BeautyRevealed | The Blog of Melissa J. Dillon

“He who thanks but with the lips thanks but in part,

The full, the true Thanksgiving comes from the heart.”

- J. A. Shedd

This was Jodie’s second year to host Thanksgiving at his cozy cabin. Last year was so special that we dubbed his house our official Thanksgiving spot from now on… whether he likes it or not! So glad he doesn’t mind. We had such a special time again this year. We were so grateful that Jamie and Angela could be home this year (we get them every other year), and Grandpa Swan was able to be with us again from Alexandria. With a house filled with loving family and wonderful food, we counted our blessings once again and thanked God for His faithfulness in our lives.

My first pie. The crust could’ve been better… but it could’ve been worse! Thankful that it wasn’t worse.

I love Jodie’s woodsy dinnerware… he always sets such an inviting table for Thanksgiving.

Mark and I are especially thankful for our Little One on the way… what a gift from the Lord! We have waited so long for this dream to come true. Our hearts are eternally thankful for God’s goodness to us.

Mom’s beautiful turkey before Daddy takes it away to be carved. It was so yummy.

Another recipe that I will have to post on my blog is this wonderful Orange-Cranberry Bread that Jodie made. He had just pulled it from the oven before we sat down to eat…. ohhhhh, my, we were in heaven! It is going to have to be a Thanksgiving tradition from now on. We also think it would make a wonderful breakfast bread.

I loved this picture of Jamie and Angela… she just looked so cozy and content. We’re so thankful for Jamie and Angela’s union… She’s such a perfect addition to our family.

One of our favorite things to do in between all the preparations is to watch the Dallas Cowboys play every Thanksgiving. And it’s always a bonus when they win!

Having some Wii fun with the siblings.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones. I am so grateful for all of you… friends, family and so many new acquaintances. Blessings to you during this Holiday season!

Here’s some pictures of the baby shower that mom and I hosted for my friend Bekkah. Mom and I really had a fun time planning and doing this shower.

My hubby helped out so much as well… He printed out baby-blue letters so that I could make a banner for Lee. And He pretty much made that diaper cake single-handedly… yep, He’s a keeper. I think he wonders how he gets himself into all these things (all fingers point to ME!), but he is so sweet and never complains.

Here’s the little Star of the Show… Lee James. Isn’t he the sweetest? He slept through his party, but we took pictures to show him later. It was so much fun to shower him with love and gifts. Congratulations, Bekkah and Dan!

Yes, yes, I know, I have so many emails to catch up on! Thank you all for wondering where this little wayward blogger has been. I promise I have not deserted this blog… just falling behind due to a very busy season for us. Mark and I headed down to Missouri a couple of weeks ago to visit his mom and siblings (and we got to see our new niece for the first time which was so special for us). Then we headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit his Dad and Grandparents. It was a jam-packed trip with many hours in the car, but we had a really special time. Mark and I have always enjoyed road trips with each other, and we figured we’d better sneak one in now while the baby is a bit more quiet and easy-going. Ha! This one had a lot more bathroom stops (thanks to me!), but we had a wonderful time together just talking, laughing and listening to our favorite music. We were blessed with gorgeous, sunny weather the whole time we traveled, too.

(Mark’s sister Rachel and little Olivia… she’s a heart-stealer!)

(Mark’s Mom, Deborah)

(Mark’s youngest brother, Cody)

(Mark and his Dad, Lewis)

We were gone for 8 days, and we stayed with Jamie and Angela for a night on the way home, so that was fun to see their cozy apartment and visit with them for awhile.

We came home and I went straight into party planning mode to host a baby shower with my mom for my friend, Bekkah, and her new little one, Lee. I’ll post pictures soon… He’s a hunny.

Next up is Thanksgiving ~ I L.O.V.E  Thanksgiving ~ such a special holiday with family. Does anyone have a really good recipe for Pecan Pie?? I thought I’d give it a try this year. More later! Good to be back! I’m trying to catch up on all the emails… Don’t give up on me yet!

Blessings,

Melissa Joy

P.S. We found out the sex of the Baby… but that news deserves a post of its very own! Soon, I promise!