Hello Blogland! Here we are on the post side of Thanksgiving--wondering what to do with all that leftover turkey ( chicken turkey salad, anyone?), and why are the buttons of my clothes suddenly pulling a little bit more than before? Maybe it was that extra piece of pecan pie, or the sampling of every single dessert at the church Thanksgiving dinner? {wouldn't want anyone's feelings to get hurt because they didn't see a slice or dip of their sweet concoction on your plate, now, would we?}
Thanksgiving was a whirl, but a whirl of warmth, love, and family. We started early on Thursday morning and squeezed in visits with both sides of John's family. John's aunt and uncle on his Mom's side have the most beautiful place in the country! They purchased an old, dilapidated "dog-trot" style house several years ago and restored it to a livable condition. It is rustic, historic, and absolutely breath-taking! There is plenty of room on the rolling hillside for kids to romp and roll and rice tricycles down at break-neck speeds (I'll give you one guess at who tried that stunt). The house boasts an end-to-end front porch complete with swing and rockers. I could sit on that porch all. day. long. and gaze at the view of the pasture across the street (breath-taking), and John and I did just that for most of the day.
John has been sent to south Louisiana to assist with an audit that will last well into and maybe past January. He is gone four days a week and need I say I do not like it? I just do not SLEEP well with my other half gone, laying awake listening to every sound, and when I do drift off I start awake with every groan and creak and falling of ice in the refrigerator. But last week, they sent him home on Tuesday night and we got to have him home for five whole days. That, my friends, was the best part of my Thanksgiving.
There were so many sit-back-and-watch-in-contentment, sweet moments, that probably would just sound sappy to anyone else, but I tucked them into my heart, to keep me warm on the cold, lonely nights of the week ahead. Moments of a Daddy bonding with his little girls, and a little boy tromping around the house in his "huntin' boots", shadowing his Daddy's every move with hero-worship in his eyes.
Care for some visual aid?
This is Beamie (John's Mom), with Emma and Bear on said rustic swing.
My very own sweet man, carving up the turkey!
Tomato pies, a recipe I stole from my Mom and is always a crowd-pleaser!
Cousins playing in the countryside.
I snuck in a side shot of the Great-grandparents and all the great-grandchildren (minus two) while having a photo session. I'm sure the official photographer got a better shot.
Thank goodness for Thanksgiving!
