Giving Thanks

Our Thanksgiving this year was busier than usual - and we were OK with that.  It was our first big meal in our new dining room, and we were able to fit 12 people around the tables with no trouble.

On Thanksgiving Day, friends Troy and Melissa came over for dinner.  We enjoyed all of the traditional foods of the day, but what we loved even more was getting a chance to know these dear friends and their family a little better.  It turns out that Melissa and I grew up in towns next to each other, and she graduated from high school with an old friend of mine.  It is truly a small world!

All of the kids especially enjoyed our Gratitude tree, in which we each wrote things for which we were thankful.  It made the perfect centerpiece.

Two days later, we hosted our neighbors, the Campbells, over for another feast, this time with ham and other fixings.  Seven kids make for a fun (if not loud) evening.  We even made turkeys out of cookies, frosting and candy (what's not to love?!)

Here's Luke with his happy turkey.  I was attempting to take a pic of each of the kids with their creations, but this is how I found Annabel:

Oh well - I'm pretty sure that she was thankful!