Thanksgiving

This year we spent Thanksgiving at home, just the four of us. It is always special to celebrate the big holidays with our extended family - however, it was also quite nice to just be the immediate family. We have so very much to be thankful for - our two wonderful boys, our entire extended family, our health, Phil's job, our home, our friends....the list goes on. This year, we had a special reason to feel particularly thankful - little 1-year-old cousin Oskar in Atlanta was hospitalized in very critical condition last weekend with a serious case of pneumonia. Miraculously, he made it home for Thanksgiving! We are so grateful and thankful for his amazing recovery.
Our day was spent playing, cooking and eating. Phil and the boys entertained themselves in the basement for much of the morning while I set about preparing our great Thanksgiving feast. A neighbor had gotten his hands on some free range, organic turkeys that had been pecking around until just a couple of days before Thanksgiving - I think this was the freshest turkey we have ever eaten! To go along with the turkey, we had: wild mushroom and spinach stuffing; citrus glazed carrots; roasted fennel & onion puree mashed into potatoes (delicious!); brussel sprouts with raisins and bacon; orange zested cranberry sauce; and of course a delicious gravy. Needless to say, it took quite some time to prepare this all, but the whole process was really relaxing and enjoyable for me.
In the afternoon while the turkey roasted, Kai napped, Phil watched some football, and Noah and I went out for a bit of fresh air. We've had the second warmest November in recorded history and have been spoiled with sunny days where hats and gloves have been left to collect dust in a drawer. Noah decided that this special day called for a longer walk - unfortunately, we were both completely under-dressed (no hats or gloves) and by the time we made it home, we were frozen to the core. Poor Noah was whimpering, "I think I can" for the last few blocks. At least we built up very hearty appetites for dinner!
When it was time to eat, Phil opened a fabulous bottle of Pinot - what a treat! We went around the table saying what we were thankful for. At preschool the past few weeks, Noah's class has been talking a lot about being thankful. Noah had decided that he was thankful for eggs and stuck with that for the last week or so. However, when it was time for his turn around the table, he decided that he was actually thankful for cauliflower! Interesting..... Even though I was the chef and probably should not be complimenting my own meal, I must say that everything turned out just perfectly. I put a little of everything on each of the boys plates and both Kai and Noah devoured it all which made this chef very happy. Kai was not too keen on the brussel sprouts but Noah loved them - he must have inherited Phil's gene for that!
After a bit of digestion, we finished off our meal with a slice of apple pie, purchased at a local orchard. The boys went off to bed while Phil and I enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing evening. What a perfect Thanksgiving day!