BEING THANKFUL

A couple of weeks ago, it looked like we were going to be creating an annual Thanksgiving Day tradition of taking Dee to Hometown Buffet. Since there were only four of us, we decided to repeat last year's performance of keeping it simple.

Then a couple of weekends ago, Josie mentioned that she and Gordon would be home alone with Alexia on Thanksgiving Day and that Gordon's parents, Tom and Ruth, would be spending the holiday in northern California with Baylee and Rylie at the home of other relatives.

So, Hometown Buffet no longer seemed appropriate, and we decided to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the seven of us: Debra, Ashley, Dee, Gordon, Josie, Alexia (who can't quite chew on turkey yet) and me.

Then, because of weather, Tom and Ruth decided it would not be safe to drive over the Siskiyou Summit into northern California. So, Tom and Ruth brought Baylee and Rylie and a delicious bone-in ham to our place and we all ate, and were thankful, and ate some more. And after that we ate again. Then we had dessert.

This year's Thanksgiving crowd, clockwise starting with the booster seat, included Makiah, Gordon, Baylee, Rylie, Dee, Ashley, Debra, me, Josie, Ruth, Tom and Alexia.

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Dee, sitting beside Ashley, was the senior member of the group.

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Alexia was the junior member of the group.

With a closet full of games and toys, the most fun activity for Baylee, Rylie and Makiah was running and sliding on our new laminate floor.

A mother flanked by two daughters after enthusiastic eating.