Thanksgiving - Our favorite day of the year!!

The theme of the day is to be thankful. How does one show that? I hear people let mom cook and then they sit with mom and show how thankful they are by eating and then catching a movie. I hear others visit a friend or family member and eat and then return home stuffed. Not us. We show how thankful we are by serving each other. Everyone is involved. Everyone helps. Everyone feels useful. Everyone, no matter how big or how small, helps in some way by using his or her talents for the good of this family meal. We are blessed because this is how we are most of the year. I don't have to push them to help with this meal. I have to push to try to help myself. They all want to plan, buy, prepare, cook, decorate, eat, clean up, and have the pies. It is a family process that says thank you to our heavenly father for each other and for our talents.

Everyone helped even Jumba!

Pooker and Goobers usually make the mash potatoes. This year Princess could not wait to help. She dreams of the mashed potatoes being just her job some day. This year it took her 3 hours to peel a 10 lb bag of potatoes. She did it, though, all on her own. She had that same grin on her face when I turned to her during dinner and said that I was thankful that someone had taken time to peel the potatoes because they were wonderful. I need to also point out how proud of Jason I am. He lets each one do their thing, make mistakes, and spends all day with them guiding them. I don't have the patients. God bless him, he really is a wonderful dad and I am so thankful that God hand picked him just for me and our children.

Bear's job is the turkey. It was always dad's until recently when he was willing to share some of his tricks with his son. We have tried different ways of cooking, used different tricks, and even used injections of spices a few times to add flavor. Here Bear is perfecting our favorite method. He is putting slices of butter in between the skin and the meat of the turkey. His sisters thought it looked a little gross, but trust that he and dad make the best turkey ever so they wanted to watch and learn.Here is Bear getting ready to put the prepared bird in the oven. This is a ritual that he and his dad have worked out. It is worth the effort . I am telling you this is the best bird yet. Way to go Bear!

Goobers worked on a stellar pie. She made the apple pie this year. Every year they all try something a little different. As always she did a great job and it was wonderful.

These two trouble makers mostly helped by being the cute comic relief. Although Bagel was always there to run get something. She is eager to be old enough to learn more. I think she helped put out the pickle tray.

In this dish is the recipe for a green bean casserole. Pooker has made this in the past. One year she couldn't find the recipe and tried to make it from memory. It didn't work that year. So when I was out shopping and saw this dish with the recipe as the design of the dish I knew she had to have it. I heard one of the siblings ask her if they got the dish when she left for college. "Oh no, this is my dish, I will give it to my daughter, who will give it to her daughter." I love the idea but the dish will probably break before we can make the green bean dish for Christmas dinner.
Look at this green bean casserole. It was as good as it looks. "M'm!" just like it says on the the side of the dish.

Sugar prepares the rolls with lots of helpers. Poor thing had mom get mad at her when they didn't turn out. I doubt it was her fault she really did have tons of help.

Goobers and Moogie working on the yams and salad. I must say that Moogie was very involved this year. She is watching. learning and trying to find her thing.
Dad is ready to lead us in prayer and begin this meal!

Each one helped serve the dish they helped to prepare. The tray of black olives, green olives, pickles, and okra is one of the favorites and probably most unique to our thanksgiving day menu. The table was set with the good Christmas China. We only lost one dish during this meal. That is a pretty low number for this wild crowd.

The feast was delicious!

Thank you for the Most Wonderful Day of the year! Thank you for the time to say thank you. Thank you for each memory we created today. Thank you for each tradition followed. Thank you for the small taste of the feast of heaven.