getting older and giving thanks

so a couple of highlights from the last part of november...

i had a little birthday a few weeks ago. the big two-seven. will was on long (30 hour) call on my birthday but left me a sweet card and a delish cinnamon roll from the bakery that morning. and my sweet fellow arkansan friend, shea, made a yummy chocolate cake for me. she brought it over the night of my birthday and even stayed and helped me bathe the kids. shea, i didn't thank you enough! it meant so much to me!

Thanksgiving was non-traditional and i loved it! Will was working in the ICU and couldn't take vacation over the holidays. So we stayed here and our dear dear friends Jonnathan and Kristen made the treck to Rochester from Little Rock. I mean really... are they true friends or what?! They left both their families in LR and made the 12 hour drive to see us for 4 days in this super chilly town! Thank you Lord for friends like that!

And I cooked my first turkey...if you count Jenny O turkey-in-a-bag. I have a whole new appreciation for the woman in charge of the holiday meal. talk about alot of work! yikes...i think next year i might just show up somewhere to eat. I could not have done the cooking without Kristen though to give me orders. I had planned out the meal, done the shopping, had my recipes all ready, but on thanksgiving day i felt like my brain was scrambled eggs. i seriously needed kristen there to say, alisa, put the turkey in the oven. alisa, salt the potatoes. alisa, don't forget the salad. we had my good friend alexandra, her husband carl and their three boys over to eat our big meal with us. they are in rochester from new zealand for 2 years of training at mayo and have come to be great friends. alexandra's mom was also with us - in town from new zealand to help with her newest little grandson.

liam, ferguson, fletcher, and wee baby forrester

the crew

who would have thought last year that this group of people would all be under the same roof sharing a holiday together? it was a great time and great memories. i'm so thankful for the awesome friends we've had for years and the new friends we have made recently.