thanksgiving - it's pie time

thanksgiving is done and dusted for another year and as i have for the last two years, i put my pies up for sale in the lead up. it never ceases to amaze me that people want to buy them, but this year i managed to sell twelve pumpkin and five banoffee pies! including a mini banoffee for my friend hayley who is stuck in a house with no one else who likes banoffee... poor girl

and by request - a gluten free pumpkin pie! i must admit, it made me incredibly nervous as i didn't know how well it would come out, but although the base is a lot lighter than usual, it looks great and didn't crumble. i'd say that's a win. i can't wait to hear back on how it tasted.

well, the production line can be shelved until next year. i did it! maybe one day i can bake to make money more than once a year, but only time will tell. let's see how we go haha

so much to be thankful for: thanksgiving 2020

amongst all the drama going on, it's wonderful to be able to have a night thinking of our blessings, and offering thanks for all we have. tonight we did just that and had a lovely thanksgiving dinner with the pinker family.

starting of course with sport - cause that's how doug rolls hahaha

dinner was perfect

with lots of laughs and cuddles and kindness

and lots of love.

then we took turns writing what we were grateful for on autumn leaves

that would be hung on our gratitude tree

then we ate pumpkin pie...

argues with toddlers hahahah

laughed some more

and played about

until it was time to go home to bed in time for school tomorrow.

we know there are so many things for us to be grateful for - and today is a good reminder to count those blessings we enjoy each day. ❤

 

thanksgiving 2019

thanksgiving is nannaleahs favourite holiday, so every year we are invited over to have thanksgiving dinner with the family. i am all about a holiday that is purely about giving thanks and having a lovely meal!

we are always under strict instruction to "dress nice" and the kids followed instructions well

we even picked up some bevvies on the way. totally filing this one away for future reference. nice non alcoholic wines are so hard to find and this one was delicious!

traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings goes down a treat!

yummo

i love this kid and his funny faces.

and pumpkin pie for dessert! that's my annual contribution and i wouldn't dare turn up without it. my life wouldn't be worth living.

after dinner, dom had prepared some autumn leaves, 6 per person, to write things that we are grateful for, for their gratitude tree. some of the answers were downright hilarious, but when it all came down to it, we were all grateful for the same things.

friends

love

home

the gospel

and

family

cause that's all that really matters 

❤

thanksgiving 2017

there are so many things in life to be thankful for... so people can question all they want why we are celebrating thanksgiving here in australia while it's hot outside and definitely not winter, but each year we have thanksgiving with the pinker family and love every minute.

after dinner, we go around the table and each person tells everyone else what they are thankful for. i was particularly thrilled this year for my very un-gushy husband to say he was thankful for me! i personally am grateful for friends that are family! i also said openly, that no matter how badly i miss my grandfather joseph, i am so grateful that through him passing away, we met the pinker family. i needed someone to play the piano for me when i sang at his funeral, someone suggested i call the stake organist, which was taui... and here we are, 10 years later!

doug and i loving thanksgiving dinner!

my pumpkin pie which i sadly didn't get to eat any of this year... i didn't want to punish everyone by making it gluten and dairy free

and taui's pav, there is a piece missing because he made me a df piece. what a gem. i was into that faster than he could cut the rest. 

and the traditional thanksgiving selfire. aren't we an attractive bunch?

happy thanksgiving everyone! i know i certainly have plenty to be thankful for ♥

thanksgiving 2016

i went to the temple for the very first time with dominique on thanksgiving. doug and i went went along to do a session with her on thursday, which just happened to be thanksgiving day. we have never been with her as she ended up going through in samoa right before she went on her mission, so it was a lovely experience for us all to be there, together at all. i really can't tell you just how wonderful it is to have her home with us.

i always feel like i have a bit of a claim on thanksgiving seeing as my grandfather was american, and this year i only had one thought all day... how grateful i am not only to have enough for myself, but to have enough to give. i have so much, everything i need (and want!) and i am able to help others with things they need. that's the greatest blessing of all. ♥

giving thanks 2015

thanksiving 2015 started with me finding this perfect quote online. honestly, i could not have said it better if i had tried. it's really what life is about. give thanks and take nothing for granted,

so the thing i am most grateful for, is certainly my family, especially my husband and these monkeys that were "playing sleeping" in my bed while i got ready this morning. i love them both madly!

we were invited to thanksgiving dinner at our friends (the pinkers, who else) and our invitation requested formal dress, so we were careful to appear dressed to the nines for the most delicious traditional dinner, turkey and all of the sides! 

joseph and madeline enjoyed themselves as always, behaving like they own the place, because let's be honest they pretty much do... as they were doted on endlessly by their aunties and uncles (one of those families that one makes for oneself...)

it was an amazing night and we were truly filled, with thanks, love and food!

this girl. i love how girly she is. pants? what are they! and those pearls. oh my ♥

my contributions for the evening were cauliflower cheese and trifle (thanks mum and grandma for the recipes) and the pumpkin pie below... i even made my own crust this year and it worked beautifully... and it was easy phew!... i was thrilled! check out the recipe here.

so happy thanksgiving to you all! xx

thanksgiving dinner

 

on sunday afternoon we had thanksgiving dinner at the reese's... i know the end is nigh (with just two weeks until they depart back to the u.s.) and we are trying to enjoy every minute with them. a group of 14 of us got together, with everyone making something, which ended up being one heck of a lot of food! sooooo good. potato bake, sweet potato mash, a whole roast turkey, stuffing, bread rolls, roast pumpkin salad - and....  drum roll... pumpkin pie!!!

 

 

i have been waiting so many years to try it, i was just desperately hoping it wouldn't disappoint! and disappoint it did not. plus... i was even gifted lisa's extra can of pumpkin so i can make my own come christmas! yesss!

i even did my research and found out what thanksgiving is about - apparently (americans feel free to correct me...) it's when the pilgrims arrived in america they were having difficulties growing things in the unfamiliar soil and the indians stepped in and assisted them. at the end of harvest (successful harvest) the pilgrims and the indians sat down together and celebrated with a feast - and there began the first thanksgiving! 

 

boys having fun

 

 and maddie stuffing her gob full of turkey.

 

i am so thankful. for good friends, family (and food! haha)

happy thanksgiving yo!

so thankful

happy thanksgiving!!

i am thankful...

so thankful. for everything i have.

doug and i are truly so blessed and have been given so much.

we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, a steady income, the most beautiful baby on the planet

- and so many possibilities...