I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We sure did, but as always, it went by too quickly. We were at Whispering Pines Farm, where we have spent Thanksgiving for more than a decade. The kids' cousins were also there which added to the fun and excitement. What a great time they had riding the 4-wheeler, petting the horses, coming in for a quick snack and heading back out to play a game of after-dark manhunt. They love being together and because of our busy lives, it just doesn't happen as much as it should, so we savor times like Thanksgiving when they can play and be together.
It was fun to wake up Thanksgiving morning - we were a houseful with 5 adults and 7 children. Allison and I enjoyed a lovely walk around 9:00 in the morning. We had a chance to be alone and catch up a bit. Our walk was less than an hour and we have HOURS more to catch up on, but hey, we'll take what we can get! Time with her is so precious - when our kids were little, we spent a TON of time together, time on the fly. It's a different story now with kids ranging from almost 13 down to 1. School and activities now dictate when we can hang out. So, our walk was great, but too short. When we got back, it was time to put the turkey in the oven and get things cranking for the big meal.
Mimi made her famous oyster dressing - mmm mmmm. This is my very favorite dish of all. I made corn pudding, a first time recipe for me, and it was delicious! I'd call it a real crowd pleaser for kids and adults (recipe below. I would serve this as a side dish on any night with chicken or pork)! I also made Paula Deen's cornbread dressing. My mom usually brings her dressing, but they didn't come up this year. So when I asked my mom what recipe she uses to make her dressing (so that I could make it), she replied, "Well, I really don't use a recipe. I take a little of....." She lost me after the first sentence - I'm not so good at the "little of this, little of that." I googled cornbread dressing and combed through about a dozen or so before arriving at Paula Deen's Cornbread Dressing. It was delicious!!! The only problem was that it made a HUGE Pyrex filled to the top of dressing, and at the farm, we work with one small oven. While everything else was ready, the cornbread dressing was not, so we got to enjoy that with our leftovers the next day.
Here are a few pictures of our spread - homemade cranberry sauce, turkey, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, green beans, corn pudding, oyster dressing, olives, rolls.... Delicious!
And here we are sitting at our big table...
The farm is such a lovely place because of its beauty and purity. The beauty comes from the trees, the horses grazing out in the pasture, the big expanse of the blue sky - and the purity comes from the silence (no traffic noise), the fresh farm air, the escape from all that we know, living in the city. It's really about the basics at the farm in that it doesn't matter what you wear, who you know, what time it is.... It's such an escape from our busy lives. And to the see the kids running around to their hearts' content - no homework, no organized sports... man, is it refreshing!! Take a look at this picture - THIS is the farm...
And the kids LOVE enjoying this beautiful place on their 4-wheelers.
We went outside and Brooke took a million steps.
The kids wanted to play a game of manhunt. Manhunt is a combination of hide-n-seek and tag, played in groups. One group hides, the other group tries to find and tag those who hid, before they touch home base. The kids wanted it to be them and Papa versus the adults (me, Matt, Allison and Andy). Talk about exhilaration! It was thrilling! We found a great place between some railroad ties and the tennis court fence. We did an army crawl to get to our spots. I took a picture of Allison and Matt...
While it looks here like Allison is calmly laying on the ground, I assure you, she could feel the blood rushing through her veins. IT WAS SO FUN!! The kids spotted us from the other side of the court and we got up as fast as we could (keep in mind that we had just finished our Thanksgiving meal an hour earlier). I'm not sure any of us made it back without being tagged. You know, you think you're in good shape - you run a few times a week and do some strength training here and there - but then you get chased by 10-12 year olds and it makes you realize that you're not as "in shape" as you thought you were. Boy, was it fun, though, to play like a kid again!
The kids enjoyed the swing. Here is a picture of sweet little Davis, my nephew.
And here is Champ on the homemade balance beam....
The highlight of Thanksgiving may have been one of the many farm dogs running around. It almost appears to be a dog shelter at times. Whispering Pines is a lovely place to end up because you'll likely get taken care of and fed, such is the rumor traveling around in the dog circles. Here is a picture of Palomo, the farm dog.
Can you say, "Yo quero, Taco Bell?" This little dog takes a million or more steps everyday. He chased the kids, the 4-wheelers, the other dogs.... What a SWEET dog he is!! He has such a cute personality. The kids all really took to him. My boys took to him so much that he was outside our door on Thanksgiving night shivering. We tried to bring him inside (had he spent the night, I would have been forced to bathe him), but he wanted to go outside. Next thing I knew, I looked out the front door and there were Matthew and Champ, Palomo, and some paper towels and masking tape. They were trying to make him a "sweater" of sorts to keep warm. I wanted to take a picture but I was laughing uncontrollably - so much so that I couldn't pull myself together to run and grab the camera.
The boys were delighted to find out the next morning that he had survived the night and was ready to play again. It's these fun memories - stories - times together - that make holidays so much fun, isn't it?
Every Thanksgiving is one we won't forget - full of love, happiness, freedom, thankfulness for each other, and fun. I'm already looking forward to next year's celebration.
Sunday morning at church we volunteered to help with the canned food drive. We woke up tired from the week's festivities - by we, I mean my boys. You know how that is. They were grumbling about not wanting to go to church - telling me they didn't feel well... I just smiled and moved us right along into the car. We went to church and then met our volunteer group to get our specific assignments. The Davis family was to go to the loading dock where we pre-sorted all of the canned goods. The kids were still unsure about this at this point - still tired, fighting with each other. Once we got to the loading dock and were versed on our roles, it was time to get to work. Almost instantly, the boys' bickering ceased and they rose to the occasion - taking their roles very seriously. What a WONDERFUL experience this was for us.
Here they are in their volunteer shirts.
God worked on us and through us Sunday morning through these two hours of service. It was amazing to be working with my family on something that will ultimately feed hundreds during this season. I am so thankful for our church - for all that Matt, I, and our kids take away each Sunday. I'm thankful for how easy they made it for us to serve and volunteer our time.
I am sooo thankful for so much in my life - my family, our good health, my friends, our experiences, the kids' schools, our church, the fact that I can put a meal on the table for my family on a daily basis; I'm thankful for the clothes on our backs, our cars that run well - I could go on and on for days. I'm thankful for our God who loves us and has a plan for us.
On that note, let us be fully present each and every day during this Christmas season. It's going to be a GREAT one, but it goes by too quickly. Let's slow down and savor every bit of it.
Corn Pudding
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 stick butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Mix everything together except for the cheddar cheese. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Take out and sprinkle with cheddar cheese - put back in the oven for 10 minutes.
