Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving with my family this year.  It didn't quite break the record of 2009 (28 people at dinner), but we almost made it with whopping total of 23 people around two long tables. 



My only contribution to Thanksgiving dinner (I know, the shame! the laziness!) was picking up flowers and candles and setting the tables.  I got to use a large portion of my Grandy's goblet collection.  Growing up the goblets were always one of my favorite parts of holiday meals and I was excited that we'd be keeping the tradition.  Arent' they beautiful?  I wish I'd gotten a close up of some of my favorites, but this view will have to do.

While my Mom and I worked in the kitchen, the boys "worked" hard in the family room.  Most families watch football over Thanksgiving...my family watches soccer.  I secretly think that the only reason my parents have cable is so that my Dad and brothers can catch all of the exciting European soccer games.  (Notice Danny's look of disgust as they argue the various merits of the competing teams).

As a side note: here's the view from my parents' kitchen.  Not a bad way to spend the day: smelling roasting turkey and fresh cranberries while looking out over the valley. 

Here we all are sitting at Thanksgiving dinner together (and in various states of post-glutton stupor).  My brothers and cousins had a contest to see who could gain the most weight from dinner.  There was a pre-dinner weigh-in, a post-dinner weigh-in, and a post-pie weigh-in. 

Jimmy gained 4.5(!!!) pounds and briefly won the title of All-Conquering-Eater before having a reversal of fortune which cost him 3 pounds and the eternal glory.  Sad and gross all in one.

 And because apparently I wasn't as full after Thanksgiving as I thought I was (after my third piece of pie I promised myself I wouldn't eat again for another week), we added more food to the mix with a lunch date with old friends at Cafe Paysans. 

I've been friends with Ashton since the 4th grade and Meg since the 9th grade.  Other than my Mom, Grandy and Blake, I probably talk to these ladies more than anyone else in the world.  They're the sort of pals that I couldn't live without and even after not seeing them for a year, we're able to pick right back up where we left off as if it were the good ole' days in the Pink House. 

I'm so glad that we've added Stephen, Stephen (yes, both their husbands are named Stephen), Blake, Sam, and soon, Ivy to the mix.  We make a good team.