thanksgiving 2019

Posted on January 28, 2020 by tara

We stayed home for this past Thanksgiving. It was only the second time we’ve ever done that, so it always feels a little strange, and I definitely missed my mom’s cooking (no matter how good mine turned out) and hanging out with my aunts and brother. We were also still sick with some kind of upper respiratory mess, so all I really wanted to do was sleep, but I still tried my best to make it a memorable day for my family.

Kaya worked really hard making a homemade garland so she could decorate for us. She comes up with these projects all on her own. I love that she loves contributing to our holidays with her art.We spent the morning watching the Macy’s parade while Michael played football with some guys from church, despite the crazy wind we were having. Kaya and Kaelyn made a bunch of turkey handprints! Waiting for turkey dinner is so exhausting that you have to feign sleep……until it actually leads to real sleep for someone very little.Those lips and cheeks. Ahhh! I did get to nap while the turkey was baking away, only to get it out of the oven and realize I had totally forgotten to put water in the pan for gravy. I panicked, but my mom told me on the phone that I could still add it. It worked, and I think it was actually some of the best gravy I’ve ever made.YUM. I love a turkey with a lot of spices.Michael has been made the official turkey-carver.I told the girls about the tradition of breaking the wishbone, and how whoever gets the bigger piece gets to make a wish. Kaya wanted to do it, but was so grossed out by the thought of touching the bone that she let me stand in for her.Kaelyn won it!Kaya also made these little placemats for all of us to use.We had some delicious dinner, followed by chocolate cake.These two and their faces. Always cracking me up. Kaya was really tired by this point and still disappointed that I didn’t win the wishbone for her.Eve had her first-ever taste of turkey, since she was too little last year. She gobbled it right up! I was amazed by how much she ate. We called our families afterward to end the evening. It was a simple, but sweet day together.

thanksgiving 2018

Posted on January 7, 2019 by tara

Thanksgiving was forever ago (last year already, ha), and we pretty much always do the same thing, eat the same turkey, and take the same photos, but these are still so precious to me and need to be on here.

We headed down to my parents’ home to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. My mom always puts so much energy and love into the Thanksgiving meal, and this one turned out as delicious as any. My Dad is always the designated turkey carver. Making mashed potatoes!The girls relaxed and waited patiently until it was time to eat. Everyone cuddled Evie a lot!Happy first Thanksgiving, baby Eve!Kaelyn wanted to jump in a picture, too!It looks like a full house (there are two tables put together underneath all that food), but we were missing Karl and Kaitlyn (they were at a wedding in Georgia), and Auntie Carol, who was sick and missed coming so that none of the babies would catch it. We had a good time, but it honestly didn’t feel the same without them.Somebody really really likes corn.And someone else doesn’t like veggies much at all…Your first Thanksgiving is a little bit of a letdown if you’re not old enough to eat any food! Eve was content to sit and watch everyone else.Nella slept through the entire meal, but woke up in time to have her dinner when we were starting dessert.Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, brownies, and apple pie!Extra thankful for my mom this year.
You might think he’s taking your picture, but Michael is really taking a selfie. He’s a tricky one! We had a great visit. Grandpa Peter got lots of Evie snuggles!Buddy tried to snuggle with me, too. Kaelyn always likes seeing her favorite “Dalmatian”!

sleeping through thanksgiving (2017)

Posted on January 11, 2018 by tara

After we had some quality time with Michael’s side of the family, we headed over to my side to spend Thanksgiving day! The girls were a little extra excited, because on this trip, I told them that we’d take out my childhood American Girl dolls. My parents have had them at their house all these years, mostly because I didn’t really have any space for them in our previous apartments.

Kaya instantly fell in love with my Kirsten doll, and spent nearly the entire visit holding her, changing her outfits, and “getting her ready for school/church”. I asked them to be as gentle as possible with these special dolls, and I was surprised at how careful they truly were.

The girls also really enjoyed watching the Macy’s Parade and looking for all their favorite character balloons, including Paw Patrol, Hello Kitty, and Snoopy! They were even pretty excited to see Santa at the very end.

While they were busy with my dolls, my mom was cooking an amazing (as always) turkey!We had quite a full house this year, although I really missed seeing Karl and Kaitlyn. My mom always goes above and beyond with holiday meals. As a mom myself now, I appreciate her cooking more than ever.Everyone wants to sit on Daddy’s lap, at all times.I title this one, “Smug kid on Dad’s lap; sad kid not on Dad’s lap”.Nella actually slept right through the entire dinner, but when she woke up, she ate so much turkey (I think I actually ended up giving her seconds… and then thirds)! This little pumpkin is my best eater by far. I think we were all feeling how Kaya felt after the meal…Of course, there’s always room for dessert later!Nella ended the evening with a pile (or two) of whipped cream. She dug right into it, smashed it into her hair, and painted the entire high chair with it, so I’d say she enjoyed it.

thanksgiving with the irwins 2017 (and family photos!)

Posted on January 9, 2018 by tara

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Michael’s side of the family a couple of days early! Tori made these beautiful place cards, and along with using special silverware, our dinner felt a little extra fancy.
Per Mom’s request, we went around the table and each said something that we felt grateful for this past year. There was laughter, some tears, and just general heartfelt goodness in the room as we all thoughtfully prepared our statements. That seemingly small exercise turned out to be the most memorable moment of the entire holiday.I’m grateful for each of these people around the table, and that I’m lucky enough to call them my family! I think Dad is most grateful for chocomint freeze!Nella slept through the meal, but these big kids had fun chowing down at the picnic table! I love that we have cousins now, and a need for a “kid table”.After the meal, we prepared for family photos. I’ll tell you, it isn’t always easy getting everyone ready and putting everything in place (especially because my kids hardly seem to nap when we’re away from home), but it is always worth it.

And, truth time: this photo is a composite of four separate shots! It must be against some natural law that all kids will look at the camera at the same time and not appear sad, because I didn’t have one single shot where they all looked reasonably happy. Hey, at least I’m honing my photoshop skills!We get a little crazy……and clearly, there’s more where that came from.Mom gets major points for putting up with Dad’s shenanigans… all the time!Love these two.This shot was a test for lighting, but I just love how natural and “grandmotherly” it feels. We have some lucky kids!More tests for lighting, but someone loves her Daddy! (Also, can we just mention how beautiful Virginia is in the fall?)And someone else loves creepy photobombing…Brothers!!!Love this one!Siblings! (Also, I think I should start a photo series called, “weird things I do with my hand while trying to hide the camera remote”. Ha!)Apparently, they dance while they’re waiting for me to set up the shot. I don’t even remember this happening!And I’m not sure when there was time for someone to steal my camera and do this……or this……or THIS! Hahaha. Honestly, I love finding these surprises on my memory card later.Meanwhile, Jeff was working on his “Flynn Rider” face. Disney, he’s ready for hire.These two are so natural in front of the camera together.
Melt my heart!Seriously, so cute you guys!I know I’m gushing, but again, seriously. I’m surrounded by beautiful families! Our kids were so done with photos by this point, and we had already taken some photos of just our little family a couple of weeks prior, but since we had the camera out, we snapped a few anyway. I kind of love Kaelyn’s funny face!We ended the evening with an early holiday gift exchange, since Kevin and Tori wouldn’t be flying out again for Christmas. Nella was clearly excited!Bryce snuggles!Kaya had to jump in and get some cuddles too! She just loves her baby cousin and her Auntie.

shenanigans with the irwins (bowling, cousins, and a puppy!)

Posted on January 4, 2018 by tara

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we headed down to my in-laws’ place for some family time! Nella was so excited to play with baby Bryce! And seriously, the only thing cuter than one baby is two babies… so of course, I had to take a bunch of photos of them together!This really old pretend phone was the most popular toy for this crowd. Sharing can be hard when you have no idea what sharing actually is.Kaya is a really great helper with the babies! My girls really loved having time with their cousins.And I just had to throw this one in here because Bryce looks like he’s dancing, and Nella isn’t so sure about his moves. Haha.Kevin, Tori, and Jack flew in from Utah to spend a week in Virginia! These “big kids” loved having little picnics at the table every chance they got.Bryce and Jack had a milk-bottle chugging contest…I enjoyed some baby Bryce cuddles too! We were totally twinning in our stripes so there had to be photo evidence. He’s just so smiley and happy. I love this little guy!Nella had some Grandpa Skip cuddles! It was so fun to see them playing together on this trip.We also got to visit with their neighbors’ new puppy (which my in-laws have adopted as their “grandpuppy”)! His name is Scooter, and of course, my girls just loved him. They kept saying, “He’s so soft!” Michael, Kevin, Jeff, and Dad did some shooting and frisbee throwing. They dubbed their activities, “The Brolympics”. I’m not sure if anyone officially won, but they had so much fun, and I’m grateful that Michael could have quality time with both his brothers.

Later that evening, we went bowling! This was a first for my girls, and I have to say, I was really impressed with how well they did! Kaya completely surprised me by picking up and throwing the ball all on her own.
Kaelyn needed some more guidance, but she was so good at rolling it! Grandpa Skip taught Jack how it’s done…Go Mom!Tori held Nella for most of the evening! They were little buddies by the end of it. I’m glad Nella is such a laid-back baby.My score started out really great… and then quickly plummeted. I may have bowled the worst I ever have in my life, and I don’t have an explanation for it. I still had so much fun though!Michael is always good at sports!We were very much ready for sleep by the end of the day’s activities. We share a big room with all the girls when we stay at my in-laws’, so of course, I can’t resist taking pictures of them sleeping like little angels.

thanksgiving 2016

Posted on December 13, 2016 by tara

This was the first year ever that we didn’t travel for Thanksgiving. We felt like taking a long trip in the car would be pretty difficult with such a young baby, so we’d planned to enjoy the holiday at home. We had a restful day, but honestly, I did end up missing seeing all our relatives (and the hilarity that ensues when a whole lot of family gets together)! It just felt a little too quiet to be Thanksgiving!

In the morning, Michael went to play football with some guys from church, so we girls whipped up some pumpkin bread for breakfast and watched the Macy’s parade. I loved watching it as a child, and it was so much fun to see my girls enjoying it just as much as I always did. Kaya was completely obsessed with the Hello Kitty balloon, and Kaelyn cried when her favorite puppy balloon walked off screen. They both got excited when they saw Spongebob, since he’s Grandpa Skip’s favorite, and insisted that I take a picture and send it to him.

While the food cooked, we spent the afternoon making bead animals. They invited me to join in, and they were thrilled when I helped each of them create their own animal.Nella hung out with Daddy for a while…I had never cooked the traditional Thanksgiving meal before, so in the weeks leading up to the big day, I collected advice and counsel from anyone willing to talk to me about making a decent turkey. I ended up dry-brining the bird with salt and some of my favorite spices about three days ahead of time. Immediately before I put it in the oven, I shoved some lemon slices and a few chopped cloves of garlic into the body cavity, placed a few slices of butter under the skin, and brushed some melted butter over top of it.

The meat turned out so tender and flavorful, and it made a ton of gravy. Mmmm.

Michael carved it for us.We had garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and biscuits along with our turkey.Our table wasn’t set all fancy, and I pretty much had to bribe my kids to eat anything other than broccoli and rolls… but it was a delicious dinner with the people I love most.
I’ve got a couple of broccoli monsters over here. I can’t believe my kids beg for vegetables, but I’m not complaining!
For dessert, we had the traditional choco-mint freeze (made even easier this year because Kroger had peppermint ice cream)!Dessert makes everyone happy.And apparently, a little crazy.

potatoes and seagulls (thanksgiving with the Irwins)

Posted on December 8, 2015 by tara

We’re already almost two weeks past Thanksgiving, and here I am still writing about it! Blogging gets hard during the holidays… there’s so much to blog about, but so little time to actually write it all!

Anyway, the day after Thanksgiving, we headed down to Michael’s parents’ home for our second celebration involving turkey! 🙂

Jeff and Lelia came too! The boys got to work on their multitasking- peeling potatoes while making the goofiest faces possible. I think they pretty much nailed it.We had a delicious dinner… I’ll admit it, I can never resist eating an extra homemade roll (or two) on Thanksgiving.Dad was working some long hours for the outage, so we didn’t get to see him for too long, but it was enough time to goof off with his grandbabies. _MG_0076 Grandpa makes her giggle.Don’t worry, there were lots of calm cuddles from Grandma, too.The next morning (Saturday), we slept in (yes, you read that right… amazing), and headed over to the ferry to feed the seagulls. Kaya was so excited to ride on a boat.She loved throwing pieces of bread through the gate and would laugh and squeal when the birds caught them (especially if they plunged down into the water).My mom-in-law can get the birds to take the bread directly from her hand!After getting off the ferry, we thought we’d just turn around, get right back on, and head home… but the line was long, so we decided to try out one of the playgrounds in Jamestown instead. It was the biggest playground I’d ever been on… and probably the coolest.

I mean, any playground that has a boat to play in has to be ranked pretty high on the awesomeness scale.
We spent some time just enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

And the very coolest part of this park was the huge ZIPLINE! Kaya surprised us all and went on it twice!

A video posted by Tara (@tarairwin) on Nov 29, 2015 at 9:23am PST

After about 40 minutes or so, we headed back to the ferry. Kaelyn actually stayed awake for the ride home and loved looking at the birds for the first time.Simple outings like these oftentimes turn out to be my favorites. I love seeing the wonder and joy of the world through my children’s eyes.

spaghetti for thanksgiving dinner (2015)

Posted on December 3, 2015 by tara

On Wednesday afternoon, we headed out of town to visit my side of the family for Thanksgiving! You never know how your kids will do on long trips, but our girls did great with riding in the car for a few hours. We were the only ones staying at the house (my brother had already come and gone the day previous), so we basically took over every room with our luggage, blankets, pack and play, and assortment of other kid necessities.

I had an excellent 5-mile run on Thursday morning, and then ate a million pickles and olives while watching parts of the parade and waiting for the turkey to cook. Michael and Kaya (and her stuffed puppy, “Ruff”) enjoyed some back porch swinging instead of gorging themselves on sour, salty appetizers.
She’s so in love with “Ruff” lately and has been taking him almost everywhere, so he had to come on our Thanksgiving trip, of course. 🙂
And we actually took a picture of the two of us! I love this guy so much. My mom did all the cooking, and did an amazing job, as always. My dad carved the turkey, per tradition.There were (almost) 10 pounds of mashed potatoes in that bowl!

We really missed Karl this year, but he was enjoying some crab legs and prime rib with Kaitlyn at her dad’s house!

The gravy is my favorite part…

Kaya sat down to dinner with us, told us what she wanted on her plate, and then… decided it was nap time. Traveling is tiring for little kids.

Kaelyn went down for a nap even before my aunts arrived for dinner, and slept until the meal was already over and cleaned up.

I guess sleeping is more exciting than turkey. She didn’t even need to be trippin’ on tryptophan to nap the day away.

When she woke up, she had her first-ever Thanksgiving dinner (she was too little last year)! She seemed to like some of it, but mostly chewed on her spoon and made a mess. Kaya woke up hungry, but opted for leftover spaghetti over turkey. Auntie Joyce celebrated her 67th birthday on Thanksgiving, so we had a little party for her! This buttercream cake was too delicious. Of course, there were plenty of grandma cuddles and kisses. She also spoiled them with new jammies and a book. I have some lucky girls.

t-h-a-n-k-f-u-l

Posted on December 1, 2015 by tara

I saw this link-up last week, and I knew I definitely wanted to participate. I meant to have this posted on Thanksgiving… but the craziness of cleaning and packing for our mini-trip back to our parents’ homes took precedence over blogging.

“Better late than never” seems to be my motto these days, and because having an attitude of gratitude should continue all throughout the year (and hey, especially during the holiday season), I figured I’d publish this anyway.

T- Talents. I’ve been trying especially hard to use and improve my talents lately. I’m thankful that I can use my [albeit limited] skills to help others, whether it’s from using photography to preserve someone’s memories, making a blanket to donate, or uplifting someone with my writing.

H- Husband. Seriously… He keeps me on track, encourages me to always try harder and do better, and helps me in any way he can. I’m a lucky girl for sure.

A- Animals. Having guinea pigs again has been a lot of fun. Kaya even refers to them as “her piggies”, and told me last night, “Freyja is my friend”. I love that my girls love animals as much as I do.

N- Nap time. I am thankful that both my kids still nap, and at the same time. This is the only time I get to work on projects (or hey, sometimes take a nap too), so I definitely appreciate it.

K- Kids. My kids. It still sounds weird to say that word sometimes. I have kids… plural! When did that happen? In any case, I’m thankful for them and the unconditional love they show me, despite all my flaws as a parent. I live for their hugs, kisses, and smiles.

F- Funny things Kaya does. There are moments that her behavior makes me crazy… and then she spits out a crazy comment or performs some silly shenanigan, and it makes all her more difficult moments worth it. She’s still so young and is already such a comedian. I can’t wait to see what she’s got in store for us as she grows.

U- Unlimited storage for my memories (essentially). I’m grateful for technology, DSLRs, and computers that allow me to document everything important to me. I know that one day, I won’t remember everything, but I will always have my journal and blog.

L- Love. I’m so grateful that I can feel love, show love, and most importantly, know that my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. Having a testimony of their love makes an incredible difference in this sometimes-frightening world we live in.

thanksgiving 2014

Posted on December 9, 2014 by tara

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with my side of the family this year. It was the first time in a while that we didn’t run back and forth between both families’ homes, and while we definitely missed having more time with Michael’s family, it was nice to stay in one place. These goobers weren’t really interested in having their pictures taken… … but at least they humored me for a decent mommy-daughters photo.
This was the biggest dinner I think my parents have ever hosted. The picture doesn’t even show how long it really was, but there are two tables combined under those tablecloths!
My dad always always always carves the turkey.
Karl brought his girlfriend, Kaitlyn, who put up with all our shenanigans (and Karl’s loudness!) for the duration of the weekend.
Kaya only wanted to eat her utensils. I don’t think she even took a bite of her Thanksgiving dinner. She ended up having a yogurt, and if you know her very well, you’re probably laughing, because that’s what she eats every single day. Why have turkey when you can have the usual?
Kaelyn just enjoyed her toys.
My mom was the only person that could really hold her (and at times, even look at her), without making her upset. I think she was just sleep-deprived and a little unsure of all the chaos. I felt a little disappointed that my family didn’t even get to enjoy Kaelyn as the happy baby she always is!Kaya didn’t have any good naps, so she was a bit tired too.On Friday, we headed up to the temple with Michael’s family. It was the first time we’ve gone in over a year. It felt so amazing to just be there with my best friend and feel the quiet and peace the temple offers.
We had such a great weekend surrounded by our family.