Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Turkey Hats are the "In" Thing

There is a lot to be thankful for this year!  Lisa has a new job, Sam is doing great in school and enjoying life, the boys are generally sweet and doing well, and I returned home from a successful deployment.

This year we celebrate that life is good in our little corner of the world.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Betty and Bobby in a day of excess food, wine, and fun. 

We started the meal the day before by brining the turkey - a 15lb monster - in the fridge. I also made an apple pie - of which only Betty and I ate.

We started off the chilly holiday with an informal 5k called the Gobble Hobble - a race to raise food collections for the local animal shelters.  Our friends Rob and Lisa, from the Tuna Run, were there as well.  We all started out together but TJ eventually pulled away from the pack.  TJ was getting into a good 9:00 pace at the end when he broke out into a sprint to the finish line in FIRST place! I love that boy but he lacks a real competitive spirit and he played off the victory like it was no big deal. Lisa and Grant participated too but Grant was not into running.  They may or may not have finished last. 

We had a big breakfast of eggs and bacon, bacon being TJs favorite food lately.  

Lisa took the lead on cooking the turkey around 11:00am as we headed to Betty's house for a lunch of shrimp, cheese, sausage and crackers.  We filled up just enough to tide us over until dinner.  

We missed the Macy's Parade but did catch some of the Lions vs. Vikings game.  Then Betty handed me a DVD that had home videos from 2007, when TJ was first learning to walk until 2013, when Grant was a cute little toddler.  It was fun seeing those little memories on the screen.

The turkey was cooked sooner than we expected and we headed to the house.  There was so much food; Brussel sprouts, green beans, stuffing, rolls, and enough turkey to last us for a week.  

The holiday was a nice one. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  There are times I wish I belonged to a bigger family with more siblings, nieces and nephews, and friends.  A day with football games, arguments, laughter, and old stories being retold with more embellishment from the year before. However, I am grateful for all that I have and I look forward to the rest of the holiday season.