Thankful Sunday (Special Thanksgiving Edition!)

There is a famous story in my family about the time my Great Aunt Mildred served Thanksgiving dinner at 3 o'clock in the morning. Yes. 3:00 AM. This was years before I was born, years before even my mother was born. Suffice it to say that Great Aunt Mildred was a bit eccentric and apparently not so good with timing. 

I'm thankful that we successfully served Thanksgiving dinner to our families at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, as planned. I am so thankful (and, I confess, a bit proud) that the turkey turned out beautifully. (Thanks in part to Aimee from Simple Bites and her fantastic recipe!) 

My sister helped me cut out maple leaves for place cards. 

 Wendy did a lot of supervising while we arranged and rearranged tables and chairs.

My mother-in-law came over the day before Thanksgiving to lend a hand and watch Wendy for a few hours. I'm grateful for her constant willingness to help. (She washed all of the dishes after Thanksgiving. What more can I say?)

Thanksgiving Day: Ingredients for Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider. I started this early in the morning, right after I pulled the turkey from the refrigerator. 

Here's the bird! I set it out on the counter at 7:30 AM to come to room temperature. 

Buttering a turkey is an interesting experience. If there's a trick for getting the butter to adhere evenly, clearly I don't know about it. Good thing it all melts and distributes itself! 

Table #1. I'm thankful for that beautiful blue china, a gift from Wendy's namesake, and the antique crystal goblets from my grandmother. I have a weakness for pretty things. 

Table #2. We just recently acquired this table and four chairs from a friend. It was a blessing to be able to seat both of our families. 

I can't stop staring at the pictures of our beautiful turkey. It rested for an hour under a tent of foil and was still plenty hot. 

So thankful for another Thanksgiving with my Grandma. She was confused about many things, but it's a joy to see her smile at Wendy. 

Wendy is blessed with four fabulous aunts. 

The "kids" table. My sister-in-law and her husband, my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, and my two sisters. And Printz Charming. 

It was a tight squeeze, but we managed to fit all 14 of us into the dining room. 

Wendy had a grand time. As the only grandchild on both sides of the family, she gets a lot of undivided attention and love. I'm thankful for my first Thanksgiving with her. 

What a face! She is just beginning to appreciate books as more than just objects to chew on. I am so thankful for the love of reading passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me . . . and now hopefully to Wendy. 

All in all, a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of good food and laughter and family.