A Blessed Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I have always loved to have my family together. I love to entertain, so this holiday allows me to do both. Establishing traditions has been something I've tried to do for my children. It warms my heart to hear their request for a special dinner and/or event. Ethan's request was for mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, and cheesecake......in that order.



This was our first Thanksgiving with both of our new in-laws. It was so nice to see them, be with them. I miss my kids terribly.



Dinner included turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, broccoli casserole, cranberry jello salad, cottage cheese, and rolls. Desserts were cheese cake, pumpkin pies, pecan pie, chocolate pie, and French vanilla ice-cream. And Cool Whip. My dad likes a little pie with his Cool Whip.



After dinner was over, we rolled into the living room then played a game together. Jay and Jamie had the game "Disney- Scene It?" It is an interactive video game that has questions about Disney movies. Now, you would have to know just how many Disney videos Jay and Ashley have seen in their lifetime. They thought that the game had to be made for just them. We had a blast! It was so much fun! And much to their surprise, there were several of the questions they didn't know. What was so funny was how many song clips they knew! Between Jay, Jamie, Ashley, Jason, Ethan, Mike, and I, we knew quite a few.



We played another game after that one. Ethan loves to play with his older siblings. Jamie and Jason are wonderful to him. He misses them, too.



For supper, my brother, Tom, and his little boy, Nicholas came over. Nicholas is such a sweetie! It's been way too long since we've had a little one around here. We are just crazy about him! Nicholas is such a "Papaw's boy". Oh, my! It makes me laugh until I cry to see how the two of them are with each other. Nicholas will sit on Papaw's lap for an hour or more reading or drawing. They have this little ritual. Then, if Papaw gets up, Nicholas is afraid he will leave without him, so he walks really close to him. Dad says that he feels like one those big penguins with a little sitting on his feet. It is just too cute!



I had to laugh at Tom. I made potato cakes from the left over mashed potatoes. My grandma used to do that and they always tasted so good. Tom ate three potato cakes! There are a few things that Sis (I) make for him that he really likes. That was one of them.



Jason and Ashley had to leave in the late afternoon to go to his family's dinner. Jay and Jamie stayed until today. They left around 4:00 p.m. I don't miss all of the extra cooking and laundry that it takes having 5 people living in this house, but I miss my kids. I miss talking to them; laughing with them. I feel that we have raised fine, loving young adults. It felt so good to have them home again.