Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2010 - One little year...and all that change!

Thanksgiving is often a time people share the things they are thankful for.  I remember these activities that we used to do in school where we would write our parents a little card telling them about the things we were thankful for.  Leave it to me to come up with some really interesting things....That might be better left as a family secret.  If you really want to know you can ask my mom, I know she'll get a kick out of it! 

All joking aside, the past year has left me with a very thankful attitude.  We are so quick to take our circumstances in life for granted.  Several months back I remember seeing something about a little child dying of starvation.  Something inside of me clicked.  I became truly thankful for meals.  I can't imagine looking at my sweet little boys as they ask for a snack or more to eat and for me to have to tell them that there is not a crumb left in this house for me to give them.  It breaks my heart just thinking about it.  I am thankful that we have all of our basic needs met...A more than comfortable place to live, plenty of food to eat, climate control, clean water, hot showers, a nice and safe car, clothing - and many of these things are far more than what others may have.  The Lord has blessed us abundantly beyond our 'basic needs' I hope that I will keep my thankful attitude and appreciate all that we have and that our children will also develop an attitude of thankfulness in their everyday lives, not just at Thanksgiving. 

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year and it was such a wonderful and special time with family and friends.  12 people!  My biggest crowd yet.  It was so much fun and I truly enjoyed it.  I had a 'system' this year - a time line starting four days out of everything that needed to be done, down to when the table should be set on Thanksgiving Day, when things needed to be prepared and cooked.  It may seem a bit militant, but it worked for me and I didn't feel stressed about what needed to be done when.  My other time saving trick...We had skin-on mashed potatoes.  I wasn't about to waste a precious minute peeling potatoes.  I hope our guests weren't too disappointed. 

Here are a few other pictures from Thanksgiving....

Thank you, Nana, for our first Gingerbread House!!!! YUMMY!

The spread...minus my first homemade pies!

My pitiful baby the night before with a 102.6 fever



Nathan did an awesome job on his first turkey!  It was amazing!!!