Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I spent two or three solid days preparing for Thanksgiving, with the help of my sister and sister-in-law. It was totally exhausting, because in addition to hosting Thanksgiving (for the first time) for a dozen people, I had a two month old baby and was still pretty sleep deprived.

This year was a lot easier. Less people for one thing - 7 adults and three kids. Also I ordered all the side items -- stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, etc -- from a local meal assembly center. I picked them up yesterday and all I had to do today was put them in the oven. And cook the turkey, which I brined overnight in a mixture of vegetable broth, apple juice, and spices.

Consequently there was not a whole heck of a lot to do today. Abby, Mike and Charlie arrived this morning and we spent a lot of time hanging out outside. The weather was very nice (sunny and around 60) and lots of our neighbors were out enjoying the day while their turkeys cooked also. So there was an impromptu gathering in the cul de sac, where the kids ran around and played and the adults chatted. Charlie kept taking off down the street for no apparent reason, but other than that it was very enjoyable.

We also got Dad to download Skype and got a video chat going, though we couldn't time it properly to wave at each other during our Thanksgiving meals. Maybe next time.

Below are some pictures of Ben, Becca and cousin Charlie playing in the back yard this afternoon before dinner.