Thanksgiving Preparations

On Thanksgiving morning we headed next door to Aunt and Uncle's casita to find that Aunt Shirl had been hit hard with a sore throat and the start of a bad cold! She took it easy while Uncle Steve made three pies - a chocolate lemon meringue, a caramel apple and a maple pumpkin walnut pie! It was quite the effort and he spent most of his time making crusts and folding ingredients. We planned to head up to Mike and Chris' place around 330, so I decided to take the girls for a walk to the arroyo to get some fresh air and let Aunt Shirl get a little quiet rest for a while.

It was in the low-40s but felt quite comfortable, especially in the sun. Sofia loves to explore the arroyo which is an interesting place but is also a draw to some unusual characters, which I was hoping we didn't bump into during our visit. Once we got there, Sofia ran off to walk along the water run-off wall and Olivia loved walking in the soft sand. She even found a little rock that she carried with her all the way back to the casita. I didn't know she had it until I heard something drop on the floor and found a little dime-sized stone. Sofia found a large interesting stone that she carried back to the casita for Aunt Shirl to help her feel better. They both like interesting rocks or stones so I knew Aunt Shirl would appreciate it.

Once we made it back, CK helped make the sides Aunt Shirl planned to make - roasted sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts with pancetta. After Olivia took a nap, we got ready for our trip over to Chris and Mike's to start our Thanksgiving feast.

Uncle Steve making pie crusts

Olivia playing around. She's wearing one of my favorite sweaters made by Mimi.

Sofia trying to entertain Aunt Shirl

Uncle Steve adding the caramel to the apple pie! Yum!

Olivia in the arroyo

Sofia walking on the run-off wall. She's holding a rolly polly bug which we were surprised to find this time of year.

Olivia

Sofia

Olivia all dressed and ready for some turkey!

Sofia in her new Thanksgiving dress - she refused to wear her tights or jacket even though it couldn't have been 50 degrees out!