Holidays

I have always been crazy about the holiday seasons. From the end of October to the beginning of January is such a fun flurry of decorations, special dishes and extra family get togethers. Since having children, I have only enjoyed it more than ever. With one exception. For about a year after having a baby, I am just toast. Tired, sleep deprived, and committed to keeping things at a minimum so that life isn't so busy and consuming.

This year, I am glad to say my little lady is 19 months old, and I am finding energy to put toward the upcoming celebrations! In planning my menu for Thanksgiving, I have found myself excited and ready to go! So much so that I decided not to wait, and have today baked my first turkey of the season! Even though Thanksgiving is still a week away, I just couldn't wait, plus at a price of $.50 per pound, the turkeys beat out all the other meats at the grocery store for the bargain of the week!

So, 20 pounds of turkey are currently roasting away in my oven, along with 2 acorn squash and a pound of brussel sprouts! Tonight we will be feasting on that lovely turkey, and tomorrow we will be scarfing down a delicious turkey pot pie. The next day, turkey tetrazzini! I do plan to put a lovely beef and chicken bumper between this turkey and the next, so Thursday of this week and the weekend will involve meals not featuring my favorite seasonal bird!

My all consuming thought now, though, is the Christmas tree. Usually my DH prefers to wait until after Thanksgiving to put it up, but this year he uncharacteristically agreed that it might be fun to put it up early. I was shocked! His work schedule has become such that we can't really do it before the day after Thanskgiving, so my current plan is to pop that pupppy up first thing in the morning on Black Friday! I may have to make some celebratory cinnamon rolls just for fun!

For some reason today I have been overwhelmed by the amazing privilege it is to stay home with my beautiful children, teaching them, holding my babies, and making our home festive and cozy for the holidays. What an amazing blessing to know that my husband provides enough so that I get to stay here and love on our kids. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

Here's hoping your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that your eyes will be constantly open to the amazing blessings God constantly lavishes on us all!