I am thankful that this was a short work week (although now it is almost over) which means I got to spend two extra days with this little lady having lots of fun!

Preparation for Thanksgiving started the evening before when I baked these two beauties! I remembered to make the foil covering for over the edges BEFORE I put them in the oven and they came out perfect :)

This year Justin's parents did not trek up to New York to be with his extended family, so we went over to have Thanksgiving breakfast.

While some years we have 10+ family/friends for Thanksgiving, this year we only had 6 adults and Rose for our meal. I didn't feel as worried about the house being clean or getting every little detail just right. It was nice to be more relaxed for Thanksgiving!

I forgot to take a picture later when everything was more assembled, but here was the start of the dessert and extras buffet. 

My mom always gets the job of 'preparing the turkey'...it's a good thing she does it, because there is NO WAY I am sticking my hand in that bird and cutting off all it's 'extra' parts!

 This was our 4th? year frying the birds...yes, for only 6 people we made two 16+ pound turkeys...you need leftovers for a few weeks it's that good!

Dad carving the bird (my dad also fixed my freezer door handle, that my husband, has not fixed for a week...dad is my favorite handyman!)

Look at that yummy spread (except for my rolls...they should have cooked a bit longer)

Rose was sure to save room for dessert including this yummy cheesecake that Aunt Kate brought!

**On another note, it was just last Thanksgiving, at 18 months old, that Rose said her first word 'go' when she was getting spun in her little pink chair! We have come along way since then (and still have a long way to go)...  Rose is continuing with speech therapy through Early Intervention and has also started outpatient speech therapy with Good Sheppard Hospital. While we have been hedging around a diagnosis for over a year (because she is still young) we are using the same approach that we would if she had a diagnosis of Speech Apraxia. Rose is trying SOO hard to talk and we practice our homework every day, I just wish I could make this all easier for my sweet little girl :(

Friday, instead of going shopping, we headed to the farm and I rode for the first time in 3 1/2 years. I won't lie, I am sore...REALLY sore! But I had fun and didn't fall off, so it was great. Rose even got to have a ride on the 'big' horse.

(someday Rose and I are going to have our very own horse...shhh, don't tell daddy!)

On Saturday Rose and I attended our last fall Music Together class, we won't see our friends until next year ;)

After her nap, Rose also helped make our first batch of Christmas cookies. I have made these cookies for years and now I get to make them with my little girl, I am such a lucky mamma!

Rose also started her first runny nose of the season...I don't know where all the snot comes from! Luckily, besides slowing her down a little bit, she seems pretty much her same old self. A couple times today, she requested to lay down on the couch with her blankets and iPad...can you find her little head sticking out?

Ok, just 3 weeks to go until I get 12 days off for Christmas/New Year...not that I'll be counting down ;)