Thanksgiving....

Today, I'm thankful for my niece and nephews...and to celebrate my brother's kids, we went out for a hike and photo shoot for a little while. :) Here are some of my favorites.

My first Christmas dinner...

This year I thought I'd try something new for Christmas. I cooked. Christmas dinner. All of it. From turkey to sweet potatoes to green bean casserole, it was all me. Although, my mom did make the stuffing, and a rockin' pecan pie, (I just ate the last piece tonight!) I definitely was busy in the kitchen.
For someone who usually only cooks for one person, this was quite the task!
I have to say I enjoyed the cooking. And the internet is a GREAT resource for recipes. I'll have to post the recipe for the sweet potato casserole. It was by far the best thing on the menu.
It was a quiet Christmas for my family. My brother and sister both didn't come home this Christmas, and since I just flew to see my brother for Thanksgiving, traveling was out for this holiday. So, staying home with the parents it was.
I think cooking definitely made me miss my family a little bit less. It kept me focused a little bit less on the day, and more on the task at hand.
My parents were fun, and we ended the day with a movie at the theater. Not bad for a day I was dreading without the family. And it was 100 percent better than last Christmas, which was horrible because I had the stomach flu. Christmas stinks when you're sick, that's all I have to say.