{Thanksgiving in Pictures}

Old recipes, with some new ones mixed in, Lots of smells wafting, mixing, and setting an excellent mood that lasted throughout the day. We had an amazing dinner with some exceptional food served on wedding china, our first opportunity to use it. The rest of the day was spent grazing deserts, watching movies, and playing games. It was good to loose track of time, divvy up food, and go to bed full and happy.

We had a lot of good conversation, and the ability to enjoy our time together as a family. This year has certainly not been a conventional one, and has provided it's share of trials for everyone. It's been a blessing to have a balanced perspective, and to have been able to come home when we did. If there's anything I've learned in the past couple of years, it's that through all of the difficult trials, there is always the promise of good things to come, and that happiness is a decision, not a result.  I'm so grateful for the two wonderful, funny, supportive, and good men I have in my life.  They are my happiness. Well, them and pie.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-Ashley

1. Apple Pie
2. Grandma's Oyster Stuffing ( one without , for Jeff)
3. Flowers from a thoughtful husband
4. Pumpkins for Pie. No cans here!
5. Pinterest experiment of the night - cinnamon roll crust.
6. Creamy, spicy, and ready to be a pie!
7. Finished Pumpkin Pie. Yum!
8. Crust results. Not bad, eh?
9. Bananas waiting
10.  to be this
11. Fuel for the morning
12. Grandma's yeast rolls
13. Table setting starting to come together
14. Wedding china
15. Wealth of food
16 &17. Perfect company

Not Pictured: Jeff's 3 bean salad, green beans and bacon,, broccoli cheese casserole ( ALL YUM), and the best turkey I've ever eaten. 

{And so am I}

Well, I supposed there are silver linings wherever you look for them. I'm back in the land of pumpkin. Please excuse the emotional eating.

-Ashley

{Pumpkin Pie}

After a chat with some of the girls at work, I was dismayed that none of them had had pumpkin pie before. That combined with my wistfulness over missing fall in Ky, lead to a morning of baking. Jeff found me [half] a pie pumpkin ( because it's completely normal to find produce sliced and sold by sections in China) and by the time I got to work this afternoon I had scrumptious little pumpkin pies to share with everyone.  They aren't the prettiest things I've ever made, but they were a rousing success with some tough critics!

Happy Fall!
-Ashley