Thanksgiving 2010

I so love getting together with family and friends and this Thanksgiving was no exception! I am so blessed to have such a warm and loving family. We live, love, and laugh a lot!

The day started off very peaceful. I enjoyed my quiet time with the Lord; reading my Bible and praying. Then, it was time to get the turkey in the oven. Martha and I teamed up and got the dressing started. The meal was planned to start at 1pm and things were going as planned.

The first to arrive was my precious granddaughter Cheyenne. She was carrying a plate of homemade treats she had made all by herself. She chose a recipe from her cookbook, and purchased all the ingredients with her own money. She did such a wonderful job…I am so proud of her!

Second to walk through the door was Cheryl, Ken, and Shawn with awesome treats in hand and was wearing some of the most beautiful smiles. Shawn has gotten so big I have to look up at him now.

As I continued to putter around in the kitchen, family and friends continued to stream through the door and I quickly lost track of who came when. I could tell when another person would arrive when I heard the volume rise and squeals of excitement could be heard throughout the house.

Soon after my dear friends the Cannans arrived, Alisha made her way to the kitchen, washed her hands, and began helping me de-bone the turkey. A concern Alisha had voiced to her mother about Thanksgiving was the turkey. She was worried it might be dry. Thank goodness I soaked the turkey in a brine for over 24 hours…Her concerns were quickly put to rest when she took her first bite.

As everyone began to arrive, the buffet table began to fill up. My family has always been good to pitch in and bring sides and desserts. One thing for sure is God had blessed each member of our family with the ability to cook. The food was phenomenal and as always there was more than enough for everyone to eat.

As is our custom once everyone arrived we circled around the table and each person voiced what they were thankful for. There is seldom a dry eye in the room when we are through and this Thanksgiving was not different. One of the most tender moments was watching my sister and her husband embrace after the blessing. I was blessed to be a witness to it. God is so good and has richly blessed my sister and her husband.

Soon after the meal was over Susan ran to the store and picked up a couple of newspapers end the hunt was on. Everyone was in pursuit of an item they were going to purchase on “Black Friday”. Who would have believed the newspaper would provide the whole family with hours of entertainment.

Oh, and speaking of entertainment…We had piano playing, ballet, and hand slapping games, and of course FOOTBALL…Activities of different sorts in every room. Priceless times!!!

There were some who were not with us this Thanksgiving and they were missed terribly. Both Richard and Smokey had to work, Lindsey spent the holiday with her dad, Rayfard and Evelyn were celebrating a family member’s birthday, Debbie and Greg were in Arkansas with their grandkids…Our oldest daughter Tori lives out-of-town and was not able to come home but called to wish everyone “A Happy Thanksgiving”. To each of you…”You Were Missed”

What fun memories we made, what great food we ate, and what incredible thanks we gave to our Father in heaven for blessing us!