11.29.23 Thanksgiving

We worked all day Wednesday before Thanksgiving and produced 11 finished pies and one birthday cake. Two shells were not filled and eventually just ended up broken in pieces on my couch as extra cooking was daunting on top of all the regular cooking required for a family of 16. 

One addition to the break was workout time. Addie is driven and the other kids will work out with her. 

A quick picture as we sat down for the feast. It was so peaceful to go to my sister's house. It was new and exciting and so pretty. She used her china and grandma's turkey plates. We had fancy glasses and space to spread out.  The food was delicious, of course. Greg, Mark, Reed, and Harold were all a bit late as they had decided to finish the corn harvest. I was furious but such is life. Greg does not do well waiting around with "spare"time. 

Back at home was another batch of cousins. The kids really enjoy all the play that is part of their holidays with various cousins visiting. 

These two like to keep a close eye on me and in my lap. They do well independently for a while but most of the time is holding them. 

Sam Bruce and Evander had a good time dreaming and scheming. Merle was just a bit too young for this group. Each combination has different limits and allowances. 

My favorite was having my house full of my kids. We loved having the older kids back in the mix. 

Back to Thanksgiving the hosts had an impressive collection of magnet tiles the kids really enjoyed playing and creating. 

Additionally, there was a huge dollhouse. Space is something we are very short on so we appreciate going to other places that aren't so full of people and enjoying their toys for a while. 

The horse collection was so fun as well. 

T

he pie table and the big helpers. It's essential to have lots and lots of pie. This party was just fine on pie. 

I appreciate how my bug guys like to interact with children. They are always friendly and willing to give a tickle and or ride. I'm thankful for young men who love children. 

A fun addition to the day was singing some primary songs. The children know the same songs from primary. They sounded great. 

After we were done Isaac wanted to sing one more. I sang to him "I am a Child of God." 

Andrea loves pie. She was sporting a black eye from hitting our table at home with her face as the bench pivoted her lighter weight when an older bigger sister sat on the other end. 

Lots of satisfied bellies. 

Greg sharing the latest news from our town and fielding questions from the Grandma's. 

It was a nice day, relaxing and peaceful. We are abundantly blessed daily and as we stop to think of what is ours. This month we took at least 4 times to name 3-10 blessings we enjoyed. The kids hope we go again to this event. Life is good.