We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing.

After a few years away, I returned to the kitchen to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. It was for just the three of us, so not really a big cooking deal, but we had a lovely dinner. We spent the week leading up to Thanksgiving writing down on little cards the things we're thankful for and dropping them in a bowl. During dinner we took turns reading them. Hopefully, I'll remember to do this again next year and make it a tradition!

Mary Lawton seemed pretty happy to be eating from a real plate and fancy cup.

She commented several times on the leaves on the table.

After dinner we headed to Bruce and Jan's house for dessert, football, and love.

So many blessings. So much for which to be thankful.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I'm a little late in wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I've been having some trouble catching up since then.

We had a wonderful day. In the morning Mary Lawton and I went running while Sweet LJ went to the gym. We played, we went for a walk, one of us took a nap, and then we went to dinner at Chateau Elan. We went to Chateau Elan last year, too. This year we didn't go on a thousand-mile bike ride, nor did we spend the night at the inn. We had a lovely meal, though. Mary Lawton ate zucchini and peas from home, and turkey and cheese ravioli from the buffet. She really liked the turkey. I ate a crazy, random assortment of delicious things, including mussels and chocolate mousse (separately). Sweet LJ had a more traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Give me more turkey.

I think next year I will be cooking again. I really like cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Who knows? Maybe I will run a half marathon again.

Wishing everyone a thanks-filled day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last Thanksgiving I ran a half marathon then cooked and hosted dinner for 8. This year I ran about 3 miles around the neighborhood, and then Sweet LJ and I went to Chateau Elan, where their chefs whipped up a lovely Thanksgiving feast for us.

We took our bikes and went on about a 1.5-hour bike ride when we got there. The hotel guy gave us a map and suggested a route that would take us around the grounds. The map was terrible and apparently the hotel guy never has ridden a bike around the Chateau Elan property. We went through several golf course neighborhoods, which were lovely, but filled with cul-de-sacs and locked gates. Eventually we made it back towards the inn and found this:

A four-story climbing wall. I wanted Sweet LJ to climb, but we noticed it was all locked up. I guessed it was a team-building ropes course, and I was right! Some kind of corporate team-building center. It wasn't just the climbing wall but a bunch of ropes courses in the trees and platforms, with signs along the way like this:

This one made me laugh. We needed this earlier when we had to turn around on yet another cul-de-sac.

Sweet LJ thought it was appropriate for me to pose with this one.

We made it back, tired and hungry, and checked in about an hour before our dinner reservation.

Before dinner, hungry and ready to eat. Thanks to my wonderful friend Kerri for sending me this dress!

After dinner looking tired from going through the buffet line too many times. Did I mention this was a huge buffet with everything you can imagine? Turkey, prime rib, dressing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, butternut squash ravioli, caviar, crab legs, smoked salmon, and then the dessert table . . . Forget eating for 2. I ate for 4 or 5.

Friday morning we hiked on the nature trail around the property. It was cloudy and a little foggy, but beautiful.
The vineyards are right at the front of the property, which was very cool. After promising myself I wouldn't eat again for at least 4 days, we went to the breakfast buffet after the hike, and I ate. A lot. Again.

We stopped by the Mall of Georgia on the way back home so Sweet LJ could get a new Florida shirt to wear to the SEC championship game next Saturday. There were times I feared for my life--will I get trampled by the Abercrombie kids trying to make the last 15 minutes of the 25% off sale?--but we made it out safely. I even bought a few Christmas gifts.

We had such a wonderful trip. Thank you so much, my sweetest LJ! I'm so thankful to have you in my life and that soon we'll have a sweet little girl join our family.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled with peace, happiness, and thanksgiving.