Spend the first half of the week preparing food and the house for Thursday’s guests, with loads of help from every member of the family<\/li>\n
Note especially those who do things that you simply could not do, or could not do in such a short space of time , or without grave bodily injury – such as mopping all the floors (Megan!), and peeling all the potatoes (Paul!), and shining the bathrooms (Geneva!), or keeping it all organized and running extra trips to the store (Laurent!)<\/li>\n
Stay up extra late the night before, making last minute preparations<\/li>\n
Wake up early Thursday morning to go to church<\/li>\n
Rehearse for an hour, then sing a beautiful pontifical mass (what better way to begin Thanksgiving than with the Eucharist?)<\/li>\n
Zip home and begin final preparations, again with special kudos to the table and chair crew (Paul and Jacob!), the relish tray designer (Oma!)<\/li>\n
Welcome Grands and Gonzales family and let the party begin!<\/li>\n
Spend time adoring the cuteness of the tiny-yet-feisty Joanthony<\/li>\n
Send the camera around with lots of people to take pictures of the good times since you have to make the gravy and whatnot<\/li>\n
Listen with a grateful heart to beautiful piano music and joyful voices singing together<\/li>\n
Note how Johnny, always attentive to his younger siblings and his mother, also takes time to sit and talk to Oma<\/li>\n
Produce the biggest, most spectacularly epic batch of garlic-cheese-mashed-potatoes everrrrr<\/li>\n
Watch with satisfaction as hungry kiddos fill their plates with taters<\/li>\n
Reflect on the grand tradition of Grandma’s Wild Rice, which has graced our Thanksgiving table every year since we began celebrating together<\/li>\n
Gratefully note the amazing bounty of the table:\n
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4 slow roasted turkeys, simmering in succulent rich herb-infused juices<\/li>\n
2 slow roasted, melt-in-the-mouth hams, swimming in juices tinged with brown sugar and cloves<\/li>\n
the afore-mentioned garlic-cheese-mashed-poTATERS<\/li>\n
dressing made with onions,celery, carrots, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and a great deal of turkey juice and cream<\/li>\n
fancy corn with onions, red and green bell peppers, rosemary and cream cheese<\/li>\n
sweet and tart carrot slaw with dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, and a touch of nutmeg<\/li>\n
Ol\u00e9\u00a0Corn Muffins!<\/li>\n
Grandma’s wild rice<\/li>\n
Grandma’s green salad with I don’t remember what-all, but I do remember the feta cheese – YUMM!!<\/li>\n
Grandma’s delicious herbed squash<\/li>\n
Grandma’s green bean casserole<\/li>\n
two pecan pies<\/li>\n
one pumpkin pie<\/li>\n
one apple pie<\/li>\n
one blueberry pie<\/li>\n
Mystic Monk Thanksgiving Blend coffee<\/li>\n
Butter-beer<\/li>\n
enough whipped cream to sink a battleship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
Wander from room to room to the front yard and back again with plate in hand, too busy enjoying everyone to sit down in one place to eat<\/li>\n
Take pictures whenever the camera isn’t in use<\/li>\n
Amaze yourself by not being exhausted by 5pm<\/li>\n
Reflect at the end of the day upon the eternal kindness of God our Father, who lavishes upon us all these good gifts – food, yes, but most importantly the dear ones he brings into our lives with whom we celebrate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n