Playing Catch-up

It's been a busy month and I'm looking forward to a slower paced December....though we'll have to work to make that happen!

Right before my mom passed away we harvested all the broccoli and cauliflower in the garden and I've decided they're right.....it does much better as a fall crop with very few bugs or worms. I have two little guys who will tell you broccoli and cauliflower is their favorite vegetable and it was the most productive vegetable we planted this year. (I've not checked on the brussel sprouts for two weeks so we may or may not be harvesting any of those.)

Then we were in PA from November 3rd until the 14th for my mom's funeral. I'm working on a post from that time but it will have to wait.

We came home for a week and made applesauce and apple butter from the two bushel of Cortland apples that my Grandma Miller picked up for me in Martinsburg, PA. (In Cincinnati, they were asking $27/bushel some places and in PA they were $12/bushel) My boys love to make applesauce. This is child labor at it's finest!

Then we traveled back to PA for Thanksgiving. It was a little different this year since I had to do the cooking. My brother, David, and sister-in-law, April joined us for Thanksgiving dinner which we had on Friday since it worked better for all of our schedules. We had turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, filling (my mom's recipe which I will try to remember to post), noodles, cinnamon salad, and cranberry sauce with pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. We didn't leave the table hungry!

The boys loved playing and holding Kaylynn. She's such a cutie pie....and red hair to boot (I always hoped I'd get a red-head...but it was not to be).

Though it was sad at times, having little people running around is a reminder that there are stages to every life and the innocence of childhood can be so refreshing.

On Saturday we went to get our Christmas tree. In Cincinnati the trees are typically dead, spray painted green, and cost way too much. So we get one that still smells like a tree at a price that is reasonable any time we can! 
Daniel has found one his size.

But Pappy and Stephen are still looking.

We found it!

The newest "thing" with the Brown boys is repelling and rock climbing but since there are no rocks...they've chosen the next best thing. Several weeks ago I came downstairs and almost suffered a heart attack when I saw my son on the "wrong" side of the bannister just sitting there pretty as you please. He'd threaded his daddy's belt through this belt loops, included one of the spindles of the bannister and then fastened the belt allowing him to just hang from his waist above the steps. They've had great fun "bombing" people below. And in this video when the bombing fails to dispatch the enemy, a gun comes in handy. Raising boys will either keep me young or kill me early. That's why I'm so distressed that I still can't find any gray hairs....I have earned every last one!