Thankful For Thanksgiving!

Now that tomorrow is Christmas (wow! Can you believe it???), I figured it's about time to post my Thanksgiving photos. :)

Kirsten had such a blast helping grandma make delicious orange rolls in our kitchen.

She even found a new use for the bag the oranges were in. Here in eco-conscious Seattle, we teach them young how to reuse and recycle. :)

Grandpa and Uncle Jakob found some time to take Kirsten to feed the ducks at Country Village during all the food preparations.

Gosh, she's brave around animals! I won't even let a goose get that close to me! Geese are scary!

I have so much to be thankful for! Starting with my wonderful family. . . who wouldn't be thankful for these happy faces?

Our good old, down-home, traditional menu included:
*Of course. . . the bird
*ALWAYS the highlight. . . Orange rolls!
*Mashed potatoes, mashed just right and never instant!
*Cranberry sauce
*Stuffing (none for me!)
*Green beans
*Yams (I pass on these as well)
*French apple pie with ice cream and pumpkin pie for dessert!

*Natalie was thrilled to have her first Thanksgiving! Well, she was mostly interested in getting her hands in those mashed potatoes and squishing them up. But WE were thrilled to have her first Thanksgiving!

Our delicious meal with family and friends!!! I LOVE having huge dinners and big get-togethers, and I really wish our dining room and our table were big enough to invite a whole crowd of people. Someday!

It really was awesome having my family at our house, and not traveling for Thanksgiving this year. Much less stressful and tons of fun!!!

I'm thankful for SO many things that go on most people's "thankful-for" lists. . . Family, great friends, Stephen's job, freedom, God, health, and all the comforts we enjoy. Here's just a small sampling of some other things I'm thankful for:

*The perfect silence of snow falling
*The beauty of a sunset over the ocean
*Laughter, in all forms
*Snuggly, comfy kitties that purr on your lap
*Scrumptious food, the kind that makes all the calories SO worth it
*Dancing until you're so exhausted you have to lie down
*This AMAZING world and the ability to travel around it and experience it!
*Tiny, perfect baby smiles
*Hugs and kisses!
*Songs you love so much you never get tired of them
*Reading a thrilling new book
*Capturing that perfect moment in a photograph
*The anticipation of trying something new and exciting
*Clean, purifying RAIN
*Singing with a choir that's so good you get goosebumps all over
*Beautiful, priceless memories of days you'd love to relive over and over again