~ Our Day of Thanks ~

I am so very lucky and thankful that I have a husband who loves to cook!!!  

We were planning on deep frying our turkey again this year and had to go out the day before to get a new propane tank.  The young man who was assisting me, asked if I was frying the turkey for my family.  I quickly said, "oh no, my husband is" ... his brow wrinkled and he asked if I wasn't afraid that my husband would ruin dinner.... LOL.  I explained to him that Craig is really the cook in our family and as he's part of a world class cooking team, he cooks really really well!  After Craig met up with us, the young man told Craig "man, I wish you were my Dad!".  =)

On Thanksgiving, we planned a quiet, just the two of us kind of day... so had fun just playing around in the morning and cooking together in the afternoon.  Craig was focused on the turkey, injecting it with Cajun Butter & Lemon Garlic Butter (yum!) and I took care of the sweet yams, green bean casserole, and a delicious dreamy salad.  

We watched a little football, a little 007, and then we had a surprise visitor, Danielle "Gail" Cornelius, one of Craig's oldest friends, whom he's known since she was a little kid.  It was my first time meeting her, but after chatting on facebook for the last year, I felt I knew (and loved) her already.  Craig was thrilled to see her again ... It was a nice end to a beautiful day.

The turkey is frying!

And it's ready to eat!!

Turkey, Green Beans, Sweet Yam... YUM!

And a little salad! =)

We're both stuffed.. and ready for a nap!

This day is really one of thanks... and I'm so very thankful for all my many blessings, and thankful to my Lord God, who makes all my blessings possible!! I am thankful for all my blessings ~ the LOVE of my LIFE.. my own Prince Charming, who makes me smile every day!  My amazing son, his happiness & health... his amazing girlfriend Magan, my family who loves and supports each other, my extended family who welcomes me in their midst, our beautiful and wonderful grandkids, friends who keep me laughing, a home, a beautiful yard, yummy food, and a strong belief in good things to come!  I am truly blessed!!!

~ My Favorite Time of Year ~

Have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE autumn???  I love the changing colors of the leaves, I love the nip in the air that demands a light sweater, I love having a fire on the patio on weekend mornings or evenings with Craig, I love the fashions of fall.... boots, sweaters, scarves... I love having hot soup, cider, warm bread.

Now that I'm living in Texas, fall means cooler temperatures [finally!] so I can truly appreciate being outside, fewer bugs, cooler nights... I love leaving the window open a crack and getting that crisp cool air blowing in during the night, and I do get to wear the occasional sweater, so I'm happy.  

Here in Houston, it's still very green and beautiful this time of year ~ as you can see from the pictures below.  Our roses continue to bloom, our Hibiscus flowers have new blooms every day, and I enjoy it all even more with the average 70-75 degree temperatures that we are so spoiled with!

I love Thanksgiving time, when we take a moment to slow down and think about all that we are so grateful for... and we're even pretty good at expressing all that we're thankful for, so our families and friends know how much we appreciate them =)  I love the holiday season... the promise of it... the music... the excited and happy children who are trying, so very hard, to be really really good!  

I have so many blessings... and so very much to be grateful for this year.  First and foremost, Chad's amazing progress and continued good health!  His recent Doctor visit shows excellent numbers and the encouraging news that his body is responding very well to the surgery and treatment and he is now 7 months CANCER FREE!!!  I am so grateful for medical advancements, good Doctors, Chad's sweetheart Magan, my family and friends love and support, their continued prayers, and a loving God.

I am grateful for my sweet and loving husband, who surprises me everyday in one way or another. Craig can make me laugh or smile, and yes, as Chad mentioned in his wedding toast, "giggle like a school girl"... I adore him and all that he is.

I am grateful for my loving family ~ parents, sisters, brothers, in-laws, future in-laws, nieces and nephews, GRANDKIDS... It's so much fun being a Grandma and I'm so thankful for their love and acceptance, so freely given.  

Thank you ALL for being a part of my life ~ for bringing me joy, laughter, and LOVE.  I love you!! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Perfect Hibiscus 

Just one of our 10 Hibiscus Plants

An unusual color Hibiscus

Our White Roses

Our Yellow Roses

Pretty Bougainvillea!

An unbelievable SUNRISE!

So beautiful and colorful!!

A view of our much-used patio

A view of our yard

Craig's grills & firepits

~ Celebrating USMC Birthday & Veteran's Day ~ Thank You Dad!

Thank you Dad ~ for your service, your courage, your patriotism, your honor, your integrity ... and for teaching us about the importance of all these things in our daily lives.  You are loved and appreciated more than you know.

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