This year, my experience of ‘the Holidays’ has been much like that of a 6 year old trying to ride every attraction in Disney World in a day and a half. I have learned valuable lessons about procrastinating, prioritizing, simplifying, and focusing on what really matters.
Despite that into, Thanksgiving was so much fun! We stayed here in Star and had dinner with Jake, Kate & Co. Kate and I had THE BEST time cooking both of our first-time-ever full-blown Thanksgiving meals. It all began the night before when we tried to prepare the turkey. Ripping off the wings and scrubbing that gobbler down for some reason, at that late hour, seemed to be the most hilarious thing we had ever experienced. Part of that probably had to do with having lost the gibblets [I didn't know about the rear entrance]. Good thing we found them before we started baking.
We cooked ALL DAY but had a blast! With Christmas tunes on all day and the Thanksgiving Day parade on in the other room, their house was filled with the holiday season! We cooked stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, jello salad, jalapeno corn and cranberry sauce. Jake contributed with the layering of the jello salad and the mashing of the potatoes, and Nate got creative with the Pope’s Hat napkins.
In the name of tradition, I made ravioli’s and italian sausage [which I burned... bummer] which my Mom has made probably EVERY Thanksgiving of my life [the blending of traditions has been one of the funnest of aspects of marriage]. EVERYTHING was delectable, and it felt SO good to feel ‘at home’ albeit 2,000 miles away from my family.
Despite the moaning and groaning of the anti-sentimental boys that Kate and I married, we agreed that over dinner we should talk about the things that we are most grateful for… hence the WHOLE purpose of the holiday [*Rules: No Repeats. And No Stating Family or Church].
And so to wrap up my Grateful Cranberry Crave Countdown here is a sweet & condensed version of what I appreciate the most [not including the things I have mentioned on my previous posts]:
My Parents and Nate’s Parents, dancing, music, food, Christ, babies, health, laughter, sunshine, boating, our missions…
What a Wonderful Life
&
Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
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Slendarella - Love your cranberry candle holders…gonna steal that idea! Marvy photos here too!