Thanksgiving Traditions

Today I am thankful for the way my family and I celebrated Thanksgiving.

My husband and son prepared the brine for the turkey. Husband roasted it when the brining process was complete (totally his thing and it tastes so good!)

Husband made the best green beans (as always!).

My daughters and I made ham, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes (yyyaaaaammms, as my son calls them), mashed potatoes, kale greens, biscuits and a pound cake (half of which went to my sweet neighbors).

We took Wednesday and Thursday to prep and cook. My son said that he and Daddy were the chefs, and that the girls and I were the bakers. . .so cute! It was fun to see them wanting to help and learn family recipes and "secret" ingredients.

I spoke with my parents both days (who live out of state) to see what they were cooking, how things were going, what time dinner would be with my family back home.

Being that we are due to deliver soon, my sweet, sweet Husband helped me chop, slice, clean, season, carry hot dishes, put away leftovers, retrieve pots and pans, clean a bit more. Truly a sweet, sweet blessing to me.

We sat down to dinner around the table, Husband asking God's blessings over the food and our time of thanksgiving.

While we ate, we reflected on our blessings; how good God has been and how yummy the food was. Laughing at our dogs who wished they could be seated at the table with us.

Also, part of our morning school routine for November has been to write down something we are thankful for on different pieces of construction paper. We attached the pieces together in one long strip to make a table runner. So, during our Thanksgiving meal, we read over the different things the kids said they were thankful for! That was fun because it included a wide range of things from the serious, like Jesus, family and food, to the fun stuff, like toy trucks, and laughter.

Later, we went to my Husband's parent's home for fun, fellowship, and dessert. My brother in-law and his wife and son were there, as well as my sister-in law and a friend of hers. We played a hilarious game of Balderdash (SO MUCH FUN!), watched a little football, let the kids play, play, and play some more!

God is so gracious, so kind, so great, so good. I am thankful for my family and the place they hold in my heart. I am thankful for Thanksgiving, the blessings it brings, the traditions being passed down, one generation to the other. So thankful. . .