Thanksgiving 2012

So before we knew it,  Thanksgiving came.  It seemed like the year just flew by.  We had so much to be thankful for, we have been so blessed.  37 weeks along and hoped to have this baby early.  He measured 7.5 pounds at my 36th week appointment.  Yikes.  Thanksgiving was great!

We didn't know if any family out of town was coming, so the kids kept asking if Aunt Andrea or Uncle Archie or anyone was coming home for Thanksgiving.  Of course Uncle Archie was spending Thanksgiving at his in-laws (can't believe they've been married a year!), and Aunt Andrea just decided she didn't want to take the time to come (haha, just kidding, Andrea, we missed you!!!)  Then just a few days before Thanksgiving, Anna and Tony decided to drive down for Thanksgiving.  The kids were so excited.  We ended up having two Thanksgiving dinners - one on Wednesday night with the Harris and Merrills, and then on Thursday with the Dickersons.

 The YUMMY pit-smoked turkey

I hosted Thanksgiving as usual, and Grandma Lorraine and Pop brought the fried turkey, gravy, noodles, sweet potatoes, dressing, etc., etc.  So you know everything was good!  Kevin couldn't bear not to donate to the Boy Scouts Turkey Fundraiser this year, so we gave them a chance to redeem themselves (2011 pit turkey was inedible and had to throw out!).  And redeem themselves they did!!  That pit-smoked turkey was so moist and so tender every part fell off the bone.  I had never seen turkey like that before!  It was so yummy and we got every last piece of meat off the bone.
More food pictures from Thursday:

 We baked the sweet potatoes with some orange juice and orange zest in with our favorite Pampered Chef Spice, and lots of brown sugar and butter.

Green Bean Casserole with Cheddar French fried Onions instead of regular flavor.

After dinner we did thankful cards again.  It was great to see what we all came up with:
2011 - 2012 (first set is from 2011, second from 2012)
A - Adam *Cade
B - Boxes *Jace
C -
D - Dad *Wyatt
E - Electricity *D
F - Family and Friends *Todd
G - Grandma *Pop
H - Heaven *collin
I - Information superhwy *Kevin
J - Jace and Jammies *Allie
K - Kristie Anne *Adam
L - Life and Liberty *Todd
M - Pres. Monson *Pop
N - North America *Wy
O - Outdoors *Cade
P - Priesthood *Rinna
Q - Quarters, quilts, quads *Gma
R - Restored gospel, Rinna, roast beef *Gma
S - Scriptures *Rinna
T - Todd
U - Unity *Kevin
V - Vegetables *Kristie
W - Wyatt, Whole family *Adam
X - XBox *Jace
Y - Ya Mutta *D
Z - Zane, Zzzzzz *Kristie

A - Allie *Allie
B - Boys, Babies *Gma
C - Cade *Cade
D - Day.  Grateful when I wake up every morning and the Lord has blessed me to see another DAY. *Pop
E - Everything good. *Jace
F - Food. Fish *Maddie (funny, because we all don't eat fish!)
G - Go karts. *Collin
H - Harris. *Collin
I - Independence *Kristie
J - Jesus *Jace
K - Kristie - Travin
L - Lance, Lights, Lexee *Gma
M - Merrill. Missionary Work *D
N - Noodles, nights that are cool, NObama signs *Rinna
O - Oh, Allie *Allie
P - Pops *Wy
Q - Quail, quad. *Cade
R - Religion, Really hot wife, really cool kids *Adam
S - Sabbath, SVT Raptor *D
T - Tolerance *Todd
U - Unbelievably cool family, underwear *Wy
V - Very good family *Kevin
W - Wyatt *Kristie
X - Xrays *Gma
Z - Zane *Wy

It is so neat to see what we write on these cards from year to year!  So grateful for everything.