Our Thanksgiving Day Table

I love seeing the images my brother, Nathan, captures at our family events. Here are a few of my favorites from the dining room.

I bought white roses from Fresh market for the dining room table. They looked beautiful, but branches pulled from the yard added vivid color to side tables and our holiday buffet.

Ornament frames made sweet favors for the grateful hearts that gathered around our Thanksgiving table this year. I used them as place markers on the dining room table. In the photo above, an extra ornament hugs a lamp on a side table.

Our Thanksgiving Day recipes are still to come!

Photos by Nathan Prichard

Thanksgiving Day Family Portraits

Nathan, Shana and Kadence

Dave, Jennifer, David and Caitlin

Joe and me with Carson, Emma, Mary Ashley and Christian

A prize photograph: my parents with all seven grandchildren!

Photos by Nathan Prichard

Blessings on Our Street

"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." -- Adabella Radici

Happy Thanksgiving

"For each new morning with its light
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends
For everything Thy goodness sends."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Thanksgiving ...

"O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Then say, 'Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise.' Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, 'Amen,' and praised the LORD" (1 Chronicles 16:34-36).

Turkey Cupcakes

I'm hoping the children at our Thanksgiving Day feast will gobble up these turkey cupcakes!

To make these, bake cupcakes in foil wrappers. I just baked one batch, but you could make some white and some chocolate cupcakes so you could offer guests a choice of white and dark meat. Pipe on ruffled rows of orange and yellow feathers with angled tips. I used Wilton tips 103 and 150 for the cupcakes pictured. Next use tip 21 to pipe chocolate frosting in the center of the cupcake to make the turkey's body and head. Use tip 80 to pipe on a tiny beak, tips 4 and 3 to dot the face with eyes, and tip 5 to complete the bird with a waddle.

Serve these cupcakes on their side, and watch them waddle off the platter into thankful little tummies!

A Warm Welcome

"Grow flowers of gratitude in the soil of prayer." -- Verbena Woods

Little Red Barn Cake

(An ode to Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown)

By the little red barn

On the yummy green cake

Little girls gathered with

Birthday memories to make.

There was a big group of friends

And a little taste of heaven

With candles on the cake.

Count them. There are seven.

They all played together by the little red barn cake.

And they climbed in the saddle, horseback rides to take.

When the candles were lit at the end of the meal,

The party guests sang,

The Birthday Girl squealed.

Hope breathed in the smell of sweet warm hay

And blew out her candles without delay.

The Daddy said prayers that Hope would be blessed

And asked God to guide her as He knows best.

The little girls smiled and nibbled their cake,

So happy to join Hope to celebrate.

And there they were

All day long

Playing happily

By the little red barn cake.

Only the wishes were left to make,

The party favors for guests to take.

While the sun shined high

In the bright autumn sky.

Happy Birthday, Hope!

The End of the Word as We Know It

At supper recently, 7-year-old Christian used used an impolite term to refer to his rear end. "Oh, Christian," I urged, "let's not call it that. It doesn't sound very nice."

"Well, then, what should I call it?" he replied. "My derriere?"

Joe laughed at this and said, "Sure, Christian, if you can spell it you can say it."

"OK," Christian said, squinting in concentration. "D-A-I-R-Y, space, A-I-R."

Joe and I immediately erupted in laughter, so Christian explained, "You know ... . Like, I went to the fair and got kicked in the dairy air."

Down on the Farm

My sister, Jennifer's, friend and photographer Sally Kent took pictures at my niece's recent birthday party. I love this view from the barn!

Sally captures a rare moment of stillness for almost 2-year-old Caitlin.

My beautiful sister at home on horseback.

Jennifer helps party guests complete a farm-inspired craft. See yesterday's post for lots more party ideas!

Photos by Sally Kent