Memories of Thanksgiving 2011

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  It's amazing that the fall season - my very favorite season - is over.  I was a little disappointed to get rid of the pumpkins and hay bales this year, but I kept a few to make a pumpkin snowman!  If it's successful, I'll post it on my recipe blog.

What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving holiday?  Family time, friends, food, traditions, memories, shopping, football?  Realizing how God has blessed us all?  All of the above?  Yes, most likely it is all of the above.  It's a great time!

Our Thanksgiving begins on Wednesday night when my husbands' family comes in for a congregational singing.  There are lots of other visitors from out of town, as well.  I had requested that the songs "Someday" and "There's a Stirring" be led by family members.  Two of my brothers-in-law led them.  They are two of my very favorite songs!  Thank you, Ken and Dan!  I wish we had recorded the songs.  It was beautiful. All of the songs were beautiful!  That is my favorite part of the weekend.

After the singing, we gather at my in-laws for food and games. My kids help me cook all day Wednesday and even some on Tuesday evening. Everyone enjoys getting together and enjoying the fun and fellowship.

Of course, there is more food to come on Thanksgiving Day, but not before the annual Turkey Trot. It's a 5K (3.1 mile) run that now even the youngest run the whole way! Congratulations to this year's winner - Justin!

I didn't get a regular food picture, only the dessert table.  I made a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake (pictured to left) and it was a big hit.  It is a great recipe from a Junior's Cheesecakes Cookbook, and I'll begin posting it tonight on the recipe blog (Life's a Bowl of Cherries - link to right on home page of this blog).

The annual Pumpkin Bash in our field was a lot of fun! Some of them were so rotten that they caused quite a bit of "splatter" all over the person. That's always fun (if you're not that person!). My brother-in-law, Ken, served as the pitcher again, but he wasn't expecting getting hit by a little pumpkin right in the forehead! Thankfully he was okay!

Friday the family went to see The Muppet Movie. I've always liked Kermit and especially like the songs in the movie. They used the "Rainbow Connection" song that we used to sing a lot when I was younger. I'm not a big "Miss Piggy" fan at all, but it was really a cute movie!

Saturday was a special treat because our high school football team was playing in the semi-finals to compete to go to State in Class C football.  What an exciting game watching them win and advance to the finals!  It was really cold and really windy, but really worth it!  Best wishes on your quest for the gold ball, Tigers!

Unfortunately, due to illness, we didn't get to see my family like we had planned to on Sunday, so we stayed in town.  However, it was neat because my brother-in-law (the same one that got hit by the pumpkin!) was the guest speaker and then our nephew spoke that evening.  

Now it's back to reality:  laundry, some dishes, laundry, Christmas decorating, laundry, kids' homework, ballgames, and of course, more laundry!