Giving Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. I've been reading some special books with the boys that talk about the first Thanksgiving. I love how one book summarizes the first Thanksgiving. It talks about all the cooking and preparation, how the Pilgrims played games and held contests with the Indians. There was music and probably singing and, of course, feasting. Most of all, it was a time for the Pilgrims to share and give thanks to God. I think that's a wonderful representation of our Thanksgiving. We had a great time working together to prepare for the meal, there was singing and music and games. Most of all, we thanked God for all of the blessings he has bestowed on us- and good friends to share with.

Fireside

It's finally cool enough to use our fire pit again. I made Ev promise not to singe my lemon tree with a four alarm fire...again. The boys are old enough to roast their own hot dogs and s'mores, though Braden usually chooses the easier route of having someone do it for him. As for me, it's easy to relax when you know the clean up is so easy. So, we pulled our chairs close to the fire and listened to good music while munching our yummy dinner.

Bounty of the Earth

I found this beautiful, fresh rainbow trout at the grocery the other day, and I just couldn't pass it by. I don't often see good, fresh fish around here so this was a real treat. Since I had no experience with whole fish, I did a quick internet recipe search. I found this simple, tastey recipe for grilled, whole trout using all ingredients I already had on hand. Stuff the inside with fresh thyme, rosemary (bought for a VERY tastey Turkey Osso Buco), garlic and lemons (from our obliging citrus tree out back). Wrap the outside with strips of bacon to hold everything together and keep in the moisture. Grill for 10-15 minutes each side. So easy! And so good that even my pickey, non-fish-eaters ate it up.

Happy Birthday, Marines!

I can't begin to explain why they do some of the things they do on deployments.

Just like I can't explain how they can stay friends through so many moves and so many miles.

Unles you've experienced it, you can't know the life-long cameraderie of the Marine Corps.


But if you know anything about them, you know that there's no such thing as a former Marine. So to all Marines, Happy Birthday!