"I Have Plenty to Be Thankful For"

Thanksgiving. What a whirlwind of cooking, but boy did it pay off! This was our first year hosting Thanksgiving and it was a successful one. Jonathan actually had a little time off, which was amazing. It was so great to see him cooking, a passion of his that has been put on the back burner (every pun intended) the past few years as medical training as gotten more demanding. Some of Jonathan's family drove out from SLC to visit for an extended weekend. We had a great time cooking, eating, laughing, and getting out in the snow. We made such incredible hors d'oeuvres on Thanksgiving day (stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, brie en crux, etc.) that after we said the prayer over the food nobody was very hungry. Bummer! But is sure was a testament to our cooking skills. On Friday afternoon we headed up to the Grand Mesa with snowshoes and a Chariot for the kids in tow. This year we were finally were able to cut down a tree in the woods and bring it home to decorate (only $8 for a permit). Our tree has had it's fair share of issues (just picture a Griswald adventure) but there's nothing like finding your own in the middle of nowhere. What an adventure.