Giving Thanks

This year we were happy to have Corey's side of the family to our home for Thanksgiving.  We had a great time spending a few days with our family and sharing a casual, relaxed, and delicious Thanksgiving dinner with them.  Corey smoked the turkey, and his mom & I made everything else.  Let me tell you something - this family knows how to eat!  They make real everything.  And good everything!  I always feel a little self-conscious about my plain ol' food when I am with this side of my family, but I think that everyone had plenty to choose from so that if they wanted to avoid my ammeter cooking, they could.  :)  One thing that I did cook (that was pretty good, I think) was Pecan Pie.  I have always made my Granny's pecan pie recipe on holidays... but this year the recipe is missing amongst the sea o' unpacked moving boxes that are stored in the garage, so I had to improvise.  I looked through several cookbooks and came up with my own recipe that I thought was close to hers... and I think that I did pretty darn good.  My greatest Thanksgiving discovery?  Real whipped cream is a taste of heaven.  Corey's family always whips it up... and maybe I have had it before and it didn't make the impact on me that it did this Thanksgiving... but oh my gosh! it was so good.

  ~ Corey's brother, Mack, getting some turkey ~

This side of our family loves to play games, and Scrabble is always played at our get-togethers. 

I am more of a Scrabble cheerleader than a Scrabble player.  :)

~ the "after Thanksgiving dinner nap" ~

Mack & Milly are great friends!

The next day, after a day of football and a trip to the movie theatre we abandon the turkey & dressing and had Mexican food. Here's Corey making his famous hot sauce.  Evidentially, he cooks best with every cabinet and door in the kitchen open, but I'm not complaining.

Corey & his sister, Roxann, are always on a mission to find good chile rellanos, and the last few times that she has visited they have made their own.

The boys in our family can cook... like really, really well!  Here's Cooper learning at a young age.  He is making guacamole while cousin Clay supervises.

The cousins had a great time together this trip!  I think that every time that they have seen each other in the last few years, they have gotten along better and better each time.  They spent a lot of time playing Wii together this trip... all 5 of them.

~ Allie playing Wii ~

Uncle David is well-known in our family for giving the little ones the "Super Claw".  It is so funny how they always go back for more and so sweet how they love their Uncle David and he loves them.

~ Clay ~

(I worked for days to capture this smile!)

~ Christian ~

~ the cousins ~

It was very good to be together with this side of our family again so soon.  There is just something soothing about being with family in a time of tragedy.  Our nephews Brooks and Gabe's absence this Thanksgiving was something that was intertwined in all that we did and said, but I wonder if - because it is something that we all share - that commonality contains a small piece of comfort.  There are so many things that were able to be said - or could go without saying - that we, as family could share... and because of that my thankfulness for my family was increased even more.  Family is necessary.  Vital.  Though there are times that no one can push your buttons quite like them - there is nothing like family.  So this season as I reflect on the things that I am thankful for, family is on the top of that list.