Morning Nahptime: Giving Thanks 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Giving Thanks 2012

Thanksgiving week heaped up blessings for my family on both sides. Zak and I visited his family while celebrating the wedding, and then went back home where they joined us for the Thanksgiving meal. We found out one of my cousins had a baby, and another just got engaged. Add that to our sister's mission call to Ohio(!), and it's been quite eventful.

Since Zak and I have been married, we've always stayed at his parents' house, had Thanksgiving lunch with his immediate family, and then driven to my Grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner with the extended family. Because we're so close to paying off our student loans and other debts, we decided that this year we'd just stay home and travel around Christmas time. His parents offered to drive up to us on Thanksgiving so we could still celebrate together.

Mom and I made food assignments, so I found recipes on Pinterest and gathered the ingredients on Monday before we left. Thanks thepioneerwoman.com. We got back late Tuesday night, and then I worked about ten hours on Wednesday, so I didn't have much time to bake the food beforehand. That morning, Niki helped make a salad, Zak set the alarm so he could get the turkey in the oven early enough, I prepared the potatoes and sweet potatoes for baking, and Mom organized the half of our meal which she brought, fit for royalty.

At Mom and Dad Porter's house, we get to write in permanent marker on the Thanksgiving tablecloth each year, listing blessings for which we are grateful. I love it! Zak and I pulled out a tablecloth I had already ruined with a bleach spot, and everyone wrote messages of gratitude.

Grandma's and Grandpa's babies.

My in-laws are so sweet, they left us with all of the leftovers, so I, rejoicing, didn't have to make dinner for a week. I'm grateful that we have a holiday all about eating food, spending time with family, and remembering blessings.