Thanksgiving 2012 + 2011!

I thought I'd do a 2 in 1 and write about last year's Thanksgiving too, since that one didn't make it here at the time. :) So, here it goes -

Thanksgiving 2011: 
We celebrated at our house with another American family (very good friends from church) and the Missionaries! Delicious food and great company!

John, carving the turkey, under Dakin's watchful eye! ;)

We had to sit at three different tables in order to accommodate everyone ! - one for us, one for the big kids (and my mom :) )

and one for the little kids. :)

A little play after dinner, all huddled around the Ikea black/whiteboard. And Andrei randomly wearing some pink earmuffs (?). Ha!

I couldn't resist posting this picture! How adorable and cute is this little boy!? That face and those eyes melt my heart! And he's such a mamma's boy! Lucky me! :)

As we went around the table and each said what we were grateful for, this is what the kids said: Alexandra - "I'm grateful for books" (Yes! Good one!) and Andrei - "I'm grateful for DINOSAURS"! :)))

Thanksgiving 2012:
At the beginning of November, in preparation for Thanksgiving, we started a new family tradition - a thankful tree. At first it was bare,

but as each day we hung on it pieces of paper (its leaves) with something we were grateful for written on, it turned into this:

Things the kids were grateful for -
Alexandra: mummy and daddy (yep, the British spelling of mummy/mommy :) ), school, the earth, food, Lali (my mom's nickname).
Andrei: toys, flowers, drinks, Church, the whole world, mom and dad, computers, beds, my family, space, chairs. :)
It was a really great way to help us remember and consciously think about the things (even the little ones, or maybe especially those) we are thankful for.

***

Look what I found in the UK!!! In an American store, called... "The American shop". :) It was the last one on the shelf and it cost me an arm and a leg (£2.95 ~ $4.70!!), but it was all worth it, to make the celebration more special and authentic.

This year we celebrated with two other American families - the ones from last year, and another one, at the latter's house. I was assigned a sweet potato casserole and a couple of other simple things. I had never made sweet potato casserole, but I'm happy to report that everybody loved it and it was one of the easiest things I've ever made. Here it is, ready to go in the oven:

 and... DONE! 

The last words our friend Susan said to Andrei when we left - "Don't fall asleep on the way home!". As you can see, he somehow failed to follow that advice. :))
(Alexandra was sick that day, but luckily my mom was visiting us and very kindly stayed home with the sick girlie. )

Happy Thanksgiving! Give thanks in all things and every day!