Thanksgiving 2009

We planned it a week early, combined both family lines this year for Thanksgiving and had about 55 people show up for our annual dinner. I got to see nieces and nephews and cousins met cousins they had never met before. I cooked the meats and everyone else brought food and what a dinner it was!
I like to separate my turkey breast from the dark meat and cook them separately. So here is my breast waiting for the dressing to be added around it. This year I took my grandmother's dressing recipe, modified it by adding cut up apples and then added the store bought packages of dressing. Tasted excellent. I am sure my grandmother would have done the same if she was living in this day and age.

Remember that Pork Tenderloin that our friends smoked for us a few weeks ago and I froze. Unthawed it, heated it and it was excellent. Gonna throw another one on the smoker this week cause they have called and said they will be firing it up!

Baked several half hams and they are sliced and waiting to be heated also.

Table is laden with desserts. We had so much food that you couldn't get it all on your plate the first trip. There was the meats, rolls with butter, varied salads, mashed potatoes with gravy, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, broccoli and rice casserole, baked beans, dressing, noodles, chicken and dumplings and on and on. But, it all tasted so wonderful..

In the Bible they always blew the shofar to rally the troops. We have something kinda like that and Lonnie likes to blow it every year. Works right?

Have to practice a few times first. Here's my dad and Lonnie enjoying this moment. I remember my dad calling in the dogs with one of these.

So here goes. And what a sound it makes. Good thing we only blow it once a year!

And line up we did.

Here's my sister with her little grand-daughter enjoying their dinner

Tye is probably texting while he waits in line. He's either going deer hunting or already been.

The gazebo is finally done and the chairs and tables are set up out there as well as in the entryway and out on the porch.

My nephew Josh plays by ear so he and his mom were checking out my piano.

It was a beautiful day outside and the cousins had a great time playing together. I noticed they all had to check out the chickens and ducks also. For some of these kids that is quite a novelty--going to the chicken house and gathering the eggs.

Now it is time to find a recliner and sit back and visit and take a short nap. Aah, life is good and let's never forget it!