We enjoyed Thanksgiving with Paul's family again this year. We had 14 kids (13 years and under) and 10 adults. All the cousins have enjoyed running through Sherwood Forest and the rest of the property calling out war cries and every so often we would hear a charge rise up from the woods. The childhood these kids are having is one that is a tremedous blessing...their imaginations, fueled by good books and each other and even their parents, are always working overtime...and it seems thatthey work even harden when here at Gramp's beautiful home with lots of open space to run and play. 
This year, Thanksgiving happened in a less traditional sense. We didn't have an indoor meal. No, friends, we are blessed to live in Florida. Now, Florida weather in the winter can be a bit unpredictable from year to year but this year it is quite mild and so we put up tables on Jay (Paul's brother who lives nextdoor) and Nancy's front porch
and feasted. You can see the picture below. The consensus was that with 14 kids, maybe we should think outside the box a bit and so we opened up to the great outdoors! I must say it worked out great! When the kids were done eating (which was long before the grown-ups!) they got up and went off playing some more while we visited. Then a little while later, we had our pie and coffee (while the kids were still playing!) and then they came in for their dessert. It was beautiful and I think everyone enjoyed it.
All the cousins are enjoying each other. Don't get me wrong these kids are not perfect...they fight and get tired and fuss and whine, just like all kids, but they are having a great time with each other. You can see below the younger three girl cousins Erin, Adele and Vinnie who are all currently 3 years old, having a tea party. It's fun to have little girls who play house and baby dolls and aren't constantly fighting with swords or karate-chopping things!
and feasted. You can see the picture below. The consensus was that with 14 kids, maybe we should think outside the box a bit and so we opened up to the great outdoors! I must say it worked out great! When the kids were done eating (which was long before the grown-ups!) they got up and went off playing some more while we visited. Then a little while later, we had our pie and coffee (while the kids were still playing!) and then they came in for their dessert. It was beautiful and I think everyone enjoyed it. All the cousins are enjoying each other. Don't get me wrong these kids are not perfect...they fight and get tired and fuss and whine, just like all kids, but they are having a great time with each other. You can see below the younger three girl cousins Erin, Adele and Vinnie who are all currently 3 years old, having a tea party. It's fun to have little girls who play house and baby dolls and aren't constantly fighting with swords or karate-chopping things!
And lastly, Adele playing at Erin's kitchen with her bubushka on her head. She must be getting the tea ready for their tea party. They do have a good time together.
The food was delicious. Nancy made the turkey, faithfully basting it every 20 minutes! And we each chipped in and made side dishes. It really cut the workload down, though Nancy might disagree since she had the turkey! I found myself often praying and thinking of our Thai/American family in Bangkok also celebrating "Giving Thanks to God Day" and how I missed each one but how thankful I am for each one. So, now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to think about Christmas and decorating and the greatest gift ever given. =
The food was delicious. Nancy made the turkey, faithfully basting it every 20 minutes! And we each chipped in and made side dishes. It really cut the workload down, though Nancy might disagree since she had the turkey! I found myself often praying and thinking of our Thai/American family in Bangkok also celebrating "Giving Thanks to God Day" and how I missed each one but how thankful I am for each one. So, now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to think about Christmas and decorating and the greatest gift ever given. =
1 comment:
I love the description of a celebration both cozy and adventurous; sweet family time and kids running wildly through the woods- does it get any better than that?
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