Thankful

( I know what your thinking... this is the picture she decided to post when talking about Thanksgiving??? I'm just still too full to post pictures of food... but there is always a little room for something carbonated...)

Thanksgiving was special this year. I know, I know, thanksgiving is special every year... but this year it was really special. For me at least. It was the first year we spent the whole day... alone. Just our little family. It was also the first year I felt Stella could have some understanding of a "holiday". Andy did a big chunk of the cooking, (a bigger chunk than I did at least) which is how he likes it. (right babe?) We spent the day doing some things around the house, with Christmas music playing as our soundtrack. Then we moved onto cooking the things we hadn't already prepared. We made turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, the most yummy sweet potatoes you could imagine, collard greens (a signiture southern thing... and very, very tasty if you can cook them right... which of course Andy can!) cranberries (we bought 4 bags... we can get a little crazy with the cranberries) stuffing, and rolls. Then we had cherry chocolate cake (Andy's birthday cake) and Apple pie. So delish! After dinner, Andy loaded the kiddos up in the car to go get vanilla ice cream. (Can you believe we forgot to get ice cream to go with that pie???) This also gave me a little time to prepare our gingerbread house for decorating. As soon as Stella walked in the door from getting the ice cream, she ran over to the table and "helped" me really decorate the house up. As she was carefully (well, as carefully as a two year old can) placing candy all over the roof of the little house, she proudly exclaimed..., "I like sugar!". Well, there you have it, she is me - reincarnated. I have a paper, "all about me" saved from elementary school. I listed my two favorite foods as "watermelon" and "sugar". Suprisingly, that hasn't changed either. The sparkling grape juice we drank was a big hit with Stella also. She kept asking to drink her "special drink".

I (we) did of course miss our Family and Friends... but I thouroughly enjoyed being surrounded by the three other people who I'm surrounded by all the time. I was just able to take the time to reflect and remember how lucky I am to be with them all the time. The three people I share my days with are three of the funniest, most thoughtful, precious, beautiful, and best people there are. I heart them soo much. I loved our little thanksgiving, eating in our sweatshirts and unbrushed hair with our not so classy serving trays and all. I feel thankful!