Our Thanksgiving could be summed up in a few phrases …
Free turkey.
Bon Appetit.
My little lush.
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving we saw an advertisement for turkey bowling at the local grocery store. This is totally something our family participates in so we bundled up and got in line!
One of the freezer aisles was closed off, bowling pins were set up, and one unfortunate turkey was being slung down the aisle. Strikes won a turkey, spares won a bag of Thanksgiving type groceries. I was up first and by the grace of God someone landed a spare! I’m pretty much the WORST bowler ever – Dominic and both of my sisters were on the bowling team in high school and my uncle was semi-pro with a few 300 games, but somehow I did not get the bowling genes. And, my spare consisted of picking up the 10 pin which is apparently a pretty nifty thing to do.
Dominic got a spare as well and Katie whipped out the big guns and brought home a 14 pound turkey! Technically it was her second try since we got in line again (which was totally allowed), but still! And, it was the very last free turkey, the 30th one!
With our free ingredients and Bon Appetit magazine we planned our meal. My Mom is all about trying new recipes so nothing was a repeat this year. Everything – the herb-rubbed turkey, dressing, orange cranberry relish, and the rolls that beat all other rolls on earth – turned out DELICIOUS! Dinner was served on my Mom’s gold rimmed dishes – the bounty of a summer thrift adventure. And, Jemma, oh that Jemma, opted to eat rolls and sip after sip of sparkling apple cider.
Did I mention that our Thanksgiving was Wednesday evening? Aaron and Hannah had to be back to school for work early on Friday so Thursday was their travel day. Hence, a Wednesday Thanksgiving. It actually turned out quite well – a half day of cooking and an entire extra day to relax. Or, at least that’s how it felt. We liked it so much we’re considering doing it again next year.
Before November turns to December, ohmygoodness how is it already the 12th month?!?!?, I wanted to re-share each of my thankful status updates from Facebook. I did a pretty good job posting once each day, only forgot a few. Go me.
- Thankful Day 1 | Friends who turn their hobbies into a way of showing love to others.
- Thankful Day 2 | Crockpots! Need I say more?
- Thankful Day 3 | Speedy travel a la airplanes. It makes visits with our favorite Texas family much more frequent than the covered wagon days of old.
- Thankful Day 4 | A husband who cherishes quality time with his daughter. Yep, Jemma is on her first road trip with her Daddy to meet up with family. He even survived a diaper explosion that resulted in washing the car seat by hand 1/2 way through the trip!
- Thankful Day 5 | For my little man, Max! We are in the midst of a 2 day vacation while Daddy and Jem are away. It’s funny how easy life seems with only one baby to tend to!
- Thankful Day 6 | I’m so thankful for my hip mom. The one who says, “Take Max from me, my favorite show is on.” By favorite show she is referring to Modern Family. Love that lady :)
- Thankful Day 7 | I’m super thankful for the one and only Christine of LCS Photography who marched out to the pond while 8 months pregnant to take our family pictures today.
- Thankful Day 8 | Netflix! So easy, so convenient, so addicting :)
- Thankful Day 9 | Weighing in at 18.5 pounds, Mr. Max turns 3 months old today and I am SO THANKFUL he is part of my life!
- Thankful Day 10 | Warmth! Flannel sheets, heaters, and hot water, to be specific.
- Thankful Day 11 | Consistent bed times. I’m so blessed that Jemma and Max love snuggling in for the night.
- Thankful Day 12 | Nordstrom’s return policy. Can I get an AMEN?
- Thankful Day 13 | English muffins, babywearing wraps, texting, fabric, yoga pants, mail … just some of the things that make my everydays, special days.
- Thankful Day 14 | Sign language! Jemma and I have so much fun talking, signing, and singing with each other. Today we made up our own signs for “I love you” – she hasn’t said the actual words yet, but she points to her eyes, crosses her chest, and points to me. Then we hug and my heart leaps with happiness :)
- Thankful Day 15 | Forgiveness and grace and a Lord that draws me back to Him each and every day.
- Thankful Day 16 | Dominic tells me all the time that I’m his Proverbs 31 wife. I know I’m not quite there most days, but his words of affirmation push me to be a better wife and mama for my family. I’m so thankful for his encouragement!
- Thankful Day 17 | My sister, Hannahn and her boyfriend, Aaron, – two of my favorite people – made it home safe for Thanksgiving!!!
- Thankful Day 18 | Our wonderful church who hosted a beautiful baby dedication for Max and all his little friends today. It is such a blessing to have support as parents- it takes a village!
- Thankful Day 19 | Watching Jemma and Max experience the joy of siblings. They are blossoming and I’m so blessed to be watching their relationship grow.
- Thankful Day 20 | To be a stay at home mama. It has been the biggest blessing to be at home with my sweeties every day!
- Thankful Day 21 | The bounty of healthy and amazing food we’re blessed with this Thanksgiving! And the cooks who are preparing it – my Mama, Katie, and Hannah! These ladies need a show on Food Network – they are THAT good!
- Thankful Day 22 | To live in the Pacific Northwest! I adore the rain, clouds, and cool weather – this is the perfect place for me. Nothing trumps cozy.
- Thankful Day 23 | Sesame Street! The perfect kid’s show – healthy humor, educational songs, and cute characters.
- Thankful Day 24 | Small businesses with great staff, quality products, and awesome sales!
- Thankful Day 25 | My amazing mama who is constantly going the extra mile to make my life easier. I don’t know what I would do without her! I admire her so much and hope I can be half as good of a mama to my children.
- Thankful Day 26 | Early mornings with my oldest munchkin! She wakes up 2-3 hours before Max and it is such a blessing to share breakfast, snuggle, and watch a movie before our day officially begins.
- Thankful Day 27 | The washer and dryer. I complain about laundry often, but jeepers, it would be WAY worse if I was doing it by hand.
- Thankful Day 28 | Cozy blankets and a little girl who loves to snuggle while sharing a savory tart.
- Thankful Day 29 | Babywearing essentials! I was blessed with a new wrap for super cheap today – can’t wait to wear Mr. Max in it! It makes life so much easier when I can strap him to me and go about the day.
- Thankful Day 30 | Fond memories from my childhood. I hope I can make the holiday season (and every other season) as memorable for my children – they deserve it and so much more. I am eternally blessed and thankful!
All in all, I’m a pretty thankful gal. It’s been a memorable November and I can only imagine what is in store for December!
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Blog – GFC – Blog Lovin’ – Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Vote
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this is so sweet! and that picture of your little lush is amazing, haha!
Okay turkey bowling sounds so incredibly amazing. I'm officially hunting down a grocery store near me that does that next year. I just found your blog, and I'm excited to be your newest follower!Brookeliningthecloudswithsilver.blogspot.com
Thanks for following! I'm off to check out your blog now :)