Hearts full of Gratitude

We began our Thanksgiving day a new way today. We decided to start a new tradition for a family by serving others on the day when we count our blessings...and ours are so many!

We went downtown to the local Rescue Mission to help out where ever we were needed. The kids were very excited for this new adventure! It was amazing at how many volunteers they had, so there wasn't too much for us to do (we dished up pie and separated the paper plates).

But it was a very fun way to begin our Thanksgiving day, off on the right foot.

After a brief call with "Far Away" Grandma & Grandpa (how Jameson refers to my parents) we went to Jason's parents, just down the road. It was such lovely weather the big kids spent most of the day outside playing. Delicious food, football, card games (not for me, ofcourse!)and the reading of ALL the sale adds. Happy Thanksgiving! God is good~all the time.
"Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his loves endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5

Pioneer Woman

Us & "PW"

Robyn & Carolyn (the ulimate fans)

Waiting in Line


My friend, Robyn, a fan of checking blogs, favors the blog of one, Ree Drummond, a.k.a. Pioneer Woman.
So, a few of us took a one day trip to L.A. to see The Pioneer Woman. Intially, I thought we were going to see a comedian...I was unfamiliar with her blog that apparantly has thousands of followers. Well, although she is very funny, it was not a "show", but rather a signing for her newly released cookbook The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It is a beautiful cookbook with lots of personal photography of her family on their Oklahoma Cattle Ranch, narrated with short stories, and of course, some delicious recipes that I cannot wait to try! Even Jason said that it made him want to cook after thumbing thru this cookbook!
Our day began early, at 6:30am...Myself, Karin, Robyn, and Carolyn piled into the Tahoe and zoomed toward L.A.! We had to make it to Borders in Torrance to purchase our cookbook and obtain the "yellow" wristband that ensured us a space at the front of the book signing line-that wasn't until 5pm! We did it!
After perusing the clearance books at Borders (which, I might add, is a great selection!) we grabbed Starbucks and made our way to The Grove (my real reason for getting up so early!).
We whirl winded our way thru the shops we loved and had a quick bite at the delicious cafe-like restaurant, The Farm.
Once getting back to Borders we waited a short while to see The Pioneer Woman. She had a Q & A time, where I realized how much some of these ladies LOVE her and I am pretty sure hang on her every breathe! We were in the first "80" or so gals in the book signing line, with atleast 150 more behind us. Ree/The Pioneer Woman seems nice and very down to earth, but Karin and I never actually met her because Robyn and Carolyn were star-struck(their words, not mine) and had oh-so-much to ask/tell her! (love you girls:)...it was fun!)