Thanksgiving 2010

I procrastinate too often about posting on my blog, mainly because I don't always feel like I have a lot to say. But I love my family and this year, I decided that I like Thanksgiving.

As a kid, I didn't always like the green beans and the turkey with gravy. As a teen, I felt out of place in my step-mother's home with her family over. As an adult, I felt like it was a lot of work for one meal and a whole lot of gorging.

But this year, my kids are older. They understand the ideas behind the holiday. They are cheerful and loving and were excited. (mostly about the 9 pies)  Maddy was proud that she was able to help me make the chocolate cream pie and the deviled eggs....plus she did her hair all by herself.  See how proud she was?

Connor was pretty happy, but he really wanted his pie first and not salad.

I thought the salad was pretty yummy.  I made a homemade vinaigrette and I think it's my new fav salad.

 We made a new Thankful Tree and I look forward to adding more every year.

My husband is home and that more than anything makes me feel thankful and glad to celebrate the season. There have been too many years where he has been gone. It's just not a holiday that begs to be celebrated when the love of my life is thousands of miles away in a war zone.

We invited friends. I stressed about my house being clean enough and the food being delicious enough. Then one family bailed so they could spend their one day off together (Can't blame them for that!) and one family developed an suddenly unhealthy, contagious little boy. So we had 2 soldiers...one single and one geographically single. Suddenly, I was less stressed. I prepared for a ton of guests and we were down to 2. We had WAY more food than we needed and as bachelors, they were not picky!

We had 5 big pies and 4 individual mini-pies for the kids.

Bacon laced mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, candied sweet potatoes with toasted coconut, a 28 lb turkey with a LOT of stuffing, homemade cornbread, salad, spinach artichoke dip, veggies and apples.....

Matt washed the dishes when I took food over to Ms. C and her sick family. That was something I was dreading and he made my day! My week even!

So this was our family's 1st Thanksgiving in Arizona. The first year where we don't have looming deployments or never ending separations. It was content.  I'm looking forward to as many of these as possible.

And just for kicks, Connor with his puppy and his Weasley hat that he loves and even wears to bed.