So Thankful!

Every day is Thanksgiving day... I just wished I was better at expressing thanks for my blessing (including trials) on a daily basis.  Despite the daily grind we all go through and the interruptions to our concept of a peaceful life (Life happens) we, ALL of us have so much to be thankful for.  When life smacks us with a trial it's so easy to forget what we DO have.  I am going to try harder to have an attitude of thankfulness all of the time.  I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings he has given me all my life through the rough spots and the smooth ones for bringing me this far.  There's no way I could do anything on my own (anything good anyway).  He deserves all the credit.  I am sorry I don't always remember to thank Him for the gifts i enjoy.  The family I've been blessed to be a part of, food, shelter, clothing, indoor plumbing, electricity, and so much more... for the very air I'm given to breathe.  Without Him I am lost and have nothing.

Today I was able to spend time with family.  I don't always get to see my oldest son and his family on holidays as they live a distance from us but it is always wonderful to see them.  It's a wonderful blessing to be able to share a table with parents, children, grandchildren, in-laws, and of course my husband.  I missed the ones that couldn't be there but was happy to hear from them and see their pictures (I'm thankful for technology).  Yes, I have much to be thankful for.

Since my last post my son and daughter-in-law have moved in and I now have a 'partner in crime' while the guys do whatever it is guys do.  Finally I have a female in the house to balance the testosterone around here!  She helped me this week work on some fondant decorations for our Thanksgiving Day cake.  She went with me to do some Christmas shopping (yep... I'm done, it's wrapped and everything!).  It's nice to have her with us.

I've done a couple of cakes since my last post (are you surprised?).  When I don't have a special occasion to do a cake I try to make one a week anyway and try new things and brush up on my skills.  Dear husband gets tired of cake sometimes I'm sure but he doesn't complain, especially when he has a fork in his hand.  He is the guinea pig to all my experimentation... hope he doesn't mind sharing a bit with the kids now!

                                                        "Practice" wedding cake

                                                   Close up of roses and scroll work

The next one is the cake I made for my family for Thanksgiving.  I call it "Evil Chocolate Cake".  It has two layers of chocolate-chocolate chip cake with a layer of fudge brownie in between, and chocolate fudge butter cream icing.  The decorations are marshmallow fondant.  I need to give credit to my daughter-in-law for her help - she made the sweet little pears, apples and grapes.  The cutest little pears I think I've ever seen too.

                                         You have to admit those little pears are darling.

                 This is my "Evil Chocolate Cake" and my first attempt doing 'basket weave' decorations.

I think it came out pretty good.  I know it tasted downright evil!  Anything that yummy has to be evil!!!  Anyway it went well with the pies as the end of out Thanksgiving feast.  I'm sure thankful too because it was a lot of work.  It's satisfying to serve up something yummy and pretty too.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  I hope we will all do better (me especially) at remembering to be thankful all of the time.

Happy Thanksgiving!