Perfect for hot apple cider and pumpkin pie, nothing evokes fall like these spices.

Thanksgiving 2011 really began in October when Dave and I headed up to Minnesota to visit Michelle, Anna, Grandma Helen and Grandpa Kurt. We enjoyed relaxing with the family out in Annadale, touring St. Cloud and carving pumpkins with Anna and Bryant. Back in Indianapolis for Thanksgiving weekend, we had the privilege of hosting Michelle, Phillip, Sharlotte (our first niece), Anna, Bryant and Zoey (Bryant’s dog) at our house. There were some creative takes on Thanksgiving favorites, like Anna and Bryant’s stuffed pepper stuffing and Michelle’s roasted sweet potatoes over a bed of kale, and there were also some classics, like Phillip’s pumpkin roll and my pumpkin pie from the traditional Brainer recipe. Because of the small group, Dave roasted a duck (with a maple molasses glaze) instead of a turkey for the first time, and we all got a good laugh when Sharlotte spent the entire meal saying, “More ducky! More ducky!”

Once believed to have medicinal and even spiritual powers, this herb adds a familiar peppery zing.

As if I didn’t have enough to keep me busy, I was also elected to the Herron-Morton Foundation Board, which is committed to strengthening our neighborhood and the surrounding downtown area. In September we held our first annual neighborhood Oktoberfest, for which I was in charge of the marketing and design. The Oktoberfest was both a community event and a fundraiser for the Foundation. I managed the twitter feed, webpage, digital and print advertising. Luckily, I knew this great guy to cover all of my photography needs (Dave). The event was a huge success, we had some of the best food, mead and beer vendors in the area and generated over $7,000. For an inaugural event, I am very proud. Feel free to stop by next year! In addition, this year we found a buyer for a building on the periphery of our neighborhood which the Foundation had previously purchased to cleanup and restore. The buyer intends to develop it into a coffee shop and office space. The coffee shop will be a great nearby spot to host client meetings.

If you've ever grown mint, you know that this herb always wants to take over.

Sine we failed to write a Christmas letter last year, we thought we would mention that we are now renting a small house in downtown Indy with a yard for Simone and a space for Dave’s vegetable garden. It’s a small cottage with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Fortunately, we get along well with our landlords, who are the same people who owned our previous apartment. The neighborhood is fantastic, and we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our neighbors. A couple of friends and I take summer runs once a week together; that is, we run down to a bar on Mass Ave, drink a beer and walk home. It certainly gives me something to look forward to on Mondays.

Excellent in fresh salads and Asian cuisine, green onions grow in abundance throughout all but the most intense heat and cold.

I’m still running the Indianapolis Mini Marathon every year, which continues to be the largest half marathon in the country. This year the weather was perfect, 54 degrees and cloudy. Dave graciously woke up early to drive a few of the runners down from our neighborhood to the starting line, cheered us on and picked us up. Indianapolis is great for running as it is flat and the weather is relatively mild. I welcome anyone to join me for the mini or any other run if you are in the area!

Slightly sweet and very fragrant, nutmeg adds character to our cooking all year around.

It should be no surprise that Dave and I love our pets. In fact, there have been a few additions since our last letter. We adopted a vizsla/pitbull mix dog from Bloomington Animal Shelter in March of 2010. She was five months old when we got her but we just celebrated her two-year-old birthday in September. It was quite challenging for the first few months, but she has grown into an eager to please and loyal member of the family. As a part of her training, we conquered her fears of stairs, doorways, underpasses, streets, women, strangers, children and separation. Although she is still very attached to us, she has learned to love people and has gained a lot of confidence. We also added another cat to the mix, Jack Kerouac. He was a neighborhood stray who had been set loose by a previous owner (whom we later met and were appalled that Jack was not wanted). Jack’s free-spirit and desire for adventure begs him to live an outdoor lifestyle. There was a definite adjustment period for us since we have not had an outdoor cat before, which lead to many nights of pacing and worry. Although we have had a few trips to the vet from various cat fights and one major procedure resulting in a “cone of shame,” he generally knows how to take care of himself. Jack is great at welcoming anyone to our home and does not hesitate to climb as close to your face as possible, purring incessantly and pushing his claws in and out in pure happiness. Amélie is still emperor of the house with all of his beauty and majesty. While at first hesitant to share our attention, he has finally pardoned us for bringing in the other two pets and has returned to his sweet yet narcissistic self.

If you're not sweating yet, you didn’t add enough.

The biggest change in the past year and a half has been my decision to start my own business as a graphic designer, focusing on web design, advertising and logo design. Dave functions as my contractor and develops client websites in his spare time. Not surprisingly, working for myself has turned into more than full time job, as it’s difficult to stop working when you have full ownership over your projects. My clients range from non-profits to startup companies, fellow creative businesses and companies advocating for downtown Indy living. You can check out some of my work at brainerbanker.com. I love working for myself and and have hardly had a moment to breath since I made this transition. A part of the reason I have been so busy is that I spend a lot of time doing business development and networking. I cannot emphasize how beneficial this has been for business, and it has also been enjoyable as I get to know a wide variety of talented people across Indianapolis. The tech startup industry is especially growing here and I enjoy connecting and learning from the entrepreneurs pursuing new ideas.

Cilantro adds an unmistakable zesty finish fresh flavors like garden salsa or homemade guacamole. We also love it in spicy soups.

As a pro bono project through Dave’s employer, he had the opportunity to work on an iPad app for Riley Children’s Hospital, which is one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. The app is an interactive tour of medical settings and procedures that helps prepare children for what they will experience at the hospital. Going into a hospital setting can be scary for children and this app is a way to help lessen their fear of the unknown by showing them what medical devices and other items they will see. Dave particularly enjoyed working with the Child Life Specialists at Riley to scope out an app that would be truly beneficial for the children they serve. If you have iPad you can download the app yourself to see what it is all about.

It's hard to get very far without sea salt. This is a daily necessity that finds its way into almost everything we make.

Since I have been spicing things up and venturing out on my own, Dave has been a consistent foundation for the family. Dave has worked for eImagine since 2008 and has continued his professional development by branching into new programming languages and building up his technical certifications. He spends the majority of his time developing for one of eImagine’s downtown clients, the Indiana State Department of Health, but has also taken on side projects, such as designing and implementing the software which powers an interactive kiosk installed at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. In addition, Dave is working on his application to pursue a masters in Human-Computer Interaction at the IUPUI School for Informatics. This field of study combines Dave’s expertise in computer science, his design and sociology from undergrad, and his ability to problem solve and create user-friendly interfaces. To put it simply, it brings together both his scientific and creative skills.

This herb is great tossed with roast vegetables or in onion soup.

I have to admit that it feels like I should be done with my MBA already, but I have one more year to go. I am at Kelley School of Business in its part-time evening program, which is designed for working professionals. It is typically a three-year commitment, but I am trying to finish in two and half. The course material is certainly challenging and I can safely say that I am getting my money’s worth. Although finance and operations were subject matters where I have very little experience, I have enjoyed every one of my classes. I am specializing in Entrepreneurship, but taking additional marketing classes to pair with my design background. Not surprisingly, being a grad student not only takes a toll on me, but on Dave as well. He has been very supportive and patient throughout the process and even though we don’t get to see each other as much, we savor the time that we do have together. When we are not working we can most likely be found at some of our favorite Indy places such as Black Market, New Day Meadery, Revolucion, Ball & Biscuit or The Brass Ring.

Lavender can be stubborn to grow, but the fragrant (and delicious) flowers are well worth the effort.

Dave has invested an immense amount of time into his garden(s) this year, with a full vegetable garden in back and a variety of plants and herbs in the front yard. For those of you who haven’t visited us, you’ll have to make the trip to at least taste his freshly grown tomatoes. This year he also focused on growing grass, building raised beds and filling out the plants near the front porch. I get to benefit from his work by enjoying arugula, spinach, green onions, tomatoes, chives, cucumbers, chili peppers and almost every herb you can imagine. He also specializes in making herb-infused simple syrups by simmering herbs with sugar and water. You can use the syrups over waffles, in a latte or added to a cocktail. Dave is also the gourmet chef of the family and has made countless delicious meals over the year, while I tend stick to what I know, such as salads, pies and other baked goods. Some of my favorite meals are Dave’s Thai basil curry and Japanese-style udon & mushroom soup.

Homey and comforting, this herb is great in pot pies, stews and other traditional meals.

Our families are constantly changing and evolving and this year is no exception. The big news is that Dave’s parents and younger brothers Daniel and Nathan recently moved back from China to permanently live in Upland, IN where Charlie will be an Associate Dean at Taylor University.

As one part of Dave’s family came to the US, another part moved to Taiwan! Amy (Dave’s older sister) moved to Taiwan for a year to complete her dissertation. She is a PhD candidate at UIC in Chicago and is working on a thesis in gender studies.

Michelle (Dave’s younger sister), Phillip and Sharlotte live in Springfield, Missouri, where we have been able to visit them several times over the year. Michelle is continuing to work as a nurse and Phillip is a videographer, traveling around the world capturing stories. Sharlotte is of course a very entertaining 20 month old and is a great excuse to buy unnecessary adorable little things.

Most of my family is still in China; Matt (my older brother) has started a coffee shop in Beijing and Kara writes and teaches. My parents are continuing their counseling efforts and Andrew and Daniel continue to play music and bike all over town. Nate (my older brother) just returned from a deployment to the Middle East and is now back in Minneapolis with Michelle and Anna (my younger sister) who is staying with them while she is in college. Anna has become quite the foodie and we enjoy having her and Bryant down to Indy, where 90% of our time is spent either planning or making food.