Thankful, grateful and full

Thanksgiving is special day devoted to appreciating what we have, those who love us and the opportunities we’ve received.

This was my Facebook post from Thanksgiving:

“I am thankful for the smile of my sweet son, the love of my family and the support of my friends. I am blessed in all the ways that truly matter. Happy Thanksgiving!”

I think almost all of us will agree that Thanksgiving is a uniquely special holiday. Yes, it’s true Christmas has presents, but Thanksgiving is much simpler—good food, loving family and time together are the only goals of the day.

Brayden and I kicked the day off with Thanksgiving-themed turkey pancakes. As my officially designated #1 kitchen helper, Brayden loves to pour the mix and water into the bowl and stir it up.

So, seeing as it was Thanksgiving, I thought I turkey pancakes would be in order. (Just to be clear, I’m talking about pancakes in the shape of a turkey, not pancakes with turkey in them. In case you were worried…) The only problem was that I don’t have a turkey pancake mold so I had to hand pour turkey-ish style pancakes by hand. You can be the judge, but I think for having zero artistic talent, I did freehand turkey pancakes pretty well.

Oh, the things I do in the name of being a parent…

After breakfast, we made our way to my parents’ house. In keeping with the helper theme, Brayden helped my mom decorate the dining room table.

We had a really wonderful day all together. Brayden played with all the special toys he has there, went to the park with my dad and graciously gave out tastes of Nana’s homemade whipped cream to Uncle Ryan.

Our meal was amazing. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, biscuits and more—everything you should have at Thanksgiving dinner. And while everything was really yummy, the real showstopper was the gigantic apple pie from the Wet Hen Café. We all changed into comfy clothes, took a big slice and ate ourselves silly while watching the glorious football game that was the Patriots versus the Jets.

By the time Brayden and I left, we were thankful, grateful and full (literally). On top of all our family time, I also spoke to or communicated with many of you in one form or another. And for those of you in New England, it’s always bittersweet to hear about the gatherings we can’t share with you in person, but it means so much that you keep us in your hearts and miss us as much as we miss you.

I hope you had a great holiday with your friends and loved ones too.