November in a Nutshell

Wow!  Either we have been doing absolutely nothing worth writing about lately, or we have been super busy and I haven't had time to blog.  Whichever it is, I will do my best to sum up November in a nutshell.

The month started off with a special family get together for my Grandma Saar's 85th birthday.  Almost everyone from my mom's side of the family was able to get together.  It was great to see my cousins and all of the babies that have come into the world since we've been together last.

Most of the great-grandkids - Katie, Mark, Joey, Lauren, Cassie, Ava, and Parker

We had a Thanksgiving-like spread, and then we asked Grandma some questions about her life.  I always love hearing about what things were like for her generation.  My how things have changed!  My Grandma is such an encouraging and loving person who is always looking for a way to serve others.  She has a wonderful sense of humor, is still active in many different things, and now she has three generations who admire her.  As we said our goodbyes, I thought about how special it must be for her to see all of her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids in one place, having fun with one another.  I hope I live to see that in my own life someday, too!  I love you Grandma!  

Aside from that, we have had a lot of good times with various friends and family.  One night my friend, Kate, came over with her son Josiah, and we talked non-stop for a few hours.  Then we attempted to start a movie, paused it, and talked for another few hours. haha.  At the end of almost every day, Parker will say "That was a fun day!"  He is still making parades, and he recently told us he's going to give the baby "two kissies" when it comes.  

I guess that's all I got!  Thanksgiving post coming soon!  

Family Movie Night

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I decided it was time to attempt our first ever, family movie night.  He made some popcorn while I ran out to rent The Lorax.  When I got back, we all sat down on our big chaise lounge, covered up with a blankie, and dug in to our bowls of popcorn.  Now, how do you picture people eating popcorn?  I don't know about you, but my family likes to take a big handful and shove it all in at once, dropping a few kernels along the way.  Parker hasn't really had popcorn before, so he has not yet acquired this sophisticated way of eating.  He would take one piece at a time, chew it very slowly until it was dissolved in his mouth and then finally swallow.  Ryan and I each finished our rather large bowls in a matter of minutes, and Parker's lasted almost the whole movie.

Miraculously, we cuddled as a family throughout the entire motion picture.  There were several times Ryan and I just looked at each other and smiled, as if to say, "This is what I always dreamed having a family would be like."  Either that or, "Lets make more popcorn."  Sometimes it's the little things in life that can be so memorable.