Get Natured

, by Allison

Holiday thriving and a giveaway coming soon!

, by Allison

Family Thanksgiving deep down goodness

I realize that I'm a bit behind with my Thanksgiving recap here, but my week was about so much more than food and I want to share the highlights from all the deep down good stuff!

My husband and kids were off of work and school all last week. Since we were hosting Thanksgiving at our house with family due to arrive on Wednesday, we decided to spend the first part of the week having a little family adventure. It is always good to get out and experience new places and things and it is even better to reconnect with old friends, which we also did on our trip.

We only live about 90 miles from San Francisco but rarely partake in tourist activities when we are there. It almost feels like we are being tourists in our own city when we visit because we've spent so much time there, together and separately, over the years. It was great to see the city from some new perspectives last week!

Heading into San Francisco (over the Bay Bridge) on a rainy Sunday:

Despite the city chaos and all that being urban entails (and even though I am more of a wide open spaces kind of person), I find the city of San Francisco to be breathtakingly beautiful and endlessly enchanting. Watching the fog swirl around the Golden Gate Bridge while driving towards the city nestled just across the Bay almost makes me cry because it is so pretty. Every. Single. Time. Love.

Steve and Jackson in Marina Green Park (see the Golden Gate in the background?):

...and again:

Rainbow, sailboat, and Alcatraz Island:

Pier 39:

On Monday morning we took a ferry to Alcatraz Island and spent a couple of hours touring the buildings and learning about the history of the prison and the island itself. I love historical places and their stories!

Ferry ride:

The view of the city from Alcatraz Island is stunning:

We spent three days and two nights in the Bay Area, mostly on foot. Then, with a short stop to tour a Jelly Belly Factory on our way, we headed home to start our Thanksgiving-ing.

The absolute best part of Thanksgiving this year was unhurried time with family. We spontaneously jumped in the leaves in our yard and stopped to smell the roses:

Logan said that this rose smelled "like pink":

Oh and we snuggled, played, and wore our slippers too:

Our Thanksgiving meal (or "feast" as the kids call it) was big! Since my non-veg family was visiting, we had things to meet every taste. Our vegetarian spread included a Field Roast (hazelnut cranberry en croute), mashed potatoes, yam (actually sweet potato) casserole, mushroom gravy, stuffing, gingered cranberry sauce with orange, rosemary bread, green beans with pine nuts and shiitake mushrooms, and chocolate pecan pie. Yum and yum and yum!