Family Thanksgiving

We just said goodbye to Michael's family after our bi-annual Thanksgiving celebration. It was a wonderful weekend together!!!

I am extremely blessed to have two pantries. This is what I call the "little pantry" and here it is the night before Thanksgiving with some of the pies waiting for the big day. Yum yum! Somehow this picture reminds me of a book I used to read as a child....maybe one of Beatrix Potter's illustrations. I can't quite put my thumb on it.

Michael's family came from Oklahoma, Chicago, Cleveland, and North Carolina! Besides Thanksgiving we were celebrating Michael's parents' 50th wedding anniversary! Quite an occasion to celebrate!

So the theme of the Thanksgiving decorations was "golden" for golden wedding. Lots and lots of gold.

The meal came together nicely this year despite losing my master list a few days ahead of time and having to re-create it. Of course the list materialized today after everyone left. Our menu included:

Spatchcocked turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Carrots with parsley
Green beans with balsamic vinaigrette and shallots
Butternut squash and sweet potato mash
Gluten free sage and onion stuffing (my favorite!)
Fresh cranberry sauce
Wild rice and butternut squash pilaf

The younger kids had their very own table in the front room. Lots of cousins to play with!

The adults enjoyed one long table in the dining room.

It was a delicious meal!

Afterward Michael's dad gave a speech telling about his childhood and how he and mom met and married (it was also Dad's 80th birthday this year).

Eventually it was time for pie!

This is what it looked like afterward! We then proceeded to eat pie for breakfast, snacks, and dessert for the next two days! Definitely a highlight of Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed a funny round of White Elephant Gift Exchanging.

And presented anniversary gifts to Michael's parents including this uncut sheet of 50 $1 bills which was a big hit!

The Golden anniversary favors:

And the happy couple!

It was fun to see the cousins together again after two years. Everyone was so much older, of course! Rachel and Kyleigh both love music.

Michael with all but one of his siblings.

We decided we needed a girl picture too!

This is my favorite picture of all -- grandparents with a dozen grandkids. YAY!

And so ends another thanksgiving season.

A Proper Three-Day Thanksgiving!

Last week, true to the first Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a three-day feast with family visiting from NYC and North Carolina. 

The table was all set with my Friendly Village china! There was enough to use for everyone and everything!

Family arrived late morning and into the afternoon so we had lots of appetizers including these amazing Butternut Squash Crostinis.

Here is the appetizer table:

Our weather was nice and warm and the kids took their swords outside to fight!

Lots of conversation going on over food.

And then we finally got to THE meal itself!

Here it is!

We had a lovely time around the table. A highlight for me was going around the table and each person taking a chance to read about one of our ancestors from the very first Thanksgiving in 1621 right down to the present. It blows my mind to think of all the trials and hardships various generations endured, including one ancestor named Shadrach who was imprisoned on a British ship in the Manhattan harbor during the Revolutionary War. Except for many acts of Providence we would not be here today. God is faithful over centuries!

Later on we enjoyed a pie smorgasbord!

The little cousins had fun together!!

I went to bed tired, with a kitchen full of dishes yet to do. But, I woke up to this the next morning!!! WOW!!!

A sweet little elf had done some work.

I really appreciated that because we left at 9:25 am for a busy day! I sent the relatives to have tea with mom while I went to meet my friend's darling baby!!!! Isn't he cute!!!!

After I pulled myself away from the baby, I picked up Rachel and my cousin Anna and we went to lunch together downtown at Milktooth! Can you just see how good this food was?!!!

We ate outside because it was busy. And we had a lot of fun together! It's funny that there is only a gap of almost 6 years between the youngest cousin in my generation and Rachel.

Oh yes! I'm sure many of you know where we went after that!!!! Anna was delighted to discover Goodwill Outlet for the very first time!

Mom and Christina drove over to join in the fun!

Then everyone reconvened at our house for snacks and dinner.

I served my favorite salad: spinach, persimmons, goat cheese, candied pecans, and dried cranberries.

We had leftover pie for dessert (oh, and breakfast too). Saturday we met down at Wildwood Market for brunch. Here is Uncle Bob and Anna holding up Uncle Bob's amazing soda invention.

The shop is always beautiful and always a treat to visit!

The family loved it!!!

Here I am with cousin Anna -- remember her from New York City?! Maybe we are starting a trend! Maybe someday she and I will have our picture together in another amazing city!

Have to take a picture of lunch!!!!

And the breakfast sandwich (gluten free and dairy free version):

After brunch we headed to the Indianapolis Museum of Art since it was a free day! (YES!!!!) After walking around we stopped for some coffees. Time for more good fellowship!

Then we walked out to visit the Lily House and the modern art Christmas tree.

Well, we managed a half group shot!

It was fun to walk around and admire the lovely interior of the Lily House.

The kids loved it all too!

Favorite room was the dining room -- look at the magnolia garland and the bright orange from the clementines.

Then we headed to Christina's for one more family dinner!

And lots more happy conversation!

Arthur decided that Michael is his new favorite person (other than his own parents and brother!!). He spent the weekend calling, "Michael, Michael!"

Christina's house was festively decorated for Christmas!

And the table was just lovely!! Aunt Georgie made moussaka and Christina put together a delicious salad:

And there was the most wonderful gingerbread for dessert!!!

And with that the weekend was over. Such special memories. Many things to thank the Lord for!