Cutting Thanksgiving

We had two Thanksgivings this year. We spent Thanksgiving day with the Cuttings and Sunday with the McDowell side of the family. We had a wonderful time with our family and we hope you were able to relax with family, enjoy delicious food and give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings he gives us!

The girls making dumplings with Grammy! They really enjoy helping in the kitchen.

Dumplings are my FAVORITE! Mmmm!

Our turkeys!

Grammy's beautiful Thanksgiving table!

Papa reading a Psalm from the Bible before dinner.

Beth & Steven's first Thanksgiving as a married couple (with Buddy!).

I just adore this photo so I had to post it again! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name!

Psalm 100:4

Anna's Birthday Card

Starstruck Birthday 5x7 folded card

Shop hundreds of birthday invitations at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

So... I normally don't sell out my blog to promote companies, but I am a huge (did I say HUGE???) Shutterfly fan. I started making photo books when Claire was just a few days old (literally). The first book I made was for Papa's birthday which was just a month after Claire was born. Once I made one, I was hooked! I use Shutterfly for all my photo needs from cards to calendars (which is a yearly Christmas tradition I started the year Claire was born), to magnets and photo books and the list goes on and on. If you've never tried Shutterfly, don't walk, but RUN to your computer to start your first photo project with the best online photo lab around!!!

Pheasant Hunting 2010

Ben went on his annual pheasant hunting trip today. He took our nephew Connor as well his best friend Philip, his Dad and a friend from work. They had a fun, manly bonding time! I know Ben looks forward to it all year long so I am always glad that he's able to go!

Group shot with their kill.

Decorating with Grandma

We went to spend the afternoon with my Grandma last week and while we were there, we decided to help her decorate for Christmas. The girls had fun helping put ornaments on the tree. We always have fun at Grandma McDowell's house!

Claire has learned from her big cousins that Grandma makes the BEST milkshakes. So now every time we go over, she asks for a vanilla milkshake!

Grandma's helpers!

They really got into it!

Sweet memories!

Possum Creek

We have really been trying to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we've had in November. We took the girls along with Grammy & Papa to Possum Creek for some outdoor fun! They were having a corn exhibit and the girls enjoyed using a pre-Civil War corn press. The cracked corn and the cobs were then used make food and bedding for the animals at the farm. Very neat!

Grammy & Papa walking with the girls through the scare crows!

Throwing the corn into the corn press. They let the corn dry for 6 months-1 year before using it.

I couldn't believe the strength of little Anna to turn the grinder!

Claire is very task oriented so she loved having a job to do!

Quite a contraption!

My farm girl!

Cracking the corn for feed!

They let the girls have several scoops of the cracked corn so they could feed the animals!

The girls loved feeding the ducks and geese!

Feeding the sheep!

And the donkey!

This goat was like a dog! He let Anna pet and hug him. So sweet!

We can't forget to feed the sweet goat!

We love Rosie the horse! Such a big, beautiful and gentle animal!

We saw these pigs in the spring when they were just tiny little piglets. I think they've been well fed!

We always have to end our trip with some time on the playground!

Indian Summer

Wasn't today an amazing mid-November day? We've been loving this VERY late Indian Summer all week. We spent every waking moment outdoors this week, even allowing the girls to miss naptime. How can I make them sleep during such beautiful weather?? I can't remember the last time we had a week of 70 degree temps in November. Thank you Lord for giving us such warm weather before the cold!

The first part of the day we spent in the backyard doing yard work. Ben bought the girls little rakes and they really love helping him rake leaves (and of course playing in the leaves, too)!

Daddy's little helpers!

Claire was even able to help with the tarp this year!

While the girls were exploring, we happened upon a woolly worm. It was a great time to do a quick Google search and teach the girls about the interesting creature! This little guy is a caterpillar that turns into a colorful tiger moth!

No lie, the girls played with the poor fellow for over an hour. Thankfully, he was still kicking after all their love!

The girls trying to find a perfect and safe place for him. Claire was very worried Daddy would run over him with a lawn mower!
Hope y'all were able to enjoy this wonderful day outdoors!

Random Wedding Fun

Just some cute pictures from Aunt Beth's wedding festivities!

Flower Girls

Beth with Aunt Mary

My little poser!