Nov 25

There were so many things today to be thankful for and I thought - oh, that's what I will write about today... except now it's late and I can't remember any of them.

The only one I can remember is it's own post for another time. Watch for it, as it will be titled "Compulsively Honest."

A few weeks ago as Alec and I sat down to really take a good look at the coming madness known as the "holidays" I went off and said how much Thanksgiving really wasn't much fun for me. I love to cook. I love to cook with my family. But by time you get the house clean - and keep it clean, which all Moms know what it takes to keep a clean house clean; plan, buy, prepare all the food - and then if you do sit down to a table, we are usually done within a half hour and all people really want is the pie - and then the rest of the day everyone talks about how full they are. Is that really the way it suppose to be, the way we want it to be for our family? When I mentioned and while I do all "this" you watch football (I wasn't complaining, just pointing it out) and his honest response was that he wanted to help but always felt like he was in the way. Which I think any woman or cook, that has pulled off Thanksgiving or some other magnificent feast knows, that when people mess with the plan (or help) sometimes it can be stressful. So this year, we decided to take a different tactic. We will make the meat a a favorite side or two and then we kept inviting "family-less families" to join us, they each bring their favorite sides and dessert and Thanksgiving will be relatively painless. I am calmer than I have ever been. I am prepared and don't feel like I have to time-schedule a feast. Just make sure the turkey and ham are finished at the time I told everyone to be here.

Paper plates. Check.
napkins. check.
paper cups. check.
ham. check.
turkey. check. (thanks parents)

Tomorrow we make pies for a homeschool project.

Did I mention we are up to 25 guests.

Wowsers.

I am too blessed to stress. (I got that from my hubby)