We started off Thanksgiving week with discovering a ruptured water heater on Sunday. We're not sure how long it had been leaking, but the professionals say not more than 2 days. I wouldn't have noticed except I had to get something off the floor in the pantry. Monday saw a couple of plumbers come to replace the old heater with a new one, as well as a water damage specialist to take care of drying out our pantry and garage closet. We had 5 fans and a dehumidifier going Mon-Wed night, just in time for Thanksgiving.
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| Just some of the fans in the house. |
Thanksgiving weekend was great! Steve took Wednesday off. It was our last big push to get things done before relaxing for a couple of days. We got my car's oil changed, safety inspected, and snow tires put on; we went to the gym; put up the Christmas lights outside; and I prepared several dishes for the next day. Whew! Alli came that evening. She also
whipped up a cherry pie and Grandpa's jello.
The day of Thanksgiving was also Steve's birthday. He's a whopping 32 years old. Most of the morning was spent putting the finishing touches on several dishes and cooking the turkey. This was my first turkey, and I must say that I'm very proud of how it turned out. I didn't end up brining it- instead, I slathered the breast under the skin with melted butter, rosemary, and thyme and salt and peppered the outside. I then put it in a 475 oven for 20 minutes and then turned it down to 250 for 5 hours. It was GREAT! We were also able to make most of the foods as natural as possible (except for the jello- you can't make that natural). I even found a sweet potato recipe that I like!
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| Steve with his birthday crumb cake. |
Steve, Anna, and I headed to the park to play in the leaves just before dinner. We had been hoping to do that for a while, but the weather and days off didn't coincide until Thursday. It was very windy. Steve raked a pile of leaves and plopped Anna down in it. She wasn't sure what to make of it. We had to get down and show her how to jump around and throw the leaves in the air. She played for about 15 minutes, then wandered off to look at other things.
Saturday was spent shopping. Alli and I went to the mall together. Not so much for Christmas presents, though I did buy some, but for clothes for me. I got looking in my closet and noticed that I haven't really bought any clothes since before Steve and I got married. It was time. Alli and I had fun exploring some stores, trying on outfits, and eating some Chick-Fil-A. After the mall, we went to Ikea to grab a couple of gifts for Anna. I can't believe we spent 6 hours shopping!
Allison headed home that evening and we tried to prepare ourselves for this week. It's been non-stop. Our ward had it's Relief Society Christmas dinner on the 29th. Not only was I singing in a trio, I was also asked to be in charge of the clean-up crew. That meant that I had two days (Mon & Tue) of practicing with the other women as well as calling ladies and asking them to stay and clean up with me. The dinner was wonderful (Steve and the rest of the bishopric served) and the song went pretty well (I saw at least 2 sets of wet eyes). I didn't end up getting home afterwards until 9pm. I'm so thankful to the ladies that were willing to stay and help. If they hadn't, I might still be there!
I won't bore you with the other details of our hectic week. However, I do want to express my gratitude for the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on our little family. I cannot begin to number them. I have a wonderful husband and daughter whom I love and who love me. I get to stay home and watch Anna each day as she grows and discovers the world around her. I have the Gospel to guide and direct me, to give me comfort and strength. I am so grateful the these and the other blessings I have in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
