Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was a lovely day! We are so incredibly blessed to have been able to spend the day with extended family and enjoy plenty of good food and good company.

One exciting thing about this year's Thanksgiving feast was that we were able to provide a lot of the food from what we had raised. We brought hubbard squash, corn, pumpkin pie from our own pumpkins, and of course, the bird! Unfortunately, we meant to bring the tom (Zeke), but when we arrived at Russ's parents' house on Monday to deliver it, he noticed he had grabbed the hen (Chester) instead. She was only about four pounds smaller, but still a nice bird at about 21 pounds.

Right before the prayer, my brother-in-law, Michael, announced that he and his wife, Shalisa, are expecting their first child! We are all so excited for them.

Here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving turkey and Russ carving it. It was a different breed than the turkeys that we normally purchase in the store, and the dark meat was even darker than usual.


Here's a picture of some of the teenage cousins that came. Left to right, Alison, Jaclyn, Emily with Tyler, Caleb, Alex, and Cameron. The dark haired girl (Alex) is my sister-in-law's niece who came with her dad to eat with us.A few hours after dinner, Shalisa, my sister-in-law suggested we go to the piano and sing. She is so talented and can play just about anything that is put in front of her. Emily had gone to see my sister Lisa's family, who were dining a couple of blocks away, and she told them to come over. When they arrived, we put Shalisa to the test and she played while all of us sang. I think we wore her out. Heidi Bird took over, and we kept going.
Left to right, Caleb, Lindsey, Heidi, Emily. Mike and Shalisa Goates in the background.
Standing, me (Rachel), Lisa Bird, and on the piano bench, Lindsey Bird, and Heidi Bird playing. Grandma Kathryn Goates is on the sofa listening.

I was talking to my sister, Lisa, and I realized how long it had been since I was with my family. Our last gathering was Memorial Day in May. I was so grateful to have that time with her and her kids. I really needed it. Another huge blessing to be thankful for.This is my trademark self-portrait at the end of the day!