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Happy Thanksgiving Eve, dear readers! I fell asleep in Benjamin’s bed when I was tucking him in for naptime this afternoon. I woke up looking at his precious sleeping face. Sometimes I’m just floored by the beauty of a sleeping child.
I couldn’t be more grateful for my two little ones, my wonderful husband and best friend, and our baby on the way. Not to mention our amazing extended family. I have so much to be thankful for this year including you. Thank you for being here! I really think I have the world’s most delightful readers and I love all that you bring to this little community.
In other news, I finally gave in and got a twitter account (@HaleyCarrots). I’m still a little confused about how the whole thing works, but now’s a good time to find out, right? Follow me if you haven’t already had your fill of my nonsense 
Have you already started Thanksgiving baking? Our family’s must-have-or-it’s-not-Thanksgiving menu items are my great-grandmother’s recipes for Au Gratin Potatoes and Pumpkin, Chocolate Creme, and Coconut Creme Pies. My brother is whipping up the potatoes this year and Benjamin and my Aunt are busy making pies. We’re also doing Turkey, Ham, GF Cornbread/Sausage Dressing, sweet potatoes, salad, etc. What dishes are essential to your family’s Thanksgiving table?
Coming Up in the Liturgical Year: The First Sunday of Advent is just over a week away! We’re going to make our Advent candles and wreath next week and I can’t wait! I do hope you’ll link up with us on Dec. 3rd and share all your old and new posts about the first week of Advent (read more about the new link up Little HolyDays here).
Advent Links: Keep It Simple by Simcha Fisher
Holy Time: Observing Advent Instead of Fighting Santa by Carrots for Michaelmas
And a great list of Advent books compiled by Elizabeth Foss
In the Garden: Greens, greens, and more beautiful greens!
Tended by my three wonderful gardeners.
And broccoli!
And a 14 week old longed-for and beloved baby in utero. (I got rid of my blonde hair so that I won’t have to dye it during pregnancy. I know it’s probably safe, but I get nervous.)
Links:
If you only have time to read one link, please read MollyMakesDo’s The Shadow of Thankfulness. My thoughts exactly, Molly! I’m going to a friend’s newborn’s baptism on Black Friday morning and then I plan on staying in for the rest of the day eating Thanksgiving leftovers and snuggling my babies and avoiding the insanity!
Black Friday and Lessons in Simplicity by Raising a Green Family
be so good at your job that your kids think you’re playing by Steady Mom
How To: Cut Back on the 5 Big Costs of Weddings by Like Mother, Like Daughter
The Problem with Pink by Margot Payne (A thoughtful post about Breast Cancer Awareness Month by my precious mom, who successfully battled breast cancer three years ago.)
Instagrams Worth Sharing:
Rosy-cheeked kitchen helper.
This book is a delight. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get my act together and buy a copy.
If you are an Amazon shopper and beginning (or more organized than I am and actually finishing) your holiday shopping, would you do me a huge favor and use my Amazon search widget on the sidebar on the right when you go to Amazon to order? I’m an Amazon affiliate so I receive a tiny percentage of sales made through my links which really helps to keep the lights on here at Carrots. I would be eternally grateful!
It’ll be quiet around here tomorrow because we will be busy feasting up a storm at my parent’s house. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving day with family and friends!
Aww thanks darling! I think your plans for BF sound perfect! I think we’ll be eating leftovers and playing with trains!
p.s. I sneak into Henry’s room multiple time a night just to see him sleeping – it is beautiful!
Is that Daniel in that picture?! Sans beard?!
It’s him! He had to shave it for his new side job.
Oh my gosh. In all the time I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without a beard! Can’t wait to see that in person.
I love the Penderwick books!! I read the first one and really thought I’d discovered another E. Nesbit-era British children’s author until halfway through the book. I just love her–even if she is modern
They feel so timeless! I finished the second one last night without having the third one in the house–big mistake!
Jealous of the broccoli…love the hair
Happy Thanksgiving!!
…and for me- it could be really simple. Like a pecan pie, vanilla ice cream and a spoon…
Thanks! Pie is the real Thanksgiving goal for me, as well
Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!
Loved the Penderwicks (first is best but all are good). What’s more, I got to meet Jeanne Birdsall in my library school children’s lit class (she’s a local). SHE ATE MY COOKIES AND SAID THEY WERE GOOD.
I only fangirled a little.
Um…I’m freaking out just because I know you and Jeanne Birdsall liked your cookies. Ahhh! Jealous! WHAT IS SHE LIKE?
Oh, love the Penderwicks too! The audio books are also really nice versions, we get those from the library over and over.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing your life and thoughts through this blog. May God bless you and your family!
I’ll have to check out the audiobooks! I’m just delighted every time I think about Penderwicks:)
I hope your Thanksgiving was just wonderful, Cristina!
Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving! And you look so cute! What a cute pregnant lady you are!
And that broccoli makes me so jealous, it’s amazing to have such greenery in November!
It was great. We were bustling around making pies but it was still laid back and wonderful. And thank you! Any pics you’ve posted on your blog that show off your cute pregnant belly have been adorbs. And I love your glasses and have some similar ones. I should take a pic so that you can see we’re glasses/belly twinsies.
But oh, my dear….just you wait. If I’m brave enough to post third trimester pregnancy pics you will take it back! I become absolutely unrecognizable…as in, I show people pictures and they don’t believe it’s really me. Maybe it’s because my typical weight gain is close to 60 pounds? And I’m only 5’2″? Food for thought, I suppose. And thank goodness for breastfeeding weight loss.
Um, you need to post a full photo of Daniel sans bread. I really looked at that picture and thought “oh, who is that with the kids?”
Also, Lucy’s hair looks very auburn in a lot of these photos! she is so ridiculously precious. Just as Benjamin is ridiculously entertaining. No wonder you are excited for more!
I know! I really need to! I hadn’t seen his face in five years and his parents hadn’t seen him sans beard in 10!
Sigh. She’s such a sweetheart. I think that’s usually one of the last things I say to Daniel each night. “Lucy is just…..sooooo sweeeeeeet.”