Give Thanks...

Hi, my name is Sydney, and I slept until NOON yesterday.

True story.

This baby must be going through a growth spurt because she's sleeping so late in the mornings.  I finally went in at noon and woke her up.  We had errands to run and needed to start Thanksgiving prep.

Pretzel sticks at the mall…Amelia's fave.

I've been in the kitchen for the last 5 hours.  I'm finished with all of my baking.  Nothing makes you feel more domestic that making your own pie crust.  And using a pastry cutter.

Yes, that's butter on top.  

Pioneer Woman made me do it.

I love her flat apple pie recipe.

Chocolate pie.  Love.

This was my first time to make a pumpkin pie.  Come to find out (17 years later - oops)…it's my husband's favorite.  I don't care for pumpkin pie, so he'll be the judge if it's good or not.  

Two batches of cranberry/orange sauce.  Seriously, I can never eat cranberry sauce out of the can again.  This stuff is SO MUCH BETTER.

These sweet things are ready for me to make them into a sweet potato casserole.  I've never made this before either.   My sister shared our Great-Grandmother's recipe.  This is one of the dishes I'm taking to my in-laws tomorrow.  Hope they like it!

Brussels sprouts/cranberries ready for the oven.  

We'll be spending this evening with my family and tomorrow with my in-laws. 

I'm thankful for my gift of a husband.  

I'm thankful for our two daughters.

I'm thankful for time with our families.  You never know what tomorrow holds.  I want to love well, the family God gave me.  

I'm thankful for my church family.

I'm thankful for the privilege to worship God freely.

I'm thankful for those who fight for my freedom.

I'm thankful for our friends.

I'm thankful for Community Bible Study.  It has been a blessing to me and my girls this year.  

I'm thankful for the good health of our families.   

I'm thankful for the roof over my head and a warm bed.

I'm thankful for a vehicle to take me wherever I need to go.

I'm thankful that God has provided for our needs and blessed us with many of our wants.

I'm thankful for the ministry that God has called us to.

I'm thankful for the good in this dark world.  I try not to dwell on the bad because it can consume me if I let it.  God wants me to fix my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  He wants me to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. -Philippians 4:8

I want to live each day with a thankful heart.

I'm incredibly blessed and it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my Jesus.  I'm so thankful that He died for me so that I may have life, and have it abundantly!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love to all,