Full Table and a Full Belly

Every year, Thanksgiving is up there, with what I look most forward to (it rivals with the arrival of spring, PNW summers, and that snow globe snowfall that we get here in our parts of Washington.)  This year, I was a little hesitant for the holiday to arrive... mostly because the hubby was working nights for two weeks, through the holiday. When one of us is out of synch... it messes with all of our routines/rhythms.  I was determined to cook up a yummy meal despite his schedule change... and with the help of all the little hands, we managed to pull it off. The day before, I made the voyage to the grocer with all 5 kids in tow... I was just going to wing it... but Charlotte insisted we needed a list. She knows what my scattered brain needs... or is a natural list lover... either way, it was super helpful. While everyone was melting down (usually they're soooooo good at grocery store runs, but for some reason, this time it was pretty awful) that list, saved us... I ordered a pre-rubbed turkey from our natural, local grocer... that saved us as well. Anyone else not like to handle the raw bird? Since the hubby was sleeping while the bird needed to be prepped and put in the oven... I went with the second best thing... paying a little extra to have someone do it for you. That left me with pies (which I made gluten free this year) and some simple/staple sides. Friends showed up right in time for the cranberry and brie... and we sat down shortly after for our meal. It was a great day... thankful for a full table and a full belly.