Thankful Day #28

Thankful Day #28



The Johnsons Thanksgiving 2013

I am thankful for Thanksgiving. Truly. It has really risen to the top of my list of favorite holidays. It is so simple, beautiful, and calm... except for all of the cooking...but for the most part it is peaceful. I love that it is focused on being grateful for all that we have, giving thanks to the Lord for our blessings, family gathers together, and amazing food is enjoyed.

This year we spent Thanksgiving out at the lake. The weather was great. Frosty but no snow. Just how I like it. The lake hasn't frozen over yet...woohoo. I love open water. It is so beautiful and always changing. This year we had a bunch of Canadian geese and ducks swimming around.

Tyler and the kids and I headed out on Wednesday night to help my Mom with the cooking before everyone else came out on Thanksgiving Day.

Brynnie kept Granny company while the rest of us got busy preparing the feast for the next day. Even Ailey was put to work cooking on the wood stove. It really was pretty fun. It felt very Little House on the Prairie-ish. We even cooked in the oven part. Now dealing with that... I really don't know how anything ever turned out in the olden days. My Grandma's wood stove has a thermometer on it but you have to keep the fire stoked to the appropriate level...it is pretty much impossible...but still it was really fun.

Ailey playing pioneer

While things were cooking we busted out the brass instruments. My grandparents believed that all their children should learn to play an instrument. These assorted instruments are still stored at the lake so we got some out and jammed. Ha ha.

Kam with his sweet band skills played my Uncle Steve's trombone and my Mom dug out HER BARITONE. Ha ha!! That kills me. But she could still play. Kameron is all about band these days and he had fun trying out some of other instruments. My mom said to my Grandma "I can't believe you still have all our old instruments!" and my grandma said, "Well, of course I do! Why wouldn't I? We paid good money for those." :)

By the time all the prep work and nine pies were finished it was time for bed...at around 1 AM. The next morning was frosty and a little foggy but so pretty. Tyler and I headed out for a little morning walk/hike. It was beautiful and it felt so good to be outside. I have loved the weather this November.

We had fun having a little time together...sans children...and enjoyed being out in nature and getting a little exercise before the feast. The pine trees smelled divine. The lake was just starting to freeze at the channel and it was perfect black ice there.

Seriously! How gorgeous is the Northwest. Pine trees, mountains, water? You can't beat it. It was lovely. Right after our little hike the sun came out and burned off all the fog and we had a sunny Thanksgiving. Nice!

Kelley and Elle were there when we got back and boy was Bryn happy to have Elle there to play with. These two crack me up.

This year my mom, Ken, all of us, Kelley and Elle, Stacey and her family, Granny, and my Uncle Steve all spent Thanksgiving together. It was good for the kids to have some cousin time. They loved it.

Dinner turned out beautifully and I so appreciate and am THANKFUL for all the work that my Mom goes to each and every year. She is amazing.

Ken and Mom

Elle and Kelley

River, John, Dane, Stacey

It was a busy Thanksgiving and then the next morning we all left as my Mom and I (and Tyler, Reilly and Kam) had to set up for a vintage Christmas show in Spokane the next day. Big thanks to Aunt Kelley who took Bryn and Ailey with she and Elle to see the movie Frozen. They loved it.