Thanksgiving highlights...

...in no particular order.

Learning to make apple pie from Grandma on Thanksgiving eve.Kate's first visit from the toothfairy: Thanksgiving morning Kate woke up thrilled to find $2 in a hand-made pillow grandma had brought with her. (Is the tooth fairy cheap for a first tooth? )

Doughnuts: Wednesday the kids and I picked up Barthules from the train and all headed to Winco. Grandma and I shopped while the kids and Grandpa wandered around in their own cart eating doughnuts.

Friends: I got to have a running date with Shanti then a walking date with Danee and company. How fantastic to start the holiday with such great friends.

Honey in the kitchen: When I got back I was running a bit behind, so Brent jumped in and made the stuffing. The man took the kitchen by storm. Honey, I didn't know you could cook like that. You rocked that apple-bacon cornbread stuffing!

Guacamole, good food, and good conversation: Yvonne welcomed us to her place properly with some amazing guacamole and chips, and things just got better from there. During the feast the kids were all hid away in the kitchen at their own table, with the door shut. I don’t even know what they ate, although I know it involved rolls.

Getting crafty. After the boys played Wii, and all the girls cut and glued and sewed tags and ornaments for Andrea's festival-of-trees tree she does for charity. It was so fun chatting and doing "fancy work." Andrea got an amazing bid for her tree. Congrats Andrea! It was worth the year of bargain shopping and bugging sponsors!

Stories of Thanksgiving Past: I love being let in on moments of reminiscing. Grandma told us she used have friends come out to the country for Thanksgiving and they would all roller skate along the packed dirt road two miles to the candy store. Grandpa played football every year. And after one particular game he realized he'd gotten so muddy he couldn't go home like that. So he stopped by a friends house and the mother came to his rescue, and sent him home cleaned up.