked in the house with rain, rain, rain anyway

and your kids eat all your eat and drink all your drink

Happenings around here

Card lost his first tooth - on accident...he ate the concrete a little too hard a few days ago...

My raised bed - lasagna garden style this year. Will is running the sawmill and these boards are made from trees from our farm, run through our sawmill, and assembled in our barn...we did not, however, make wooden lug nuts..yet.....

one of my lovely squash plants

Jaybird - all dressed up with somewhere to go - of course, right after these pictures he turned his head and spit up right in his cute little hat - so he went out, minus cute little hat.

being Jaybird - the boy already has such personality. He loves to laugh and make others laugh.

Red Pepper Curry Soup

Folks have been asking for some recipes... here is one of our favorite raw soup recipes:
(adapted from the Raw 50)

2 red bell peppers
1 apple
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup pine nuts
1/3 red onion
3 tbls yellow curry (we prefer a sweet curry)
1 tbls salt
2 cups (more or less) water
2-3 tbls coconut oil (or to taste)

Put everything except water in Vita-mix (if using a regular blender, I would core apple and bell peppers). Add small amounts of water until it is your desired consistency. You can blend until warm in the Vita-mix (but make sure it does not boil!). If you like, you can set aside some finely sliced apple, pepper and avocado to add after blending.

The kids LOVE this, especially Jack who seems to have a taste for curry!

Just as the Barnes about this here soup.....

The Other Birthday Boy.....

I forgot to post Jack's b-day "party" - just his mama, daddy, brothers and sisters - all having a blast eating his favorite meal of hot dogs and ketchup and then a cake with blueberries- his absolute favorite fruit of all time!

Yep son, there really is meat on that bun!

He was delighted with the cake and really LOVED the decorations - we went all out!

He loves getting new trucks!

and he drove them all over his cake - he did not even want to eat it, just to drive on it! We did eventually cut it and eat it with fresh, homemade, real ice cream made just minutes before with cream ,maple syrup, vanilla, and arrowroot.

Had to throw one in of Jack's all time favorite baby brother. All ready to go hunting with Papa!