Yummy

Thanksgiving brings out the best in neighborhoods. Most years, I'm a hermit inside my house, occyupying myself with random things while waiting for the food...mashed potatoes has become my particular specialty (to make...and to eat, I guess).

This year, however, I had to drive back and forth to Lizzie's. I cooked potatoes there and baked a casserole and cleaned and fed the dog, etc. It takes about 1 minute, 46 seconds to get to Lizzie's house: no major streets, one stop sign (depending on which way you go) and a few cars parked on the side of the road. Yesterday, there were a LOT more cars, and they were all centered around particular houses. Warm, fuzzy feelings began rising up in me as I thought about so many people, gathered together around the country (and our neighborhood) for the sole purpose of being together (and maybe a little turkey). Think about it. Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year where everyone feels the injustice of anyone not having a fwam of a turkey. No one is okay with someone being alone on Thanksgiving. Yep, you're getting warm fuzzy feeling now too, aren't you?

Our personal Thanksgiving was quite nice. We had Thanksgiving breakfast together at a hotel with Liz and Peter before they headed out to Minnesota.

getting ready to head out the door...no, she's not a superhuman four year old though we do think she's quite amazing...the angle just makes it LOOK like she's carrying baby.

eating it up...

then we played outside for a while.  Yes, Judah is wearing pink pants.  Glorie's pink pants, to be exact.  At least this time it's not a my-dad-got-me-dressed deal.  No, no.  Instead it's more of a bodily function that couldn't quite be contained in the diaper deal.  With no spare pants except girl cousin's pj's in the car.

just after this picture was taken, her 6'4" dad remarked how Glorie has now surpassed Judah in height...

OJ and Judah play...you can see the progression.  OJ hides...Judah runs in circles...

Then we cleaned and got ready and Pete came!  We love Pete.  We all got dressed up and took some family portraits.

they are a lovely family, are they not?

all of us...

this following is the best one of this particular group...even though it's blurry

Ariel was soooo excited about her Thanksgiving dress

Then we ate.  Suzy cooked an amazing meal...

the turkey and the boys

don't worry...that's sparkling grape juice getting poured into Judah's cup

And it was yummy.