Preparing for Thanksgiving & Christmas!

This morning I had school time with Isaac, Elijah, Graham, Abigail, and Esther. Before school, I did get the Christmas mugs out and put away the everyday ones...one more step towards being finished with decorating. Woody did a bit of raking...but it must have been sort of a "Tom Sawyer-type" job as before long he had lots of little helpers and it didn't take too long till he had big helpers, too. Once the "crew" took over, Woody retired to the front porch...he commented, while sitting on the porch, that his raking job was really tough! I put a turkey breast in the oven just before school started this morning. I had read a suggestion about making the gravy for Thanksgiving ahead of time and then freezing it. The recipe called for turkey wings, but none were to be found in the stores that Woody shopped in this past week...so he got a turkey breast instead. After school was over, I made the gravy and it is all safely tucked away in the freezer. If it happens to not to be all that great after it is frozen, then I can always make gravy that day. I just know that when it comes time to make the gravy I am usually pretty tired and that it sort of holds up things for our dinner so thought that I would give this a try. After making gravy, I went upstairs and rested for a little while. Nathan and Graham came over and moved the Christmas tree box downstairs. I had a couple of other things to do before putting the tree together. But my goal was to have it together before I blogged tonight...and I met my goal as tonight's picture shows. It's together not to get underway hanging ALL the ornaments! One box is on the cutting table waiting to be explored and then ornaments hung. Over in the left hand corner of the picture you can see part of the array of boxes that I have that are filled with ornaments. Lots of tree trimming ahead...but at least that is the last decorating job other than putting the boxes back in the Christmas closet...and that job is Woody's! Woody went for a late afternoon four-mile-walk. He left in daylight but returned in darkness. Well, the really fun job of decorating is about to begin...I love to decorate the tree...so many memories as I hang each ornament! I'm not sure that I am up to getting into the ornaments tonight...think that I will at least rest in my chair for a little while before even thinking about starting...and, I may not start till morning. So today has been a bit of a mixture of getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas!