A Very Happy Thanksgiving to All!

If you know us, then you know that we just celebrated the most important holiday in our house. And we celebrate Thanksgiving 3 times! We celebrate Friends-giving, Reese-giving, and Thanksgiving.

So we celebrated our anniversary early with our friends. But can I tell you a quick story? Well, we know me, and it won't be quick! I know that I like to talk. Focus. Two weeks before Friends-giving, I called the grocery store and asked them to order a 25 pound turkey. It was now a week before,  and they had not called me to tell me that the turkey was going to happen. So I went in and asked. And they said they would call me on Monday... such a long weekend. Monday happened, and they couldn't get me a turkey that big. There wasn't a problem last year. And I wasn't pregnant and crying then either. So I tried another grocery store. Same results. They could get me two 14 pound turkeys, but nothing bigger. Because they were stock piling for Thanksgiving. And couldn't sell them to a customer. Crazy talk right?

In the end? I went for the two 14 pound turkeys because I didn't have a choice at all. And then I got to thinking? Two turkeys? One oven? Same cooking time? It is the same amount of turkey. But more surface area. But less thick. So I went for it and started cooking around the same time as if it was only the 1 huge monster. Turned out? Of course it did! It was me cooking turkey. DUH!

So the turkeys (remember I made two) were done about an hour and a half early. Thank goodness I checked them because had I left them alone, we would have been SCREWED! So the turkeys came out and got to rest. The best part? I was able to cook the gravy and dressing in peace. In the past, I have had a million friends in the kitchen once the turkey was out and I couldn't make the rest of the meal in peace. For the first time in 4 years, the gravy came out PERFECTLY! Sorry to all the people who have "helped" in the past. I officially don't want help at all.
Sorry. Don't hate me.

Because I had so much time and I was able to cook everything myself with minimal interference, I decided to repeat the double turkeys again for Reese Thanksgiving. It was wonderful again! I couldn't believe that my supposed misfortune turned into a wonderful surprise! I was so upset for nothing.

And this year, I only cooked two turkeys twice. For actual Thanksgiving, we traveled North to celebrate with my family. We have two weddings down here that my parents are coming for, so they were not going to make that journey 3 times in 3 weeks. So we went to them and enjoyed Thanksgiving with my parents, siblings, and grandparents.

We have been blessed this year, and we are thankful for so much.

• all the love we experience every day
• for the friendship we have in one another
• for the friends we have both near and far who are willing to help us
• for the friends who love our dogs enough to dog-sit when we are away for a weekend
• vacations
• the beach
• a strong margarita (clearly not now for me)
• a delicious Octoberfest beer
• the ability to donate time and money to those less fortunate 
• the ability to eat and keep our house warm
• fried food and chocolate milk
• jobs we love, or at least enjoy most of the time
• video chats with family and friends
• friends who visit
• family we love to spend time with, siblings, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles & cousins
• and for the little nugget on the way. We cannot wait to meet you in March!