Thanksgiving Feast!

We really had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day this year. At first I was a little sad because we had decided not to travel because I'm pregnant. Also, we didn't think we'd have enough time. We always love a nice Thanksgiving in Page, AZ with the Gustavesons. We really miss them too! But before we could blink our eyes, plans started brewing. First my parents accepted our invitation to come to our house. Then, I started thinking: What kind of a Thanksgiving would it be without a lot of people (related or non-related) to help you eat all the food! So, Brett and I started invited little families from our ward that were also staying at home for Thanksgiving. We had a complete and pure BLAST!
Here's a view of the tables all set up for dinner.
I even decorated the piano.
Here is an aerial shot. I was very excited to have a reason to decorate...you know, really spruce things up.
So our guest list consisted of: My parents--The Mings, The Stentzels, The Lewis's, and The Ashbys. Above is a picture of the gorgeous turkey that Cindy made. Here is a list of our food agenda (I'm putting this in simply because it was SO engrossingly delectable):

Gus: sweet potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin spice cake, and fruit salad.
Mings: Ham, and homemade cranberry sauce (my dad made it from scratch with fresh orange zest--I couldn't stop sniffing it because it smelled so good.)
Lewis: THE TURKEY, gravy, and pecan pie
Stentzel: homemade rolls (a huge hit), fresh fall spinach salad, and mashed potatoes
Ashbys: dressing and pumpkin pie (courtesy of Sara Lee because it was buy 2 pies get a free bag of rolls and she had a 50 cents of Sara Lee pie coupon which I'm sure she either doubled or tripled.)
If you break it down we had 8 children( doesn't the kid table look like fun?!)
9 adults (isn't this a cute picture of the Stentzels)
And 2 absolutely astounding grandparents who volunteered to eat near the children's table and preside as chaperons. It doesn't get much more thankful than this, folks. Thanks everybody!!

Our trip to Las Vegas

Brett and I were so fortunate to have a little get-away-to Las Vegas last week! While we were there we got to attend our friend Emma Whipple's baptism, participate in our friend Luke Whipple's baby blessing, have a girls night out, go to breakfast with the Chesniks, and get reacquainted with our friends. It was a special time and also it was a lot of fun!
Here is Emma all dressed in her customary, yet very elegant baptism dress. We were very honored to be Emma's guests that day and attend her baptism. She is a great example to us!
I would have to say that the funniest thing that Emma said during our visit was her reply when I asked her if she wanted me to french braid her hair. When I asked her she said, "No, that's okay." Then later she told her mother--Leah, "Kasia said she would french braid my hair, but I said no. I don't want to look like a polygamist." That one still makes me laugh out loud. We love YOU Emma!
Here's Luke all ready for his big day. Poor kid. He had to wear a sweater suit when it was 80 degrees outside. That's okay because he looked adorable.
This is his brother, Jake, giving him a *good luck kiss*. What a good brother.
Jake and I became great buddies during our visit. I miss you Jake! I loved playing Zingo and Trick(lick)-a-ma-stick and with you. I can't wait until we can play together again.
These landmark occasions are always accompanied with FABULOUS FOOD. Great job on the food, Leah. I mean, COME ON--check out this hunk of beef.
(I was talking about the meat--not Kaid). I was just so amazed by this massive roast that I made Kaid pose for a picture. Wow! It really doesn't get any better than this. Thanks Las Vegas for great memories! We love you!

MY BOYS

5 Reasons I Love My BOYS:

5. They LOVE to play Mario Kart!

4. They kill renegade SPIDERS that have ventured into the house that I am too terrified to extinguish.

3. They help me do the laundry--Brett folds and Wilson brings the baskets down from upstairs and helps me sort the clothes.

2. They pretty much eat whatever I cook for them and then they PRAISE me on such a great meal!

1. They give me the BEST hugs and kisses EVER as I send them off to school/work.
Of course there are many reasons why I love MY BOYS--which is good because...we found out we are having another BOY!! And boy are we excited!
Well, most of us are very excited. Maisy was present when we had our ultrasound. When the technician announced that it was indeed a boy, Maisy burst into tears. "I wanted a GIRL!" she cried. The whole drive home she just kept saying, "I wanted a girl, but the doctor says it's a boy!" I think it's starting to sink in a little for her. It's okay Maisy. I understand. We will be out numbered now, but we are strong women and WOMAN POWER will prevail! Just ask Daddy.

The blogger is back

Hello Everyone! I'm back from Las Vegas and completely ready to take back my reign. Sorry it's been so long. I had an AWESOME time in Las Vegas and there will be more to come about that. I thought I would post some Halloween pictures that are long over due.
Wilson wanted to be a MELISSA CARDINAL this year. So I glued feathers on a red sweatshirt for a week and then we had remnants of red feathers around the house for a week. But it turned out very cute and very fluffy. His bird feet were the most popular part of his costume.
Maisy wanted to be PRINCESS PRESTO from the new PBS show Superwhy. It took me days to figure out what she was telling me she wanted to be. It always sounded like, "I want to be Princess Pretzel." I was thinking--Who the heck is Princess Pretzel? Fortunately for her, we finally figured it out.
Here is Maisy with her friend Abby. Abby and her family joined us in our festivities on Halloween. She was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I'm so glad they came with us because we had a great time.
Our evening started out in Downtown McKinney. The shops all stay open and hand out candy. They also have hay rides, food, etc. It was mostly fun to see all the different costumes. After that we went to a hamburger joint called Culver's and got some dinner. They were selling their hamburgers for $1. So we splurged and got a shake also. Then we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and had a total blast. The kids were so cute! There was even one house that gave out whole candy bars and little cans of playdough. As you can see we were pretty tired out by then, so we didn't quite make it to Trunk-or-Treat at the church.
Overall, I would have to say that this was one of the best Halloweens we've ever had. (Not to mention all the great goodies we got!)

The Jack-O-Lanterns picture is courtesy of Brett's brother Brian. Isn't it just the coolest picture you've ever seen? Great photography, Brian! And great artistic details on the pumpkins too! Love the black cat.

The Blogger is Away

Have you been missing your Gustaveson update? Kasia is currently on a business trip to Las Vegas, and will return a little later this week. Expect some great posts then. Until then, here are some classic Gustaveson moments to keep you busy: P.S. When the blogger is away, the assistant will play . . .




Maisy has always been a dancer of the highest caliber, thanks to expert training.


Stay tuned for more classic moments, brought to you by the blogging assistant . . .