Thanksgiving weekend

Our modern day American Thanksgiving may be just one day, but according to Calvin's library book the original Pilgrim celebration lasted for several days.  We don't remember our elementary lessons well enough to back that up, but we're not ones to look a party horse in the mouth, nor are we to be outdone, so this year our celebration lasted for six days and took on several different forms.  On Wednesday afternoon we celebrated with that good old Thanksgiving tradition - baking - when Calvin and I made a pumpkin pie from scratch; meaning, that is, from a pumpkin.  Wednesday night we ventured a little farther from the norm and celebrated love by attending the Baptism of our Godson, Isaac.  Turkey day itself was a whole family affair this year, with both sets of grandparents, aunt, uncle, and even an extra friend sitting at table together to partake in all the yummy treats of this very flavorful holiday.  After a meal like that one can't very well just sit around, so on Friday morning we set out to find our 2008 Christmas tree, a process that might have been easier if the online tree farm lists were general updated.  As it was we found ourselves driving out to a farm in Saline whose only ornamentation was the "Closed. Out of business." sign out front.  Never fear, a half hour drive past Chelsea found us a passable harvest, and while our living room might want for space right now, it is sporting a beautiful scotch pine replete with a lifetime's bounty of meaningful ornaments.  We finished our decorating at a record pace this year because we continued our thanks giving by hosting a dinner party on Saturday night and a brunch at Sunday noon and wanted to use our Christmas dishes for both events.  Our house was filled with the sound of toddler play both times, and not a single garnish or bauble was broken, so we consider both parties to have been successful.  And that brings us to Sunday evening, when we traded our finery for pajamas, our fancy meals for quick soup, and our frolicking for an evening by the fire singing Christmas carols, just us three.  We did a lot of giving thanks this weekend, for family, for friends, and for all the accoutrements of our daily life, and then we quietly gave thanks for the those little moments between and all the joys they bring.  Especially the mounds of shoveling that awaited me this morning, and Calvin's rendition of "Over the River" to which he treated me (and the neighbors) while I worked.

Scads of pictures in the November 2008 album.