Thanksgiving Week!

We're headed home to Atlanta today! Yay for Thanksgiving and for family! This Thanksgiving marks a lot of firsts for our family.

This is the first Thanksgiving Miguel and I will spend together as a married couple! This is also the first time Emma will meet my sister and brother-in-law! And it's also the first Thanksgiving without my grandfather, Papa. =(

Last Thanksgiving my parents, Miguel and I went to have Thanksgiving day meal at the hospice Papa was in. I really cherish those memories now.

My Papa and Gramma

Miguel and I are lucky that both our families live in Atlanta. It makes choosing where to go for the holidays easy! The hard part is trying to find room in our stomachs for two HUGE and delicious meals in one day!

Thanksgiving at the Amadors is great! I really enjoy being part of a large family now! There are always loads of people around and the Amador's good family friends, the Kloers, come too! They are basically family anyways. 

Silly picture from the Amadors Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 at the Amadors

I love Thanksgiving at my parents! We usually eat in the early afternoon to accommodate my gramma. I love how my mom decorates the dining room table so beautifully every year.

Dogs wanting scraps... BAD for them! Look how chubby Bailey was before she went on her diet!

Least favorite part of big holiday meals.

This year I am so excited to see my sister, Sarah, and brother-in-law, Jared! I haven't seen Sarah since August and Jared since July! 

My beautiful sister, Sarah, and her YUMMY and pretty cake she made for Thanksgiving last year.  

As I was looking through old pictures to find Thanksgiving images, I ran across pictures of Miguel and his brothers from when they were younger! Feeling nostalgic for my childhood days here are some pictures of Miguel and his brothers...

precious

 Juan, Andy, Adrian, and Miguel

Juan, Andy, Miguel

We also got a new entertainment console this week! Thanks to the Amadors! It was a birthday present for Miguel.

And here is a picture of Emma... since this blog is supposed to be about her. Notice though in the picture above there is a tennis ball on the table... that is because Emma ate it's twin. Literally. She threw up for two hours straight. 

Also, check out my new blog about how I've started baking to fill my days.

blog

Getting ready for Turkey Day!

This week I asked my mom to write a guest entry! She is the person who brought the love of dogs into my life! Dogs are a big part of her life as she spoils the family dogs, Luke and Bailey, and volunteers as a placement specialist with Adopt-A-Golden Atlanta. Enjoy!

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Hello from Atlanta and Emma's Gramma!  Laura has honored me by asking me to write a guest entry in Emma's blog.  What fun!

Bailey

Luke

Here at our house in the ATL, we are busily prepping for Thanksgiving.  It is going to be MUCH fun, with lots and lots of people and activity!  Yay!  I began cooking yesterday, with the super help of Emma's Uncle Luke, Aunt Bailey, and Aunt Puff.  They are great helpers in the kitchen - always willing to clean up spills and crumbs on the floor, and they are happy to be taste-testers, too.  They'd even wash the dishes for me if I'd let them, but doggy-tongue-wiped plates are not my idea of clean -




Laura's sister and brother-in-law, Sarah and Jared, come in from Seattle tomorrow - hooray! Just so you know, Seattle is WAAAAY too far from Atlanta.  We haven't seen S&J since July, which is WAAAAY too long, so we are pretty darned excited that they are going to be here this week.  They have to leave Milo, my grandkitty, in Seattle (where, BTW, it is supposed to SNOW today - what's up with that?) and have hired a kitty sitter for him while they are away.  Fortunately for them and for Milo, kitties are far easier to leave alone at home than dogs - right, Emma?  "WITH" is very good if you're a dog.

Sarah and Jared

Milo

Then on Wednesday, Laura's grandfather (my father-in-law), Bob-Bob, arrives from Florida.  He has just completed a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation for lung cancer, so he is going to brave one of the worst travel days of the year and fly, not drive, to ATL.  We all hope he doesn't have to get "patted down" in the new TSA way.  But, if he does, we know he'll have a great story to tell!  We are very thankful to have him with us to celebrate.  I know he is really looking forward to meeting Emma!


And Laura, Miguel and, of course, EMMA come in Wednesday, too.  We are very sad that they can't stay with us this visit, as Uncle Luke recently had a bout of kennel cough and is still contagious (though we are glad to say that Luke is all better!).  You might think that Savannah is very close to ATL, and that we see Laura, Miguel and Emma all the time.  Um, not so much.  Savannah is also too far away, but at least we can drive there.  Still, we haven't seen L&M&E nearly enough lately.  We'll look forward to seeing L&M on Thursday, along with Laura's Gramma (my mom), Uncle Pete (my brother) and his girlfriend Linda.  Add in Laura's daddy Brad and myself, and it will be a tableful!  Cannot wait!

Bob-bob and Gramma

Uncle Pete and Linda

I do hope you have read Emma's previous post on helpful holiday hints.  We have had some interesting animal holidays, like the year we gave Aunt Bailey lots of turkey pan leftovers - which she thoughtfully left for us later that evening, all over the carpeting on our stairs and basement.  We had to replace the carpet....  And then there was the year Aunt Puff decided that the silver bread basket, festively lined with a roll cover, was just the right size for a kitty bed.  Appetizing!

Puff

I hope that you have a most wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by the pets and people you love best; if you do, you'll have much to be thankful for, as we do!


Thanks, Emma, for inviting me to share your blog!  

Thanksgiving Safety With Your Pet

My mom sent me an article from Wellness Pet Food's blog about Thanksgiving safety with your pet. I'd thought I'd share it:

Here are 10 things to consider to keep your pet healthy and happy on Thanksgiving.

1. Many of the traditional foods contain large amounts of fat which should be avoided. Gravy, turkey skin, the drippings from the turkey pan and other foods should be avoided. Excess fat can create problems with the pancreas and further aggravate an already overweight animal.
2. Pancreatitis is a very painful condition most commonly brought on by an excessively large meal or a meal with increased amounts of fat (there are other causes, but during the holiday season this is the most common cause). It stimulates the pancreas to produce large amounts of the enzymes needed to digest the nutrients. If there are increased amounts in the pancreas, sometimes these enzymes can’t get out of the pancreas fast enough and begin to actually break down the wall of the ducts and leak into the abdomen. This can cause vomiting diarrhea, restlessness, weakness, discomfort and can even be life threatening.
3. Bones should be avoided at all cost, especially the bones of birds as they are hollow and can break into very sharp pieces which will wreak havoc with the digestive tract.
4. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate should be avoided as there is a toxin, theobromine in all chocolate.
5. When it comes to our beloved family pets, the key word is moderation. Be careful that everyone is not slipping the pets a few tidbits from the table. Set the rules early on for who feeds the pets and when.
6. Watch out for dropped food, especially by our younger family members.
7. Make sure all garbage is secure and not left to tempt a pet when we aren’t looking. Cats and even some dogs can easily get on counter tops when we are enjoying our meal in another room.
8. Pets are also attracted to aluminum foil, wax paper and plastic wrap that has been used to cover foods. These items can cause digestive issues and even obstruction.
9. Some pets become nervous with all the excitement and may need a quiet refuge away from all the noise and excitement.
10. If you have a large family and there will be lots of doors to the outside opened and closed, be careful that there are no escapes into the wild that could ruin the day.

Can't wait to go home to Atlanta next week and see my family dogs Bailey and Luke!

Please keep my parents dog, Luke, in your prayers! He picked up kennel cough either while playing with other dogs at the river or at the groomers. He is very contagious to other dogs (so Emma can't stay over at Thanksgiving) and doesn't feel well. Thanks so much!