Thanksgiving for four

We had a very abnormal Thanksgiving this year.  There were just four people or really two people and two little miniatures surrounded by the traditional mounds of Thanksgiving fare.  Growing up with almost a hundred cousins (ok, maybe closer to 50) Thanksgiving was a massive affair.  I can't even imagine how many cans of olives it took for all of us to cover every finger with them!  We only have one olive lover (other than me.)

The "larger" Astill's have been just too big to get everyone together for years and it's become each family with our growing ranks of spouses and a new generation of cousins.  Our small gathering is usually around 20 or so.  Normally this would have been our year to go home for Thanksgiving, but with the buyout a few years ago at Tom's work some of the niceties like being able to take time off around the holidays have gone by the wayside.  Pout, pout :(  I know, so pathetic.  So, here we were in Colorado for the first time without plans.

Fina generous as always offered to have us at her house, but honestly we've abused Fina enough over the last four years!  The last time we hosted a holiday was Christmas before Logan and Lila was born.  So, we decided to do our own little Thanksgiving and then meet up with them for desert.

We decided to cheat a little and order the main stuff (Turkey, stuffing, mashed, cranberry sauce and gravy) through King Soopers.  It was still a surprising amount of work to throw it all together by 12:30 so the kids wouldn't miss their sacred nap time.  We still made our own rolls, green bean casserole, extra stuffing, corn warmed up all the stuff we had bought (who knew a precooked turkey took three hours to reheat?0 Also, at the last minute I had to rescue their hopelessly tasteless gravy with the drippings from re-warming turkey and some kitchen magic. But we did it!

I wanted the kids to experience it as a special meal so I pulled out the table cloth and cloth napkins, my china and silverware, and our cute little owl silverware holders.  I had them help me set the table which lasted all of two minutes but they got the idea.  When it came time to eat the extra effort had actually made a difference.  Usually they eat the minimum or mostly bread and then ask to be excused.  They actually sat at the table and talked to us.  I'l never remember exactly what they were talking about but I'll always remember their little faces laughing and talking.  They lingered far longer than usual and then ran off into their little preschool world of made up games and pet puppies that look like kids.

A little camera self-timer picture

Adorable owls

Logan loved the Martinelli's Sparkling cider

For desert at Fina's I made pumpkin pie from Grandma Buie's indecipherable recipe (which by the way I wrote out in a format that I can actually follow on ziplist.)  It made me smile how it starts as a single recipe and then midway tells you that if you double everything above and added... it would make...Her recipe uses A LOT more spices than the traditional recipe on the can and that's what makes it amazing!  They turned out perfect and to my happy surprise Lila and Logan loved it.  Maybe because they "helped" me :). The kids banged around the house and had a great time together.  It's so fun to have them all old enough to go off and play by themselves.  They love each other so much.  And miracle of all miracles, Logan finally gave Fina a hug.  It's been a bit of a power struggle between the two of them for at least a year or maybe two.  He knows she really wants one, so he holds out.  A holiday miracle!

No matter how hard this year has been, and physically it's been brutal, we have so much to be grateful for.  I'm grateful that we have a job, that my kids are healthy, we have amazing friend and family, a beautiful new house and a great new ward.  I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life which reminds me every day that I won't have this body forever and I just have to hang in there.  What a blessing to know that everything in our lives good or bad has a purpose and can help us move closer to God.  What would a life without that knowledge be like?  I certainly hope I never find out.

I may struggle day to day just to keep up with the basics of life but taking the extra effort to make a special meal reminded me why I wake up every day determined to keep fighting, determined to give my kids the life they deserve.  Determined to create for them all the special memories of family traditions I grew up with.  Because through it all I have been blessed.  And through the grace of my Savior I'll do better than my best as I lean on his atonement.  He has suffered not just for my sins but also for my weaknesses and trials.  He has felt every pain I will ever feel and can carry me when I just can't do it anymore.  I am truly blessed.