Tamalada Fun ~

 I was invited to my first tamalada last night, and it was a blast!  I've always wanted to learn how to make tamales, and now I can say, I learned from one of the best!  I couldn't decide if I wanted to use beef or pork, so I brought both!

 I found both the meat recipes on allrecipes.com, and they were great!  We brought our own meat, and Jo Johnson provided the rest, and then we just paid her for supplies.  We sat around drinking wine, telling stories, laughing and enjoying delicious snacks.  It was similar to a quilting circle, only a little messier!  :)

 I kept busy and made 50 tamales...overall though, we made just over 400!  My freezer is stocked with yummy goodness and I cant wait to cook up my first batch when Justin and Jordyn get home.  They love tamales!

 We wore vintage aprons that have seen many a tamaladas, courtesy of Jo's mom...so that added to the fun of the tradition!  It was a great time, and I enjoyed hanging out with these amazing women!  Bon Appetit!

Thanksgiving Break in Arizona ~

 Jordyn and Daddy headed out to Arizona for Thanksgiving break to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bruen.  Here are some pictures Jordyn took of their adventures...

 They went to a really cool gem store, that had all kinds of fancy and pricey items for sale...

 They also enjoyed this delicious buffet complete with all kinds of yummy food choices...

 Jordyn loved all the different kinds of cactus and plants...but their favorite spot was the pecan farm they found, where they gathered up a giant box full of pecans.

Looks like they had a great time...meanwhile, I enjoyed relaxing at home with the house all to myself...a  much needed break for all of us!

Happy Thanksgiving ~

 We spent Turkey day at Aunt Gwens house.  It's been a rough year for our family, so spending time together was much needed.

 Greg said grace and mentioned our difficult losses this year, which was sad, but also a reminder of how important it is to take time with family and good friends.  We need each other a lot right now, so this dinner together was healing for all of us.

The kids had fun running all around and playing outside...the weather was unusually gorgeous, and we all took advantage of it!  After dinner I had to drive Jordyn and Justin to the airport to fly to Arizona to visit Frank and Pat.  We got stuck in nightmare traffic due to an accident, and so I was flying on Pena Blvd doing 90 trying to get them there in time.  We barely made it, but they got on their plane with about 5 minutes to spare!  whew! Safe Travels you two!

Appreciation ~

Look what I received today....after 11 years of service to our fire department as an EMT!  It was a fun ride, but I'm happy to be retired!

May The Force Be With You ~

 Our troop went to the Denver Art Museum today to check out the Star Wars Costume exhibit...and it was AWESOME!  They had costumes and props from all of the Star Wars movies, and the displays were incredible.

Justin decided to come along with us too...his first time at the Denver Art Museum!

 There were a lot of original sketches and storyboards, and each piece was beautiful.

I thought this costume of a female Tusken Raider was cool!

 And of course, the ever famous slave costume of Leias...wow, was that thing tiny!

 This was Jordyns favorite costume in the exhibit, and it really was quite lovely in person, but Jordyn had several favorites, and most of them were Queen Amidala outfits.

 After the Star Wars exhibit, we went to lunch at Pint's Pub.

Gwen and Christy joined us for the exhibit, which was great...and naturally they couldn't pass up the vinegar and chips at Pints Pub.

 Then we headed back to the museum to check out more art.  This exhibit was popular with the girls...

 we also checked out The Glory of Venice exhibit...which was also beautifully decorated.

 The girls got to play around in the design room and create some costumes...they really liked this part of the museum.

 Then we went over to the old building, and with very little time left, we did a quick jaunt on each floor to see as much as we could.  There was another hands on project there, which the girls enjoyed...and then it was time to head home.

 What a great time we had at the museum...I look forward to our next adventure!