So Thankful

We can say "We were here first!" We were the happy testers of the St. Regis Ice Rink this week. What a gorgeous spot to enjoy a little bit of the winter chill in Hotlanta. It was Devon's first time in skates and he was a natural. I have no idea why Firoze is reluctant to let him become a figure skater???




After a few times around, Devon was ready to let go of the side railing and probably even my hand, if I would let him!





I was so proud of Devon - he was so sure of himself on skates. Maybe it's in the genes!





Firoze did his part by ordering a gourmet hot chocolate and giving it a taste test. We wouldn't want the rest of Atlanta to suffer by having to taste it first without a professional hot chocolate drinker giving it the stamp of approval.



Next our "testing" continued with the s'mores roasted in the St. Regis outdoor fireplace.





And if you're wondering... do s'mores taste better when you eat them at a 5-star hotel, rather than a campsite in the middle of the woods? The answer is YES!



Thank you Robert (at St. Regis) for treating us like VIP's for the afternoon - for the skating session, for the hot chocolate and s'mores, and for taking two great family pictures of us!





Devon got to see the amazing St. Regis gingerbread house - look at the size of this! It was still a work in progress, since the actual grand opening won't be for a few more days. The smell was heavenly. No need for a spa visit, just stand there and smell the air around the gingerbread house for about 5 minutes!





We were so thankful to have a few days off, to have this amazing family day together and then to lead right into the Thankgiving eat-a-thon!

My Mom and Dad came up to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and we were truly thankful that they could make it. All Devon asked me (at least a hundred times) over the past two weeks was "Can I watch my 'Dinosaurs' movie with Grandpa and Mimi?" On Thanksgiving morning, he got his wish and you can see how cozy he was snuggled next to his "Grandpa."



The best thing we did this year was to prepare all our dishes the day before, so on Thankgiving day, all we had to do was to kick back, relax and watch the Macy's Day Parade and a dinosaur movie, while our turkey cooked for a few hours. Then we popped all those great side dishes in the oven and enjoyed some of this...



Seriously, look at that - are you drooling yet? It's baked brie topped with a sprinkling of brown sugar and pecans. When it's warm from the oven, you top the entire thing with good cherry preserves that have been warmed and then you shove your face in it... I mean, you politely spread a reasonable amount on a cracker and you eat it (and repeat this for the next hour!). What a great way to pass the time while casseroles bake!

So, we did Thanksgiving right... After all, it's my all time favorite eating day of the year. Yes, there are fancy nights out at restaurants, but what can top Thanksgiving dinner? Yep, that's right... NOTHING! So, here's the rundown... we had our Turkey, brined all night and glistening from the oven, we had our gravy - which was perfection, by the way! We had mashed potatoes with more butter and cream cheese than should be legal. We had macaroni and cheese, which bubbled away with cheesy goodness. And of course we had the homemade cranberry sauce, spiked up with extra orange zest and citrus juice. Those are all the regulars at our table, but here were some of the all stars.

Sweet Potato casserole is only "right" if you have at least a 1 inch thick layer of brown sugar, butter, and pecans on top!



Oh the stuffing goodness, to stuff our bellies, to stuff our mouths... this was some seriously good stuffing - made with carmelized onions and apples.



You've got to have a Thanksgiving "wildcard." You can't do the same thing every year, or people would just eat it and complain non-stop. Actually, they probably would happily eat the same thing, but it's just me that always wants to try one new thing. So, this year, it was sweet corn casserole and it was like a moist, fluffy, sweet cornbread and it was AMAZING!



Our Thanksgiving table was just beautiful, thanks to the gorgeous new glasses that arrived just in time from Bethany and to the perfect fall leaves, gathered by my Mom and Devon on their walk around our neighborhood.



What a perfect Thanksgiving, filled with a bountiful table and a wonderful family to enjoy it with!



After eating for about 7 straight hours, we decided to get moving down to Atlantic station. What a perfect night to be out and about in Atlanta. It was warm and the lights were so cheery and bright!





The size of this Christmas tree makes it absolutely stunning!



We were so happy we could spend Thanksgiving with "Mimi and Grandpa" (formerly known as "Mom and Dad") and that it was such a perfect day!



The best way to end it was with a little night soccer, first with Firoze and Devon and then with a new little friend we met at the Atlantic Station Park.







Good thing Devon got enough exercise for all of us because it was time to go home and eat some pie! And so we did!