Remember, remember the 5th of November!

November 5th marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to blow up the English Parliament and King James I in 1605. So, with treason, gunpowder and a failed murder plot, celebration is definitely the first thing that comes to mind, right? ;)

This was our first time to experience Guy Fawkes Night and even though we stayed right here at home instead of attempting to brave the rain and the crowds elsewhere, we had a blast. Collin was able to be home for dinner which was such a treat for us! (He is half-way through his first term and things are getting intense! Seeing him at all these days is rare, but having him home by 6pm was a Guy Fawkes Night miracle.) :) In our attempt to do something very "British" on this particular holiday, I did a Shepherd's Pie for dinner along with salad and apple cider. We made s'mores for dessert (more "bonfirey" than British) and the girls LOVED them. We did have to get a little creative with the s'mores, though, as I wasn't ever able to find marshmallows here in Oxford. I substituted marshmallow creme and it tasted great. I also used "biscuits" instead of graham crackers because biscuits are delicious. With a pretty steady rainfall outside and no marshmallows to roast, we just popped them in the microwave. They turned out great.

Between dinner and dessert, we got to watch a fireworks display from the girls' bedroom window! It was honestly one of my favorite "mental snapshot" moments ever. All four of us were on Avery's bed in the dark with the window open and a brilliant fireworks display outside. It was chilly with the window open, so we pulled blankets around us and snuggled down to watch the show and our girls' faces light up with each big boom. It was perfect. I wanted to find the pause button of life and just breathe that moment in for a while. (Of course our "home college," Green Templeton, didn't start their show until 10:30pm after the girls were asleep. It was SUPER close to our house and it was LOUD. It literally sounded like a gunfight in the street but the girls slept right through it. (Whew!) ...Sure, they wake up at the first glimpse of sunlight but THAT they sleep through... Happy Guy Fawkes Night, 2010!

(Above: Pictured here is the corner of our rooftop with the Green Templeton College Fireworks display in the background... Just to show there was no exaggeration in how near these things were!) :)



(Above: So glad we got an actual snapshot of my favorite "mental snapshot" moment that evening. Below: You just can't beat a night that ends with something this good.)