Thanksgiving 2018

This year we had some company on our trek up north. Sixteen hours is a long time to spend in the car, but these little boys were troopers and we didn't hear any fighting or quarreling. Their parents are doing a great job!

Donuts and chocolate milk for breakfast

Burgers and fries for lunch

Breakfast at the hotel the next morning

I think our Thanksgiving Day itself is filled with pretty standard traditions. My sister hosts an annual Thanksgiving breakfast for her neighbors, before they each scatter to spend the rest of the day with their own families. Isn't that a great tradition? We've been joining them often enough that we're beginning to recognize them and even remember names from one year to the next.

Then it's time to get the dinner food ready. This year Louise tried a "healthy, gluten-free" green bean casserole, and Holly was okay with that. Everything else was pretty standard - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole and rolls. Don't forget the black olives and pies! 

    Sometimes the kids help best by going outside to play!

Games on the phone work also, especially while the last minute stuff is completed.

Time to eat! Someone really enjoyed the chocolate pie. Actually, I think everyone enjoyed everything.

     This year's after dinner activity was taking some pictures. Isn't this a cute family?

Daddy led a game of Simon Says to help the photographer.

I'm sure she had better success than I did, but I still think these are great shots.

One more game - which I found here - and then it was time to get some tired kids to bed.

I love this picture of my parents on their evening walk as the sun turned the tree a golden scarlet. Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday we took our annual hike, then helped Holly with her annual Christmas letter project.

Just before saying good-bye, someone decided we should take some pictures. I'm so glad they had that idea.

Saturday we drove the 800 miles home. That's a lot of driving for a short visit, but we're grateful to have this Thanksgiving tradition, and even more grateful that this year we were able to get a four-generation picture. That was pretty special.

While we were busy spending time with one set of grandchildren, two other sets enjoyed visiting together. Their great-aunt thinks this picture should be recreated in ten years or so. Wouldn't that be fun?