Thankful & Belly-full

Thanksgiving was at our house this year and thankfully it was a small crowd. We had Nannie, PopPop, Daddy, Mommy, Layla and Anyah...then a little later Papa stopped by.

Layla was a big helper the day before helping me get things ready and this year she actually ate things that were served for Thanksgiving dinner.

Anyah was a huge fan of smothered green beans and sweet potatoes. She ate so much I had to cut her off because she was going to give herself a tummy ache.

Then after we ate, I let Layla bust out the first of our Christmas stuff. Her Fisher Price Lil' People Nativity and Christmas Village.

And when that stopped being fun, Nannie started spinning little girls in circles on the office chair...

Then there was napping. Much Napping.

Because we were content, thankful and mostly...full.

Giving Thanks

For a family which I love.

For a God who loves me.

For a bounty of food at my table.

For a home which keeps me safe.

For technology which allows me to be close to those far away.

For Pepsi with ice and other favorites that really are "little things".

For people who protect us, serve us, believe in us, and motivate us.

For friends who we wish we saw more but love just the same.

For laughter, when things (much like this picture) just don't turn out the way you expected.

For sisters who love each other even if they refuse to sit together.

For playing pretend, making messes, dancing on the furniture and snuggling for naps.

For husbands that love well, look hot, and take out the trash without being asked.

For movies, music, art, science, and books which inspire us to just imagine what it would be like outside the box.

For butter because it really is better with butter.

For chocolate when you need it and cupcakes when chocolate just isn't enough.

For curly topped babies with fuzzy pajamas who rub your face until they fall asleep.

For confident little girls who never shy away from having a life lived in BIG moments.

For pictures that speak a thousand words...or just one.

For loved ones we miss but will see again some day in heaven.

For the chance to change.
For the traditions that are always the same.

For dreaming big, living with adventure, and for being content with what you've got if those other two things aren't working out.

For forgiveness.

For hope.

For tomorrow is another day and this too shall pass.

For standing up for what you believe in.
For standing up for someone else because you believe in them even if they don't believe in themselves.

For a world that is only as big as are hearts let us see and as small as our ambitions let us experience it.

For children of a global culture.

For one more day, hour, minute, second, glimpse of what the future holds.

For that ability to find more things to be thankful for than I could possibly ever get around to listing.

For you. Yes especially for you.

For days when we give thanks even if it's not thanksgiving and days of thanksgiving to remind us if we ever forget...

For we are thankful...

so very very thankful.

Counter Gremlins

When this posts, I'll be cooking. I should start Wednesday morning with dough making, pie baking, side dish prepping and general clean up so that Thursday all I have to do is ...well...everything else. I love to cook, I actually look forward to these holiday meals more than you could possibly imagine.

The cooking bug...it's viral around here. Layla already has it and it doesn't matter if I am scrambling eggs or prepping for dinner guests... my little helper becomes a counter gremlin until I let her help. If I don't let her help she'll lay across the counter and watch me like I'm doing my own cooking show.

I usually let her help.

Anyah already loves to watch us cook and I know by this time next year I'll have two counter gremlins. Which I guess means that in a few years I won't have to peel my own potatoes anymore, gotta love that.

Plus, worse things could happen then spending time teaching your kids an awesome skill and bonding together... I mean she could like golf...*yuck*

Guess What I'm Thanking About

I find myself wondering...pondering really...

What will Layla be willing to eat this year?

Will Anyah like the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce?

Should I make one chocolate cream pie for Jon or two?

Yeah... daydreaming about cooking food for a month from now...totally something I do.

Cajun Turkey, Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage & Apples, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce (this year instead of Cranberry Relish), Deviled Eggs, Green Beans with Bacon & Onions (instead of that same old Green Bean Casserole), Homemade Rolls and pies... oh pies... I love to hate pies.

This year I'm cutting back the number of dishes. There are so few of us now and I always over do it. Plus I have 2 kids and I'll be working the graveyard shift. The menu... it's reduced to the best stuff... well what we think the best stuff is.

We'll save the ham, candied sweet potatoes, two extra veggie dishes and the cranberry relish that takes 2 hours to make for a change...instead maybe we'll actually have some room left in our tummies for 2 pieces of pie...

then again maybe not.

Thanksgiving

I didn't take a lot of photos on Thanksgiving. I was too busy making this turkey and being HOT because I'm pregnant and I'm always hot but now with the stove on I've upgraded to HOT!!

The first picture is Layla "helping" me cook by playing peek a boo with me through something she found on the counter. The second is my turkey...yummy! The third is Layla after she ate, and the nap coma was setting in.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful & Exhausted

Layla helped me cook this morning. By help, I mean she got in my way a lot while standing on a tiny chair and demanding people let her chop or stir things. I made the full menu and managed to be done and showered on time.

Then after all the food was away and Layla had napped Jon put up the Christmas lights outside (he has to work the rest of the weekend) and then...well we just kept going. The house is decorated, except for a tree that needs to be purchased still.

This week there are things to be worried about. Financial things, baby things, preschool things...but they can all wait until Monday. And for that chance to breath, I am thankful.

Behind me Christmas movies play and a small child patters around in her princess jammies and barefeet. Soon we'll snuggle together in bed. I'll wrap my fingers through her hair while she mumbles herself down for the night. For that, I am also thankful.

And while we sleep upstairs, Jon will wind down his evening surrounded by Christmas decorations he lovingly put up for me because when I am pregnant I am SOOO TIRED, again, I am thankful.

Thankful, and tired... that about sums it up.

Crashing

Today Layla woke up in our bed to find that Jon had gone to work and Mommy was in the shower. So she toddled over to the bathroom and pretended to tickle me through the shower curtain while I finished washing my hair. Afterwards, I got dressed, then she got dressed. I did my hair, then she did her hair. And downstairs we went.

I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and everything was met with NO!

After several days of struggling with mornings I didn't want to push her over the edge so when she pointed at the ding dong box I didn't even hesitate. A ding dong is no worse then a donut or a waffle covered in butter and syrup. So I handed it over with a tall glass of milk and a vitamin. Sometimes, you just need cake for breakfast.

I sat down and had a ding dong myself. Then we threw on our jackets and sang Christmas songs in the car on the way to day care.

Layla has a love hate relationship with daycare. Today she was in love, she ran into the building, kissed me and waved my good bye. See-you Mommy!

I was at work 10 minutes early. It was weird.

I came home to an equally happy baby who napped well, snacked well, had good naps.

I made 3 pies (last one is in the oven now).

Then I opened a cabinet and CRASH! Out dropped my margarita pitcher which shattered on the ground. I bribed Layla with goldfish crackers in the living room and set to clean that up.

Right as I got the floor glass free. CRASH! I hit a serving bowl with the broom. And glass cleanup started over.

Maybe I'll wait for tomorrow to do more Thanksgiving prep. It's been such a good day, I don't think I need more than TWO crashing omens to take the hint that it's time to rest.

Thankful

I'm having a hard time being thankful this thanksgiving season. We've had a really rough year. Things keep knocking us down though and we keep picking ourselves back up. Determination, I guess that's what I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful my mom is getting a puppy (or two) so that my daughter can play with the dogs she loves whenever she wants.

I'm thankful for help from unexpected places.

I'm thankful for a husband who loves me enough to spend his day off trying to clean house so I don't collapse before Thanksgiving actually gets here.

I suppose I'm even thankful for having a job, even though right now, they aren't on my Christmas "nice" list.

I'm thankful that life keeps us on our toes so that we keep a close relationship with God. Although, not so thankful that most of my prayers start with Dear God, I don't know what to do...

I'm thankful for family recipes and holiday traditions.

I'm thankful for a short work week next week.

I'm thankful for the 4 friends I actually talk to on a regular basis and the 12 I hardly ever talk to but still love me anyway.

I'm thankful for pepsi, and blogging, and the other small things that I find peace with sometimes.

I'm thankful...that even when I don't think I'm thankful enough... I can still find this small list of things to be thankful for.

Budget Blow Outs

After stalling for as long as possible today I made the trip to get the items needed to create our family Thanksgiving Feast. For the most part the menu stayed the same. I added a coconut cream pie for my dad because he asked.

To make up the cost of expensive holiday meals usually I use this time of year to clean out my freezer by making things I already have. Back when the fridge was on the fritz (before we got the shiny new one) I think it killed all the meat in our freezer. The last two packs I ahve defrosted have been bad. So plan C for chaos took over and we've been eating a lot of random things around here.

I decided to supplement plan C and bought some food for the next 2 weeks as well and I left the store with a free turkey (my purchase was over $100 and they are having a special) and $135 worth of groceries (really it was about $30 more before the coupons so would that be $165 worth of groceries for $135?).

I got a 15 lb turkey. That's a lot of turkey for 6 to 8 people so I got the worlds smallest ham. Really, ham here will be like a side dish not a main course. I'll start making things by this Friday. Cranberry relish and boiled eggs store well. I will also do a lot of my chopping Friday so that Thanksgiving morning (or the week before when I have to work) I won't feel overwhelmed.

This year I am going to attempt grandma's yeast rolls. Someone might want to grab a bag of Costco rolls in case I mess it up. Other than that...I suddenly feel much more prepared.

The Thanksgiving Menu

Does this sound like too much food and work for 6 to 8 people? No. I didn't think so either...

Traditional Turkey w/ Grandma Gerty's Cornbread Stuffing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Giblet Gravy
Penny's Cranberry Relish
Deviled Eggs
Green Bean Casserole
Darlene's Homemade Yeast Rolls
Collins' Family Sweet Potatoes
Ham with Pineapple Glaze
Chocolate Cream Pie (for the hubby)
Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Whip Cream (for everyone else)

*Two of the recipes I'll be making are already available on Fat Girl Eats. I'll add the links to the others as I get them out to get ready for the holiday.

Thanksgiving...the recap

I awoke at 6:15 am to the sound of whining over a baby monitor and tripped (literally- there were a pair of too small jeans from the day before in the dark hallway on the floor) into her bedroom mumbling "mommy's comin"

She got a clean diaper and we padded down the stairs in the dark to the living room where I turned on the Disney Channel and went to make a warm milk bottle but I had to fight the milk out of the fridge because it was wedged behind all the pies I had already made.

Then I read for awhile as my child danced around playing on the floor to the tunes of Johnny and the Sprites in the background. When I made her scrambled eggs for breakfast I also started my boiling eggs for deviled eggs and did the first of two loads of dishes.

After her breakfast we went upstairs to bug daddy and get another clean diaper. And then we watched the beginning of the Macy's parade on TV while I did some more cooking in the kitchen. When she got grumbly she got put down for a nap and I talked to Jon for awhile as we commented on the parade on TV.

By 11 Jon was showered, food was cooking and the baby was up so I got her dressed and then I took my shower. I finished up plating my share of Turkey Day for my Dad's house (garlic mashed potatoes, candied yams, deviled eggs, cranberry relish and three pies-pumpkin, coconut cream and chocolate cream) and we loaded ourselves into the car.

We got to my Dad's at noon and visited, cooked, watched Jack's Big Music Show (we don't get it at home anymore) and then we ate... LOTS and the baby played inside and outside and with every person she could find (Pa, Papa, Teri, Erin, Red, Earl, Daddy, Mommy, Dustin, etc).

Then we ran back home for a change of clothing and to grab another pie and went to Jon's dad's at 3 pm where there was more food, more pie, more laughter, and in addition to playing with people my daughter chased around Doggies for awhile.

When she started to melt-down (around 6) we headed home and she got a quick wash off with a washclothe and put to bed because she was EXHAUSTED. I uploaded some pictures to her site and sent a couple emails to people about the pictures they took today (and thanking them for wonderful meals) and now it's 8 pm and I'm in my jammies already...thankful for a loving husband, great family time, good food...and the pillow I'm about to go lay on.

Encountering Thanks

Albert Schweitzer once said "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the people who taught me to live, love, laugh and keep learning even when I thought I knew it all.

I am thankful for the friends who called and stopped by even when my little light was dim. I am thankful for the family who taught me the value of loving people well and the work ethic to keep moving forward. I am thankful for my husband who waited patiently even when he wasn't sure what he was waiting for. I am thankful for my daughter who reminded me that life is brilliantly new and constantly changing every single day.

Mostly, I am thankful to God for giving me a set of everday angels to remind to love, to teach me to change, to be honest with their own weakness so that everyday we could find the strength to worship him a little better.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1 ~

Thankful!

In the tradition of Thanksgiving (the forgotten holiday of the other white meat) I give you a writing prompt for TOMORROW!

Tomorrow we will be writing about something we're thankful for that happened to SOMEONE ELSE!

It's not about you. Understand?

So make your post and come back and leave a comment... (or leave a comment if you don't want to post) and tell us what you're thankful for.

The Day of Thankfulness Finally

So 4 things a day until Thanksgiving that I am thankful for was not as hard as I thought it would be but these last four are pretty dang important so I want you to read them...carefully...then print them...and remember to be thankful for them.

1. My Life. John 3:16 comes to mind. But I can lower it down to easy terms. I'm a complicated thing. I couldn't make me and I'm pretty crafty. I don't know anyone who can make me just the way I am except God. It's not all rose petals and triumphes of angels over here. There are struggles, sins and things that just don't work the way I think they should. But... it's my life and I'm extremely grateful that it was given to me so that I can make a fool of myself with it.

2. My Husband. I know he was sort of on the list before because he takes out the trash. But, and that's a huge but, he should be on this list for a thousand other things. He loves people well. He laughs with his whole soul. He smiles and a room lights up (ok so I'm bias...get your own husband). He's quite charming when he needs to be, he stern when I need to here it and he'll never let me win a game "just because". I'm grateful that despite all the akward things that my life has walked me through it walked me through a life with him...because he's the bestest.

3. My Family. I know everyone says that but you've never met my family. They are loud, funny, and very intimidating at first so I recommend meeting them twice. But, that second time, you're going to LOVE them. I know I do. I love the fact that grown men will play chutes and ladders one minute and then teach the 5 year old to play black jack and win all their quarters. I love that all the woman can cook so well that we're all lucky we aren't 500 lbs already. I love that my grandfather never says anything but when he does finally say something it's always the last thing in the conversation. I love that my father taught me not to let people mistake my kindness for stupidity and to prove it to them using my love...he loves everyone...even the people that should have been abandoned years ago. I love that my mother has "lorriemoments" where she does things no other rational human being would ever do...and then tries to explain them to other rational human beings. I love them all from the littlest neice to the newest mother in law and everyone in between.

4. Hope. I had a small glimpse once of a life without hope. I was in a bad situation with a bad person who was enabling me to do bad things with other bad people and occassionaly to some good and totally innocent people. I never robbed anyone or killed anyone or anything of that nature but I was just doing things that didn't feel right and I didn't have the hope or the faith to walk away. It almost killed me, it almost snuffed out the parts of me that I love the most. But somewhere in me there was a teeny tiny piece of hope. And I clung to it and others helped me to fan it till it was bright and brilliant and it could be seen from all around. I am grateful to those people but not so grateful as I am for hope. Hope is the most ingenious thing that the heavens ever created... it helps us seach the impossible, it makes us dreamers and fools but every once in awhile it makes see the bigger picture and to know that the impossible is sometimes possible and sometimes the fools are just the people who don't follow the dreamers.

Thankfulness Day 3

Again 4 more things I am thankful for...

1. Hallmark Movies. I'm addicted. I have a secret obsession. The hallmark channel and I spend a ton of quality time together. They are different than the normal every day movies in my DVD collection. They remind me of history, love and faith in a way that so subliminal that it's not even scary. It's comforting to know that some things never change...the beginning will be rocky, the middle with be dramatic and the end will be calm and comforting to the soul.

2. Squishy Pillows and Fuzzy Blankets. I am totally territorial about my bedtime stuff. Don't even touch my "squishy" (otherwise known as a pillow I've had for so long that it has the inner consistency of a well used teddy bear). I've also gotten rather attached to a fuzzy green blanket. Not because I use it (it's hot) but because my cat is rather fond of it and it keeps her from bugging me.

3. Comfort Food. Everybody has one. I could write a whole additional blog about food. I pink fuzzy heart edibles. The top of my list includes chicken tacos from my favorite hangout, my mom's fried potatoes and eggs, grandma's stuffing and my daddy's cream tuna on toast. Just not together.

4. My Hair Straightener. I don't want to sound vain because I'm not. Not Really really. But I'm very thankful that someone invented the ceramic hair straightener. My wavy and curly fro is partial to being clamped down and steamed to a nice smooth flat mane of lovely hair whenever a camera or witness might be available. I can't imagine using an iron, or before that when people just let their hair do whatever nature inspired (GASP).

Thankfulness Day 2

Again... I choose 4 things I am thankful for...

1. God's grace. Not just for the sinners and the saints but also for God's ability to teach me to love the person sitting behind me who sings off key to every hymn but makes up for it with volumne. God's ability to teach me that someone's friendship has less value than doing what I always new was right but was too scared to do. Forgiveness, Love and Hope...Faith.

2. Movies. Especially the ones I've seen over and over... American Outlaws, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Stand, The Godfather Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, My Fair Lady and so many more. The lines we quote from them " A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" or "The Lord says we can bury him out back in the orchard and no one will ever find out". The things that become part of who we are, who we love and what we fear. I heart movies.

3. Quicken. Or quickbooks. Whichever one you use. Software that does the math for you. Software that budgets, balances, adds and deducts. Software that can find the 74 cents you spent at Walgreens and that knows you'll need 800 dollars for rent. Software that saves me from doing math with a pencil and the back of a bill envelope. Software that will probably help my marriage keep from crumbling. Software that prevents unnecessary calculators and curse words.

4. Babies. Hey just because I can't have one doesn't mean I'm not thankful they are around. They smell cute (when they are clean), they look adorable, and they love us really well. And we love them...nieces, nephews, godchildrens, friends, nursery charges... they are adorable. Adorable makes the world a better place...so I'm a huge fan.

Thankfulness

I'm going to post once a day for the next 4 days 4 things I am thankful for. How was that for an akward sentence? Good. I know. Ok todays four things are as follows...

1. Husbands who take out the trash. It's a small miracle as far as I am concerned that my husband doesn't want to gag every time he takes out the trash. I think he feels the same way whenever he sees me clean the kitty litter...regardless... I'm thankful I don't have to touch trash... unless I want to... which will never happen. Ever.

2. Hello Pepsi with Ice... goodbye worries. I'm sooo thankful for the nice people at the Pepsi cola company for not changing their recipes. I mean Coke Classic, Coke, Coke with lime. It would be exhausting to try and keep up. But I don't have to because my pepsi people, they know me, they love me and they stay just the way I like them.

3. You. Blog people. No not you. You over there with the blog of your own. You people I read who's blogs are listed in the margins. Oh and Red Pens and Diapers which I just started reading. And people who have hecka cool blog names like a bra that fits & a can opener that works because that's just too cute of a blog name. I've been reading her too. I'll be adding them to my template of links as soon as I get a free moment.

4. Fog. Ya I said fog. I love fog. I love rain more. But fog is like rain only wimpy. I like wimpy rain. It's sort of like my unrelenting ability to love dorks. Dorks and fog. They are the same but different because I didn't marry fog. (I love you honey) This morning I had to wait for the fog to lift from my windshield before I could drive to work. I had to use the heater in my office to take off the chill. I almost jumped up and down with joy.