Giving thanks

Ooooooh what a year... So very much to be thankful for in these past months...
:: Being able to visit with family near and far (who am I kidding, they are all far away!)
:: Making new friends and having the ability to keep in touch with old ones through here and elsewhere
:: Welcoming a sweet new babe into our fold, he is all that I wanted and needed this year
:: Watching our eldest two grow into these amazing happy, healthy (and sometimes ridiculously challenging! Hello Kasper - Mama is talking to you!) little individuals
:: Having more time together and seeing even more time free up in the coming year as the hardworking hubs makes promising things happen on the workfront
:: The bounty that was our garden this year and its continued blessings as it gives to us from the pantry shelves and freezer through the coming months
:: Having a roof over our heads, a cozy place to live and a few chickens, a cat and lots of wildlife to keep us company through the year
This morning Soren headed to work early to finish early and the three littles and I headed out into the balmy dawn for a walk through the woods, the beauty was out of this world...

We came in to a yummy smelling, warm kitchen to fill our bellies with a breakfast recipe we have been eating over the past few weeks and will continue to for a lifetime (you'll thank me later for this!).

And then the eldest two donned aprons and helped Mama all morning in the kitchen making dinner, caring for the babe. We took many breaks to play together outside in the warm sunshine and enjoyed racing back in to experience the sensory onslaught of Thanksgiving dinner in and on the stove. A and K set the table and arranged the centerpiece around a table runner I recently made for us and two other sweet families as a housewarming gift. Yes, so much to be thankful for indeed!

And mostly thanks to all of you who recently made me realize this is a place that you gather to keep in touch with us... I am grateful...

(photo by AnaSofia on Thanksgiving Day)

And just because I can't resist... Here is the little turkey (seriously he weighs over 16 lbs!) that we are all over the moon about...

Don't look so nervous baby, I promise we won't eat you up!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Much love from our little home to yours!