With Thanks

Josh & I are only children, as is Dash, obviously. Although Thanksgiving was a huge, beautiful production at my Dad's house, the guest list was always relatively small. Of course I cherished those Thanksgivings with my Dad, and I would never trade them for anything, but as Josh & I started to create our own small family, I did yearn a bit for more people at our table. I wanted the big, raucous Thanksgiving. I wanted to welcome as many of our beloved friends and family into my home as I could, I wanted the ritual of reciting our many blessings and counting our people among them.

This year, I think we managed it. We had a total guest list of 26 people and it was glorious. The children (there were nine. Nine!) behaved perfectly. The adults were a delight. We had friends and extended family and even guests from abroad. When the time came to say what we were thankful for this year, no one was sarcastic or silly. Everyone gave a heartfelt thanks and I am still warmed by all of it even now, four days later. (Also, two turkeys and four pies and two types of sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts sauteed in bacon fat and green bean casserole topped with bubbly cheese and stuffing with sage and onion and all the Champagne. All of it).

A few weeks before Thanksgiving I decided I didn't have enough burns on my fingers, so I cut some letters out of card stock & covered them with hot glue & pom poms.

Gather.

I don't have 26 napkin rings because I am not crazy, so I printed each guest's name on good paper and made little place setting parcels. Two-in-one, yo!

I don't like an overly fussy table, so I just scattered some votives that I gold-leafed earlier in the week and little gourds between the place settings.

Action shot.

Gold leafing in progress.

Hey guys, Liz is gonna take a picture, so everyone look away!

Hey kids, Liz is gonna take a picture, so everyone look blurry!

And, as always, the reasons for the season (both of 'em).

It almost looks like he's not popping a hernia holding that giant child, don't it?

It was a good day.