If you cook it, they will come...

Dylan worked that turkey leg; look at his form...elbows on the table, eyes down. Intensity...that's what I like to see.

"Smile Brina!" Apparently, this said by me several times translates into this face from one of our resident comedians.

Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. All of those "daddies" just to get all of the yummy rolls. I'm on to you Miss Veronica....

The honorable Grandpa Roger & Grandma Pam joined us for our harried, but wonderful Thanksgiving meal. They have had a rough few months. Hosting the meal in our home was the least we could do to encourage them during this emotional season, I hope we're starting a new tradition.


Alas, the guest of honor.

There was a salad with 6 different chopped vegetables, cranberry chutney, pickles, pickles and more pickles. There were black, oops, I mean African-American olives and green olives (no discrimination here), stuffing with raisins and wild rice. Yummy garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce out of the can (a must), ham, turkey, rolls - the simple super hit and homemade butternut squash soup. There were a small sampling of Glory greens and a side of peas (trying to go more "green" around here, get it? green - ha). We rounded out the meal with two pies...pecan and pumpkin (which came with a 15 minute discussion about where the "sweet potato pie" was even though we were all referring to the pumpkin one). We had soda, wine and juice to drink and by the man of the house's leadership we shared our thanks a little differently this year. Each person wrote down things they were good at and then one thing they wanted to be better at. I think I missed the ultimate point of what he was leading us to (I was on my 2nd of 3 plates at that point) but everyone couldn't help smile as we shared our "goodies" - things we're good at - and everyone acknowledged them. Warm fuzzies are Mark's speciality.

Okay, I debated for about a millisecond about this and decided I needed to let you know that I cooked over half of the items above and that THEY ALL TURNED OUT SUCCESSFULLY. For those of you who knew me in the old days and saw me in a kitchen; I know you may be tempted to think that I'm be in denial or just plain bending the truth, but I did it. Me, little miss organizer, turned into a little miss "Top Chef, Julia Child, Emeril, Bobby Flay" apprentice. I spent 5 hours cooking in our kitchen on Thanksgiving day. I put a DVD in (4 Christmases) opened a bottle of wine (Mark had some too!) and flitted around our kitchen like a cooking fairy - not just because of the wine. I was light, I was fast, I was humming; it was pure joy. I had already made up my mind that when everyone came to the table, I was not going to allow any opposing comments to wreck what I felt God and I cooked up together in that kitchen (again, it was something pretty special).

And earlier in the day, reading from "My Life in France: Julia Child", I came across this...

"I don't believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. When one's hostess starts in with self-deprecations such as 'Oh, I don't know how to cook...,' or 'Poo little me...,' or "This may taste awful...,' it is so dreadful to have to reassure her that everything is delicious and fine, whether it is or not. Besides, such admissions only draw attention to one's shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, 'Yes, you're right, this really is an awful meal!' (page 71). This was empowering and I felt I was being cheered on by Mrs. Child. I put that food on the table - hot dishes burn the plastic covers on card tables, by the way - and stepped back and all I could hear was "well done, good & faithful servant".

So with that..we ate (and ate, and then ate some more) and enjoyed a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Please forgive me...

It's been awhile and a lot has happened....

PSYCH!!!! I didn't have any babies! These two peanuts are my nephews, well, okay they're my "sort of nephews". These are Greg & Amy Hoyte's twin boys (Lewis on the left, Eli on the right). I had the pleasure of getting some hang time with them over the past few months so that the new mom of three could get out of the house every now and again.

But, there has been a lot going on this year, especially since my last post which was on January 1st of THIS YEAR!!! Wow, crazy, crazy, crazy, nuts! I'm not one to try and send out a letter to catch everyone up on the happenings, but do feel I dropped the ball on blogging our 2009 year. So rather than go back and re-detail the steps of the Erickson 2009 Adventures up to this point, I thought I'd do something a bit simpler, more manageable, more realistic for me...

I first want to apologize and ask your forgiveness. I've come to realize that there were 3 or maybe even 4 faithful readers out there waiting to hear about how we were (thanks Mom, CaS, Ruth and whoever else you were). I've thought often of how much I could share and how much of it wouldn't seem plausible or believable - I'm still trying to believe some of it myself. I've also been recovering from some of the not so pleasant, fun or enjoyable parts of being in a family; but that is the very thing that has brought me to want to write and share again...those dark moments have helped me to want to be more respectful to the overwhelming moments that we can (and ought to work hard to) be grateful for...and then make time to share them.

This is only a snack from the buffet table that has been our lives this year:

There have been funerals of friends and grandparents. We have had disagreements and misunderstandings. I have had graduate classes and deadlines. There have been several pregnancies announced and many babies delivered into the world. There have been proposals and weddings. We have hosted Bible Talks, House Church Services and Sporting Event Parties. Mark & I have cheered on the Brewers through a not-so-stellar season and become huge fans of the show, "Arrested Development"...No touching! (inside joke). We've been to the Wilderness (Territory Lodge), Mexico and to & from Madison. I've volunteered and unvolunteered. We've drank wines & Mike's Hard Lemonades. We've downloaded great music and danced in the newly remodeled kitchen. Mark and I retreat to our tropical bedroom get-a-way nightly to recharge. I've read about a hundred children's books and dozens and dozens of inspiring and interesting novels for adults. Mark celebrated 12 years at his job, this month will be 1 year at mine. We've had great parent-teacher conferences and not-so-great ones (can you guess who'd that be...starts with a D). There have been anniversaries to celebrate and others that crept up on us leaving us with numbing pain. It's been quiet for naps and reading and it's been chaotic with laughter, family wrestling and tickle fights. I got a new phone and dropped it the first week I had it - phone numbers needed. We did not vacinnate for H1N1. Michael Jackson gone, whaaaa? President OBAMA, wow!!!! Oprah to be off the air, for real? Big stuff is happening; out there in the big world and here in our cozy home.

I hope that you will forgive my absence and will continue reading about "life with the Ericksons".

Onward...