Thanksgiving 2014

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go... I remember learning that song.  I was in 2nd grade.  We moved to Shreveport, Louisiana from DeRidder, Louisiana. My parents rented a home until they could purchase our permanent home.  We didn't live there long but we were there for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I went to Queensborough Elementary School in Shreveport while we rented that home.  At Queensborough we were taught us "Over the River" for the Thanksgiving program. 

It was time for another Thanksgiving.  This year Jacob would come from Chelsea, Michigan and the Marx family would come from La Grange, Kentucky. I would bring Papa out for Thanksgiving Day with Tiny, his dog.

Wednesday was the day for everyone to arrive.  I had a wonderful morning at home finishing up a few things so I could disengage from the real world and enjoy that lovely place called vacation.  Around noon I headed upstairs to take my shower before going to Georgetown.  There was the sound of sirens coming into the house.  Several sirens.  Then they stopped and I could tell they were near my home.  I peeked out our bedroom window. One of the houses across the creek was definitely on fire.  There would be four fire engines on the scene.  I managed to get this picture from our deck.  The roof was fully covered in smoke.  I saw smoke shoot out through the air.  Not good, not good.  The family that lives there was away and someone else was staying in the home.  That person was not in the house at the time so there were no injuries.  However, the home was condemned and no one can reside there.  

I spent the afternoon with Papa. We went to the nursing home.  I made sure his home had groceries and was sure he knew I was going to pick him up Thursday.  

While I was gone, Claude took the brisket out of the smoker.  This would be used for sandwiches for dinner whenever people arrived.  Next he prepared the turkey to go in the smoker for Thanksgiving dinner.  This was what I found when I got home.  The man just cracks me up sometimes.  

The Marx family arrived in the early evening.  Andie brought us a paper bag turkey filled with popcorn.  We would pop it open on Thanksgiving day and have a nice item to snack on.  Such a cute idea.  Bailey wanted her own leg when we opened it.   

Jacob didn't arrive until 1am Thursday. He was stuck for 1 1/2 hours in a traffic jam south of Wapakoneta.  There was a fatal accident and the traffic was shut down.  We were very grateful when he came in that front door.

Thursday Bailey took Uncle Jake downstairs and set up the Monopoly game.  She gets the game but usually invents some of her own rules.  This is not an issue as she instructs you what to do.   

Hayden brought his WiiU and Michael set him up in our bedroom.  This allowed him to be on the same floor as the rest of us and still have plenty of room to play.  I brought Papa and Tiny out and Hayden quickly ushered Papa into the bedroom to play.  This is just such an interesting process.  Papa is 86.  Hayden just turned 10.  That is a lot of years separating them.  Papa lives 80 years ago in all his conversation and memories.  Hayden has no idea what that was like.  Papa has a hard time relating to what Hayden's world is like.  But Hayden just loves to show Papa the toys and games they play with in today's world.  Hayden just keeps on trying to get Papa to understand.  

This particular WiiU game allows you to make an avatar of yourself to use as the character in the game.  Hayden has diligently taken all our pictures and fixed them so they are close to what we look like.  He has an entire cast of characters of family members.  Now it was Papa's turn.  This picture is Hayden creating an avatar of Papa.  They were getting the right glasses for the character.  Then Hayden curled up on Papa's lap to look closely at what they selected before his final save of the character.  They Hayden played the game while Bailey and Papa watched.  After an appropriate amount of time, I returned and invited Papa to come into the living room with the adults.  He was very relieved.  He just doesn't get this form of play.  But he stayed until Hayden was happy with what he shared.  

 

 

I purchased a pumpkin pie.  Jacob brought an apple pie from Michigan.  Hayden and Bailey were given the task of decorating chocolate cupcakes like turkeys to complete the Thanksgiving dessert offerings.  Once again the kids personalities shown through their approach to cupcake turkey making.  Hayden was all about getting it done so he could eat the left over icing.  Bailey was not so interested in eating the extra icing.  She tried making her's by connecting 2 or 3 cupcakes into one turkey.  Fun to watch them and their own personalities in action.

 

 

 

My faux-paux was the rolls.  I use frozen rolls that need to thaw and rise before you bake them.  I put them out to thaw after breakfast.  We hoped to eat by 2 or 2:30 when the turkey would be finished smoking.  By noon they still had not risen.  I turned the oven on to just warm.  After it warmed, I thought I would pop the rolls in for a bit to hurry the thawing and rising process.  I have done this in the past and it worked fine. The package says you can do it.  However, I must have left the rolls in just a bit too long.  When I took them out of the oven, they were hard on the outside.  Hmm...this was not going to work.  What to do for bread.  I had two spoon bread mixes from Weisenberger Mills.  That would be our bread.  Mixed them up and put them in our spoon bread baking dish.  Those rolls didn't work at all and I ended up throwing them out.

Papa was cute when it came time for dessert.  We waited a bit after every one finished eating.  I went to the living room and asked Papa if he wanted dessert.  With his diabetes he doesn't keep sugar in the house.  But every once-in-awhile I make sure he gets a little true sugar treat.  I mean, really, when someone reaches the age of 86, they should get a treat they really love every now and then if at all possible.  Thanksgiving is one of those times.  As soon as I began the offer for dessert, Papa started to hedge on wanting any.  I told him I had pumpkin pie and apple pie.  He assured me he really didn't want anything.  Then I mentioned the Mini's made chocolate turkey cupcakes.  His eyes lit up and he said, "I'll have that!" before I even finished the offer.  The man does love his chocolate.

Friday morning I asked the Mini's if they still wanted us to do a kids Christmas tree.  I feel a need to pair down my decorating.  If they didn't feel strongly about the kid's tree, that was one thing I could eliminate.  Turns out they both really still want a kid's tree.  So, the tree will stay.  In fact, Bailey now felt a need to put that tree up.  Hayden felt it should wait until they came at Christmas.  You see, I typically put up the tree and put the lights on it.  Then leave it for them to decorate when they arrive on Christmas Eve.  We settled on Bailey and me putting up the tree.  Then we would separate the ornaments into two equal sets.  Bailey would put her half of the decorations on Friday morning.  Hayden's will be kept until they return for Christmas.  Then he will put his portion of the ornaments on the tree.

These pictures show Bailey at work with the ornaments.  The second picture is a treasure.  One year, when all five grandmonsters were here for Christmas, I purchased wood ornament picture frames. The kids each colored their ornament and I put a picture in it.  Bailey chose to put her and Paul's ornaments on the tree.  She left Hayden, Aubrey and Katelyn's ornaments for Hayden to put on the tree.  Bailey has a great fondness for Paul.  He has a mutual feeling for her.  She was missing him and his willingness to play what she wants as she wants.  She hung her ornament and his ornament together on the tree.  I posted this on Facebook for Paul to see.  Such a sweet thing.

 

By Friday afternoon I felt it was time to get the Mini's out of the house for a bit.  It was very cold outside and a bit windy.  But I talked them into a hike up the hill from our home.  We invited everyone that wanted to, to join us.  Jacob was the only taker.  We all bundled up.  We made sure each of the Mini's had their little back packs they use when we hike to carry their things in.  I put two extra pair of gloves and four miniature Hershey bars in my pockets and we set off on our hike.  We had not got down the driveway before the Mini's realized they did really want those little gloves I carried in my pocket for them.  The Mini's managed to each find a hiking stick as we journeyed up the hill.  When we got to the top of the hill, I surprised the Mini's with their little chocolate bars and swore them to secrecy.  Mom was trying really hard to get nutritious food in them.  Wouldn't want to not support her in that effort, but wanting to be a great grandmother needed to take precedent this one time.  As we hiked back down the hill, we found a nice place to take a picture of the Mini's with their Uncle Jake. It was a good hike followed by hot chocolate on our return.  

 

As the final evening with all of us together wore on, everyone turned to their digital entertainment while the television filled in as the other amusement.  I went to the kitchen to get a snack.  When looking into the dining room, this was what I found.  Bailey on the table playing with the laptop.  Love this wild child in our family.  But I believe I may have felt a little jealous of the ability to sit like that for any length of time.  I'm sure there was a time I could do that.  Alas, that time has past.

The Marx family left Saturday about mid-day.  Claude, Jake and I decided to dine at the Sargeant's Galley.  It was a day to support small, independent businesses and this would be our contribution to that worthy cause.

Jacob left Sunday morning.  Back to an empty house.  Well, Claude and I are still here but after having family for a few days, the house definitely felt empty.

We are so grateful for family coming to visit.  It was a good visit making for a very Happy Thanksgiving.