Our First Turkey Day...

By ourselves, anyway. This is the first time in over a decade that I haven't been near extended family for Thanksgiving. Weird. So we decided to try some different things. I believe this is the first ever Turkey Bowl that I have attended with Joe in the history of our relationship. (I don't even remember him going to one, but he thinks he has). Anyway, it was so much FUN! Joe played with the other members of the ward Elder's Quorum while I cheered him on from the side lines. I must be getting old not to want to play, but I seriously didn't. While we didn't have snow out here, the ground was saturated with moisture from a rainy week and a misty morning. Seriously, like walking on a sponge, so I was content to chat and cheer. Only two other wives showed up, but we had a great time! I sure do LOVE the women in my ward. SWEETHEARTS. Like we've been friends forever. The game was over all too soon (too many wet, sweaty guys complaining they were tired after only 2 hours of playing) and we headed home for a much needed nap.

By the time I woke up (late afternoon) I decided it was too late to begin any serious cooking. I figured I'd let this first holiday slip away into oblivion as if it were just another day. But by 4p I changed my mind. Joe wouldn't have cared, but I didn't want our first Thanksgiving in Maryland to be a dud. So this was my evening...

410p Run to store for much needed dinner supplies
430p Set yeast to raise
445p Turkey into the roaster
450p Finish off homemade bread dough and leave to raise; pull out frozen pie shell to thaw
6p Check Turkey (burned my nasal cavatiy by inhaling a ball of steam... leave it to me to find the stupidest way to hurt myself while cooking)
610p Dough raised 2hrs early... I think my kitchen was REALLY warm, so tore it into sections and readied for baking; Joe started on potatoes
630p Rotated bread in oven and began making pumpkin pie
650p Set Joe to drain and mash potatoes while I tended to the homemade bread
7p Turky finished (gotta LOVE roasting ovens); finished up potatoes and served up Turkey dinner; slipped pumpkin pie into oven
8p Pie finally finished, removed and let stand

And by that time I couldn't believe it! We had actually pulled off a Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade bread and pumpkin pie! It was fun and we laughed our way through the hectic kitchen schedule (except for when I cried after inhaling all that steam... I don't recommend trying it). I am grateful for a husband who supports all my hair-brained schemes. Though we didn't get a single picture, it will always be a Thanksgiving worth remembering!

Thankful for Tough Love

I was on a publisher's blog that I like to follow when I found this interesting post. The basic idea (which she puts more eloquently), is that in giving thanks we should be aware of the challenges that make us grow in addition to the blessings we enjoy. I liked it. And so I've decided to give it a go... I'm thankful for hardship, anxiety and stress that make me reach to be a stronger person. I am grateful for self doubt that helps me strive to grow into something more than I am now. I am thankful for fear that keeps me aware and on my toes and also teaches me to trust in my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for those who have "hated" me because it forced me to walk on my own (look ma, no training wheels!). They also pushed me to redefine my perceptions of friendship and family, leading me to discover the place where I belong. I am thankful that so many things fell apart for a while there because it forced Joe and I to evaluate our situation and make some difficult and scary choices. We would never have ended up happy in Maryland with out a long string of unfortunate events. I am grateful for traumatic events that offer greater insight and discovery into the human experience. We would never change if we were never challenged. I am thankful for nightmares that lead to deep discussions between Joe and I, and also become the catalyst into some of my most entertaining writing. I am grateful for my little Josser who is teaching me patience, self sacrafice, and service. It's not easy being the mom to someone who doesn't speak your language, except for the one whine that he uses, sometimes for hours! I am grateful that I haven't been able to have children because the experience has made me hypersensitive to others feelings and situations. I am thankful for all the struggles, trials, hardships, and misery that I have experienced for making this life of mine unique and for giving me the opportunity to choose to be more than I was yesterday. I haven't always made the right choices. I haven't always enjoyed misfortune (and not that I'm starting now). But I am grateful that my Heavenly Father allows me to fall in order to learn.

In addition to the difficult times, I am thankful for the blessings in my life. My husband (who is my number one fan) for being able to uplift and console all of my different personalities. The man is a SAINT! For my family who I miss deeply. I took you for granted when I was close and miss you deeply now that I'm gone. I appreciate being able to cry with you, yell with you, and have fun with you. And it doesn't matter who I am, you will always love me. I've missed you! I am grateful for my friends who influence me everyday. I am amazed when I reflect upon my varying friendships. You are awesome!!! And I am blessed by your examples (even when you don't think I'm watching... I am a crazy stalker like that). Even those who I haven't seen for years, please know that your imprints are still felt on my heart. All of you have shaped me into who I am and will continue to influence me throughout my life. I am thankful for a Heavenly Father who sticks around even when I don't. I am humbled by His willingness to bless, even when I don't feel worthy. I am SO very grateful for our new ward members. They have accepted us and enfolded us in the arms of their love. It has been a true blessing to enter a foreign state and almost immediately find the comfort of new friends. They have made this transition easier to bear.

Know that I love, my dear friends and family. I am sad I am not closer during this holiday season. Thanksgiving has always been a family holiday to me. This will be the first time in over a decade that I will not be around for the Porter Thanksgiving. So this year, I'll be grateful that I am with my husband and for the opportunity to create a new family tradition.

Love you! And have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

P.S. I was lazy this morning and didn't spell check, so don't mind the errors. Anyone know where spell check is in the new posting editor? I can't seem to find it.

Grandma Belle

This is my father's mother, Grandma Belle Smith. (I think her name very much suits her.) My Aunt Susan sent it to me to hang on my wall. I am SO happy she was thinking of me. I LOVE this photo!!! I am so grateful for family and for the way we are connected through out time and space. No matter how far away you are, I love you and know that you still love me. I can even feel my Grandpa Travers (Bell's husband) who died before I was born. I don't think I ever recognized him until I was married (he was with us in the temple), but I know he's been looking out for me ever since. I love you, Grandpa. I love you, Grandma. And I love you, Susan. Thanks for sharing the family photos with me. I'll treasure them always!

Just Humor the Crazy Lady

In answer to all the weird looks and ?? I've been getting. Yes! I'm serious about collecting your family photos. We don't have any rugrats to dress up and plaster all over our walls and after 8 years I'm a little tired of looking at Joe and I.

Really, I consider all of you my family and I want to hang pictures of the family I love in my house. If you are wondering if I want a picture of YOU (because you might be thinking she wants everyone else but me), I DO! I want a pic of Y-O-U!

I know, I know... I'm weird. But if you know me (and you do) I always have been! Weird... that is.


P.S. I have a 2nd job interview next Wednesday! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I need you... like the flower needs the rain

Oh my dear friends! How I miss you! I know I try to put on a brave face and act all tough, but I'm am total mush inside. While I LOVE it here in Maryland (because I absolutely do) I miss you all beyond belief. Because of the pain in my little heart I've decided to use a wall in our apartment to capture our entire "family" of friends. If you think about it (and please do), would you send me a picture of your family for my wall? You can send me a physical photo to my address or email me one at debbie@burnsfam.org. Then I can print it off, frame it, and hang it on my wall. If you are reading this, SEND ME A FAMILY PHOTO. It can be funny, serious, candid, whatever. I would just love to be able to look over to my wall and see everyone I love. Maybe I'll even call it my "Wall of Love." Okay, that sounds weird. Maybe not. Doesn't matter... just send me the photo!

When did Joe become a cheerleader?

I don't know. I think it's been happening gradually, culminating in a display of acrobatics and too-cheerful good mornings when he woke me up just minutes ago. Really. Way too chipper to be my normal husband. With my head screaming at me like a bad hangover, his howdy-doody hellos left me numb, except for the desire to slap the smile off his face and out the door. I told him so and he happily blocked my only free arm from its goal. Oh well. I didn't have the energy for a good swing anyway. I just hope the aliens come back and replace the cheerleader in my bed with my real husband. Otherwise I may be collecting life insurance sooner than expected. And by the way, good morning.

Halloween in D.C.

Saturday we had the chance to visit Washington D.C. with some new friends from our ward. It was a blast! They showed us the ropes of downtown site seeing. We rode the metro to town, which was awesome! I love that it's easy and there's no traffic. When we arrived I saw all these signs for "the mall." Imagine my surprise when the mall turned out to be this huge stretch of land from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument.

This is a pic of Joe with Annie & Matt (our guides and life savers!) on the mall. Annie even packed us water and lunch for the day (with some killer homemade bread). She knew we were total tourists! I'm so grateful to her foresight. It made the trip super cheap and loads of fun!

Our first (& major) stop of the day was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Joe was a kid in a candy store! There were a ton of great exhibits. I think the Wright Brothers were crazy! But thanks to them and the forward thinkers following, we have the technology we do today. We also enjoyed the many war exhibits dedicated to those who have fought for our country. Fascinating! (More than I thought it would be!)

The Air and Space museum took up most of the day. It's nice when you know you can come back anytime. We weren't rushed to pack in a million museums at once. So after the fabulous lunch (care of Annie) we decided to head over to the archives for a glimpse of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

This is Joe infront of the Archives building.

The only other picture I took inside (as "no flash" meant really horrible pictures) was a wall plaque of the Rosa Parks arrest paperwork and a diagram that was used in her hearing. I actually had never heard of Rosa Parks until I met Katie Armga Larsen. Thanks girl, for setting me straight on some important U.S. History!

We decided to end the day with a quick visit to the White House. On the way we found this cute little nook in the EPA building. I couldn't pass it up!

Finally! Our last stop of the day. Our feet were so tired!

We look forward to MANY more trips to D.C. It is awesome and a little sureal having our nation's capital so close. Next time Joe promised a whole day at the Art Gallery because I was such a good girl at the Air and Space Museum. Woot!

The only thing missing that day were all the costumes. I didn't see a single trick o' treater until on our way home. All in all, it was happy Halloween!

ELLIE is BACK!

I am SO excited to announce that ELLIE is back! Thank you for hanging in there, loyal fans. And thank you for your encouragement and prodding. I've re-written chapters 1-2 and then added chapter 3. I have other chapters written, but I need another day to make sure it all makes sense. Feel free to head over to ELLIE and leave some feedback. I understand it's been so long you may not remember the oringinal ending. No worries. Just let me know what you think of the current stuff. I realize chapter 3 is short, but I promise you won't want to miss chapter 4! It's my fav so far!!!

Sister Hazel Night!

One of the great things about being back east is access to all the fun stuff! Even before we knew we were moving here Joe bought tickets for a Sister Hazel concert (his favorite band). They usually only play in smaller venues, so they've never come to Salt Lake. Needless to say, Joe was STOKED! So on October 23 we headed to downtown Baltimore for another little adventure. I was glad we had already been there once for the Raven's game. We were able to park in the same parking lot, which spared us a lot of stress and yelling at each other, hehe. We spent a little time around Inner Harbor seeing a few sites. Joe said no to bringing my camera so I stole his iphone and forced him to take a couple of pictures. (He later made the comment that we should have taken MORE pics... see! Sometimes I actually know what I am doing!) Anyway, after HOURS of pre-band openers, we finally got to see Sister Hazel. It was awesome! And well worth the wait. Can't wait for the next opportunity!!!

P.S. We even got to see a high speed car chase through the city! Some car came screeching around the corner and full on hit a construction sign (the kind with the lights that make an arrow). He sped away. Seconds later sirens went screaming through the same area after him. It was awesome! I wanted to stay and watch but Joe was worried we might get shot so we left. Everyone here confirms Joe made the right call, so I guess I'll give it to him. (But I still think it would have been fun to witness all the excitement up close!)