A Thanksgiving filled with so many blessings...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  20 months and 21 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday afternoon to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is preparing to run 10 miles

"Guess who's going back to a bowl, daddy?
BIG ORANGE!!!!!"

and the Striker is with the munchkin at BJ's.  Another terrific week in the books, so let's get amongst it, shall we?

Special K doing what she does best:
stealing toys from the neighbor's garage.

This past week was Thanksgiving, and Team Taylor made the one hour drive down to South Carolina for the big day, spending Thursday and Friday with JT's folks.  As always, the food was INCREDIBLE, and I ate like a king.  I really make out like a bandit at the Tacy's, because neither of them eat enough to keep a bird alive - yet they cook enough to feed the Red Army.  BONUS, BABY!!!!

K of course LOVED her time with Nanny and Grandpa (as evidenced by the 185 decibel screaming session JT and I lived through as we left their house Saturday morning), and I'm happy to report that

"Let's go to Nanny and Grandpa's, mommy!"

she ate like a champ:  turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, croissants, ribs, barbecue, and even chicken wings!  The wings were of course a bit spicy, as evidenced by K's standard practice of trying to pull her taste buds off her tongue whenever we give her something with a little too much kick (picture trying to pull a hair off your tongue - it looks like that :-)).  She didn't sleep great the first night (and didn't nap at ALL on the Friday except for a bit in the stroller), but she was a champ throughout and had a blast running around the house - most of the time with a Santa hat on that COMPLETELY blocked her vision.  The highlight was when she crashed into the couch full speed and then bounced off it - cackling the whole time.  It's amazing to see how quickly she runs and how much stronger she's become while climbing now - that kid can pretty much pull herself onto any couch she sees.  Uh-oh... :-)

"My seat, Grandpa!!!"

Her favorite activity (ready for our "Parents of the Year" moment?) was walking up to the sewage pipe cap in their yard, cackling hysterically while looking at it, and then falling backwards into their grass - rinse/repeat this for about 30 minutes.  NOT JOKING.  It was too funny to watch - no idea what she found so amazing!

Saturday was a day of college football - Rivalry Saturday - and I will confess that I was somewhat of an absentee parent during the afternoon slate of games.  In my defense we still ran around the house, still played with balls, still fed our daughter, and still read to her constantly.  It's just that all the while I had an eye on the telly.  Yes, I will confess that I harbored some guilt about that.  But hey, THE VOLS WERE TRYING TO GET BACK INTO A BOWL!  I mean, that had to count for something. :-)

Sunday was Romp 'n Roll, and K was definitely still tired that morning (she's been taking awhile to settle at night now - same with the afternoon).  However, she put in a good 80 minutes of running around before heading back home to crash.  We hit the park in the afternoon, with the end result being quite the sleepy little munchkin by bedtime.

"Jiggle up and down, I'm a' ridin' on my pony..."

Thanksgiving dinner!!!  Num, Num!!!

In terms of development, K continues to assert her personality more and more - now in the form of trying to inflict pain upon her parents.  She's starting to dig those claws into our skin more and more (actually drew blood from JT today!), and so we're having to explain that "she shouldn't hurt mommy and daddy."  We haven't started disciplining her yet, but I feel certain that's on the horizon.  However, here's an example that showcases how we're not quite ready and that she can't quite tell right from wrong.  When she misbehaves in the high chair during feeding time, Jenny will pat her hand gently, tell her she's being a bad girl, and then explain why she shouldn't do something.  Well, after about 3 meals of this, K's next dinnertime found her once again throwing food onto the floor.  However, before Jenny could do anything, K slapped her own hand - with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon.  She was SO PROUD that she'd remembered to call herself a bad girl after purposely throwing food on the floor.  I mean, you want to tell her "bad girl," but she's so damn cute it's almost impossible - especially in moments like that.  However, on another occasion after JT told K that "she'd hurt mommy" (scratched her), K immediately came up to her and gave her a hug.  So we know some of it is getting through - it's just a question of how much (and how much does she truly understand consequences).

Nothing says Thanksgiving Day +1 like
a little 521 BBQ.

Proof that vision is highly overrated.

Another funny moment was when Jenny was talking about buying matching stockings for the family, and ten seconds later K runs in with my "Power T" stocking!  Did she know what we were talking about?  Hard to know, but apparently kids can learn 10 words a day right now (even if they can't say them back).  I just can't help but wonder how many of her 10 words a day are the 4 letter variety...and when they are going to manifest themselves...

Closing this post - Thanksgiving is obviously a time to reflect on all you have and how blessed you are.  It's something we should do every day but don't, and that's something I certainly want to be better about.  In looking at my life right now - amazing wife, healthy & happy kid, good friends, a house I enjoy coming home to, a job I like doing, health, family, a future filled with so much promise - I will quote my friend H when I say that "my cup truly runneth over."  I turned 37 this month, and I can

honestly say that I never thought 37 would be this good.  There was a great quote I read this past week:  "We try to teach our children about life, but children teach us what life is all about."  I think that's absolutely right, as the way in which my love for my wife and family has grown and the way my priorities have changed have all been such wonderful blessings, and a lot of that is down to becoming a father.  After returning from Singapore, I said that I was very much ready to settle down, and I meant that.  However, even after moving back to the states, buying a house in the burbs, and having a kid, I don't think my mind had fully adjusted to "the new normal" and what it meant to really put down roots, discover "the state I'm in," and "be where I was (or else you will miss your life, to finish the quote)."  I'm not saying I had wanderlust, because every single second I've been home has been incredible.  Instead, I'm saying that I don't think I've fully appreciated a) how amazing it is to be back home and b) how wonderful it is to really slow down and enjoy every day for the blessing that it is.  But in these past two weeks, I feel like something has clicked.  I'm now at that point where I am loving the minutia in whatever form it presents itself, and the somewhat slower pace has really felt comfortable.  If anything, it's been weird to NOT have an urge to travel and get on a plane, as that was such an integral part of life for JT and I for more than a decade.  Here's hoping this trend continues, as I'm loving every part of this new voyage of

K and her new friend Emmy in action.

discovery...even if I'm simply re-discovering the familiar.

I think some of this was sparked by a recent story I read on CNN about parents whose twins have Niemann-Pick Type C.  The story was heartbreaking, and their commitment to their children was amazing and deeply moving.  In reading about the disease and what it does to kids, thinking about what's left in the wake of that experience and loss, and then thinking about how blessed we are as a family, I was at first rattled (terrified it could happen to us) and then refocused - understanding that nothing is for certain and that every day should be lived (and enjoyed) to the fullest.  And as I enter the holiday season and start thinking about those New Year's resolutions, their story (and what it can teach all of us) will certainly be on my mind.

Lastly, a HUGE CONGRATS to Mindy and Craig Miller on the arrival of their newest bundle of joy - Seth Hedrick!  He arrived Monday, and we CAN'T WAIT to meet him and see how much Hayden has grown.  Love you all!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny