Thanksgiving.
A time to give thanks to God. How grateful I am to the Lord for these people that are some of the ones that I call family. Each one is such a blessing. (and how I get to missing them as I sort through these pictures!
Hugs to all! Sending missings through the wires!)
So. The deluge of photographs commences!
(Look at that sky!! I just love the blue skies in the Autumn. Praise the Lord!)
We begin the beautiful day with the boys catching the Thanksgiving goose for roasting. Jay, who is a seasoned veteran in these matters, always does the chopping honors. Hence the seasoned squint. (he really is a sweet boy)
Just kidding! LOL. "How I love these well done jokes."
;D That's actually our special goose that babysits our chickens. I have named her Jemima.
My Daddy is a Grand Daddy too. Wow. Praise the Lord! Here he is with Anna grace.
Cooking!!! Ah. One of my very, very favorite parts about Thanksgiving is all of us stuffing ourselves into the kitchen and laughing and talking and shoveling around flour and tasting chocolate!
I miss you Alyssa!!
Hey cuties.
Andrew and Mariah count how many flies we need for the giblet gravy.
"
I think that'll do. We can can the rest."
Alyssa and I always coordinate our duo pictures. 
Martha makes the
best chocolate icing!
Gracia and Enoch
Let the Feast begin!
Sam!
Pile it on, honey!
It's allot of fun to look down the tables and see face after face of really special people...
Marty and Wesley Begin their careers.
One thing I love at Thanksgiving is all the embarrassing pictures of people eating. They delight my heart all year long!
Auntie manages to look graceful even when munching. Hooray for Lady Jacqueline! (
Nick? Cleveland? What are
you doing?)
Katie and Alan-both the eldest children in their families and amazing examples for each of their 11 younger siblings. :D
We love y'all. (And Anna says hey!)
Uncle Bret and Aunt Jacqueline are so wonderful.
I miss them!
*laughing* Henry and Mikey.
"Is thy turkey as tender and succulent as my many hours of labor should render it?" quoth he to his neighbor.
"Very well, sire, thank thee!" was the kindsome reply
Two inpertinate urchins chow down on an atrocious amount of cranberry sauce and wave their flat ware about in an awkward manner. They were soundly flogged.
Chief Eating Bear approves of the gelatin salad...
...As does Brave Spearing Fowl the asparagus casserole.
My father and mother. They are pilgrims too, and I thank the Lord for them going before us.
Martha
Wesley and Rachel
LOL, another eating shot...
The girlies table!
Yuch, you make me smile!
My Mama, the greatest woman I know.
Dorothy and Noah and Little Man! (I love y'all and miss y'all!)
This looked like the funnest table. You've no idea how fun it is to place the name cards at different seats. Alyssa and I laughed for hours and moved names around here and there. This table was the perfect balance of loud, quiet, boring, funny and obnoxious. Not necessarily in that order. :D
I love these people!
Hey M.!!!
I woves you and just started missing you when I saw this picture!
One of the sweetest couples in the world. We love them allot.
And he can
smile, too.
Andrew, enjoying the food and little J.! (who is so.so. happy and wonderful)
Gabby and Rose discuss calories over sweet potato pie and gravy.
Feasting
"You know, Frank-Jac and I don't really appreciate you taking my roll."
"Ohh-brother, that was yours?"
"Yes. But, shoot, whatever!"
Marty
G.
The three contestants await the judges decision.
The pilgrims and Indians continue feasting.
Eating Bear continues to approve of the gelatin salad.
"Me. Big. Macho. Eating Bear. More. Everything. Except vegetables."
Daisy! You are a joy!
These two are adorable together. Me and Alyssa put them there just for this picture!
Ashburn
This foursome makes me laugh.
The eating ones-they are the best!
S. and Enoch
And then the time that is most important, most dear. When the people in my life get up and testify of the Lord's goodness, faithfulness and provision. These are the moments that stand out in your mind, get stuck in your heart. Listening always makes me cry. It always makes my heart sing and makes excitement well up in my heart. We serve a faithful, loving God. May we be faithful to Him, through the strength that He only can give. That is a mystery-the great, great love of the perfect God to His fallen creation.
The mercy and love of Jesus Christ overwhelms me. Blessed be HIS name.
I LOVE this couple. They are beautiful.
This dear, dear cake.
See the artful placement of the leaves? 'Lyssa, Mariah, Marth and I had such lofty dreams for this flour and sugar. I think it turned out quite pretty, just, infinitely simpler. :D Oh, speaking of cakes, y'all should see some of Alyssa and Mariah's cakes-they are simply breath taking.
John
Plundering the spoils!
Cuddling with grandbabies...
While the guys play music...
Rach was just sitting there drinking cup after cup of water. After about 30 minutes I got slightly concerned.
Happy birthday Nick!!
You're grown! Love you, brother...
The ultimate challenge-a matchbox car motor. They did it. Carlos can now play with ease.
(Actually, I'm not sure what this was. They are amazing, though! I love having handy guys around!)
Michael Jr. and Kressant! How I love them!
Mother and Child
I love these pictures! I love seeing life-long-best-friends-sisters laugh together...and love Jesus together.
That's what makes it so beautiful.
Dessert
Maud and S. with Enoch.
Nick struggles to keep the child and plate in paw.
Nick, you're going to be awesome.
Just next time use a wet cloth. 
The vultures have gathered...
Singing together! I love hearing all the instruments. And singing. I love to hear Christians sing together.
In love...
It's the twins again!
And Gracia starts a traveling circus. Nice playing, M.
On to Page two, lovelies! 'Dis way....
And now, on to posts. Life. 'Tis very much so in the past, but isn't everything? Our mother 'puter is still low in the dumps, so all the pictures I have are old ones that were in drafts. I feel like I'm digging through an old attic chest and smiling and laughing and crying when I find old stuff that's beautiful and brings back memories that are oh-so-good. So, as the technically challenged, tardy blogger often says, better is something old, then nothing new.
And now, on to posts. Life. 'Tis very much so in the past, but isn't everything? Our mother 'puter is still low in the dumps, so all the pictures I have are old ones that were in drafts. I feel like I'm digging through an old attic chest and smiling and laughing and crying when I find old stuff that's beautiful and brings back memories that are oh-so-good. So, as the technically challenged, tardy blogger often says, better is something old, then nothing new.
