Thanksgiving

the table
Originally uploaded by telfandrea.

Next time we have Thanksgiving I want to try to take better pictures. But I guess if that’s my biggest regret, I think it means we were just having a really good time. Not only was the food wonderful – I think this is the best turkey ever – but I just love my family. All the kids got along so well and when you consider there were two 2-year-olds that’s saying something.

Cate loved having her cousins here. I came up the stairs once and found Cate and my nieces reading in the chair in Cate’s room. Such a nice thing to happen upon.

I had Alyssa make actual “I’m Thankful For” cards to put on our plates. After dinner we wrote them out and put them in the pumpkin pictured in the middle of the table. Everyone, including Chris and Mendy (so happy they came to dinner), picked a card out and read aloud. It was so deliberate and special. I am feeling especially thankful this year for so many obvious and not-so-obvious reasons.

Also, we decided to start the tradition of frosting sugar cookies with the little girls. Alyssa, Elizabeth and I have such good memories of frosting cookies at my cousin’s house in Bend at Thanksgiving. Alyssa brought all the cookies and made the frosting and all of us girls spend the morning frosting. Cate did one or two and was done. I actually did much better than I have ever done before (usually I am a bit of a joke) so everyone was quite proud of me. Fun, fun.

cousins all reading
Originally uploaded by telfandrea.