Thankful

We hope all of you had a happy Thanksgiving.   We stayed here in Alexandria.   While we missed being with family, we had such a fun and relaxing long weekend.   Here are the pictures.....

 

SA loves to help in the kitchen.  

Especially when we are making chocolate chip pancakes.   Her absolute favorite food.

Our Thanksgiving break started on Wednesday when we met Daddy at the mall for lunch and ice skating.

Lots of family time with these two girls and their Daddy was what I was most thankful for this year.

Seeing all the decorations at the mall got all of us into the holiday spirit.

After lunch it was time to ice skate.  

And gave it a try, but she only made it one lap before she declared it, "Too slippery."   So she and I spent the rest of our time strolling the mall.



This one, on the other hand, LOVED ice skating.  

After a few rounds with this thing, she was ready to go on her own.  



That afternoon I was so thankful for a husband who will cut out on work early to come and do this with his little girl. 

I was a horrible photo taker on Thanksgiving.   We had friends over for dinner around 3 pm and this was the table before they arrived.   I was so excited to use our china.  



My friend Beth and I split the cooking responsibilities.   But we both made cornbread dressing because we both wanted our grandmother's recipe.  ;)

SA's best friend's family came over for drinks and s'mores after dinner.   She was ecstatic about having him.

On Friday, we headed out into the bright sunshine to wait in line with all the other crazies at the botanical gardens.  

Every year they have a train display that is made of all natural materials and represents all 50 states.  

We didn't mind the line because the weather was so perfect.  

Here the girls are learning about some of the materials they use to build the exhibits. 

It was pretty spectacular.   Doesn't SA look impressed?  ;)

The Christmas trees were amazing.

This year's theme was roadside America and had displays from every state's most famous roadside spectacle. 

It was slammed, but the girls loved seeing the trains.

This was the exhibit from Tennessee.

It was a great way to spend the morning.   And we spent the afternoon eating tacos at our favorite Mexican spot so it was all in all a perfect day.

Saturday we met some friends out in the country at a Christmas Tree farm. 

It was such a cool place.   Wide open spaces to run and play.   These huge slides were so fun.

And this trampoline was so fun too.

And this swinging bridge.

All four of us had such a blast.

And look who else was there???

We came home and watched the UGA game while we decorated the tree.

Susannah was all about the tree decorating.   I can't believe she will be 7 next week. 

Sarah Avery was pretty excited about the tree too.

She especially loves to antagonize her sister by playing the singing Elena of Avalor ornament over and over again. 

 

And that was our Thanksgiving break.   Words really fail me when I try to conclude this post with a few lines about how grateful I am for this beautiful life.   It's the kind of grateful that fills up my heart until it seems swollen inside my chest and I feel like it may burst right out of me.    Never in a million years could I have imagined this life for myself.   It is sweeter and richer and more full of beauty than anything I could have ever dreamed.   So to Peter, Susannah and Sarah Avery, I would like to say, "Thank you."    For making this year so fun and memorable.   And to all of our friends and family, we are all thankful for the love and support you provide from afar.   We love and miss you all!   Happy Thanksgiving!