To brine or not to brine...

In one corner....
we have an organic, vegetarian fed, free range turkey soaking in Williams Sonoma brine.
In the other corner, the old stand-by Butterball, infused with all sorts of artificial who-knows-what.
No brine, just waiting to be cooked.
Hmmm, ten bucks says the Butterball tastes better.
My sous chef, Evelyn was concerned that the sheer weight of the pot, brine, and turkey might break the refrigerator shelf. So far it's holding. If we hear a crash in the middle of the night we'll know what's happened.
I sure do love my enormous, shiny Circulon stock pot, though. Thanks, Glynn!

Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Prince Henry the Navigator

Home school.....
at the dining room table......
with your best friend from across the street.......
Life is good.

Photo shoot

I took the girls out the other day to take a picture for our Christmas card which we will have made by Perceive Design. I think we got one shot that we like after taking about 450, but I won't post that one until after I send out my cards. We took a few serious, "pouty" poses, too just for fun. I love you, my sweet girlies!

Lala and Lisey

Old friends are the best friends. One could hardly call these two old, but in their lifetime they've been friends for almost as long as they can remember. They are what I call "kindred spirits." When they were younger, they were truly inseparable. You almost never saw one without the other. They would think alike, finish one another's sentences, and laugh uproariously for no apparent reason to the outside world. They had a language all their own and their friendship was a delight to observe.

Alas, as they say, "seasons change" and they don't see one another nearly as often these days. However, Lauren surprised Elise for her birthday and took her to the Kennedy Center for a National Symphony Orchestra performance of the Music of John Williams, one of Elise's favorite contemporary composers. She knows virtually every note of every song he's written and she and Lauren share a love of his music. She said the concert was amazing!

Happy Birthday, Reid

Today Reid is 21 years old. For those of you who know him, you recognize these hands of a gentle, yet strong and powerful young man. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, let me introduce him to you. Reid was born at 23 weeks of gestation to our dear friends, Drew and Diane. His tiny body suffered from a brain bleed when he was just 6 weeks old and he developed cerebral palsy. I knew his parents long before he was born and admired them more than they knew, simply because of their love for Jesus and for one another. However, my admiration for them only grew as I watched them, in faith, embrace the trials they walked through after Reid's birth. His sisters are among the most compassionate and joyful young ladies I know. I can't adequately express the gratitude I have for all that I have learned from this sweet family. The testimony of God's faithfulness in their lives has been a source of strength to me during some very dark hours in my life. How does one say thank you for that? Several weeks ago I felt compelled, almost "called", to photograph Reid. My hope is that they, and those of you who read this blog, would be blessed by these pictures of this young man and be reminded of the scripture from 1 Corninthians 1:27 "God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.....Let one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
You can read more about Reid here

and here.



Happy Birthday, young man. You are one of my heroes.

With much love,

"Mays"

My best friend

Grateful beyond words for him.

: photo credit - Elise :

Does this ever happen at your dinner table?

It's not too often anymore that all 5 of us are home for dinner. Believe me, I try very hard to make this a priority. Since it was Ev's birthday we were all together to celebrate. What ends up happening, however, with 4 females around the table is complete chaos and laughter, primarily due to Janelle's antics.

Don't ask me - I don't have any idea why she ended up like this...

As the dinner conversation progresses (or regresses, depending on your point of view) inevitably the girls start speaking in movie lines. This is a common phenomenon in our home and it drives their dad nuts. "Can't you come up with an original thought? Does everything you say have to come from a movie?" Here Elise and Janelle are quoting Ox from "While You Were Sleeping":

"You fell in love with me?"

Nice happy photo....

that quickly.....

falls apart....

On to the presents!


(Yes, Elise your hair looks fine.)

Thanks to Scot and Beth R., my children believe the only proper way to sing Happy Birthday is very loudly and off key. Thanks, friends.
My gentle daughters ready to devour Evelyn's dessert. Ya, welcome to my world.
(note: Christoph is still singing.)

"A joyful heart is good medicine." Prov. 17:22

Happy Birthday, Evelyn

My littlest one turned eight on Thursday. We invited her buddies Abby and Abby to join us at the Baltimore Aquarium for the day to celebrate.
(It's Nemo in an anemone!)









A much needed chocolate milk break before the Dolphin Show.



Happy Birthday, Em!