Might as well post about Thanksgiving before Christmas gets here!

I hosted my in-laws for Thanksgiving this year. I've never hosted a major holiday, so I was excited to try it out. I admit I did not make a turkey. I found an awesome meat market that fried it for me. Derek carved it the night before, and we heated the meat the day of. Such delicious turkey!

Last year my neighbor gave me 18 turkeys that she no longer needed. "In case you ever host Thanksgiving", she said. I was thinking, "Yea right." Well there I was hosting, so I put turkeys on the kids' plates for decor.

The spread. We almost lost the rolls by not realizing how high they would rise in the already packed oven. I don't have a double oven but I do have a warming tray. So we could at least store most of the food ready to serve.

All about being thankful. The middle photo is a chalkboard sign that Kaki retrieved for me at Nutcracker Market. I had thought about it and passed when I went, but I still wanted it the next day. Since Kaki had gone two days in a row, she was able to go and get it for me. I decided I would post a new bibleverse each month to help both myself and Justin learn to memorize scripture together. This first month I put 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Justin had a blast with the cousins. Joseph, Kailey, & Mason were all so good with him.

The group with our attempt at a self-portrait without a tripod. I know, I know, how can I not have one. I'm hoping Santa thinks about that this year. :-) It's nice that the extended family lives in Conroe, so they were able to come and leave all in the same day, enabling everyone to sleep comfortably that night.

All the cousins. We had to pull out the tickle machine to get Justin going on his smile.

The night after Thanksgiving, Tom & Mary Beth drove us around in the truck to look at the first glimpses of Christmas lights. We had gotten a tree that day and started putting up pumpkins in exchange for red and green. Justin loved sitting in the back of the truck, especially with Roxy along for the ride, as we purused the neighborhood. It was a fun night!