Mallory's milestone and preparations for Thanksgiving

Mallory turned 7 months old this past Sunday. It's hard to believe, yet I say that everytime I post something about her growth. I didn't have a lot of time to shoot pictures since Mallory was fussy and it was chilly outdoors. I didn't get many good shots in the 5 mintues we were outside, but this one was kinda cute.

My parents ended up coming to visit us this past weekend, which was so nice! My mom called me on Tuesday to say she and my dad were coming to stay from Saturday evening to Monday afternoon. I really anticipated their visit because I was in need of some good conversation and fellowship! The Lord timed their coming perfectly...they needed a "Mallory fix" and I needed their companionship. Mom and I walked around some open houses on Sunday, which was fun. Patrick and I found a house that we both really liked, but are still unsure of how we should approach it, since it's at the top of our price range and we still have 4 months in our lease. We're just praying about it and trying to be patient.

I see a lot of posts about preparations for Thanksgiving. I have mixed emotions about the upcoming holiday because this will be the first year I will not be spending this holiday with any extended family. With it being Mallory's first Thanksgiving, I really wanted the day to be special and be surrounded by grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I was a bit down for a few days and teared up pretty easily over nothing in particular. But, I think we'll end up having a very nice day, eventhough the day will not be as I had originally planned. There is a family in Elberton (where my parents live) that I know who has a sister that lives in Johnson City. I called her up last week and she graciously extended an invitation to us to come over for dinner on Thursday, but we decided to have dinner with just the 3 of us and just join them for dessert instead. I'm really excited about meeting a new friend and I'm so thankful that we'll be able to share part of the day with another family. Patrick will actually have to work in the morning, which will hopefully give me a chance to prepare our meal. This will be the first time I've cooked a Thanksgiving feast, so I'm a little nervous yet excited too! Since it will be just the 3 of us, I won't be slaving in the kitchen for hours, but we'll have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry sauce. I'll probably make a pumpkin pie, too. We just finalized our plans today, so I've yet to go to the grocery store. I'll probably do that tonight. I know that this Thanksgiving will be very special for me, Patrick and Mallory. There is so much to be thankful for this year. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

I hope you all enjoy the cooking, feasting, and fellowshipping that is bound to happen this week!