Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
– William Arthur Ward

It’s important to be grateful all year round, but taking time out to have a celebratory meal and to actively think about and recall what this year has meant for you, and the people & moments you are thankful for, is important too. We celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving in October, but being a Canadian-American couple, we also take the time to celebrate the American Thanksgiving as well. And this was our favorite Thanksgiving meal yet, as far as taste goes. We had a meatless veggie packed pecan meatloaf topped with cranberry sauce, sautéed garlic green beans & asparagus, mashed potatoes, the most flavorful pumpkin pie we’ve ever tasted (topped with vegan whipped cream of course), and apple cider. My taste buds were exploding from delight. This was also the first year I attempted to make my own pumpkin pie, and I tried it tofu-less. I was very nervous, but everything turned out just right and I’m so thrilled. I usually take this time to share in detail with you some of the things I am grateful for, but this year I’ll keep it short because I’m doing the 30 Days of Gratitude project, and there are lots of thankful posts to come. (Heaven forbid I should repeat myself. =P)

I am ever so thankful for my family. My life is made complete by the presence of Tom and the cats. I’m so glad Tom’s parents have welcomed me as one of their own. And even though I am far away from my mom, sisters, and father- I still communicate regularly and that means so much to me. Things would not be the same without them.
I am ever so thankful for you. You may not realize it, but every time you read my words or look at my photographs you are making a huge difference in my life. I am thankful that I have the ability, time, and inclination to share pieces of my life with you, and ever so much more thankful that you will have me.

Thank you so much.

PS: I added a new feature on the blog. If you’ll notice you can hover over the smaller images now, and when you click them they will expand to show the larger size. I will stress significantly less now that I don’t have to fight with myself over which photos get “demoted” to smaller sizes in my posts.