Thankful for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays ever.  Family, food, grateful hearts - what's not to love?  This year was the Thanksgiving of the Cheesecakes for me.  Hey, I fully admit I am swayed by the whims of the food bloggers, and since my two favorites each posted divine-looking cheesecakes in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I knew I'd be recreating each for our family gatherings.  I really love making cheesecake - it's not actually that hard to do, but it creates a stellar impression (and tastes delicious!).  We stretched our Thanksgiving celebrations (and preparations) over a week, packing in baking, adventuring, eating and visiting with many loved ones.

First, I made candied oranges to garnish the cheesecake for the
Blanchard meal.

After the oranges were done, I used the syrup to
make sparkly cranberries - also to garnish.

On the Saturday before, we met up with Laurel and Bret and the
kids to play at the Bean Museum at BYU.  I liked this quote on
the wall there.

After the museum we dined at In 'n' Out.  I tried the animal style
fries. Heck. Yes.

Back at the Farrer's house, Melia practiced her
"face-painting" skills on a very willing Callie.

We played at a park. For a few minutes anyway - it was pretty
chilly once the sun dipped behind the mountain.

After church on Sunday, while others napped, I
assembled my first cheesecake masterpiece,

Cranberry-Orange Perfection.
(Recipe here.)

Grandma Gallagher came to celebrate Thanksgiving and her
birthday and meet her newest great-grandbaby Sam.

Ready to feast!

Melia gets her Sam snuggles in.

Time for dessert!

Cal's favorite part? Playing with cousins!

Conversations with Aunty Heather.

Grandpa knows how to get the kids to hang around.

As soon as we finished our first Thanksgiving on Sunday, Cal
and I were back in the kitchen, prepping our next cheesecake
creation for the Thornley bunch. This time: Reece's Peanut
Butter Cup!

We got to Logan on Thursday morning in time for
Cal to get her first lesson in roll-making from the
master herself,

I loved watching them in the kitchen together,

Cal is a dough eater. She did not get that from me.

We had a huge group at Grandpa and Grandma Thornley's.
That meant TONS of pie!

Aunt Joan made most of them - amazig woman!

Here's my contribution.
(Recipe here.)

Simply put: YUM!

We have much to be thankful for, indeed.  At the top of the list is family and fun times spent together.  But just below that? Yep. Cheesecake.

Sam at 2 (and a half) Months

A little list for you . . . because it's been a while and because Sam is now two months old!  If that doesn't deserve a list, I don't know what does.  The adjustment to having Sam in our family has been smoother than I ever thought would be possible.  We are so happy and grateful he's around.

13 Things You Should Know About Sam Now That He is (Already!!) Two Months Old

1. Sam is a champion sleeper - he falls asleep in the middle of the floor, on the couch next to me, in his bouncer seat, in his car seat (in or out of the car), in the front carrier . . . with or without a swaddle and/or bink.  It. is. AMAZING.  To top it all off with heaping spoonful of AWESOME SAUCE, he's been sleeping for 6ish hours in a row for his first stretch most nights the past couple of weeks.  Who is this kid and is he related to our firstborn?!  All I can say is I'm so so so so grateful!

2. Sam's big, full-mouth, gummy smiles are simply the best.  I especially love it when we make eye contact while he is eating and his face crinkles into a grin.  #meltmyheart

Of course, when I try to do a little 2-month photo shoot, this is
the best smile I can get out of dozens of photos.

But luckily I've got a few shots of his to-die-for
smile from other days.

3. He loves having his head rubbed.  If he isn't smiling already, just give his little noggin a good rub and you should get a big, gummy grin in no time.

4. Sam is finding his voice these days.  He's got the sweetest little goos and coos.  And when he gets really excited that someone is talking to him, he'll let out a little squeal of delight that is too cute for words.

5. He is the most patient little guy.  I didn't know babies could be "patient" but that's the only word I can think of to describe him.  He'll just wait in his bouncer seat while I'm finishing something in the kitchen or taking care of Cal.  He puts up with a lot of schlepping from home to car to store to library to car to home to stroller to front carrier.  (And then he falls asleep.)  After spending most of Callie's first three months either bouncing her on a big red ball or holding her asleep in the recliner, this behavior from a baby is just revolutionary.

Speaking of patient - you've gotta be when you've got a big sister
like Cal.  Here she is doing her own photo shoot (with props).

Sam and his other sister, Minnie.

6. Sometimes he would rather just sit in his bouncer seat instead of being cuddled.  This makes me a little sad when I especially want to snuggle him (and Callie isn't asking me to put him down to hold her instead).  But it also makes me glad when I have other things that just need to be done (see #4).

7. He can produce man-sized boogers in his tiny button nose.  We have a morning (and sometimes additional times of the day, as needed) ritual of sucking them out with the famous blue syringe.  He's not crazy about the process, but I find it very rewarding (should I be admitting this?) . . . and he's much happier when he can breathe so we do what we must.

8. Sam's neck muscles are getting stronger and he can hold his head up pretty well while in a sitting position or during tummy time.  While he's in burping position he really demonstrates his strength and stands straight up over my shoulder.

9. Sam is growing great - his doctor said he's got the "most consistent growth curve I've ever seen!" at his two-month appointment last week.  His latest stats are weight of 11 lbs 14 oz (46th percentile), length of 23.5 inches (77th percentile), and head circumference of 39.5 cm (64th percentile).  He's wearing 0-3 month clothes mostly (though his little church suit is 3-6 months) and size 1 diapers (that I think we'll switch up to 2s with the next package we buy).

10. Sam's hair is starting to grow back where it rubbed/fell out earlier - mostly along his hairline above his forehead and his sideburns.  It's coming in brown again.

11. He's a grunter.  Not a lot of crying from this one, but definitely a lot of grunting in these first few weeks.

12. Sam will drink from a bottle!  Pumped breast milk and/or formula!  Without any problem! (Again, who is this kid?)

13. He has the most beautiful, bright, blue, sparkly eyes.

Not the best pic to show his sparkly baby
blues so you'll just have to take my word
for it.

Watch Samuel grow: birth

Our Blessings Abound

Our Baby Sam, Sambo, Sammy, Sammers, Samuel was given a name and blessing by his dad in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday November 1st in the Eden First Ward.  We were so blessed to have lots of family there to support and participate.  Standing in the circle with Dad (Gregg) were Grandpas Elwood and Blanchard, Great-Grandpas Thornley and Elwood, and Uncles Scott, Bret and Terrell.

After church we came home to a feast of baked potato bar (both russet and sweet potatoes loaded with all the fixin's: chili, broccoli cheese sauce, sour cream, green onions, bacon, cubed ham, cheese, olives, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and, of course, salt and pepper) plus rolls with delicious homemade strawberry-blueberry jam, as well as tasty sausage bites (recipe coming soon).  The dessert table was loaded with brownies, pumpkin cake, chocolate trifle, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies and sopapillas.  Holey moley!  What a spread!  And what a fun day spent together with some of our favorite people celebrating our new favorite little guy.

"The Elwoods"
(Mugs, Heather, Terrell, Grandma and Grandpa Thornley,
Gregg, Callie, Kim, Sam, Richard, Peggy, Kylie,
Grandpa and Grandma Elwood)

Our little family of four in our Sunday best.

"The Blanchards"
(Kage, Heather, Scott, Kim, Cohen, Dray, Paul, Kim, Sam,
Gregg, Callie, Bret, Melia, Laurel)

Me and my boy.
(Doesn't he look dapper?)

A rather crowded kid table.  Someday Sam will join that
rowdy bunch, but on this day he was snoozing through dinner.

Auntie Ky and Meg playing with the
nieces and nephews from the other side
of the family - family has no boundaries,
right?

Post-dinner visiting in the great room.  It was super nice to have
so much space for everyone to spread out, yet all be together, too.

Poor Scott just wanted a nap . . . 

I think Grandma and Grandpa B are
pretty smitten with their Grandson #4.

And Kage and Dray are smitten, too.
(I loved how any time they came back into
the room where Sam was, they had to track
him down and check on him before getting
back to playing.)

Grandma and Bret getting acquainted.
(And please note the lovely TV fireplace - it added quite a nice
ambiance, actually.)

Some deep brother-sister conversations over in the corner.

More Sam lovin'.

The Blanchards with 3/4 of their 8 grandkiddos.
(Katie and Elisabeth live in Virginia and were not present for
this party.)

More Sam lovin' by his great-grandparents.

Vest, tie, pocket square.  So stinkin' handsome!
(My friend Sariah picked out this outfit and
gave it to me on the Wednesday before
Sam was blessed - talk about perfect timing!
I didn't know what to dress him in for his special
day, but her thoughtful gift was perfection.)

I hate that this photo is blurry and kind of yellow, but I love the
look he's giving my grandma.

Callie was in heaven having so many doting
aunts, uncles and grandparents at "your house
for a PARTY!  What?!"

A little double four generation action.
How lucky am I to still have both sets of grandparents
around to celebrate milestones like this with?

Four generations of Thornleys.

Four generations of Elwoods.

Sam was mad, but I had to get a pic with his namesakes:
all the Deans in one shot (Great-Grandpa Dean,
Grandpa Richard Dean and Baby Samuel Dean).

The Elwood Grandparents love their little grandson, too.