SnOw Thankful!

From birthday to Turkey-day. 60 degrees to snow.
November to December has sure been a whirlwind.

Thanksgiving at my house consists of 400+ people and 20+ turkeys.
Yes you read that right. Another benefit of a family-owned restaurant/banquet facility.
HUGE holidays. (which also means always working on holidays, too. Not so much a benefit)
Families from all over the area -even those from 'away'- call months in advance for reservations, and we do all the cookin' for them to come in and have a nice meal and go home to enjoy the rest of the day- without all of the usual Thanksgiving day cleanup. What most of them don't realize though is that they are missing out on the best part of Thanksgiving.
LEFTOVERS. Which WE do get to partake in. And lots of them. The restaurant also has turkey stock that will last until next fall.
Soup anyone?
With the coming of Thanksgiving and the winter season, that means no more weddings until April. (funny, no one ever gets married in the winter in the Northeast. Hmm..) Now it's Christmas parties galore.
Red and green. Tinsel and trees. And my favorite... snowflakes.
Speaking of:
Say hello to first snow, '09-'10! We here in the Northeast were blanketed with just the perfect amount overnight, and woke to a beautiful winter wonderland! (was it really 65 degrees just a few days ago?)

Have I mentioned that snow is one of my most favorite things? I used to stay out until all hours of the night as a child playing in it. Even to this day I'm not afraid to get into a little bit of snowfort making. The smell of the crisp cold air. The frostbite on your fingers and toes. And a little hot chocolate to warm up with afterwards. I think a snowboard and a ski-slope are calling my name...
I'm just so thankful for snow! (until it's lingers into the Spring months like it does up here in the Northeast, that is)
I'm also thankful for my iPhone and being able to take pictures anywhere. Though they will never come out like the super-mom-photographers here in Blog-land!

A roomate of mine and I took a day trip to Freeport, Maine for a little Christmas shopping today. Nothing says Maine like L.L Bean. Freeport itself is a beautiful town, and with a snowy backdrop like there was today... even the scenery on 95 was gorgeous. If you've never been to the Bean, you should definitely go at least once. It's a piece of Maine history, and you're guaranteed to find something great. I can't say exactly what I shopped for in case of spying blog-reading eyes, but I did score something "wicked good"! Yessuh!

The famous (and giganticus) "Bean Boot".

&

L.L Bean's Northern Lights Celebration

I suppose I should rest up. I have my first - by myself - overnighters with the little people this week while their parents are away on a vacation together. God help me keep on schedule and keep all of us sane while they are away. (I can do it right? It'll be good practice. Or maybe it'll cure that ticking clock that I've been hearing lately? Help me put it aside for a while until I'm really ready?)
Who am I kidding? I'm Super Nanny. I'm Mary Poppins. I've been prepared for this for weeks. I've got movies and gingerbread people to make. Veggietales and cookies will certainly make for smooth sailing. This will be a piece of cake. Or maybe a leg of a gingerbread pirate...

Wish me luck!