More Dowtown Asheville Pictures

There were decorated gas pumps like this one all through out the inside and outside of the Mellow Mushroom, Liam was in heaven!
Another mushroom at the Mellow Mushroom.
The relief work on the building was incredible...I get excited about architecture, can you tell?
There was lots of artwork and galleries everywhere. I really loved these women shopper statues.
There were lots of street musicians performing, these guys were doing a drum routine.
Liam is playing with a piglet in Pack Square...the Pack's are famous here, even the library was named after them. They should really come visit sometime!

An Afternoon In Asheville

Asher inside the Mellow Mushroom, he liked the pizza crust.
In front of The Mellow Mushroom, this restaurant was so much fun...the decor is fascinating, always something to look at!
We had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers...really yummy and HEALTHY whole grain pizza!
A street scene in downtown Asheville


The next day on the way back down to Greensboro we stopped off in Asheville to explore the downtown for a few hours. We passed the entrance to the Biltmore on the way in and it was packed!! They had just put thier famous Christmas decorations up and everyone was there to see now that Thanksgiving was over. We went to the Biltmore in February when Bevan's parents came to visit (Which is the time to go because tickets are half priced, regular price will cost about the same as a day in Disney World) so that wasn't on our itinerary for that day, but sometime it would be really fun to go during the Holiday season.
Downtown Asheville is amazing, the architechture is beautiful and there is so much going on. There are lots of cute little boutiques, antique stores and posh resturants. Plus the weather was amazing that day, in the low seventies. It was a nice ending to our weekend getaway.

Thank You Santa Claus!

Sinterklaas kapoentje
gooi wat in mijn schoentje,
gooi wat in mijn laarsje
Dank u, Sinterklaasje.

Amanda already mentioned this, but I just wanted an excuse to put one of my favourite songs from a Christmas movie up with a picture of Asher and Santa. The thing Asher is holding with the blue strap is the silver bell. Asher got to have some one-on-one time with the Claus, and we didn't have to wait in line on 34th Street.

More Polar Express Pictures

This was Liam in his element...on a train and drinking hot chocolate, life doesn't get better than that for him!
This lady was the host for our passenger car, she was fabulous!
Liam and Asher getting settled into thier seats, they were very comfortable in thier PJ's.
Our car the Royal Palm, I love the gold and burgundy colour combo.
The train is finally here!
Watching for the train, we could see it coming!
The lights at the train station.

Asher was very excited, there was lots to see!

The Polar Express

Waiting at the train station!

Liam jumping on the bed in his PJ's while we were getting ready to go!

Finally the moment came that Liam has been waiting for for months! He is obcessed with trains and going on this ride is his Christmas present from me. We had to get to the train depot an hour early to pick up our tickets, so we brought our lap top with us so that he could watch the Polar Express movie while he waited, lots of the other children joined in. It was so much fun waiting for the train to come, everyone was so happy and excited and most children and some adults were all in pajamas (Liam and Asher wore matching red and green ones!). There were lots of pretty Christmas lights and decorations as well.
At 8 p.m. the 1920's diesel train rolled into the station and we went to go find our car, "The Royal Palm". Each car was attendended by a host dressed just like in the book and movie. They passed out hot chocolate and cookies to everyone, and we all read along to the story book. We actually brought our copy with us which came in handy! Our host happened to be a retired librarian, so I think she really loves doing this because it gets th kids so excited about the book and reading. All the houses along the train route had decked thier houses out with lights so it was a very scenic trip even though it was night time. Our midway stop was in Dilsboro, NC and served as the "North Pole". This is where Santa got on the train. On the way back he went from car to car and visited with each child and gave them a bell. Liam is still pretty freaked out by Santa, but Asher thought he was great. The rest of the ride our host led us in a carol sing, which was suprisingly very fun because everyone was in such a good mood.
I think the Polar Express is definately going to become a family tradition, everyone loved it! Back at the hotel Liam even said, "Thanks for the Choo Choo train"...high praise indeed!

More Great Smokey Mountain Pictures

There were lots of boiled peanut stands like this one where they were cooking on an open fire outside, we didn't get any though. Very old timey I think.

These roosters were outside of the restaurant where we had dinner, Liam really took a shine to them. He thought thier combs were supposed to be hats.

The inside of Jimmy Mac's, where we had dinner before going to the train station...lots of local charm and very yummy. Look closely and you'll see lots of people, kids and grown ups, wearing pajamas and bathrobes!

The antique priest/monk statue beside our table. Liam knocked his hand off at one point, fortunately it was supposed to be detachable and went right back on.

Another pretty view.

We Saw The Smoke On The Great Smokey Mountains

This weekend we took Liam to ride the Polar Express on the Great Smokey Mountain Railway, which departs out of Bryson City, NC (about a 4 and a half hour drive from Greensboro). We left on Friday morning and arrived at our hotel around 2:30 p.m., since our train didn't depart until 8 p.m. we had a little time to explore the area. We stayed on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and the scenery was beautiful. We even got our picture taken with an Indian Cheif (for the very reasonable price of 3$ a shot!), after getting some homemade fudge from a local candy shop on the main strip of the village. It was very yummy. Then we went back to the hotel so that the boys could get changed into thier pajamas for the train ride (pajamas were the recomended attire for this voyage!), and drove 20 min. further West to Bryson City, the mountain views were amazing and there were lots of people still out fishing on the river. We had dinner at a place near the train depot called Jimmy Mac's that was really good, it was full of families and children all in thier pajamas! Beside our table was an antique sculpture of a priest/monk that looked alot like someone we know, it was really uncanny actually! There is so much to do in this little part of the world, I would love to come back in the summer when more of the attractions are open and have more time to explore. There was a Cherokee Indian Mueseum and an Indian Village that reinacts traditional Cherokee life. We were right beside the Great Smokey Mountain National Park and there are all kinds of hiking/outdoor activities etc. available there. There are white water rafting companies and hot springs not to mention the fact that Ashville is only an hour away...you could easily spend a whole week there and have plenty to do! So I think sometime in the future we will definately have to head back there on a family vacation to check out the rest of this stuff!

American Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Since we had our main fall feast back in October we have decided that our family will celebrate Bevan's Southwestern roots during "American Thanksgiving"....which entails going out for what passes as Mexican around these parts. However, we soon caught on that no Mexican restaurants were going to be open on the 23rd so we preemptively went out last night instead. Today we had a low key day comprised of tidying the house, attending to some home teaching and visiting teaching business, doing laundry, catching a movie (we saw "Happy Feet", basically an animated version of an "Inconvieniant Truth"...we were surprised an animated Al Gore didn't pop up at the end for some closing remarks. Not quite the cute dancing penguin movie we had been anticipating, some people in the theatre were asking for thier money back afterwards...we just opted to go and get a Filet O' Fish from McDonald's instead...not really, but we thought about it. Not that I am against conservationism or anything, but foisting a political agenda on unsuspecting parents and children in a movie that totally took advantage of the popularity of the March of the Penguins film that previously came out was more than a bit tacky in my estimation.) My one attempt at traditional festivity today was that I made a pumpkin cheesecake. I haven't been much of a cheesecake maker in the past but I found a recipe that sounded good and thought I would give it a whirl, it actually turned out very nicely if I do say so myself...so here is a shot of my lovely sour cream and almond topped pumpkin cheesecake. Tommorow we are off to the Great Smoky Mountains to ride the Polar Express, I had better get packing! Ta-Ra!

Rain on Thanksgiving... Snow on Christmas

If it rains on Thanksgiving Day, then it will definitely snow on Christmas Day. I just made that up, but it is true.

It rained a lot yesterday and it is very cold today. We wanted to have Mexican food, but went out to eat yesterday. I didn't feel like inquiring about the hours of operation for the different restaurants in town. Asher liked my chile verde with pork, and ate a lot of Amanda's beans and rice. We didn't share the tacos al pastor, because that stuff is just too good.

We then went to Old Salem, because that place is fun to visit on a rainy day.

We stopped in at the Winkler Bakery.

Liam was very excited about the Moravian Cookies.

So was Asher.

And at the end of the day, we stopped in at REI to get Liam gloves and a hat. He will need it for the Great Smokey Mountains tomorrow and for 16 days up north.

Baby's First Haircut

Asher got a haircut. This is what it looks like.

Guilford County Bonds

We had the option to vote on some Bonds for voting day. The Schmip said "NO" to every single one. He even said "NO" to the swimming center. I tried to explain to him that "swimming center" is code for "POOL." He was grumpy, so he ignored me and gave a big fat no.

He then turned the paper over and started erasing what he had done on the first page. I didn't even know he knew how to use an eraser. He then turned in his paper in a box and got a sticker, which he refused to wear.

I hope he remembers doing this and does it more often. I want him to have it as a good habit.

Popcorn Popping

For two nights in a row, the Schmip and I have sung Primary Songs right before going to bed. He usually hates it whenever people sing. When we have Family Home Evening, Schmip always tells us to "CLOSE THE MOUTH!" (He doesn't know the word SHUT-UP yet).

So now he is all of a sudden willing to sing Popcprn, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam and maybe Do as I am Doing, if he is in the mood. It was strange, I just started singing the sunbeam song, and the Schmip knew all of the words. I was like, "that sneak, he has been holding out on us!" He is very good at the popcorn actions.

Anyway, I am so glad to hear his voice sing. I have been waiting for this ever since I first heard him speak. His little brother like it too. As we sang Popcorn this evening, the baby just sat back an laughed a baby laugh.

Anyway, over the weekend we had a great time. The UNC-Greensboro Soccer team had a home game in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. I must say, this is the best game we have ever attended. The score was 1-0 Virginia Tech with 17 minutes left. I was thinking, "oh great, if UNCG ties it in the next 17 minutes, we will have to stick around for another 45 minutes and watch the game be decided by penalty kicks." And sure enough, UNCG did score. So I mentally prepared myself to stick around for another hour. But then with 34 seconds left in regulation, a UNCG player is fouled 2 feet in front of the penalty box. He bent the ball over the wall of players to score a goal on a free kick and won the game. So we were like super excited because:

1. We won
2. The boys would get to have a nap in the next 10 minutes.

Election Day

On Tuesday the boys and I had the morning off of school for elections, so we decided to take Liam to our precincts polling station to learn a lesson in good citizenry. I am sure they must do this every where else in the country as well, but they had children's poll booths set up at every presinct so that children who came with thier parents could have a turn voting as well. So Liam took his turn and we got some really cute pictures of his first time "voting" (will post later), he was against all the propositions apparently...I had no idea he was so opinionated!

While we were waiting in line (for about five seconds!) they asked me for my ID etc...so I could vote, I had to explain that I was a felon and couldn't vote. That's what I like to tell people in such situations, it sounds far more interesting than just not being able to vote because I am Canadian. I usually tell the truth afterwards though, people just get very taken aback and its funny. Then they usually say something about "Don't worry, I am sure you'll be able to vote next time". Which is very big assumption to make for many reasons. The Department of Homeland Security is in no rush to even remove the provisional status from my permanant residency, let alone rush me through the citizenship process. They seem pretty content to just let me pay taxes without the opportunity to vote (taxation without representation, I tell you what...). And then there is the BIG assumption that I want to publicly renounce my Canadian citizenship to become American. And I am not saying that when the time comes I won't, but I am saying that this is a more personal matter than people are aware. To divorce yourself in a public ceremony from the country of your birth, from the country that educated you and provided you with healthcare, from the culture that defines your formative years and especially from the country where your family still lives is a pretty big deal to someone who actually is in a position to have to make that choice. The longer I live here the more practical it becomes for me to assume American citizenship, and when the time comes I am certain that I will. But it will not be without a great deal of introspection, because for all the reasons I mentioned above it will signal a significant shift in my personal identity and perception of self. So the next time you meet a naturalized citizen perhaps consider the story behind thier citizenship, it is often more complicated than it might seem.

Sunday Best

Asher wore a special outfit to church on Sunday that Aunt Kristi sent him when he was born. It is a velveteen shortall with a matching shirt that has a peter pan collar. And to make it extra special she monogrammed his initials on the front...very festive and he got lots of compliments.

Running In Cold Weather...any suggestions??

Well I have been working away at my goal to be able to run a half hour solid for about a month now and so far so good. I have only missed one day of my training schedhule, which was last Saturday morning because we went to the zoo and I didn't have a chance the rest of the day because there was so much happening with Halloween etc...Right now I am running 7 minutes and walking 3, I repeat this 3 times which of course adds up to half an hour, I usually cover a little over two and a half miles in this time period.
Here is my current dilemma however, up until this point I have always been on a treadmill indoors. This morning though I wasn't going to have time to go over to the UNCG Rec center so I thought I would run outside on the sidewalks in our parking lot, BAD PLAN. It was pretty cold this morning and my ears started aching terribly (I should have worn a hat or something) plus I was just having a hard time pacing myself. Does anyone have any suggestions for running in cold weather or outside generally when they are used to treadmill running?? I am going to have to venture outside again sometime but hopefully will be better prepared.

Fall Colours

We took this picture a couple of days ago while driving along Bryan Blvd., a major road in Greensboro. The fall colours are just about at thier peak right now and it is starting to be mighty pretty around here. Our colours change about two weeks later than up North due to the climate differences, but it is still fairly warm here right now. We are blessed with all four seasons plus a temperate climate (not to mention ready access to mountains and the ocean), a very nice combination in my opinion.

Halloween Pictures

Here are the boys out on the town...by the end of the evening they were all exhausted!

Your Mummy Would Approve!

Yesterday was quite a Halloween ordeal. Liam and Asher had school since it was a Tuesday, which meant I had to work as well. Since it was Halloween day the kids were supposed to wear thier costumes, which threw an extra twist into our usual morning school scramble! I took Liam trick or treating for the first time last night (Although for a couple hours during the afternoon I debated whethor or not this was a good idea or not, he was still in high gear from his school party and seriosuly needed to cool his jets, "overstimulated" would be a good description). Bevan had a night class and couldn't come, but we had been invited over by some nearby ward members for dinner and to go trick or treating with thier children afterwards (one of whom is in Liam's Primary class, they are buddies...Liam calls him "Sudson", but his name is Hudson). We had pigs in a blanket and "mummy" calzones (they had braided the dough around the filling to make it look like mummy bandages) for dinner, very fun and yummy! Then we went trick or treating, it only took Liam a house or two to figure out what the routine was and he got pretty jazzed about the whole thing, if not a little over zealous with door bell ringing. By the end of the night both boys were exhausted and had to take a break on somebodies lawn, they were quite a pair. It was an awfully big adventure.