Giving thanks

Make a Smilebox greeting

We had a nice, quiet celebration this year in Baton Rouge that involved no traveling during a holiday for us for the first time in 4 years! Andrew's sister (Aunt Katie) and mom (Honey) came down to share our Thanksgiving meal and Honey brought down her amazing cornbread dressing and some wonderful pecan pie. We had an amazing feast followed by our now traditional after-dinner viewing of "Elf." I even mastered a new recipe this year -- homemade pumpkin cheesecake! Having enough to feed twenty people for a family of four really helps bring how very fortunate we are into clear perspective. Just one of many things to be thankful for this year, including stable jobs, a dry roof over our heads, reliable cars to get us where we need to go, good friends and loving families...

Katie & did some decorating of Lucy's nursery on Friday afternoon and then Honey kept Lucy that evening so Andrew & I could go out on a date for my birthday. It was so nice to actually have time to talk during a leisurely meal without being interrupted by diaper changes or bottle feeding and it really gave us a chance to reconnect. We actually started to feel like real people instead of just "parents" as we hung out drinking wine in a courtyard people watching afterwards! Andrew & Lucy gave me a beautiful necklace with her birthstone in it and a Marble Slab ice cream cake -- those two do good work! And we had some friends over for fried fish, beer, and cake on Sunday night to continue the celebration. Yum!

I am so blessed this holiday season with my little family and give thanks for my loving, supportive husband and our sweet baby girl who was definitely worth the wait.