We've been upgraded...

from the children's table to an adult table! In fact, there's a new children's table in town and it holds 3 of the cutest girlies in the world. But, I'm starting at the end of the story so let's go back...

Wednesday night started off as Thanksgiving Bakefest 2010. Kevin and I were up to our elbows in pie crust dough until roughly 2am. We successfully created a delicious dutch apple pie, a traditional pecan pie and a chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Each included homemade crust from scratch...and we didn't even have the help of a rolling pin. Enter: Inventive wine bottle roller. It works perfectly, especially since the bottle neck makes a perfect handle. Eat your heart out. And yes, you can pretty much call me Martha from now on :)


Thursday morning was full of relaxation, cinnamon rolls and "craps" (crafts) with my niece Sophia. It's amazing what fun, inexpensive things you can make if you just add a 2-year-old and the dollar store teacher's aisle. We had a lot of fun making the Thanksgiving cards including custom marker drawings and stickers, but she had even more fun handing them out to everyone at the celebration that evening!

Starting from 2:30 pm to 4:30pm, we were peeling, chopping, boiling, and mashing 3 bags of potatoes. Yep, THREE BAGS! Kevin couldn’t believe how many pots of mashed potatoes we had to make. I tried to explain that we were on a mission for a big pot of regular mashers and a big pot of sour cream-garlic mashers, but I knew he’d see the light once we ate. In the end, I walked away with one sliced knuckle and one burnt knuckle but it was a small price to pay. There were barely any potatoes left at the end of the night! The Boss clan and the Cameron/Herman clan sure know how to eat up those spuds!

Thankful circle. It's a tradition in our family. After the prayer and before the feast, we all go around the circle and share what we are thankful for. I said that I'm thankful that my husband and I both have jobs. There are so many without that we are truly blessed (even if it does require me to wake up early!). Kevin surprised me...he said more than he usually does. This year he was thankful that he could spend the holidays with our family and that he's so thankful that he's been welcomed the way he has. He said that, if he couldn't be with his real family, he's thankful to be with his other family. That man continually surprises me! :)

My darling, precious niece Peyton looked so adorable in her little pink plaid dress. She's growing up so fast. And...she sure loved her mashed potatoes. Oh man! She loved them so much, in fact, she tried to eat the plate :) I couldn't help but think...next year at this time, Peyton will be running around with Sophia and Evelyn and there will be a new batch of little babes. It's so fun having the girlies in the family - they make everything so much better. ***Makes me want one!***

After the feast and somewhere between drooling over my cousin's new kitchen table and asking her where she got it, my niece comes running full-force from the kitchen to the couch, karate chops her way into my lap, grabs each of my cheeks with her sweaty little hands, yanks my head in her direction and stares into my eyes (so close our noses are touching and I have to consciously work to not cross my eyes). Here's the conversation:

Sophia: You want a new table?
Me: Yes.
Sophia: And Chairs?
Me: Yes. Think Santa will bring a table and chairs for Christmas?
Sophia: I buys one for you!
Me: You will?
Sophia: I's promise!

Then, she squeezed my cheeks, pulled my face towards hers and gave me a huge kiss. While I was picking my heart up off the floor, she hopped down and ran away! Now that is love. This amazing creature has no idea what kind of hold she has on my heart.

Needless to say, it was a very blessed Thanksgiving for all! Now...the countdown to Christmas begins!