Thanksgiving... continued

Traditions are great, and our Thanksgiving traditions are some of my very favorites. After the Chestnut Picking, it is tradition to go to Grandpa & Grandma's house for the rest of the day. First everyone mills about or helps Grandma C. put on the Breakfast Feast. I was in picture taking mode that day, so here's a few shots of what the family did while they waited for breakfast.

The Food Approval Team


The Underfoot Ride-on Specialist


The Masterminds


The Outdoors men

Grandpa kept the fire going amongst other things, Sir was doing something on the computer, Bashful was Mom C's right hand and I mostly took pictures until the food was ready. Then I got sidetracked getting plates together for my kids and forgot to get a picture of the Breakfast Feast. It looked as good as it tasted - and it was delicious!

This year we had sliced ham, breakfast sausages, sauteed mushrooms, toast, egg omelet, cinnamon rolls, biscuits & gravy, baked tomatoes, orange juice, cranberry juice, hot chocolate, Mandarin oranges and jello. For breakfast! And it's possible that I'm forgetting something.

After breakfast, which usually ends around 11, everyone works on little projects. We don't have lunch, but there are snacks around if you don't think you can make it 'till suppertime. This year Sir and I took our kids home for early naps. It was also so Sir could flush the radiator system on our van during daylight hours. While we were there I baked a coconut cake for Grandma C. so she could put the turkey in her oven earlier. I also worked on Pockets and helped Sir with the van a little. But we were back in time for the kids to get plenty of pistachios, peanuts and apples before dinner was served.

When the van was finished, and the kids were up from their naps (3:45), we headed back over to Grandpa & Grandma's for supper. Doc had come after he got off work, and a couple of Aunt Knittery's girls came and brought Tea with them. We had plenty of time to decorate and set the table and help Grandma C. with the last of the dinner preparations.

Dinner was delicious. I know I posted this picture in my last post, but it helps to see the 'spread' instead of just imagining the homemade cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, butter, gravy, jello salad, turkey, mashed potatoes, pickle plate, brussel sprouts in cheese sauce, oven roasted vegetables, stuffing and an assortment of beverages to drink. Then there was dessert - we had pumpkin pie, rhubarb-berry pie, coconut rice cake, whipped cream and ice cream to go with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. It was a Feast, it was Family, and it was Fun. I didn't get any pictures of the desserts, but I got before and after dinner pictures of Emma - it's how we all felt, but she's more photogenic stuffed.

"Hey! don't forget about me down here!"


"Life is Good."

And then, after dinner, the kids disappeared to remote areas of the house to play, and all of the adults played Dictionary. When 9:30 rolled around, it felt like 11, so we put the kids into their pajamas and followed all the other guests examples by going home to bed.

Traditions... they're worth more than you sometimes think.