My Thanksgiving

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families this past Thursday. :)  We had a great time with Hubby's parents and his aunt and uncle (who are actually more like second cousins or something, but "aunt" and "uncle" is much easier!). ;)

Jenna enjoys the pretty centerpiece.

I decided to bring Jenna with me to get some outdoor pictures at Mom and Dad's.  They have a lot of property, some beautiful trees and other places that are just perfect for a doll photo shoot. :)

We enjoyed a delicious feast (which I forgot to document via camera). :}  We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, mixed veggies, rolls, and two homemade varieties of yams (one savory and one sweet).  Later, we had three kinds of pie to choose from (apple, berry, and pumpkin) and whipped cream for the top.  It was quite yummy, and I only overate a teensy bit. ;)

We didn't use our Thanksgiving book this year (you can read more about that HERE), but after dinner, Dad passed around a sheet of paper with a passage from 2 Peter in the New Testament printed on it.  He talked about the wonder of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ, definitely something to be thankful for on this day set aside for giving thanks. :)

During most of our visit, my daughters were very busy in the back bedroom of the house.  Mom and Dad are getting the carpet replaced in there, so it's completely empty.  I've officially decided that I need an empty room in my house for the girls.  They had all sorts of fun running laps, playing, and giggling.  After they'd calmed down a bit, they organized a finger puppet show.  Mom had just found a cute set of animal finger puppets at a yard sale, so the girls came up with a "script" (in their heads), colored scenery on a few empty boxes, and then taped up a sign in the hallway advertising the show (see pic above).  

I can definitely understand the appeal of an empty room.  What would you do if you were 8, 6, or 4 and had a room like this all to yourself? ;)

Nicolette, Britt, and Addison accompanied the girls to the room and were instantly each given their own corner to sit in.  (And for those of you who are wondering, yes, all 3 of these dolls used to be mine, but I decided to give them to the girls, especially since they're being discontinued.)

One of the unexpected surprises of the day was the power outage.  Thankfully, it happened after all of the cooking was done. ;)  One of mom and dad's neighbors was not so fortunate.  She had just managed to convince her husband this year to have a later Thanksgiving dinner, so her turkey was still in the oven when the power went out. :}  It sounded like they were able to cook the turkey elsewhere, though, so that was a relief. 

We lit some candles and grabbed some flashlights and continued with our visit.  We hadn't had a chance to watch the girls' puppet show yet, so we ended up watching it in the dark, using flashlights as spotlights.  Little Gal was the official spotlight holder, but her attention span was rather short, so often the spotlight was shining over the audience or on the ceiling instead of on the "actors". ;)  Thankfully, Daddy decided to shine a steadier, secondary spotlight so the older two could continue with their play. :)

We had a wonderful time of fellowship.  I am so blessed to be married into a family that I cherish as much as my own.  I'm thankful for their wisdom, their spiritual insight, and the love of Christ that shines through them. :)

And while I'm at it, here are a few more things I'm thankful for:

     1.  The freedom to worship God as I choose

     2.  A God Who cares about me individually and loves and forgives me in spite of my many mistakes

     3.  My family and friends

     4.  My home

     5.  My church

     6.  All the unnecessary but fun extras I get to enjoy, like dolls and blogging and photography

     7.  My writing group

     8.  The local doll club I got to attend

     9.  Music

   10.  Fall colors

   11.  The first rain after a long dry spell

   12.  The anticipation of the Christmas holiday

   13.  Chocolate (specifically Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and my aunt's homemade Christmas fudge) ;)

   14.  The anticipation of a coming new year and all it will hold :)

Well, I'm off to start decorating for Christmas...after I clean the living room, that is. :}  I can't believe it's almost December!! 

Talk to all of you again soon. :)