Household is actually every part, isn’t it? We had a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration with my household at our cousin, Brenda’s, home in Suwanee, GA, which is about an hour from us. Atlanta is so unfold out, so it’s not straightforward to drop in anyplace quick, however we had a phenomenal day for the drive over. With all of our mother and father gone, Brenda cooked a lot of the meal and we introduced some aspect dishes and it was all scrumptious as ordinary. Brenda cooks identical to my mother and her mother and I make the remark that they might be pleased with us for the unfold we had as we speak. As ordinary, it’s straightforward to overeat on Thanksgiving, however I attempted to tempo myself. Mark was getting collectively together with his 4 women and their households at certainly one of their properties later within the day, so he stayed residence and cooked the turkey for his or her gathering after which I went over to that gathering once I left this one, so all of it labored out properly. We’ve been getting along with Brenda’s household for a few years. Their daughter, Denise, simply bought married a pair months in the past and I shared their Wilmington wedding ceremony with you.
Brenda and Neil reside in a reasonably residence on the Chattahoochee River in Suwanee.
Brenda at all times does a pleasant wreath or swag on her double doorways, she made these.
Fairly brick ground.
And good Grateful touches round the home. We at all times take pleasure in being collectively and catching up with one another’s lives. Now that my sister and BIL, Renee and Bruce reside in Louisiana and Lauren is there together with her household, they don’t stand up right here as usually anymore since mother and pa handed away. Subsequent 12 months, they may in all probability not come for Thanksgiving, so this is likely to be the final 12 months we do that with our household.
It’s slightly bittersweet to consider all of the modifications that households undergo, however that’s the place we are actually, so we have now to profit from it. It’s sobering to assume that we’re the outdated individuals now. Mark and I talked about that on Thanksgiving Day.
Brenda’s fairly desk, set for the day.
The adults all sat in right here and the youngsters on the kitchen desk. Brenda has 2 boys and so they had been each right here, however Denise and her husband went to his household for Thanksgiving.
I don’t get to see Parker, Iris and Alex as a lot anymore, so I’ve to make a visit down there earlier than too lengthy so I can see them. I do know you’re shocked at how a lot they’ve grown. So am I! Each time I see them, it appears they’ve grown a number of inches. Parker is 11 (happening 16, she already acts like a young person!), Iris is 9, and Alex is 5. They’re rising so quick. Lengthy legs abound in our household for positive. Parker might have reached my peak (she has on 1″ footwear) or it’s shut. I’ve shrunk an inch or so, so she is going to in all probability surpass me now. Alex goes to be a really tall woman too. I believe their grandaddy’s genes might have had one thing to do with that.
Now to the meals! Oh the meals was unbelievable. Neil fried a turkey which is at all times scrumptious. That’s Brenda’s recipe for cornbread dressing.
We had pineapple casserole, the entrance one is squash casserole that I introduced, mac n’ cheese and gravy.
Then inexperienced beans, my sister’s candy potatoes, two greens (collards & mustard greens) and rutabagas.
Fried turkey and ham.
Cranberry sauce, potato salad, and my cranberry congealed salad. My mother began making this dish years in the past and all of us find it irresistible. There wasn’t a lot left! I’m going to do a devoted put up on this cranberry salad so I’ll have it archived right here on the weblog.
Brenda made a scrumptious German chocolate cake and pecan pie. What a meal it was!
Right here’s my plate! I attempted to be reasonable and did fairly effectively. Brenda additionally made Parkerhouse rolls. It was laborious to not overdo it.
As we at all times do, we took a household pic in entrance of the hearth. We positive have a number of these over time and we positive miss mother and pa in our gatherings, in addition to Brenda’s mother and pa. Life goes on, however we by no means recover from the lack of our candy family members. They are going to eternally be in our hearts. I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving too. It’s a good time to cease and provides thanks for all the numerous blessings all of us have in our lives. Bruce’s mother, Doris, has moved to assisted residing and she or he’s 96 now. She wasn’t feeling effectively or she would have include us.
This pic is from 2021, simply 4 years in the past and you may actually see how the women have grown. This was the final 12 months that mother and pa each went to Brenda’s for Thanksgiving lunch and so they had simply moved into assisted residing the month earlier than. We’re grateful that we had them for therefore lengthy, what a blessing that was! Mother was capable of make it there one final time in 2023 earlier than she handed away. She rallied to go to Thanksgiving that 12 months after which handed away only a few days after on my birthday, December sixth. We miss them and love them!
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