Thanksgiving and before

HolidayThanksgiving FriendsMulvey FamilyGespass Football Thanksgiving itself started with the obligatory picture of Suzanne ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220432 and of my breakfast of zucchini carrot bread ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220433 but that's getting ahead of the story. The story is about the holiday as illustrated by Benjamin's beautiful poster. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220434 I wore the neck warmer that Jane had made for me ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220435 to get warm for the game and we displayed the holiday icons of Sarah's plate ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220436 and the flower turkey. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220437 Benjamin was in a good mood ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220438 and brought Norma into the next picture ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220439 while Suzanne unpacked new (to us) cocktail napkins ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220440 and Milt brought in the newspapers. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220441 Jane did her turkey imitations ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220442 as we looked at other flowers ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220443 and the nuts (for the sweet??) ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220444 that were being saved for later. Sarah ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220445 posed with her plate from 11 years ago and in the midst of an intense Snood game ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220446 we found the missing chess piece ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220447 as the lady walked by in the Macy's parade ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220448 and Benjamin and I played a competitive game of crazy bones. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220449

Soon after, people started to arrive for the football game. The Mulveys came first ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220450 and then Els (with Jane) ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220451 and Kaylen. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220452 Sarah and Claire did their pose on the new couch cover ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220453 which matched Claire's sweater. John and Benjamin were playing PS2 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220454 in preparation for the big game when the Justs came ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220455 with the all important pump ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220456 and Oliver. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220457 We did the air filling ritual ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220458 took a few team pictures ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220459 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220460 and then one of the photographer ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220461 before heading to the field for the game.

After some small practice ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220462 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220463 it was game time for us and the sidelines crowd ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220464 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220465 was cheering us on taking these wonderful pictures of the game in progress ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220466 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220467 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220468 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220469 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220470 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220471 and a tree ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220472 and more game shots ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220473 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220474 and then this twig with leaves. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220475 After a few excellent sideline people pictures of Sara and Suzanne ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220476 and Milt, Suzanne and Benjamin ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220477 the last touchdown was scored ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220478 and this security guard ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220479 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220480 told us we had to leave though he didn't give us the decency of looking at the camera. Back at home, we captured this picture of Sara and Lizzie Just ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220481 and Kaylen and Adele Hagadorn ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220482 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220483 before coming in to receive holiday greetings by phone. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220484

The main event was the food. Or maybe it was the food preparation. In the kitchen as we worked, we had the con queso dip ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220485 ready to go and mixed the potatoes with butter ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220486 for eventual mashing (see below). To get things going, we made some cosmopolitans ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220487 and admired the tented turkey ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220488 that was resting and waiting to be cut as the gravy ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220489 cooked. We were careful to not watch this pot ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220490 so that it would eventually boil. The table was set ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220491 and the pies were out ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220492 as Benjamin danced ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220493 too fast for the camera to see. The oranges were at the ready ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220494 surely brought all the way from China. Back in the kitchen, the potatoes ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220495 were being mashed. Meanwhile, Sarah was finishing up her page for the yearbook. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220496

Back in the kitchen, the cooked brie was doing well ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220497 as were the candied carrots ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220498 and the mashed potatoes ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220499 so that the mixer could be used to whip the cream. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220500

Now it was time to serve the dinner. The shrimp cocktail was the star ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220501 of a wonderful collection of hors d'oeuvres ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220502 in front of a fire that was starting to blaze. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220503

The Mulveys arrived with beets, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220504 salad, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220505 stuffing, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220506 a squash casserole, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220507 and new desserts ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220508 that John had made. As if this wasn't enough, they also brought sweet potatoes ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220509 and macaroni and cheese. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220510 All of this made Benjamin do a repeat of his dance performance ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220511 as the kitchen crew put the finishing touches ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220512 on a buffet that looked good ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220513 from both directions. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220514

The food was ready. Benjamin led the line with this plate ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220515 followed by Johnny ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220516 who sat next to Benjamin. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220517 Sarah was happy ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220518 to be sitting next to Claire ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220519 and Lizzie flew by too fast to capture ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220520 as Jane dug into her food ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220521 and John kept carving the turkey. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220522 Norma had her plate of food ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220523 as did Milt, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220524 John, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220525 Laurie, ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220526 and Suzanne. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220527 This was my food ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220528 and here is how I looked ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220529 as the meat was brought out. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220530

After a lot of eating, the pies were served ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220531 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220532 along with the French dessert ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220533 This all made Lizzie happier to have her picture taken ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220534 ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220535 especially when she could pose with Claire ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220536 and we could all see the chocolate decadence cake. ../../../Sabbat/11.22.01Thanksgiving//PB220537 Another Thanksgiving well celebrated.