We Give Thanks Today

As you read this, I am putting the finishing touches on our Thanksgiving dinner with family. Today, there will be 24 around our table. When we built this house, we ordered a huge handmade dining room table from a local furniture craftsman. In the past, we have had up to 20 persons around that table - however, in the past couple of years our numbers have grown beyond the capacity of our table, and we are now using a second table (the "kids" table).

(After the baking and the cooking... the one time this weekend that the kitchen was clean!)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Without all of the extra trappings that goes along with other holidays, Thanksgiving is simply about fellowship with those we love. Feeding those I love gives me a full heart.

And so, over the past few days, I have baked, and cooked, and prepped ahead in order to be prepared for today. The turkey is in the roasting pan. The other meats are roasting as well. The sides and desserts are prepared - all we need do, now, is sit down in communion and enjoy each other's company. My heart is happy, and, very soon, my belly will be full. Life is good.

Very soon, this empty kitchen will be overflowing with my people. There will be happy chatter, love, and laughter - and with that, every minute of preparation is returned, ten times over!

We will also have family staying with us through the weekend.

Our yearly Thanksgiving Day tradition is to join our neighbors for dinner (early afternoon)... which we did again this year (yesterday). It's another tradition for which I am grateful. And what a treat it is to have someone else do the cooking! (Thanks, Kathy!!)

Earlier, yesterday, we took our daily woods walk (in the rain - a rain we badly needed). The high-visibility vests that I had ordered for the dogs (for hunting season) had arrived and we thought it would be a good idea to get them used to wearing them.

Off we went to the woods... an army of orange!

The vests did not slow anyone down, and once again, there was barely an inch of the woods that didn't receive the sniff test.

Despite the cold temperatures, Forrest could not resist the large puddles that had formed in the outdoor arena. On our way back home, he stopped for a swim...