happy turkey day...be thankful!

 Our Thanksgivings have changed and evolved.  This year, 13 adults, 3 children, two babies.  The smaller families celebrate with each other, one family is sick, and Evelyn is visiting her brothers in Arizona.  Suzanne and her fiancé are celebrating with his family, Joseph and his wife are celebrating with her family.  

Here are some random things I am thankful for this year:

1.  Turkey.  It's 28 pounds, in the oven, and it smells fantastic.  I did not brine it after all, but it'stuffed with  a sliced lemon and a quartered onion, with lots of butter, rosemary, salt and pepper, all covered in it's foil tent.

2.  The fantastic way I discovered to prepare the sweet potatoes:  I boiled six pounds of them, whole in their skins until soft, then the skins just peeled right off.  They are in a big bag in the refrigerator, waiting to be turned into the most delicious dish of all, sweet potato casserole.  I'm thinking to try the potatoes for mashies that way too.

3.  The new washing machine, even though it might be a dud.  It washed one load, then squeaked and squawked for the second, I had to google the code it was throwing, and open it a few times to resdistribute the clothes.  Jon messed with it a bit, then it spun out fine.  I REALLY want to try another load, believe me, we have enough clothes to wash ha, after being without one for so long...but Sonja is sleeping, and she works the night shift tonight, so I'll wait, in case it squeaks and squawks again.

4.  Jon and the girls.  They are very excited and into the celebration today.  Char is making cinnamon rolls, Camille is making hash browns, and we bought fresh  raspberries, for brekky.  Our lunch will be some charcuterie and the sweet potato/squash soup that Emily is making.  I got sidetracked, I am so thankful for the kids and their good attitudes...this last 25% of our kids, what blessings.  Paul and I both have experienced how finite their childhoods are, and how quickly they grow up and move on, so we just delight in the noise and nonsense and silliness and joking around with these last four at home.  

5.  I am super thankful for my sister.  She is going through a major health issue right now, very serious stuff, but she fights and battles to be at rest in all.  This is for her:

The kids are pretty much done making the breakfast, my coffee is almost gone, and there are things to do.  My hip is acting up again, not as bad as last time, but it's tender and I'm being careful, I feel so old today.  I didn't sleep much, stayed up way too late, couldn't fall asleep, then woke up when Paul's alarm went off at 4 something (hunting!).  I had to get up at 6:30 to get the bird in the oven.  So I'm tired.  I don't mind so much, but I do stupid things like getting the turkey all covered in foil, heaved and hoisted into the oven, then duh, forgot to season it!  Back out she came.  But today, I will be thankful.  One moment at a time.  I will not color the whole day with a black crayon because I'm tired.  I can manage, one thing at a time.  (Ever notice how your nerves can fray so easily when you're tired?  I don't want to be b$tchy, no sir.)

Anyway...have a really nice day, however you choose to celebrate.