This week hasn't been too eventful due to sickness in the house. Brian got sick at the beginning of the week and then passed it to Vaughn. I was able to stay away from it until just this morning when I woke up with a sore throat and a little dizziness. We did however go out to a movie on Friday night as a family. We went to a local dollar theater and watched Superman Returns. We thought it was okay for the most part. Vaughn got fussy during the movie so we took turns holding him at the back of the theater. There were some little kids that kept going in and out of the theater, and every time they walked by Vaughn he would shriek with delight. I think he thought the kids were playing a game with him. What a cute little kid!!!! (Above picture: Vaughn's head is so big that his shirts get stuck when we try to take them off!)

We did have a double-date night on Saturday with Brian's sister Amy and her husband Brenden. We went to a local restaurant called Bajios. It was really great Mexican food. We had a great time with Amy and Brenden eating, and then playing games back at our house. We played a 1970's board game version of the Family Feud which was so fun! I think we won because of sheer luck! Then we played Taboo, which was also a lot of fun. We should get some more games because I think most of our games are little kids games! Anyway, thanks for the fun Amy and Brenden!

Speaking of Amy, this is the Amy that is my oh-so-fun bottling companion. She said it would be fun to buy some cheap turkeys when they come on sale during Thanksgiving, and then bottle the turkey meat. We were both excited about the idea, but neither of us had a pressure canner, so we were going to have to borrow one from somebody.....UNTIL NOW! A few weeks ago I stopped at a garage sale on a whim, and found what I thought was a pressure canner. I bought it for $10 and then showed it to our neighbor, who was pretty sure it was a pressure canner. But just to make extra sure, I took it to a local fix-it shop, and they said it was the real thing. They also tested it out for free and told me that although it's an older model, it works just fine! I was so excited! So I called Amy the other day to tell her and she and I made plans for our next bottling adventure. The great thing about bottling meat is that when you need a quick meal you don't have to cook the meat. You can also substitute turkey for most chicken dishes. The other day Amy made a Mexican-type casserole and used bottled turkey meat instead of chicken and you couldn't taste the difference. And the dish was great! So I'm excited for our next bottling project!

We have been trying to get Vaughn used to brushing his teeth at night. He hasn't ever really liked getting his teeth brushed. But in the last few nights he's started grabbing the brush from me, and he won't let me even touch it! He has to be the one to hold the toothbrush. Then he puts it in his mouth and wiggles it back and forth. He's not brushing his teeth of course, but he's making the effort, and it is so cute! Then when I have to take it from him and actually brush his teeth he gets mad and screams. Brian usually holds Vaughn, and I am the one who does the dirty work. After we get his teeth cleaned Vaughn lets out a few more screams just to let us know how unhappy he is, and then I give him back the toothbrush, and he's as happy as can be! We wouldn't trade these experiences for anything!

We love you all! Love, Lisa