We celebrated Thanksgiving today with a big delicious dinner. Here are a few pictures from our feast.

We had a yummy Spinach Salad,
Mashed Russet and Sweet Potatoes,
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits,

Steamed Asparagus,

and Turkey.
At least that is what we are calling it. You see, I didn't realize that the 7 lb bird I bought at the store, the one that I thought was a turkey was actually a chicken! I was thinking to myself as I pulled it out of the oven, this is the best turkey I have ever made, it is perfectly golden brown and wonderfully moist. Then Robert broke the news... my beautifully roasted bird was actually not a turkey at all! (sigh)

That's okay, we had a great Thanksgiving despite of the inadvertent meat mix-up. If nothing else we discovered that with good mashed potatoes, a little cranberry sauce and some gravy, no one can tell the difference. And the truth is (at my house anyway) a Thanksgiving feast is really all about the pie and since I didn't mess that up, everything worked out just fine!

We decided to spend Thanksgiving this year serving Thanksgiving Dinner to the community through the local Methodist church. It was awesome! They asked us to show up at 11 am and when we did they put us right to work. Spencer and I worked in the kitchen making casseroles while Ross and Robert worked in the main room preparing tables and gift bags. We worked steadily until 1 pm when the doors were opened and people started to arrive. Spencer and I served food from the main serving line and Robert and Ross served desserts. As the afternoon rolled on and things began to wind down, I joined Robert at the dessert table. And,we all had a chance to do LOTS of dishes (as the food was all served on glass dishes and eaten with real silverware). All in all it was a great experience- one I hope we can continue to do in the future.

Our time serving today reminded me of some truths that I hope to teach my kids not just on the special days in life but in the way we live each day of our life. Here are some of the things I learned and relearned today.

1) In giving to others, we receive. In lifting others, we are lifted up. I don't know how or why this is true. I just know that it is. When I give to others I always feel better- ALWAYS!

2) When people work together toward a common goal they can accomplish great things. There were times today when it felt bad becasue I didn't feel like I wasn't doing much. But today, I was a part of something bigger than myself and that is a great feeling. We did something remarkable, we gave food and companionship and joy to 100 people that would have otherwise spent the day alone. I could not have done that alone, none of us could have but together we did. Opportunities like these are humbling and empowering at the same time.

3) When we serve others our love for God grows. I just don't think it is possible to show love for, give service to, or truly lift another persons heart without feeling a closeness to God. It is a testimony to me that we are His hands here on earth and that He is a real part of the service we give.

4) Having a job to do (a real job with real significance) builds confidence and brings joy. I have been trying to teach my kids to love work for as long as I can remember and to be perfectly honest, it just hasn't been working. But I learned something today that I hope will help as I try to teach them in the future. Working with purpose, working on something significant, working for something with real value is what makes working worthwhile and joyful. I saw my kids enjoy work today for the first time becasue they knew that what they were doing was important. They were given real jobs with real significant and they found joy in it! Wow, what a discovery!

5) We have been so blessed. Living in Naples was a very eye-opening, very humbling experience for me. I promised myself, as I watch the people I grew to love there struggle, that I would never forget the blessings I have been given. We have made significant changes in our life style this year as a result of the things that we saw and the experiences we had in Italy all with the hope of remembering our blessings and living in thanksgiving daily. I felt very humbled today as I watched how something as simple as a warm meal brought joy to the lives of others. A warm meal- that was all it took to brighten someones day. I eat three warm meals a day and never think twice about it. It made me wonder what other blessings have I been given that fail to recognize regularly? President Monson said, an attitude of gratitude must be cultivated. I love that word and hope that with significant, conscious effort on my part my attitude of gratitude will grow!

I love Tazo herbal teas becasue they are so flavorful. I am thankful for warm Tazo tea on cold New England mornings. In fact, I am drinking a large mug of Tazo Wild Sweet Orange herbal tea right now- yumm!

Yesterday I was asked to organize the Ward Christmas Party. We are having A Night in Bethlehem this year. I was excited as I know it can be an awesome activity BUT I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people I needed to contact for help. THEN I remembered e-mail and suddenly the task seemed a little more bearable (actually, it is still daunting). I am thankful that I can contact people via e-mail any time of the day or night, wearing whatever I happen to have on and know they they will get the message. I love that!

I LOVE New England. It is everything I hoped it would be- clean, quaint, friendly, patriotic and incredibly beautiful. New England definitely has four distinct seasons each year (something else to love) and we are well into fall right now. It has been cold, colorful and rainy for the last few weeks UNTIL yesterday. Yesterday it was sunny and warm- there was not a cloud in the sky. Today we woke up to the same kind of weather and have been trying to enjoy every minute of our Indian Summer.

I am pretty good about keeping my house picked up but I don't always have time to keep it as clean and I would like. Today however, while the Robert and the boys were at Karate from top to bottom. I love the smell, feel, satisfaction of a clean house.

I love the book Gift From the Sea. It was given to me a few years ago by a great friend for my birthday. I like to read it every year on or around my birthday becasue it helps ground me and keep me focused on what is most important.

Today I am thankful for Anne Lindbergh (author of Gifts from the Sea), a wise woman who shared her thoughts about being a wife and mother and as a result has blessed the lives of others.

Have I mentioned lately that I love craft stores? Honestly, for a non-crafty person I spend a lot of time (and a fair amount of money) in craft stores. The only craft store on the Island is Micheal's and while it is smaller and carries only a limited supply of the things I like to buy, I have to admit that I love it! There is something almost thrilling about walking into Micheal's. It is like I am on a journey of creative self discovery. I hear myself saying things like "Hum, could I make that?; "I wonder what I could create with this"; and "I bet if I sprayed that with glitter it would be awesome!" I don't know, maybe I am nuts but today I am thankful for Micheal's!

There are many things I love about Relief Society- really, I could write volumes! For your sake however, I won't. Suffice it to say, I am thankful for Relief Society today it helps me reconnect with what is real and lasting and important in life. I went to Relief Society today feeling sorry for myself, tired, weighed down by my trials but I left feeling renewed and refreshed. I love Relief Society becasue it helps me put the problems I face in life into the proper perspective.

Today the boys and I finished a book we have been reading together. It was a good book- one we enjoyed reading and one that taught many important truths. And it made me think how much I love good books. How thankful I am for the influence they have in my life. Good books are the vehicle through which I get to experience people and places and cultures I will never have a chance to experience on my own. I am grateful for skilled writers use their talents to lift and bless the lives of others. I am thankful for libraries and book stores and people that appreciate literature.

I woke up today with about 16 things on my TO Do list. I was a little nervous that I would not get them all done because we had been out of town over the weekend and I had laundry, cleaning, school, FHE, etc to catch up on. But guess what? I did get it done, all of it! I love days like that!!

We got up early today and ended up with some extra time before Church and decided to take the boys for a walk. Okay... taking walks in November in New England is NOT like taking a walk in November in any place I have ever lived before. It was FREEZING! So today, I am thankful for good winter clothes. Not just the ones that look cute but the ones that keep you warm.

Here is a list of some of my favorite winter items:

My Red Pea CoatI have had one since I was 16. I remember my Grandma bought me my first one- it was from Eddie Bauer. Who knew 15 years later I would still be wearing a red pea coat to keep me warm?

My Red Italian Leather GlovesI got these as a glove factory in Teverola. We toured the factory and I simply could no resist buying myself a pair. Now that I am back in the US and it is bitter cold, I wish I had 3 or 4 pair. I love these gloves because I saw them being made (which is just so cool), because they are an incredibly high quality leather, and because the are SO comfortable. I had never had anything that "fit like a glove" until I got these. They are a perfect- like they were made for my hands.

My University Hoodies

I have quite a collection going these days- Stanford, Yale, Harvard. I want to get one from BYU and MIT. I love them because they keep me toasty warm and because they remind me to keep reaching for my dreams.

We got a phone call from Italy today with news about all of our Italian friends. Among other things I was delighted to hear about my good freind Dora. Dora is amazing! She was the first Sister I really connected with In Italy. Over the three years we were together we probably only spoke to each other a handful of times without translation but there is no question that our heart connected by the language of the spirit in a real and powerful way. I truly love Dora- she will always hold a special place in my heart.

In any case, I received news today that Dora's husband was recently baptized. I am so happy for Dora! I can only imagine the joy that filled her heart as she shared that experience with her husband. I so wish I could have been there to experience it too.

I feel so blessed to be able to teach my boys at home this year. Homeschool is hard, don't get me wrong and it is not for everyone but being with them every day, learning together has brought me so much joy!

I didn't sleep for 10 minutes straight last night (I was sick) and didn't get up on time this morning. just after 6 am Ross came in to check on me. I told him I was feeling sick and would be up soon. He said, okay and left the room and I quickly drifted off to sleep. A little while later I got up. He came and met me in the hall and let me know that while I was resting he was busy working. He took a load of laundry down, moved the clean dry clothes into a basket, moved the clean wet clothes into the dryer, and started a new load of laundry. While he was downstairs he noticed that the playroom needed straightening so he did that too. Then he brought up the clean clothes for folding, made his bed, cleaned his room, got ready for the day AND made himself breakfast. He was pretty pleased with himself but I was even more pleased. ROSS IS AWESOME!! He has a new nickname- Brownie because he does all the work while I sleep. My how I love that boy!

Somehow I always appreciate good health more when I don't have it. I've been sick today with the Flu. Here is a picture of the feel-better-soon-soup I make for other people when they are sick. Today I made it for myself!

I am thankful today for my 84 year old Grandma- not only because she is a remarkable woman but because she is the mother of my amazing Dad. I spent Christmas with Grandma last year in Italy- it was delightful. We had fun talking and shopping and seeing the sights. I have many fond memories of Grandma but those are memories I will always cherish. Here is a picture of Grandma and Dad from our time together last year.