Thanksgiving "Highlights" and Happy Birthday to Baby E!

This weekend we went to visit my family for Thanksgiving several hours away. During the mad food-prep rush, I sent Davis to pick up a forgotten ingredient. On the way to the grocery store, his car died. That's right - d i e d. We spent the day after Thanksgiving getting his car towed to a repair shop only to find out the tranmission was blown. His car was old enough that it didn't make sense to sink any money into it so we had to buy a new car! Needless to say, the timing of this major purchase was less than ideal. However, we are grateful that God provided us with the exact car Davis wanted at a great price. Ironically, the tranmission place where his car was towed (note the cross on the building!) was just two blocks from the dealer where he found his new car.

This Thanksgiving also marked a first in my family. Each year, my mom puts a whole potato into the opening of the turkey. This is supposed to seal in the juices and make for good stuffing. Every Thanksgiving, she carves a letter into the potato. It's often our last initial or my grandparents' last initial. This year, Baby E and Little Miss J were honored by making it onto the Thanksgiving Turkey Potato. Lucky Ladies! Given that their soon-to-be mom is a vegetarian, this is pretty funny. It was so sweet of Grandma to think of the girls and honor them at the Thanksgiving table.

Finally, today is Baby E's FIRST BIRTHDAY! This has been a bit harder for me than I anticipated. Missing your child's first birthday is a bummer because that only happens once in a lifetime. However, I know we are preparing a beautiful place for her and will welcome her home with open arms very soon. Today a neighbor on our street turned 90. All of the neighbors put balloons out in front of their houses to celebrate this special man. Little did they know, they were celebrating Baby E too! In her honor, I made some yummy double ginger and lemon glaze cupcakes that we shared with friends and neighbors. They were quite good (I know this because I ate three of them - oops). We also made a fun Happy Birthday video that we will show her someday when she is old enough to appreciate how dorky we look singing to a camera in our empty dining room! Happy Birthday, Baby E! Mommy and Daddy love you and are coming to get you soon, little girl! Don't grow up until we get there, ok?

(A few of you have asked why we don't call the girls by name or post pics on our blog. We actually aren't allowed to do this - yet. Once they become legally ours, we will be able to share a lot more with you!)