Our Thanksgiving...

was one of the best that I can ever remember. There was just something different about it this year...hmm...maybe it is because I wasn't smack dab in the middle of a school year. That could be it...I am a year older? Maybe...or maybe I am just feeling more and more thankful these days.

So...it was an action packed week...my husband has been traveling (but home on the weekends) for about six weeks...so we were ready for him to be home. Brittany had to teach last Monday...so we did all of our shopping for our festivities on Tuesday...brought it all home, put it away and decided to decorate the outside of our house for Christmas while the weather was still fairly mild. White lights now adorn our bushes...do you know that I have never, not even as a child decorated the bushes in front of my home for Christmas? We have decorated our tree and our porch and our door but finally my bushes are big enough to decorate! Can you tell I am excited? A wreath along with picket fence Santa that we made one year ( I think Brittany was 4)when our money was a little tight adorn our front door.

Wednesday came and I was up and ready to do all the work I could in my kitchen so that I could just enjoy Thanksgiving. I even managed to learn a little bit...did you know if you find yourself one pie pan short you can use a cast iron skillet? I have to say...my pumpkin pie looked very pretty in that old skillet too. I figured that in my grandmother's day...she made use of what she had...so that is my new philosophy...another thing...I realized right in the middle of mixing my pumpkin pie that I forgot to buy the evaporated milk...much to my surprise I was pleasantly surprised that others on the internet have forgotten to buy it too...so I used my skim milk and it came out just fine. So, ladies...if your ever in a pinch...you can use regular milk in your pumpkin pie. I think that is pretty handy tip...you just never know.

All in all...I was so organized...that after dealing with the turkey I basically just had to load up the oven as need and everything came out perfect. I was able to sit and enjoy my family. We had a full table of 7 this year...which is a full table for us. My mom, us, my brother and my nephew (5) and niece (2). Have I mentioned just how much I love the sound of children in my home?

We spent the day just being together...playing wii, we watched Robin Hood...and Brittany had lots of play time with her little cousins. At one point we were all together in our living room...and I had to think that my dad just had to be smiling down from heaven at all of us as we have made it 4 years without him...never forgotten my dad. We miss him so.

Be Blessed!

Joyce Marie