thanksgiving 2017.

thanksgiving has come and gone [unbelievable!], and even though i haven’t been as vocal on here lately [read: crickets], my heart has been so, so full this year.  i’m counting my blessings and was pinching myself the whole time jamie and i were back in texas for the holiday because going home for thanksgiving with a sweet boyfriend who loves me has been a dream of mine for a long time.  it feels oh so sweet, mostly because HE is oh so sweet!  and because i appreciate my family and home more than ever now that i live in colorado.  i was with all my favorite people at the same time and we just had the grandest day [and long weekend!].  there’s a lot of love in this family of ours right now, and you could definitely feel it!  ;)  here are a few snapshots of our thanksgiving day, which was friday since that’s when we could all come together:

{early on our thanksgiving morning, making a cranberry-raspberry pie!  jamie was sweet to take pictures too.}

{delicious thanksgiving brunch}

{more baking, this time the layers for mom and dad’s birthday cake to be eaten the following day!  jamie was an awesome helper.}

{the potato peelers, or “young spuds” as someone so hilariously called them!!}

{mom and dad stuffing the bird}

{dad getting ready to smoke the turkey in his green egg.}

{cranberry mules for the kids.  cheers!}

{mom made the BEST hors d’oeuvres for the porch – brown-sugar-bacon-wrapped breadsticks and cranberry brie puffs!}

{another shot of the cranberry mule because it was festive!}

{i’m so glad my handsome fella could join us this year!}

{jamie learning how dad does the turkey}

{he’s ready!}

{the beautiful thanksgiving table}

 

{i have never seen shiner stare so intently at something nor have the attention span that he had watching dad carve the turkey!!!!!  i think the smell had him captivated…}

{more of the thanksgiving table right before we sat down, because my mom’s tables are seriously magical.}

{if you look closely at the label on that wine, it’s called big guy.  we thought the dog on it looked a lot like shiner!}

{thanksgiving dinner.  there’s nothing like it.}

{just a passed-out pup!  this was from another day but i’m pretty sure shiner did this every night including thanksgiving, haha.  we would sip on wine and talk and he would lay on people’s laps and fall fast asleep…}

{this family.  i love them so.}

{…and in the spirit of last year, here’s one with shiner photobombing once again because he’s so good at it!!}

thank you to my amazing parents for hosting us, to them as well as my grandmothers for all the fantastic food, to priscilla and mike for taking the time be there [nama and mimi too!], and to jamie for coming and putting up with my crazy family!! ;)  you guys make my world go ’round!  and thank you to the good Lord for health, happiness, and lots and lots of love.  xoxo