Neola Thanksgiving 2011

  I absolutely adore the centerpieces designed and created by Emma and Madison.  If you look closely you can see various family members faces on pilgrims bodies.  They stuck them on straws and put them in old mason jars filled with popcorn.

This is the reason I attend Thanksgiving dinner.

It is entitled, "Dixie Salad" and it is ecstasy.

Also included in this masterpiece is 

Ham rolls and jalapeno poppers.

Seriously, those 3 dishes could have kept me happy all day long.

Oh yeah!  Cheese and Crackers brought by Jen was a favorite!!

Sadie's reason for living.

Her little kitty that lives on the farm.

His name is Oreo and she spent about 4 hours each day holding him...

NOT KIDDING.

POST-TURKEY SLEEP

Tanner learning to drive a stick shift.

There are definite perks to having wide open spaces when raising teenagers.

Uncle Tyler looks nervous.

Tanner looks like a man.

A real life ranching man in his pickup truck.

Out in the field doing him some chores.

Everyone was so full from all the yumminess that there was very little pie action at first.

Playing some football with Uncle Brett.

Now- Let me tell you a true story about the day after Thanksgiving.  Most of the world likes to call it Black Friday.  I must say, it was a dark day indeed.  You see, my parents and brother had permits to cut down their Christmas trees in the forest.  'Oh what a fun family tradition', you say.  'Oh what a pain', I say.  We drove about 45 minutes or so up the canyon on a very bumpy road.  We had 2 trucks with 6 adults and about 48 kids divided amongst the 2 vehicles.  We drove up and down the canyon road looking for the perfect tree.  Of course, my brother had to have a blue spruce which only grew about a mile from the road, down a snow covered hill.  My mom was having none of that nonsense.  She wanted a tree that when you cut it down, it fell into the bed of the truck.  I love that woman.  Well, we drove up and down and down and up and finally we decided on a couple of trees that we had passed about 5 times in our journey.  Tyler had to hike for his blue spruce and drag it up a very steep hill, but he was happy.  Mom chose a little tree that made all her dreams come true... 2 feet off the road and practically put itself in the back of the truck.  We loaded up the 46 kids (left 2 up the canyon) and headed back down to the homestead to decorate our lovely trees.  Oh, the Christmas spirit permeated the air.  UNTIL, about 5 minutes from home when I asked someone to check and make sure we still had the tree... BLACK BLACK FRIDAY!  NO TREE IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK!! OUR GLORIOUS TREE HAD PLUMMETED OUT OF THE TRUCK AND WAS SOMEWHERE BACK IN THE CANYON!

Did we turn around?  Did we go back and get the tree?  ARE YOU INSANE?  My dad said, "I feel such relief that tree is out of my life!"  So we got home and posed with the only remnant of our loverly Christmas tree.

 Yes, I forgot his coat.

He is very fashionable in his pinkalicious hat and his plaid farm jacket.

Merry Christmas from the Griswalds!!