thanks+giving

We prepared and celebrated our first thanksgiving meal in our own place this year, and were blessed to be joined by a good friend, Helen, from Vancouver. As it turned out, the thanksgiving meal was the first meal cooked in our new kitchen, we moved into our new house a few days earlier.

As this was our first holiday meal in our home, we began two traditions that our family will carry forward. The first, holiday meals as a multi-course dinner that is enjoyed and savored slowly, allowing much opportunity for table-talk as family and friends gather, and pairing each course with an appropriate bottle of wine. This tradition started at Christmas 2008, where Jess cooked her first Christmas dinner at her folks place, a six course meal that was deemed the best Christmas meal ever by her younger brother.

The thanksgiving five course meal started with an appertizer of pesto and cranberry crostini, followed by a pumpkin soup with blue-cheese croûtons. The main course was anything but traditional, a venison meatloaf served on a bed of sweet potato mash - the deer was shot locally by Craig who finished putting in our kitchen cabinets the day before. A cheese platter followed, which included a traditional touch of cranberry sauce served on a cracker with blue cheese. By the end of the fourth course, we were quite full, so the fifth and final dessert course, a chocolate ice cream covered with a dark-chocolate cranberry sauce and served with a tawny port, was enjoyed later on the couch while watching NCIS...

The second tradition that we began, was to take the time to express our thankfulness - to each other and also to our good and giving Lord. So, for each course that was served, everyone at the table shared something they were thankful for. This year we had much to be thankful for - a wonderful new home to live in, as we also celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on thanksgiving weekend we were thankful for eachother, plus the many opportunities that we are privileged to have - to be able to study at places like Regent College and Notre Dame, and to be able to travel back to Sydney for Christmas and a wedding this year (see you all soon!).

The +giving side we will have to work on for next year... we have been a little self-consumed of late by our own need to settle into this new town and house. In being thankful for our new house, we were also prayerful that our house would be a place that gave warm hospitality. With Helen as our first house guest, we are off to a good start...