Thanksgiving

We've been adopted by the Johnsons, Malissa's family. We spent Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's house today.

We were invited to attend The Stuffing of the Turkey early in the morning. It was a 19lb turkey, almost the size of Ariane.

 

The Stuffing actually started about 3 days previously, when the turkey was taken out to defrost. This morning, the Johnsons prepared great-grandma Johnson's original recipe turkey stuffing, with much squelching and squeezing. (I got the recipe! This confirms that I'm family!)

 

Once the stuffing was declared perfect, it was stuffed into the turkey with a respectable amount of huffing and puffing.

 

Finally it was all sewn together with the requisite pulling and tugging, and then basted with melted butter.

 

(That's Malissa's mom - now you know where Malissa got her good looks!)

Finally the turkey was wrapped cosily in foil and tucked into the oven for five hours. Coincidentally, that's about as long as Ariane sleeps before she wakes for the first time at night. Hmm...

Later in the afternoon, we returned to the Johnson's to the delicious aroma of a perfectly roasted turkey. We indulged in a feast that was satisfyingly traditional, yet not sickeningly rich. Succulent turkey (I expected dry!), flavourful stuffing, the most buttery orange sweet potatoes (no marshmallow topping, thank goodness!), tart cranberry sauce, fluffy mashed potatoes... Crisp salad of baby spinach, nuts and cranberries... And of course, pumpkin pie to end it all off. Just perfect.
Oh, yes, and Jell-o and cream with the main course... Still trying to figure that one out.

I'm now infatuated with orange sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie - they're plaguing my brain like a teenage crush. I can't wait to see them again (apologies to Miley Cyrus).

The Johnsons have the perfect grandparents' house - it's full of interesting pictures and ornaments to intrigue little minds (and fingers!) as well as an attic full of toys that make their way into the living room. Best of all, it's owned by smiling indulgent parents of four, who say "Oh, let him have another helping of dessert!" and bounce children around, making silly noises. Grandparents are the same all over the world.

I explained the concept of gratitude to Nikhil, and asked him what he was thankful for. His answer: "Umm, smoke detectors and air conditioners... and stuff." Well, I suppose that's a fair answer. With some encouragement, he conceded that he is also grateful for gumball machines and Halloween and Mom, but what about Dad? "Hmm... ye-es, but sometimes he makes me cross!" Mommy's boy.

And what about my Thanksgiving list? I'm grateful that we are finally here, after years of planning and praying. I'm grateful for sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. I'm grateful for friends who keep you afloat when you think you might drown. I'm grateful for adoptive families. And I'm grateful that I have a real family to miss as much as I do.