It was a Thankful Thanksgiving!

 

It was a thankful Thanksgiving for our family! As I look back over the past few months, it is with very grateful hearts that we gathered this Thanksgiving, mindful of the incredible blessings of life and breath itself! 

A plate of abundance 

Dan and I are holding Baby Clara, they are our two Thanksgiving miracles this year! 

We had a very special day with Ryan, Alanna, and Baby Clara, as well as some new neighbors we had just met. We missed Danielle, Zak, and Danika as they celebrated with his family. But we will gather together this week to celebrate and give thanks together ❤️ 

We celebrated at Ryan and Alanna's home - so much easier with Baby Clara being just a week old. 

I made sourdough rolls, which were as light and fluffy as yeast rolls! I didn't use a recipe, but I need to write down what I did, as they were perfect! 

We went nontraditional with two roast chickens instead of turkey, as Dan and Ryan aren't fans of turkey. They were so good! 

I always place the roasted bones in my slow cooker as soon as they're deboned and cover them with water, turn on low to cook for 12-24 hours. 

It makes the most wonderful bone broth!

I don't waste any part of the meat. I take the roasted, boiled bones and mince them in my food processor with some liquid. 

And now I have some wonderful dog food for Riley! I put a scoop of this on her food each day. 

Bone broth has been pressure-canned and is ready for the pantry.

Many people don't have family close by to spend holidays with.  I discovered that our neighbors have no close family to spend the day with. After discussing that with Dan and Ryan, we invited them to our Thanksgiving dinner, and we were so blessed to have them join us. 

We enjoyed a time of worship together with Ryan playing his guitar. We sang some of my Dad's and Dan's Mom's favorite songs. It is our way of always remembering them. How we miss our dear loved ones who are with the Lord now. 

Our dear neighbor holding sweet Clara

As we consider all the blessings of the Lord, one thing I praise the Lord for is our close-knit family. I'm thankful for all of our family, both near and far, who have been such a support to us throughout this time. 

I'm so grateful for all of you, for all of the prayers that you have prayed and all of the things that have been done to bless us during this season. We are grateful!

Dan continues to work hard at rehab, and we see the cardiologist this week, where we hope to get more answers about how he's doing and what to expect with his ongoing recovery. 

We enjoy the drive to Sandpoint, where his rehab takes place 3 days a week. It is a 45+ minute drive, but with views like this, we enjoy every minute!!

It is hard to believe we have come to Thanksgiving for another year, and now we are in the holiday season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. 

My heart is full of Thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done and the tremendous blessings that our family has received from his hand. Despite the agonizing October that we had, we are here today to praise the Lord for His hand upon us. 

Our morning sunrise view...

While we may see through the glass darkly as the Apostle Paul wrote...He walks with us, and we trust Him for what we cannot see. 

We've had our first snowfall just before Thanksgiving. Isn't it beautiful!

Our neighbor's horses came to greet me at the fence as we walked by. 

Always enjoy our morning walks, and I especially love the snow. It's beautiful, still, and crisp. Glorious! 

Wishing each of you blessed and special days in this season of celebrating our Lord's birth! May we never forget in the midst of all the merry that Jesus is the reason we celebrate.  Many blessings to each of you!