First Thanksgiving in NC

Our first Thanksgiving (and first real holiday) in NC was a hit. I cooked over at Todd and Tina's so we could have some extra space and it worked out really well. The turkey cooked in the time I planned (about 2 1/2 hours) and all of our sides finished on time for everything to make it to the table hot and delicious! Even Todd had to admit how delicious my turkey was (thanks to my Williams Sonoma brine the night before!) Ben took a 4 hour nap from 11-3 so he missed everything from cooking to eating, but woke up in time to enjoy some pie.

And just because I cannot resist his sweet little face, the picture in today's blog is Ben at his first Thanksgiving. Remember this little guy???

Happy First Birthday, Ben

Where has the time gone? Our boy is 1 year old today!! He has gone from a blob to a thriving pre-toddler. Our lives have changed in so many ways and every day brings something new. One more step, one more word, one more food to try.

Yesterday was Ben's party. He was more interested in playing with Cam's toys than anything else, but when he is older, I am sure he will appreciate that his whole family was with him to celebrate this occasion. Ben really got into his cake by smashing the whole piece right into his face. Fortunately for me, there was no frosting!!

Cheers to Ben on this special day! I cannot wait to see what the next year brings!

Our Little Lion Starts School in NC

Special Message from Ben's teacher...Ben's First Day:

"Ben made lots of new friends today! He ate lunch with his hand on the back of one child's chair. Outside, he played with a ball and sat next to another child. His favorite friend today, though, was the duck chair which he discovered after nap time! :)"

Ben had a great day! We are so proud of our boy. When we arrived to pick him up this afternoon, he was sitting down eating his snack like a big boy! Several people commented on what a great first day he had.