I love Thanksgiving!

I LOVE Thanksgiving. I love that I don't have to get all crazy decorating for it. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have fall leaves up everywhere in my home, and some years an occasional pilgrim or turkey can be found (in case you're wondering... they can't be found this year, no matter how hard you look). I don't have to scurry around getting lists and lists of things done. I just love a holiday where all you really do is eat amazingly scrumptious food, spend time with some of the people you love most, and think about all of the wonderful things that you've been blessed with. How much better can it get?

Last year we started a tradition of writing in a Thanksgiving Journal that I made. It was really easy to make -- I just used a school notebook and covered it with some copies of my vintage Thanksgiving postcards and paper to match.

Then, each of the family wrote in it about the things they were thankful for that year. It should be fun to read as the years go by and as our family continues to grow.

We were just made aware (through Bob's cousin, Jeana) that the John Alden in this story is related to my husband, and therefore also my kids. He is Bob's 10th great-grandfather. Kindof fun to think about being related to pilgrims. It gives us even more to think about and be grateful for on Thanksgiving!

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins -- one of the earliest romances in the American colonies by David Johnson.

Immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1858 poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish, John Alden's marriage to Priscilla Mullins was one the earliest romances in the American colonies. While the story is not verifiable, many experts do believe it in fact happened.

Alden and Mullins arrived on the Mayflower in 1630. Shortly thereafter, Standish, "a blunt old captain, a man not of words but of actions," according to Longfellow, took a liking to Mullins, "the loveliest maiden of Plymouth."

However, although Standish was fearless in battle, he was too shy to confront Mullins directly, so he sent his young friend, Alden. The soft-spoken Alden was "Fair-haired, azure-eyed, with delicate Saxon complexion/Having the dew of his youth, and the beauty thereof. . ."

After Alden had pleaded Standish's case, Mullins said, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?" It was clear that Alden and Mullins were in love, but the couple was afraid of offending Standish. When they received word that the captain had been killed fighting Indians, Alden and Mullins agreed to marry. At the end of the wedding, Standish, who had not been killed after all, appeared, and seeing what had transpired, gave the newlyweds his blessing and asked their forgiveness for his previous behavior.

Alden and Mullins had 11 children and were among the founders of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts.