Thanksgiving 09...

What a long long day. It started with me at the bar, yes that's right, the bar. Along comes five minutes before last call and the decision is made to stay open an extra hour, wonderful. I get home and make it to bed around 2:30 only to have to be up by 7 to make it to my sisters house by 8:30 for our annual breakfast, so I start the day off tired. My first "thanks" was for Kim. She prepared all the sides while I was flinging suds, great job Kim!
Seeing the family for a great breakfast is something I always look forward to. This year was the introduction of our youngest addition Elle. Jim and Laura got all the girls up and over to join us so Laura saw it fitting to let her try the famed tradition known as Aunt Donna's pumpkin mush.



So then a pass the baby session ensued







Olive and Mealz were in wonderful moods...





After breakfast, Kim and myself raced back home to get a couple of turkeys on the grill.


I get off easy every year. I get to play with fire and Kim takes care of the details.
That girl sets one heck of a table.


This year Steve & Barb Bailey joined us along with our good friend Jim Goodrich.
Evan and the kids rounded out a perfect attendance list!
Steve and Barb provided us with a couple of home made pies, a pumpkin and a killer pecan pie...I sure hope they didn't take those with them when they left...ha!


Jim is quite the vocalist so Kim demanded he sing for his supper...he did, heck he sang good enough that we gave him dessert too.


One thing Kim and myself are very thankful for is that Jim and Laura are such wonderful parents. We sure love that family!


The guests are gone...
Our appetites are satisfied...
The dishes are clean...
We are exhausted...
Trade this day for anything?

No way.

From my friend Denise...
"This may not be the best of times, but here we are, blessed with the gift of life, surrounded still by beauty, and capable, still, of love. Reason enough to be grateful."

Happy Thanksgiving!