Now and Then

I figured I better post about Thanksgiving because Christmas is just around the corner. We had the pleasure of hosting this year, which hasn't happened since 2006. As I was loading pictures on my computer, I went back to see the pictures from 2006 and I definitely had a good laugh. Hopefully you enjoy them as well, hahaha.

Now...

Making the dinner preparations with the ladies. (The boys were off playing in the Turkey Bowl.) This year, Kevin made the executive decision that we were going to have steak for dinner instead of Turkey. Sounded fine to me, but as we were doing the shopping, it felt a little weird not to buy a turkey. So, we bought a turkey roast just so we didn't completely ruin the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I used an Ina Garten recipe for herb crusted turkey, and it was delicious. It is roasted over white wine and made the whole kitchen smell awesome. We also made bacon wrapped green bean bundles, easy peasy garlic rolls, mashed potatoes, salad, my mom's yams, and of course pumpkin pie for dessert. Oh, and the boys grilled the steaks for us. Everything turned out delicious and it was nice to all sit comfortably around our new table!

The boys were on dish-duty and they did a great job :)
After dinner, Jerry and Beverly gave us an early Christmas gift. We receive new Christmas books each year, which is so fun because it was also a tradition at my house. My mom typically bought a new children's book each year, and would read it to us during the week or so before Christmas. We had a sled sitting near the tree each year that would support our stack of books. (I purchased a cute suitcase to put my books in, since they are quickly accumulating!)

Then...

I remember being nervous to host that first Thanksgiving as we had only been married for 5 months and I didn't know Kevin's family well. If I remember correctly, Bev might have even sent Kevin a list of groceries to buy so I wouldn't be stressed out. I have such fond memories of that Provo house, and although we were crammed in the kitchen around a plastic folding table with mismatched chairs, we grew to know each other better and I loved that time in my life. I was a happy little newlywed, haha. Melanie and Jeff were just dating at this point, so obviously a lot changes in 5 years!

One thing remains the same; we enjoy time with family and Kevin and I feel so incredibly grateful for the many blessings that abound in our lives. We are lucky ducks :)