Disney, Disney, Disney

Has anyone ever experience too much Disney? Don't get me wrong; I had a blast. The best part was seeing Gabe's pure joy at each adventure. If I never experienced sensory overload before...this was it. I, like Gabe, needed an afternoon rest...not for the sleep, but the peace and quiet. Which type are you...action vacation or relax vacation? I have determined after 29 years of my existence that I am a relaxed vacation person, but Gabe and Brad bring out the adventure side of me...at least to take pictures. I love the foreshadowing of this picture above. Notice Brad's slightly tense grip of the car, and Gabe's carefree enthusiasm to get moving! In the spirit of simplicity, I won't post every singe Disney photo I love, but e-mail me if you want to see the rest...

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A chandelier for my entry!


found here .

Yum!

We were so sick of turkey and dressing, that I fixed a huge pile of vegetables for dinner last night. This was a wonderful autumn recipe (click here for recipe), and I am now a fan of parsnips (never had them or cooked them before.) Where have I been? Parsnips are delicious!

This is a recipe I will keep around. It came from Food&Wine magazine, which my brother and sister-in law gave us for Christmas last year. Every recipe I have made from Food&Wine has turned out well. I am not a huge fan of new recipes and tend to stick to the old tried and true ones (Better Homes and River Roads are my ultimate go to's--can you get more traditional than that?). I made it minus the butternut squash and pecans, just because I didn't have them around, but I bet it would make it even better. If you try it, watch the cooking time...mine would have burned if I wasn't waiting by the oven salivating at the wonderful smell!

Gabe with Santa last year:

Gabe with the same Santa this year:


He's not wailing, but he is still not sure about the whole scenario. Of course, this isn't his official Santa picture. I just thought this expression was funny. We have a smiling one on our mantle.


This is Brad with Gabe this year:



And Brad with Gabe last year:

He is always happy when his papa is near!

BTW, Brad voted for the football sweater vs. the precious Christmas outfit I had for him. I guess the Thanksgiving outfit did him in.