Entries in holidays (295)
Carved.
Pumpkin carving. Jack-o-lanterns. Irish boiled dinner. Read about the connection in last year's pumpkin carving post (because I hate to feel like I'm repeating myself), or just know that we enjoyed an evening of traditional Halloween fun with good food followed by the entertainment of slimy pumpkin gutting. It's time to get your spook on—Halloween is just around the corner!
holidays, traditions Labor Day weekend
We labored right through the holiday weekend, putting some final 2009 touches on the new garden we added this year, 
the pictures of which we will share soon. The story of the garden itself is pretty good, one that I'll want to spend a little more time formulating before I throw it up here, so you'll have to take my word for it that by the time Monday night rolled around we were three tired puppies. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that, in addition to all that labor, we also partied our way through the weekend. The full moon was delightful on Friday night, so we donned bug 
spray and long pants, grabbed our flashlights, and went for a full moon hike in the meadow, looking for bats and owls. We didn't find any owls, but we found plenty of wonderful bats, and a handful of yawns as well. Saturday, of course, was Opening Day for tailgaters, and Sunday found us staying up late yet again, this time for a camp fire in our own driveway (the backyard patio doesn't exist yet), complete with marshmallows and ghost stories. I'd say it was a perfect holiday weekend.
activities, holidays Fathers, family, and fun
We absolutely love to celebrate with our family and have been fortunate not only to have many family members nearby, but also in that they are often ready and willing to come to our house for special occassions (because let's face it, it's easier to enjoy yourself with you toddler in his own environment). Fathers' Day was different only in that we were lucky enough to add a couple of 
family members from farther away, my uncle Smokey from up north and cousin Abby from California, an increase in numbers that only greatly added to the evenings enjoyment. Opa played with Calvin, us girls tried out Guitar Hero, and my uncle Jack made good friends with our cat Cookie. We played some of our favorite music, a collection of folk and rock from 
days gone by, including some Beatles for Oma, and looked through the photo albums of our childhood years as a way to include the dads in our lives who could not be with us. We grilled sausages and veggie burgers (for Aunt Ann and Oma), served with tabouleh and asparagus, and finished off with fresh strawberry shortcake. Mostly we just had a great time sharing jokes, 
anecdotes, and memories, because that's what families are for, and that's why we love have them surround us whenever we can. And we'd like to thank our families for being willing to share their holidays with us, for the wonderful foods they bring to share along with their laughter and fun, and for all the ways they make our special celebrations so much brighter.
We hope everyone had a wonderful fathers' day!
