Nashville Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving was a blast -- we loved having my dad and Nancy visit us in Nashville for the holiday. And the best surprise ever was the call we got from Kyle, Andi's new husband, saying they were driving down from St. Louis for an overnight stay to sit at the Thanksgiving table with us, despite their busy work schedules. Family is truly the best gift life has to offer, though we missed Mollie and Kenny, who were celebrating in Denver, and Rob's family, who we'll see at Christmas.

Rob and I made two turkeys -- one was cornbread stuffed with maple orange glaze, and Rob smoked the other in his Yankee Smoker. There were so many sides that we staggered into the living room, where we all decorated the Christmas tree, listened to carols and waited until our stomachs made some room for pie. My dad and Nancy ordered every other meal throughout their entire stay from Super Suppers -- so they most definitely hosted us in our own home. They are so thoughtful and generous, reminding us of what Thanksgiving is really about -- being grateful for all the blessings in our lives.

We had a great time decorating a gingerbread house, of course eating the candy as we went (Charlie by the fistful). It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to hear his forlorn calls for "PaaaaPaaaa," even if he was just napping on the couch a few feet away. Madeline found a never ending stash of Skittles in Ning's purse, a little game they share. The day after Thanksgiving, my dad and Nancy treated Rob and me to an incredible dinner at the Red Pony, a fine restaurant in downtown Franklin. It was fun to get dressed up and go on a double date.

One of the highlights of the trip was when Ning took Madeline to her first movie. She was so excited that she dressed up like a princess to see Tangled! Madeline looked tiny in the oversize theater chairs, happily nibbling on fruit snacks and popcorn and never once taking her wide eyes away from the big screen. I think I watched her watch the movie more than I actually watched it myself. Even though she was enchanted by it all, after about 25 minutes, she quietly whispered to me that she was ready to go home, so we cheerfully packed it up and already can't wait for the next show. 

If you stop by our house, the carols are playing, the stockings are hung, and you'll find me addressing Christmas cards. 'Tis the season!