Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving as I did. Thanks to Megan and Joanna for a beautifully decorated table! Thanks to Kevin and Wendi for hosting the party. Thanks to all who contributed to the food fest and congratulations to .....

the 2008 turkey king.... Mr. Eric Lee! Although, I have to say, they were all three delicious and very hard to choose just one. We had one BBQ'd, one smoked and one herb roasted. Great work boys! I had a great time just hanging out all day with my entire family. I have six very funny brothers and six beautiful sister in laws all made possible by some incredible grandparents and a set of the best parents possible. Thank you all for being my family! And, because I ate quite a large handful of candy corn and never once said my thank you's, here you go....

I am thankful for....

Of course, my family. My Sweet wonderful husband who has never said an unkind thing to me in his life even when I have deserved it. Who never talks about anyone in any unkind way. A husband who lets me be sassy and still somehow thinks I am "it." A husband who lets me stay home and be a mom and even with puffy eyes and chubby thighs still makes me feel like a super model. I am thankful for my children and their many, many talents. For their desire to please and succeed. For their good hearts and desire to choose the right. For the way that my children are patient and loving with our little Tate. I am especially thankful that this week Tate started to say "mom", or sometimes "om". Either way, the most beautiful music there is.

I am thankful for my home and the beautiful neighborhood that I live in. For such great neighbors and friends who support me in all I do. I am thankful for my health and my energy. For grocery stores on every corner and cars to get there. I am thankful that I can go to church and worship how I please. I am thankful that I have faith that there is a God in heaven who loves me and wants me to succeed in life. Who is there when I am sincerely "done".

I am thankful for the wonderful friends that I have made from this blog who have taught me so much. Who have inspired me to learn more and share. I am thankful for it all. I have had such a blessed life and can't wait to see what the next year has for us! We all talk about what hard times these are, economically, emotionally, politically. But, we can't look past what plentiful blessings we have daily. Our freedom, our family, our church our health. We are blessed. I am thankful!

For a little something now to share....
I made some delicious pumpkin pancakes Thanksgiving morning and thought I would pass the recipe along. This is a great time to stock up on canned pumpkin. I bought several for $1 per can. These are good until the end of 2011 so stock up! They would be a welcomed addition to the year supply for a bit of variety. Here you go....

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 T brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. vinegar

Mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Add more milk if necessary. Cook on griddle.