The Good Stuff!

I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.  I know so many people are struggling this year. Its the first Thanksgiving without someone dear to them at the table and that just always stinks.  We've been there too and I can tell you that you never stop missing them, whatever the reason for their absence.  

Our day was perfect....  Well, almost.  

The food was just okay.  I'm not a great cook.  Most of my cooking is experimental at best but somehow we made it work.  The good stuff though is not about the food at all. Its about who is there to share it with you.

We were blessed to have everyone here and a brand new first Thanksgiving for the newest grandchild.  That makes it perfect.

Here is how our day went.

I was up at 5am to make homemade hot cocoa and monkey bread and to get that turkey all ready to go into the oven.  It wasn't too long after getting the monkey bread out of the oven that I heard the sounds of three kids jumping around in their room upstairs.  Cody, Allison, and the kids had come in the night before and met us at church and then spent the night.

The morning was spent getting food in the oven at the appropriate times, and welcoming Logan, Kati, Emma, Larkin, Kati's mom, and my mom,  navigating kids running through the house and swooning over Larkin.    The poor kid was passed around so much we probably wore her out, and yes, her Papa Brian and I fought over her a time or two.  

Meeting their cousin for the first time

At dinner it was fun to read portions of the family tablecloth.  If you don't know about the family tablecloth, well .... its priceless and you should run right out today and get yourself a white tablecloth and start this tradition next Thanksgiving.  Every year, everyone at the table writes what they are thankful for and dates it.  The little ones trace their hand and have their parents write what they are thankful for.  Its sweet, and hilarious.  We started this tradition the last Thanksgiving my dad was with us and I am SOOO glad we did.  

Larkin getting her hand traced onto the family tablecloth
(She was not happy about it)

This was one of my favorite moments.  Kati wanted their "First Thanksgiving" family picture taken.  Emma was posing with a big smile all ready for the picture, when Larkin spit up all over her from her daddy's arms above.  The photos tell the story of how that went.  And yes, this truly is the good stuff.

From our family to yours!
We love you!