.....our turkey day.....and a whole lot of thankfulness.....

.....Sixteen years of friendship + a commitment to make memories despite growing families + a shared love for the spirit of NYC on one of our favorite holidays = .......

......two old college friends enjoying front row seats at the Macy's Day parade, followed by a feast of a dinner with four excited children and two happy husbands all in the giving and thankful spirit.....not to be cheezy, but our Thanksgiving really was......magical.....it's one thing to spend it with family, but it's another to spend it with family and some best friends from Florida.....

.....the boys were up at 5am Thursday morning, ready and willing to scope out the perfect seats for all of us to enjoy the balloons, floats and marching bands.....they bravely sat in the dark, cold street sipping on hot coffee and spicy bloody marys; protecting our 10 feet of horizontal curb space from the other die hard troopers all longing for the same coveted strip of asphalt that would be filled with confetti and festivity in the next several hours.......

.....our street space lined with lawn chairs, blankets, and hot thermoses, while the gals joined at 6:30am......

.....all of us anxiously awaiting the true NYC experience......

.....and if it's not currently on your bucket list, then it should be......because it's one of the lifetime experiences that puts you in the holiday spirit like no other.....

.....especially the wonder and awe as your littles throw their heads back to see their favorite characters passing overhead......

.....because to them, this is what Thanksgiving is all about.....the parade is all they've known since they had their very first Thanksgiving.....

......and we trade this amazing experience for the stirring, chopping and simmering in a kitchen while we cradle babies, eat appetizers and toast champagne and wine; basking in the buzz of the preparing a feast glory......not to say that we don't miss the preparation, laughter and precious time that goes into the kitchen on Thanksgiving, but we have the rest of our lives for that experience.....

.....so for now, we wouldn't change the way we do Thanksgiving in a New York minute......

......we return to a cozy apartment late in the morning, only to watch the parade on TV again, eating appetizers and treats for exceptional behavior in a crowded place, knowing that a cozy nap is in the near future......

.....closer for some than for others......

......my girl isn't used to being aroused at 5:45am.....poor baby couldn't even make it til noon.....she fell asleep in the midst of the warble of seven other people congregated in 1000 square feet of joy and laughter.....

.....and as after nap time ritual goes, we head to the kitchen to fill our bellies with a snack; but for Thanksgiving day, it was time to get dressed in our Sunday best for our out to dinner traditional feast........and as Stefan and I were enjoying our post slumber mood, we noticed a very quiet house.....and a quiet house with two toddlers means they are up to something......

.....our new three year old found the stash of left over birthday cupcakes......

.......I think my girl wanted to relive her actual birthday, which fell on Thanksgiving Eve this year.....and we love how she marvels at the crowd singing Happy Birthday to her.....she basks in it.....

......and she also basks in dressing up like a princess for lunch out with Mommy on her special day.....just she and I headed to Alice's Tea Cup to have our high tea......

....or in this case, it was not high tea for the special girl, but high hot chocolate......

......and she chose grilled cheese over buttermilk scones....

.......so when we caught her in the midst of reliving her treat filled day on our kitchen floor, just minutes before leaving for our turkey feast; we really couldn't blame her......she had a splendid birthday week.....

.....but luckily my girls are good eaters.....

.....and everyone still enjoyed their turkey and stuffing.....

......not to mention, their pumpkin or apple pie and their ice cream al la mode with hot chocolate sauce.....

.....and our holiday weekend seemed to get better with each passing day.....we had more time with friends, more delicious meals, more nights out in the crisp brink of winter, more time for littles lovin' all over each other, more time for play in the park.....

.....more time enjoying an extended weekend with Daddy.....

......and time to think back on a year that has blessed us with so many things to give thanks....I am thankful for friendship that dwells and blossoms over time; friendships that started in college and are still being nurtured across the miles and between taking care of babies and young children.....I am thankful for healthy family, prospering careers in a time where careers can be hard to come by, a country that has freedom and peace amid a world full of war, a marriage that has it's trials, but is transparent, loving, honest and passionate about commitment, children who are thankful and aware that they, too, are blessed, a God who loves more than our capacity to fathom love, and a family that tries to take every opportunity to live in the moment, the today, the now....we can plan and anticipate our future, but today only happens one time.....

.....so I will keep striving to love, cherish, relish, adore, and feel every moment to the core.....and for all of the moments that add up to one year to reflect back on, I am grateful and blessed.....

....savoring this holiday season and every minute that makes it special and sacred......