Thanks in our hours

7:12 am, backyard blue spruce and snow

8:18am, kids off school, stacking cups as Juicebox glides

9:27am, Aidan and Ryley watch the Macy’s Parade

9:51am, Joel’s yellow carnations. I allowed him to chose the flowers for the centerpiece this year. He did a good job.

10:09am, I made coffee cake this morning, using Shannon’s recipe. It went well with Kona and the Target ad.

11:41am, Snoopy Thanksgiving—the kids have anticipated their self-prepared feast for days. This is our seventh year. It’s Beatrix’s first year to participate, although she was limited to toast.

12:58pm, we return from a walk, thoroughly chilled but invigorated

Our neighborhood totem pole:

Aidan:

Tommy:

1:33pm, Joel (still in his favorite hat) makes a guy from leftover pretzels and jellybeans

2:55pm, the table is set

3:55pm, dinner is served. I made sauteed new red potatoes and butternut squash and green bean casserole. My husband made beer-battered turkey strips, which we dipped in various sauces. We boiled cranberries, beer, orange zest, and honey together for one sauce. Obviously, we didn’t roast a turkey this year—we called it our Alternative Thanksgiving. Same sentiments, same foods, just a little changed up for fun.

4:34pm, dinner is over

5:30pm, clean and put away. The silver was my Grandma Mary’s, and the china was my husband’s grandmother’s. It’s funny—usually, when we have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we end up using our regular dishes or even fancy paper plates. But because we had time to spare with our easy Thanksgiving, we broke out the fancy dishes, prompting Ryley to remark we were eating like rich people.

6:20pm, the kids play the best memory/matching game in history, Husker Du.

7:25pm, finally. Dessert. I made pumpkin tartlets. They were very easy—vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie filling mixed together and poured into mini graham cracker pie shells. Everyone got their own little pie, topped with whipped cream.

I am tired, but happy.

The end.