Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving was a bit different this year because Aaron and I were not with our immediate family.  Aaron had all week off but I only got Wednesday through Friday off, so traveling home for the holiday wasn't an option.  So we stayed here in Wake Forest, North Carolina and started some new traditions.

Our small group decided to have a Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday night, which meant that Wednesday was spent cooking at the Turner home.  I had several Pinterest recipes that I had been wanting to try out and now I had a big group of people to eat them.  We also decided to tackle the task of cooking the TURKEY!!!  We received a roaster as wedding present so we thought this would be the best time to test it out.  On Sunday, we headed to Aldi to pick out the turkey and start the thawing process.  I spent most of Sunday afternoon researching how to roast a turkey.  Aaron spent Wednesday watching videos about roasting a turkey and then how to carve it.  Off to the kitchen to cook.  First thing on the menu: Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

Making brownies and adding some Reese's cups.

Aaron making the pudding mixture.  YUM YUM

Finished Product



Next menu item: Cousin Vergie's Yeast Rolls

 

 

Aaron's Dressing - Thanksgivng isn't Thanksgiving without dressing, so I made some per Aaron's request.  Another great recipe I found on Pinterest.

Last Menu Item: Turkey (we also made Green Bean Bundles but I didn't get a picture of those)

 

 

 

 



 

Once all of the food was prepared, we headed to Laura Ashley and Lee Harper's to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with our small group family.  We talked about traditions, different foods that we eat, shared what we were thankful for, and enjoyed great conversation with new friends.  Even though we were not with our family, it felt like we were because our friends here have become family. 

 

 

Thanksgiving Day - Aaron, Lee, Laura Ashley, Holland Grace, and I headed to Green Castle Apartments in North Raleigh to serve the residents Thanksgiving lunch.  The Summit's I58 program has built relationships with the residents here by serving them weekly through a variety of activities.  We had the opportunity to meet other members of The Summit and the residents at Green Castle.  It was a beautiful day and a great way to spend Thanksgiving. 

 

After a quick lunch we spent the rest of the day resting for Black Friday shopping.  We decided since we live 2 minutes from Kohls we would go and see what all of the hype was about.  We ate leftover Thanksgiving food, pulled all of the Christmas stuff out, and started the decorating process while we waited for midnight to get here.

 

 

 

 

 



The line outside Kohl's at 11:30 p.m.


 

It was so cold outside.  I think our phones said 34 degrees.

 

 

We waited in line to check-out for 50 minutes.  We had a lot of fun looking for stuff, getting great deals, and chatting with the people we met in line.  We have now had the experience and I think it will last us for a while. 

 

 

Almost to the check-out

 

A pashmina scarf for $8.

 

My Favorite Tee - such a comfortable shirt. 

Aaron got a couple of shirts as well.  The best part - we saved more than we spent and still got $30 Kohl's cash to spend next week.  I feel positive that we will be able to find something.  It was a fun evening.

 

Today after several cups of coffee, Aaron spent most of the day working on school work and I finished decorating the house for Christmas.  We enjoyed our Friday tradition of pizza and some quality time together.  It has been a fabulous Thanksgiving and looking forward to the weekend.