Annual Picture Time With Grandkids

Every year Christi and I take the Grandkids which to this point is Gracie and Tyler to have our pictures taken together and then out to eat and then back to our home to decorate the Christmas tree.

Well here is a few pictures of us with our spiffy outfits on and ready to have fun at the photo studio.

                    

Here is the picture we chose.  We think it turned out very nice again this year.  We have been doing this since Tyler was about 2 years old.  They are growing up so fast.

                             

Next we were off to eat at our favorite spot we go every year with the Grandkids.  We go to “Steak & Shake”.  Tyler usually gets the same thing each year, Chili and fries.  Gracie usually gets some sort of chicken and of course we have to get  delicious shakes for everyone.

Now that we are back home it’s time to put on our play clothes and decorate the Christmas tree.  We purchased a new one this year so it was extra exciting to get it all put together and hang everything on it.  Here are some pictures we took having fun together.

As you can tell, Tyler is a Michigan State fan and Grandpa is a Michigan fan.

                     

            

              

After we have the tree put up and decorated it’s time to play a board game.

                                                Once again Grandpa does not win the game.

 

This year Gracie was the winner.

We just had a great time together and we all came out winners.  We look forward to doing this for many years to come, with hopes of our grandchildren numbers growing in the future.  Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

                                               Dale & Christi

Thanksgiving (Better Late Than Never)

I have finally found time to sit down behind my computer, to write and post pictures about Thanksgiving with Christmas less then two weeks away.

It was an exciting Thanksgiving this year as this was our first time in our new residence and everyone of our family was able to be here.  As has been the last few years a tradition that I started, and my wife wishes would continue for some more occasions.  On Thanksgiving I do all the cooking and cleanup afterwards and she gets a well deserved day off.  Well if I am going to get cooking I need to get serious about this and get my cooks apron on and get started.  This year we decided to try one of those organic turkeys from Harvest Health.  You order it a few weeks ahead and then pick it up the Monday of the week of Thanksgiving.  The bird is fresh.  I noticed it was much cleaner inside and out than the frozen ones we have purchased in the past.  It weighed in at just over 19 pounds so one of the bigger birds we have done also.  As you can see it overflowed the pan.

I love to try new recipes and so this year was no exception.  We get a magazine called “Taste Of Home” and so I like to try ones from there.  There was one for a turkey rub that you put on the inside and outside of the bird and then every 30 minutes you baste the bird with the juices in the pan.  It is ready to go into the oven.

                                 

This is the turkey looking good and almost ready to come out and be carved.

                                  

I also made some dinner rolls that were a new recipe also and were very easy to make and tasted delicious.

I also made homemade stuffing that had dark and white bread in it, and it also had sausage in it also.  It tasted very good, but was a lot of work so not sure will do that same recipe again. 

Christi did some work for the occasion.  She made very cute napkin holders and place setting cards for where were everyone would sit.

The next picture shows how you pull out a little piece of paper from your name tag and we each wrote 5 things we were thankful for and then went around the table reading your own things you wrote down.  Even Tyler and Gracie did it.

The table is set and just need to sit ourselves down and enjoy what the Lord has blessed us with this year.  Gracie even had a cute hair piece for the occasion.