Oh, Thanksgiving. Where will I start.
First of all, awesome holiday. Eat food and be thankful. Spread the love, dress kinda nice, make delicious food. Love your family. It’s so beautiful.
Our family has a standing reservation at the Royal Gove Masons Hall, on 37th and Shridan in Tacoma. Across the street from Safeway (which is super convenient). Big Hall, Commercial Kitchen, Lounge with leather couch and TV. Cool Place. Rented by our giant family at least once a year.
Kids running everywhere. Relatives that I totally love kissing on me. Drinking like a fish! Mom and Uncle Frank smoking a bowl in the parking lot. OK That was a rumor, they probably didn’t.
Usually we have Rooster Juice, but this year, courtesy of cousin Jenny we had Pumpkin Pie Juice, it was delicious and dangerous. Just what the mafia family wants to drink on Thanksgiving. Nice Jen!
Other wise, super full bar, every mixer, every soda, every alcohol and special cocktail ready for you. I love that we all love to bring the very best in our personal repetoires.
And the appetizers! Excellent cheeselog! Wooooo Uncle John! Pepper poppers, deviled eggs (yay me!), crab dip gone a little sideways, but the thing….. the real “S”, bacon wrapped, burger stuffed with cheeselog. Delicious, spicy, OMG, the bomb.
And we play cards, “Screw your neighbor”, religiously. Play until dinner, players get appetizers delivered and cocktails by a 12 year old if they are lucky. Matt, my awesome cousin Matt, made it rain, on accident during cleanup time, but I am totally sure he had $150, $1 bills. easily. Possible big winner, but sometimes the betting gets crazy.
There was a table in the back specifically dedicated to the Thanksgiving ads. It was never empty of somebody looking through them.
And in the leftest corner, hanging near Wilma and Aunt Donna, the kids were crafting with Glue and Scissors, making Pilgrim Hats and Snowflakes, with glitter and markets, just gluttony of the craftiest type. Pencils and Stencils galore.
Dinner and Prayers said by Maddie, cousin, age 11. She did great and it saved everyone from the 20 minutes around the thankful circle game. Then was the time in this magical event where everyone stuffed their faces, too many dishes galore.
Sure there was Turkey, but three kinds to start, Smoked, Joey and Regular, in the end for leftovers, there was bacon wrapped Uncle Mark turkey, which had the misfortune of getting in the possessed oven that didn’t want to stay on.
3 stuffings, unfortunate potatoes, white sweet and regular marshmallow sweet potatoes. Brussell Sprouts Au Gratin,creamed peas and holiday beans, watermelon jello and pea salad, olives and rolls. cranberry sauce.
Birthday Party- presents, a song and cake to go with dessert. The family has at least 30 members, it’s always a birthday or three.
Eat…..eat….. Good stuff, followed by exploring, crafting, gambling and Dessert. Draw names for Christmas and dispute your draw, draw three more times. Acquiesce. You buy a $35 Christmas gift for that person this year.
Clean up time.
That was a pretty bare bones Thanksgiving story, but I totally bet that you are jealous, or at least so curious. I love my big family so much.
We lost two vibrant family members this year. They were both super missed.
We got a new one, who at about a month old has already been named Squishy. She’s going to love that when she’s a teenager
That is what I love the most about this family. We are all so busy, we all lead our own exciting lives. We will always, always love so hard, on each and every member.
I love you all so hard. Thanks for a memorable Thanksgiving.