The countdown continues...

As I reflect on all I had to be grateful for over Thanksgiving, of course one of my greatest blessings was being surrounded by my family and spending time with them.  I mentioned our anniversary dinner the night before Thanksgiving, but that didn't mean that holiday cooking had stopped...oh no, there were plenty of extra hands in the kitchen the night before Thanksgiving!  First it was the pumpkin and cherry pie makers (and by pie, I mean from scratch--starting with roasting pie pumpkins, homemade pie crust and real cherries!!)

And when those pies were done, the apple pie makers took over:

 Followed by the dessert makers:

who crafted darling cookie/marshmallow pilgrim hats and turkey (red velvet!) cupcakes:

Which all led to all around merriment and good cheer and lots and lots of desserts the next day, that were all clearly enjoyed:

Desserts so good that you had to try more than one!

(not my plate...)

(this one wasn't mine either...I know better than to photograph what I eat!)

But I have now literally put dessert before the meal!  After all the cooking and preparation and dealing with a really big bird (27 pounds...too big to fit in my roasting pan!) and before all the sweet treats at the end, my biggest blessing was seeing all these smiling faces around my table (we all squeezed in close so we could fit the "kids'" table at the end of my dining room table so we could all be together--which made for different tablecloths, different plates and mismatched silverware, but there was the same smile on everyone's face and that's all that truly mattered):

And if you have read my blog for any length of time now, you already know what followed--lots and lots of lively discussions at the table for hours!  

It was wonderful sharing this time with my brother and his lovely wife:

as well as getting to hang out with him, since we don't get to see each other very often:

And perhaps best of all, sitting back and watching my brother and husband take care of all the dishes following our holiday feast!!

Now that's something to really feel blessed about!!

Thank God for dirty dishes

Thank God for dirty dishes,
They have a tale to tell.
While other folks go hungry,
We're eating very well.
With home and health and happiness,
We surely shouldn't fuss.
For by this stack of evidence,
Life's been good to us.