Time Keeps Marching On

15 years. Losing him seems like a lifetime ago. At least, half my life ago. And while time marches on, making those intense bouts of grief fewer and far between — time doesn’t heal, you just learn to live with your loss and manage the pain that absence brings — it is also time that has me scared. Fifteen years later and I feel so far away from him, from the memories we made. They’re in my heart, forever, of course, but sometimes it feels like a foggy recollection of a movie I once saw, or a book I read long ago. I can’t always quickly recall the plot details, instead scouring the corner of my mind to piece them back together. How I wish I could manifest Euripides’ words: “Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream.” Just to feel close to my brother once again. 

I’m thankful for days like these, sad as they may be, because they force me to slow down. Reflect. Life gets so busy and it’s easy to let a long stretch of days or weeks go by without thinking of Jeremy. And I’m sure that’s what he would want, for us to get on with it. But it feels strangely good — alive, even — to remember him, to truly feel how much I still miss him, shed my tears and then, as he would want, get on with it. Not to live in the shadows of what could have been but to live in the promise of what is still to come. I’ve always felt a responsibility to honor Jeremy, taken from this world too soon at 26, by living my life to the fullest. So as much as I’d like to see him in my dreams, what is more important is what I do with my time — that all-too-fleeting thing — while I’m awake. 

I love you big brother, I miss you even when I forget to miss you, and I so wish you were here — for me, for Patrick, for mom and dad, and for all those who loved you. Know this: They still do.

Flirty Thirty

Happy flirty 30 to my bestie, Marielle! Friends for 22 years, maid of honor at each other's weddings (hers, mine), we've known each other for most of our lives and been there for the good, the bad and the awkward moments in-between. We're more than friends; we're family. Sisters. We've been on many adventures together and, in more recent years, as happens in adulthood, we've experienced much apart. But no matter how much time goes by or how much distance separates us, we're always there for each other and we can always pick up right where we left off. That's what happens when you know and understand someone so completely, and love them unconditionally. That's family. I feel blessed to have such a friend as her in my life and grateful that our friendship has persisted all these years later, after that first meeting on the elementary school playground! 

I'm thankful we were able to spend my 30th together when I was visiting California this past March (my birthday was just three days after her wedding!) and I just wish I could be home again to celebrate with her. But honestly, Marielle isn't too keen on big birthday parties, and I know she is spending her birthday exactly the way she would want: traveling with her love. Right now she and her hubby are (finally!) enjoying their honeymoon, which they are spending traipsing around Italy. So I know she is having an incredible, magical, fabulous time. And I'm sure JP is spoiling his wifey with a fancy Italian dinner tonight and lots of wine. Just what the birthday girl deserves!

Fortunately for me, my BFF has been feeding my wanderlust by sending photos and messages from Italia. It's almost like I'm on vacation with her. Almost. For now, I'll wish her and her bubs sunny skies, full bellies and happy hearts for the rest of their journey.

Buon compleanno, bella!

For Daddoo

Happy Father's Day to the guy who agreed to wear a lavender shirt and tie just for me! Ha! But seriously, I'm so grateful to have a father who is willing to do just about anything to make me happy. While he can come across as intimidating to some—with his big 'n' tough exterior and gruff voice—I've always known there was a teddy bear deep inside that grizzly bear front. I mean, the man made me cry hysterically during our father-daughter dance as he recalled memories from my childhood. Growing up, my dad would usually avoid having serious, deep, emotional talks with me, deferring such conversations to my mother, understandably so. But ever since I got married—and especially after I moved far, far away, across the country—our relationship has begun to change in this regard, and I'm so happy that it has. As surprising as it may be, my  65-year-old father has become quite the texter since (finally!) getting a cell phone and "Daddoo" (one of his sign-offs) consistently checks in to see how his "kiddo" is doing, and "his favorite veteran" the "Sailorman," too. Sometimes he gives sage advice or words of encouragement and other times he delivers a one-liner (or two) in his typical fashion. The warm and fuzzies are intermixed with a dry, offbeat sense of humor. That's my dad.

So today I want to say what I feel all the time: Thanks, Dad, for your constant love and support over the years, and for still considering me your "babygirl" even when I'm now "Mizzus T."

And although I'm a tear-soaked, ugly-crying mess, please find the video from our dance below, as a Father's Day surprise.

(Photos by heidi-o-photo)

May Days

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad! My parents have been married today for 36 years. That's a long time! And if I ever had trouble remembering their wedding anniversary date in the past, I think I will always remember it now—it is exactly one week before ours. Yay for May! It's always been my favorite month (in my favorite season), and so many good things happen in May: Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day weekend, wedding anniversaries, of course, and even our pup Jasper's birthday is this month! May is a time of change though. Last year, right after our May wedding, we moved across the country to Florida, and at the end of this month we'll be moving to New Jersey. As people keep asking about our impending move, where we'll live, if I've started job hunting, etc., my stress levels have been climbing higher and higher. But I'm trying to remain positive and remember all the good things. Like love. And family.

So happy anniversary, Mom and Dad! Wishing you more happy years together. Cheers to you this beautiful May day!

(Photos from our wedding, taken by heidi-o-photo)

For Mom

Happy Mother's Day to the woman who has always loved and supported me (even through my angsty teenage years)! My mom is one of my biggest fans. Ever since I was a little girl, she has encouraged me to be myself and to follow my dreams, even when that meant majoring in vocal music. (And attending a far-too-expensive university.) Of course I ended up going down a different path, but she never questioned my choices, if they were lucrative or stable career moves; she just wanted me to be happy. As a journalist, I can count on her to read every story I write, and she's proud of each one. (And, though she doesn't comment, my mother is a loyal reader of this blog.) When I was planning my wedding last year, she was there for me every step of the way, as a sounding board when I needed to vent or as a shoulder to cry on, and she gave anything and everything she could to help make it a dream day for me and for G. As with most mother-daughter duos, we've had our not-so-great moments and we don't always agree, but I'm glad we have an authentic, honest, unfiltered relationship. And as I've gotten older I've come to appreciate her unwavering love and support that much more.

So Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I wish I could be back home in California to celebrate with you, but I'm sending lots of love from Florida!

A Golden Birthday : Cheers for my 30th at Malibu Wines

Despite my best intentions to get back into blogging last week after my six-week long California vacation trip adventure, I was simply too busy or tired to do so. Busy because just three days after my best friend's wedding it was my 30th birthday, and then of course the packing (oh, the packing!) for our return to Florida. And tired because of, well, all that—plus it was tougher than I imagined to get back on East Coast time. The first three days we were home the hubs and I slept in until almost noon! I'm not exactly what you'd call an early riser but G is, so that was quite unusual for him.

But today is Monday, a fresh start to a new week and just a few days into a new month and I'm feeling recovered. (Even if our bags have yet to be unpacked. Oy vey.) As much as we loved visiting our friends and family in Simi Valley and San Diego, after so much time away it felt good to walk into our own place, our small, humble apartment home, and relax. While puppy Jasper came along with me on my adventure, our big girl Cali was over the moon to see us when we picked her up from the house of some truly great friends who had watched her for three weeks (!).

Since I've been in and out of the blogosphere for a while now, I have a lot of catching up to do. So much to share! Today I'll start with my aforementioned birthday—my golden birthday! I turned 30 on the 30th. 

G knew how busy and, I'll admit, stressed I had been with planning my best friend's bridal shower, and bachelorette party, and with helping her do any and everything to prepare for the wedding (dress fittings, DIY supply shopping, crafting, sign making, general MOH listening and encouraging, etc.) so he happily took on the task of planning my birthday party. While I knew something was happening on Sunday, March 29, the day before my birthday (and two days after my bestie's wedding), I didn't know what or where or who. The hubby decided to keep that a surprise. Even though I kept pestering for details! 

Funny enough, a friend had mentioned to me the idea of going to Malibu Family Wines to celebrate, which I thought was a fantastic idea since I had never been but always wanted to go. When I passed this information on to G, he told me not to worry, he already had a plan in mind and in motion. As it turns out, he was planning to take me to Malibu Wines all along! That guy. He knows me so well.

After arriving to the outdoor winery, I was greeted by a group of friends and family, waving and cheering under a gazebo reserved just for the party. We popped bottles of red, white, rosé and champagne and got to drinking. (And eating, and chatting, and playing Jenga and Cards Against Humanity.) It was a beautiful, sunny day and a wonderful afternoon hanging out with my best people. Friends from elementary and high school, friends from my days at the Acorn Newspapers, even my parents came out for the celebration. I felt so loved and appreciative that my husband put the whole thing together for me.

(A few more snaps of me and my silly, beautiful friends...)

The next day, my actual birthday, was low-key but just as nice. G and I went to breakfast with my family, I opened my gifts, and that night we went to Marielle and JP's house to hang with the newlyweds and cook dinner together. I made my go-to, crowd-pleasing appetizer, bruschetta, the hubs made his delicious sausage pasta coated in a decadent white wine sauce, Marielle made garlic bread and vanilla cupcakes, and JP poured the wine. It was perfect.

Part of me can't believe that I'm 30. I don't feel sad about it necessarily, but maybe in denial. Ha! Perhaps that's something to explore in another post. Truly though, I feel lucky to have amazing people who love me in my life and I have a feeling that my thirties are going to be even better than my twenties. Cheers to that, right? Yes, I have to remind myself sometimes but there is so much to look forward to, and many more adventures on the horizon.

Vanilla Rice Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

[ Rice pudding with raspberry sauce. ]

Christmas may be over, but I just have to share the recipe for a creamy, vanilla-infused, raspberry-topped dessert that my family eats every Christmas Eve. I promise it will still be just as good at your New Year's Eve dinner party tomorrow... or even another special night in the new year that calls for an out-of-the-ordinary treat. Because I understand if you just can't cook another. single. thing. But you're going to want to give this light-but-decadent dish a try eventually, if just for the raspberry sauce. (Light and decadent, you ask? How is that possible? I'm not sure, but it is certainly true with this airy and rich rice pudding.)

As evidenced by my (naturally) blonde (usually) hair, blue eyes and ultra pale skin, I am half-Danish, on my mother's side, and many of the holiday traditions I grew up with stem from those Scandinavian branches of the family tree. One tradition I have come to hold dear is having rice pudding for dessert on Christmas. Which is funny, because I actually didn't like it much as a kid. I only would eat it (or pretend to eat it) to play the game. Dessert with a game? Oh yeah. We Danes know how to party.

See, in Denmark, where the dessert is called Risalamande (French for rice with almonds), a whole blanched almond is dropped into the rice pudding and mixed in before the dessert is portioned out. Whoever finds the almond in their bowl wins a prize. In Denmark, the "almond present" is a marzipan pig but in my family the prize has always been chocolate, in one form or another. It's a fun game but we Danes, adults and kids alike, can get competitive (if memories from my childhood are correct). And if the almond splits—watch out! You might have two people fighting over the present.

[ Individual rice puddings, a chocolate snowman prize and G's snickerdoodles. ]

I can't remember even one time that I won the prize, but over the years, as my palate matured, I started enjoying the dessert more and more. Thought it is not very sweet at all, it is the type of thing I only need a few bites of, it's so creamy and rich. My dad and brother on the other hand, they generously fill up their bowls and pour the beautiful red raspberry sauce on thick.

Being far from home for the holidays this year, I found myself looking forward to the rice pudding even more than usual, if just for the nostalgia's sake. So I asked my mom to email me the recipe, her mother's recipe. Initially I assumed I'd just be making it for myself and the hubs, but I ended up being able to share this close-to-my-heart traditional Danish dessert with friends on Christmas Day. They absolutely loved the raspberry sauce, and I think they got a kick out of learning about a new-to-them cultural tradition, complete with silly game and almost-too-cute-to-eat chocolate snowman, serving as the almond present.

A quick note: My mom's mom's recipe suggested rinsing the rice and tossing any off-color (black) rice, but that is not necessary nowadays with most types of rice, including arborio rice, which is what I used. The pearl-like, high-starch Italian white rice is the kind employed to make creamy risottos, so it seemed perfect for this rice pudding, even though my grandmother's recipe called for MJB (now Farmhouse) regular rice, a long-grain white rice. I'm confident most any white rice will do.

Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding with Raspberry Sauce

A traditional Danish Christmas dessert | Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients

Rice Pudding

1 cup arborio rice (or other short-grained white rice; not instant)

1 to 1 1/2 quarts whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 whole vanilla beans (alternatively, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)

1 to 2 pints heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Sauce

2 bags frozen raspberries

1 cup sugar

Cornstarch

Optional: 

Sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

One whole blanched almond, to play game

Directions

For rice pudding: Put rice in a large heavy pot and add water to about 1 inch above the rice. Bring to a boil. Add 1 quart of milk and turn heat to low. Stir rice. Put lid on and cook for at least 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom and burning. If rice is stuck, try not to scrape it up—you don't want ugly burnt bits mucking up your pristine white rice pudding! (Note: I used 1 1/2 quarts of milk and it took almost an hour and a half for the rice to absorb all that milk. One quart should be plenty, and the rice will be done quicker.) Cook rice until it is the consistency of thick oatmeal. The rice should be soft and not look like rice. It should have exploded, it is so full of creamy goodness. Give it a taste—careful, it's hot!—to make sure the rice is not hard. You do not want al dente rice pudding.

Move pot off heat. Stir in the sugar. Scrape the "caviar" or seeds from the vanilla bean pods (click link for tutorial) and stir in, making sure those lovely black dots distribute evenly. Let rice cool completely.

Once rice is cool, fluff with a fork and add a little milk if it appears too sticky. Using a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip heavy whipping cream until firm peaks form. (Feel free to add a little sugar, to taste, since the rice pudding isn't very sweet.) Carefully fold whipped cream into rice, making sure not to deflate all that light airiness you just whipped in. Add whipped cream in batches, to desired consistency. (I needed just 1 cup heavy whipping cream.)

Keep rice pudding covered in fridge until ready to serve.

For raspberry sauce: Pour frozen raspberries (no need to thaw) in medium pot. Add about 2 cups of water and sugar to taste. (I started with half a cup and added a few tablespoons more.) Cook over medium-high heat until raspberries fall apart. 

In a small bowl, mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Stir slurry into simmering sauce to thicken. (A slurry virgin, I had to do this several times; I used about 4 tablespoons of cornstarch total.) Continue to simmer sauce to cook out cornstarch taste but once the sauce reaches desired consistency, take off heat as cooking too long can undo the slurry's power.

To serve: Scoop rice pudding into bowls or individual ramekins. Top with raspberry sauce, which can be served warm or at room temperature. Optional: Garnish with toasted sliced almonds.

Tips: 

-Do-ahead: Rice pudding can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. For best results, fold in whipping cream just before you are ready to serve. The raspberry sauce also keeps well when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. Use leftovers on ice cream or even your morning yogurt.

-Blanching the almond: To remove brown skin, soak raw almond in very hot water for a minute or two. Remove and rub with fingers or paper towel. Skin should peel right off.

If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how you like it! Also, do you have any holiday food traditions?

Our First Married Christmas

[ Christmas Eve service in Tampa. ]

Have you fully recovered from Christmas? I'm not sure I have! These last few days were just a flurry of activity. Much more than I had expected, especially since I had initially thought we'd be spending our first married Christmas alone, as just us two. Instead, we were surrounded by people.

On Christmas Eve, the hubs and I went to an afternoon service at Grace Family Church in Tampa before heading over to Jen (of Letters & Pearls) and Matthew's house for dinner. I made an heirloom tomato bruschetta to share (we finally made use of one of the wood appetizer platters we received as a wedding gift!), G baked up a batch of cinnamon-y snickerdoodle cookies, and the Fricks put together a delicious meal of herb stuffed pork, green beans, and red velvet cake. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the incredible bacon-wrapped dates we noshed on before. I'm not even a big bacon lover, but those little morsels were so good. Jen's tablescape was lovely, too. 

[ Christmas Eve dinner. ]

But of course, even more wonderful was the company. While I had not yet met Matthew, and G didn't know the Fricks at all, we had an awesome time chatting about life, love, work, the military. It was a night of great conversation and lots of laughs. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Christmas Eve.

[ Christmas Eve at the Fricks. ]

Christmas Day was even busier. Not long after waking, I got to work making blueberry muffins (using this easy recipe) and slicing kiwi. When breakfast was ready, we settled in on the couch with glasses of bubbly (Amour de L'Orange from Wiens, our favorite Temecula winery) and opened gifts. First, our gifts to each other (the biggies: G got me a Kindle Fire and I got him a white Eric Weddle Chargers jersey), then the gifts from the hubs' parents, who we called to thank later. I FaceTime'd my bestie in California so we could open our gifts to each other together, and it was so nice to be able to see her face-to-face! Technology is amazing, isn't it? I wanted to Skype with my family but, alas, they don't have a webcam. So we settled for opening gifts while talking on the phone. Not as easy as it sounds but it was still nice to be able to hear their reactions as they opened their gifts. Because that's the best part about gift giving, right? Experiencing the receivers joy and surprise.

[ Christmas breakfast. ]

After all the gifts were open, the wrapping paper mess thrown away, I was back in the kitchen cooking rice pudding with raspberry sauce, the traditional Danish dessert I grew up eating every Christmas (stay tuned for the recipe!). For my first time making the dish, it turned out great, just like my mom's. We took it over in individual ramekins to Laura and Jeremy's house, who like Jen and Matthew had graciously invited us over for dinner. Again, it was such a treat to be able to spend the holiday with friends. We ate good food, had great conversation, and I even learned a new card game.

[ Christmas Day selfie, taken at Laura & Jeremy's house. ]

Friday we decided to give the pups some dedicated attention and play time. We took them with us to lunch at Cassis in downtown St. Pete, where they got much love and affection from strangers passing by, and then we spent some time walking around the waterfront parks.

[ The dogs exploring downtown St. Pete. In typical dog fashion, Cali chased a squirrel. ]

Sunday was, of course, dedicated to football, but we don't want to talk about that. (Long story short: the Chargers lost and kissed their playoff chances goodbye.) We did take Cali and Jasper with us again though, and they were mostly good as we hung out at World of Beer and then next door, at the Avenue. We looked like quite the Chargers family—G in his new jersey, me in my girly Chargers shirt, and the dogs in their Bolts bandanas (handmade by G's mom for Christmas). If only all our paraphernalia had brought the team a little luck. Hopefully we'll be better next season... In 2015!

[ G scored tons of Chargers gear for Christmas, in time for what would be the last game of the season. ]

I hope you had a wonderful, joy-full holiday as well! Can you believe the new year is almost here? Just a few days of 2014 left... let's make the most of it!

Gift Ideas for Hard-to-Shop-for Men

Sunday is my brother's 28th birthday (Happy birthday, Patrick!) and since he doesn't read this blog (aforementioned shoutout null and void), and his gift is supposed to be delivered today anyway, I thought I'd share what I got the guy:

A Man Crate! 

A what, you ask? Basically, a manly version of a gift basket, without the wicker or ribbons. The wooden crates (or ammo cans, or tactical bags) are packed with snacks, gadgets, gear, and even retro video games, if that's what your guy fancies. The novelty of these gifts really is in the packaging though. The wood crates are tightly sealed and shipped with a crowbar. You can even pay extra for "wrapping," meaning the good folks at Man Crates will completely cover the cardboard box your gift is shipped in with sticky, silver duct tape. You know, just for the hell of it, to make it that much more difficult for the recipient to open. Men like a challenge, yes?

Part of me wishes I had sprung the 10 bucks for the duct tape cocoon, but alas I cheaped out. I'm sure Patrick will still get a kick out of opening his Man Crate with a laser-engraved crowbar. There are tons of crates to choose from: jerky and meat gifts, personalized gifts, hot and spicy gifts, sport and hobby gifts, even, uh, zombie preparedness gifts (a fave of "The Walking Dead" fans, I'm sure). I ended up choosing the Slaughterhouse Crate (pictured at the top of this post), which is filled with six packs of jerky as well as snack foods.

My brother, like most men I imagine, is notoriously difficult to shop for. The fact that his birthday is less than two weeks before Christmas only compounds my gift-giving woes. (Full disclosure: I'm still trying to figure out what to get him for Christmas!) He doesn't love getting clothes, though I have successfully bought him shirts and sweatshirts in the past. He likes video games, but I never know which ones he already has (not to mention I don't like encouraging sitting in front of the TV or computer screen for hours on end), and his other hobbies (computers and shooting/fishing) are a bit out of my price point.

My brother always appreciates beer, though I learned he doesn't want to make it. I got him a home-brewing kit (by Mr. Beer) once and it just sat in the box, unused. For his birthday, I considered sending a beer gift and there are countless options out there, with buckets of beer and fun accessories (some customizable) from BeerGifts.com, Half Time Beverage, Craft Beer Connect, Home Wet Bar, Gourmet Gift Baskets, Gift Tree, Red Envelope and Give Them Beer, which is based right down the road from us in Pinellas Park, Florida.

In case you have a hard-to-shop-for man in your life, here's a few of my favorite beer gifts that I may or may not get for my brother (a girl's gotta keep some things a secret).

Clockwise from top left: Best with Beer snack basket // Wooden Six-Pack Holder with optional engraved plaque // Conceal and Carry Bottle Opener Key Chain // Stainless Steel Growler (or, similar personalized option) // Beer Nut Snack Mix in a beer can // Humphrey Bogart Quote Leather Koozie // Mighty Magnetic Bottle Opener with optional initial engraving

And now I'll leave you with something completely un-manly, but I don't care: a photo of Patrick and I on my wedding day. Love you, bro!

Do you have any tough-to-buy-for guys in your life? If so, please share any tips and tricks or go-to gifts in the comments below!

A Married Thanksgiving

I was so busy cooking in the kitchen yesterday that I didn't even have a chance to pop on in and wish the blogging world a happy Thanksgiving! But I do hope you had a wonderful day. Ours was great. We had a lot of dishes to make-- everything was homemade from scratch with the exception of my pie crust-- and it got a little stressful at the end, just with the timing. That's almost the hardest part, isn't it? Making sure everything is done and ready at the same time. But I told myself and G not to freak because, hey, it's just us! There's no one to impress, and we're not keeping anyone waiting but ourselves :)

Fortunately, despite my worries that the holiday would be lonely or sad as just the two of us, it was anything but. I think the fact that our full menu kept our minds and hands busy helped, but it was truly nice to just sit down to an abundant table filled with food, cheers to each other and enjoy one another's company. Plus, after dinner, there was no pressure to sit and make small talk or feel bad for wanting to just crash on the couch. The hubs immediately got up and changed out of his jeans and into some sweat pants. The perks of a low-key holiday at home!

All but one of the dishes we made were new-to-us recipes and I'm pleased to report that everything came out delicious. The cornbread and ciabatta stuffing with spicy sausage and pecans, which I made the day before, was a big hit (G said, to my delight, "Wow, this is really good stuffing!" after his first bite), and the "best ever" green bean casserole, cooked in our Lodge cast iron skillet, was far superior to the condensed-soup kind. The turkey was tasty thanks to an herb paste smeared over and under the skin and the slightly-sweet, onion-heavy gravy was so good it was addicting, I dolloped it on almost everything. My mom's sweet potato puree was a nice taste of home (and yummy for breakfast this morning). 

Next Thanksgiving, I'll hold back a little on the orange juice and zest in the cranberry sauce (or just use a smaller orange as ours was huge!) and I might try another mashed potato recipe. This one was good, but not out-of-this-world amazing like I hoped. We didn't use a potato ricer or food mill though, just a standard masher, so maybe that's the secret.

Finally, dessert. G seemed to love the 3-in-1 Apple-Pumpkin-Pecan Pie since he had two slices (even while claiming to be already full). The pie didn't set up perfectly but the flavor was there. I'm still an apple pie girl though. And the hubs still favors pumpkin. The battle continues!

I set the table with some of our wedding "china": colorful plates from Anthropologie, green rocks glasses from Bed, Bath & Beyond, gold-stemmed flatware and handblown pink wine glasses from Crate & Barrel. I also busted out the hand-painted lavender champagne flutes we toasted with on our wedding day. Tea lights were placed in vintage glasses that were part of our wedding decor, too. It felt good to put to use all these extra special items.

One tradition that I enjoyed when I spent Thanksgiving with G's aunt and uncle, and extended family, a few years ago was when, after dinner, everyone took turns sharing what they were thankful for. I know this is something many families do but it was new for me. I remember being so nervous. G and I were still young in our relationship and I had just met many of the people around the table for the first time, but everyone was so warm, welcoming and lovely. I'm paraphrasing now but, I shared how thankful I was to be around such good energy and how thankful I was to have G in my life. I started tearing up as I spoke, a mixture of nerves and true emotion, and even though I was mildly embarrassed at the time the moment has remained a wonderful memory on my heart and I like to think it endeared me to the family and solidified my place in it, even early on.

So last night, I placed on each of our plates a paper and pen so we could record what we are thankful for this year. After dinner we took a minute to jot down our thoughts and then we read them to each other. Not surprisingly our thoughts were almost exactly the same! I look forward to making this a tradition for us each Thanksgiving, and my heart swells at the idea of our children one day sitting around the table and sharing with us what they are grateful for.

Full of good food and good wine, the hubs passed out around 11 o'clock, but I was still wide awake. I stayed up with the pups, though they quickly fell asleep as well, most likely thanks to the large chicken jerky treats and several bites of turkey we fed them (it was their Thanksgiving, too!). Jasper, a little cuddle monster, conked out in my arms in a food coma.

Yep, a good day was had by all.