The Feast

Thanksgiving is pure bliss.  It is a day to just enjoy the company of family if it be while cooking, digesting, or laughing about good memories.  We have not been with family on Thanksgiving for 2 years, so this was especially sweet.  It was one of my favorite ones on record. 

It was perfect because we spent Wednesday evening feasting with the Beckstroms and then Turkey Day eating with my family.  We didn't have to run all over and split time between parties, we just ate and laughed as we compared our "food babies".  They were very impressive!

I don't know if I can give the food proper credit for all it did for us on those days.  I was too busy eating to take pictures, but look at these rolls!  I love to make rolls, but they sure don't look like this.  Way to go Erin!I almost could have just had rolls for dessert, but I did sneak some pie in :)

Adam and I had our second go at brining a turkey.  It is definitely worth a try, they turn out incredibly moist and flavorful.  We laughed as we gathered all of the ingredients to mix for the brine.  It seemed like we were concocting some sort of witch's brew- candied ginger, 4 sprigs of rosemary, allspice berries, leaves of sage, eye of newt...just kidding about the eye of newt, but the list does go on and on.

Olive just couldn't believe how much food there was!  The turkey, whipped potatoes, brie and cranberries in puff pastry, sweet potatoes, mixed fruit, rolls, it was all pure delight.

Bingo is a fun tradition that we do with my family.  Everyone brings a couple of little prizes per person and then the games begin!  You can steal gifts from others instead of opening ones and it can get pretty intense.  Caroline was especially worried that her lip gloss and polish would be stolen, but luckily she was safe.

My cousin, Brian, was so dear with these sweet little ones.  They were all over him, as you can plainly see, and he just let them help him call out the bingo numbers.  They didn't care about playing a BINGO card, they just wanted to spin the cool wheel.

Aunts and uncles were there, cousins (one about to leave to Africa for his mission), an old family friend, and all of the joyful little grandkids. 

What a pleasant way to ring in the upcoming festivities!

(and with that, more to be thankful for because there is just so much if you want to read on below..)

I am blessed with my energetic, charming, and joyous little girls.  I am so thankful to have the best job in the world to be their mother. 

I am grateful that when I miss Adam so bad that it hurts, the hurt eventually goes away after  a couple of days.  He gets back on Friday, way to babe, only one more semester!!

I love having a washing machine IN our apartment.  I could do wash all day really.  In New Hampshire we had to put on our winter woolies to go outside in 2 feet of snow and lug our laundry to the scary basement.  (Therefore, Adam did a lot of the wash because I didn't dare go down there at night.)

Also, I am grateful to have a dishwasher.  Handwashing all of your dishes makes cooking and your hands a real nightmare.  (this was also a New Hampshire moment without one.)

I am grateful that even though we are trying reusable diapers, I can switch back to disposable when Olive has uncontrollable cha-chas. 

I am humbled that I have been sick :)  Keep it coming.

I am grateful for past trials and experiences that have opened my eyes so much wider to see a bigger, better picture!