Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. Hope yours was too. We are so thankful that Matt and Jen and Jack and Charlie could be here to share the feast at our table and to share wonderful times just being family. What a blessing! Now the push to Christmas... Whew, tired already. Hope Thanksgiving is a little earlier next year. Hugs to all!

Seriously, the funniest video I've seen in a long time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4q9kjUihnw

Second Thanksgiving turkey is defrosing in the refrigerator - since last Thursday. Today did the rest of the shopping for this Thanksgiving. Funny - the cashier at the grocery store told us that their busiest day is Thanksgiving Day. They close at 3:00 p.m. so the employees can all enjoy Thanksgiving also. She said they start at 2:00 p.m. announcing they will be closing in an hour. They re-announce every 15 minutes thereafter and they STILL have to comb the store running people out at 3:00. She said that a lot of people are buying FROZEN turkeys. One has to wonder how in the heck they will be cooking it on that day. Made me chuckle. Matt and Jen and Jack and Charlie are coming for Thanksgiving this year. We are really excited to see them. The other project today was to get the Christmas letter written and printed. The envelopes are addressed and little personal notes are written inside the cards, so the letters and stamping are the last things. Gotta get 'em done early this year since we won't be home much after Thanksgiving. I pray a peaceful Thanksgiving for all of you. May God bless our troops with safety and a real knowledge that they are loved and that their efforts on our behalf are appreciated more than we can express. Happy Thanksgiving!

First turkey of the season turned out great! Second is defrosting in the fridge. It will be for Thanksgiving day. Can't wait. Our eldest son, Matt, and his wonderful family will be here. Jack and Charlie, the grandsons, are wonderful little whirlwinds of fun, giggles, hugs, and excitement. It's going to be a GREAT time with them all. Jen (the Mama) and I will be taking the boys to a movie on Friday while Rod and Matt and some friends go to the car show in Phoenix. (Testosterone so thick you can cut it with a knife.) MUCH more fun to go to the movies. Christmas shopping has begun. We will probably be out for some of the 'Black Friday' fun along with the rest of population of the greater Phoenix area. We will most likely have some great Mexican food for dinner that evening. That's our favorite thing to eat the day after Thanksgiving. Going to be a fun and busy week. I have my shopping list and schedule all done. Just need someone cracking the whip to keep me moving. Any volunteers??? Praying that anyone reading this discovers anew the God who is the Source of all of the blessings for which we will be expressing gratitude on Thanksgiving day. God bless you and you loved ones.

This sweet little girl is now TWO YEARS OLD!!! She is such a cutie pie. Her favorite 'people' in the whole world are her 'Nen" (her pronunciation of FRIEND - a stuffed sea horse), Minnie Mouse, and the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba. We had a great time celebrating her birthday. Traveled to California to stay with them for a week. What a great time we had. Gorgeous weather. Amazing grandkids. GREAT TIME! The other news is that our oldest granddaughter, Tailor, just signed with Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. She was offered a four-year scholarship to play softball with them. That's her in the red shirt. We are SO PROUD of her. She is just an awesome student and is a great third baseman. We think The Hawks made a GREAT choice. We are SO BLESSED!. The Bible says, "Children's children are a crown to the aged." (Prov. 17:6) We can definitely attest to the truth of that promise! Many blessings also to you who reads this.

Early Bird

The first of this year's turkeys is finished. Our church group is having our Thanksgiving party tomorrow and I am bringing the turkey and a pork roast. (Some people just don't care for turkey. We pray for them. Ha) I developed this recipe several years ago and it is always amazing. The key is to use a roasting bag and to cook it the day before you plan to eat it. I soak the turkey for about 20 mins in salted water. Dry it well inside. Then fill the cavities with chopped vegs (turnip, parship, rutbaba, onion, celery, carrot), fresh herbs (use your favorites - I use 'the song' herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) and an apple. Follow the instructions for using the roasting bag and place the rest of the vegs, herbs and apple in the bottom of the bag. Put the turkey on top. Seal it up, snip the air holes and roast it according to the roasting bag directions. The juices that collect are abundant and awesome. The gravy made from these juices is a food group unto itself. When the bird is done, remove it from the bag. Cut the breast halves out in intact hunks. Remove the legs and thighs together. Remove the wings intact. Place these in a container large enough to hold them. Then strain the juice over the meat. Seal the container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, place meat and juices in roasting pan, cover and reheat at 275 degrees for about 1 hour, or until heated through. Remove meat to platter. Cover while making the gravy. Slice and serve. Try it! You'll like it! <3