Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving?

I hope so!!

We sure did!

We were missing some of our crew, but enjoyed the ones who could be with us very much!!

I spent the whole day the Wednesday before Thanksgiving getting ready.

The children helped me!!

It was so much fun!!

We started Wednesday morning with a very simple breakfast.

Some things never change – I still love feeding these kiddos of ours!

Blake had gotten our tree up and the lights on it on Tuesday night.

The children and I decorated it on Wednesday too.

Don’t worry, we covered that spot that has no lights at the top!

We had gotten our fresh turkey from a local farm the Friday before Thanksgiving.

That turkey was HUGE!

It weighed almost 30 pounds and did not fit in our roaster.

Blake cooked it on Saturday and then picked it and froze it in a lot of broth.

It was ready to go for Thanksgiving day – it just needed to thaw and be reheated.

I had been saving the ends of our homemade bread for over a month or so.

I would just cube the leftover bread and freeze it.

I ended up having plenty for two pans of stuffing!

The first photo is not all of it from the freezer – only about half.

I also made a new potato recipe this year and it was enjoyed!

I made all of this food ahead on Wednesday to be reheated on Thursday – soon you will see why.

I also still enjoy making bread.

Honestly, cooking and baking is a great stress reliever!!

I made two Artisan Boule loaves – one on Wednesday and one very early Thursday morning.

This bread is the best gluten-free bread we have ever had – I have heard!

I still do not eat any grains, so I have not had it – but I trust my sources!

I started to run out of steam on Wednesday afternoon – so I took a cocoa break.

Sipping cocoa is a favorite around here.

Tate especially loves cocoa!!

That cocoa gave me enough energy to make the green beans and one of the salads.

And after I finished all of that, I put the chicken I had thawed for dinner in the fridge and made everyone eggs instead.

It was food!

And they ate it!

I made sure to get to bed on time and finished everything else in the early morning the next day.

First things first every morning though – my quiet time is non-negotiable.

My favorite time of the day!!

It was snowing when I woke up Thanksgiving morning and so beautiful!

We have gotten a lot more snow since then – I hear it is going to be a snowy winter here.

I am so excited about that!!

The children have been outside in it every afternoon sledding down our hills.

Anyway – my guy got the driveway cleared while I worked on baking that second loaf of bread, setting the table, and putting new candles in our candle holders.

Pretty soon it was time to GO!

We deliver meals to shut-ins every Thanksgiving day for several hours in the late morning/early afternoon.

We had helpers this year – Grant, Kamryn and baby Saylor came with us!!

It was so fun to do this all together!

I love this ministry so so much – it takes place at the La Crosse Civic Center.

After we finished our deliveries we headed back home to heat our meal, have David and Kay’s join us, and enjoy the rest of the day all together!!

It was THE BEST!!

The food was delicious, the company even better, and we all enjoyed the beginning of the holiday season very much.

Kayla bought their children matching pjs, so we needed a photo!

Aren’t they CUTE?!!

These are my grandbabies!!

They call me NaiNai!!

Briar and River spent the night with us that night.

It had been a gift for Briar’s birthday the week before!

She was allowed to bring one sibling….I did not realize that part of the gift would backfire!!

Kayla told me she heard monetary bribes going on as Briar was trying to make her choice – SO FUNNY.

Kayla promised me that River did not have to “pay up” to spend the night with her here that night.

Grand children are the best!

This is how our Jazzy and Addie’s Ruby felt at the end of Thanksgiving day – about like I felt!!

Happily exhausted!!

Well, I would finish this post with a signature sky photo so you really know it is ME!!

But I did not take any sky photos on Thanksgiving day (or the day before)!

I promise it is ME.

I have missed this space SO much.

There’s a lot I could say about all that – but that will be for another post another day!!

I honestly don’t even know if anyone will read this!!

It is our family scrapbook, though, so I know we will re-read it and enjoy these memories being kept!

I hope if you are out there you had a nice Thanksgiving too!!

Here’s hoping I can catch you up on some of the happenings in our little nest over the last eight months!!