Thanksgiving 2010

   This year's Thanksgiving was the best and most meaningful that I have ever experienced - not to mention the amazing food!

   I always have so much to be thankful for but this year has been different than any other year of my life.  It was so hard to think of the five things that I am most thankful for and to then squeeze them onto a small sheet of paper - but I somehow managed it.  (Any of you who know the way that I write can understand that!)

   It was so fun to have family up (from Iowa) and to spend some time with our grandparents, who were in Africa during last year's Thanksgiving.

   Here are a few (slight understatement :) photos that I took during the celebration and preparation.  (don't worry - I DID help with the food etc., I wasn't taking pictures the WHOLE time!)

- We made peanut butter cookies - with Reese's pieces on top. -

- We decorated for Christmas before the family came - the kids especially liked the electric train! -

 -Grandpa, Elijah and Jeremiah walked to the store (through the snow!) to buy the ingredients to make popcorn balls.  They sure were sticky but awfully good! -

- "Alfalfa" :) -

- Our cousin, Samuel ("Samo") the night before Thanksgiving day. -

- Elijah called him "Samoset" :)  Isn't that cute!?! -

- Madison on Thanksgiving morning.-

- PIES! A Thanksgiving special! -

- Pecan pie -

- Cherry pie -

- Cranberry pie -

- I am so embarrassed about how my apple pie turned out that I don't feel like posting any pictures - it truly wasn't much to look at! :) -

- The mens' place setting -

- The womens' place setting -

- 5 kernels of corn, one for each item on our "thankful" list -

- The whole table before "dinner" -

- A thirty pound turkey! - The best one that I've ever had! -

- Group shot! -

- I still find it hard to believe that we got a good picture of

such a large group! -

- What a feast the LORD provided! -

- Let the meal begin!!!! -

- Click on this picture to enlarge and notice
the smile on grandpa's face. - 

- I'll always treasure this photo! -

- Grandpa, with his plate. -

- (and cranberries, just to add color :) I miss you Grandpa!) -

- You can't quite see it in the picture but that plate was piled HIGH! -

- Grandpa, Grandma, the boys and I went for a walk
(instead of napping :) after the meal.  How invigorating! -

- Paige and the boys played "cowboys" and Paige decided that she REALLY liked the boots - she'd make a good Texan. :) -

- Jeremiah with his ADORABLE sugar cookie "gingerbread" man -

- Madison and Paige frosted cookies - aren't they SO cute!?! -

- What a lovely pie! -

- Madison and Paige in their cute pajamas! -

- I thought that Paige's little "fountain" pony tail was SO cute! -

- Elijah, Jeremiah and the little kids were playing a "hunting" game where the big boys were the "hunters" and the little kids were the "animals". The boys would shoot them with their little NERF compound bow.  Rosie saw the ball and got all worked up about it. Doesn't she look intense in the picture!?! :) She's so funny! -

- "Samo" -

- He's so cute! -

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Friday morning, Papa prepared some deer tenderloin for breakfast. 
Oh, that is the BEST breakfast that I EVER had. 
Venison is my VERY favorite meat! -