Giving Thanks

Each year during this season, we are reminded of how thankful we are to the Lord who provides every good thing for us. He is faithful even when we are not, He causes us to persevere through trials, He guides us down a path where He is glorified most in every detail & we are refined to be more like Him.

This year we are thankful for more than could ever be listed in a blog post.......but, just to name a few things:

• our growing family
• the Lord's provision in our jobs that we both enjoy greatly
• seeing the beginnings of Charlotte's sweet personality, and her teeth!
• our friends in Orlando that seem more like family when we are all far away from home
• God's goodness in our marriage in keeping us faithful to one another & helping us deeply love & cherish one another
• the joy we are experiencing in serving at Celebration Community Church

This was our third year to host a Thanksgiving Dinner in our home & one thing we love is how the guests vary every year. This year we enjoyed time with Steve, Jenny & Karis, Eric & Jennifer, a couple from our small group & Diah, a neighbor.

Robby has become the best chef around especially when it comes to Turkey. The process begins at least 48 hours prior to Thanksgiving Day with making a homemade brine for the Turkey to soak in for 24 hours before going in the oven. After soaking, the Turkey is stuffed with an array of spices, apples & cinnamon sticks. As many of you have experienced, the smell of a turkey cooking is amazing.....and it was! We had homemade rolls that are Jenny's dad's recipe, Kickin' Potatoes (one of my favs), green bean casserole & stuffing topped off by some fabulous desserts.

Here we are with the Turkey......notice the growing baby bump.

It looked much larger after the meal if you know what I mean ; )

the fam, Karis is now 3 months old & Charlotte is 16 months

These two are so cute together : )

Karis gets LOTS of kisses every time she comes over!

Jenny, Steve & Karis eating dinner

I think the photo below belongs in a magazine! Seriously, this Turkey is to die for!

Jenny made our pumpkin & pecan pies & I made the mini chocolate pies. The chocolate pie is a recipe that my Grandmother Alene made for holidays for as long as I can remember. I will say it has never been replicated as delicious as she made it but I hope to get closer with each attempt : )


Black Friday for us involves NO shopping unless we are picking up a few last minute ingredients for our yearly supply of Turkey Soup. We have given the day a new name...."Dia de Zuppa." It involves pretty much an entire day of work returning nearly 7 gallons of soup. We did two types this year, one basic Turkey Soup with celery, onion, carrots & tomato base. The other, my favorite, Southwest Turkey Soup. This one has rice, corn, black beans, caramelized onion, jalapenos, rotel, green onions & LOTS of spice. I am basically assistant to the chef doing lots of cleaning and moving things around to make room for whatever he needs. I personally am thankful for the husband I have today & everyday, my personal chef, Charlotte entertainer, dog caretaker.....you get the idea. I spent a good part of the day on the couch fighting off pregnancy induced nausea & vomiting accompanied with major sleepiness : ) He was a wonderful husband today!

Here is the finished product & oh how I wish could capture the smell for you!

We pray your Thanksgiving was filled with thankfulness to the Lord for what He has done in your life & those around you. Crazy enough, can't believe Christmas is just around the corner! Bring on the decorations!