Thanksgiving 2013

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. The crowd at Mother's was 56-strong this year, and we were still missing some.

For those of you who have an elegant sit-down Thanksgiving dinner, complete with crystal and the good china, you just can't imagine what ours is like. Think red Solo cups and Chinet. Forget the centerpiece. I tried that once--no room for it, with all the food!
 

This was the area where the main courses were set up. Or, at least, most of it. This only shows two of the three tables of food. Brisket, ham, turkey, dumplings, dressing, green beans & new potatoes, broccoli casserole, corn casserole, Mama's sour dough rolls . . . I can't even remember what all was there!

Thankfully, Jana and Charles brought another table, so the desserts had a place all their own. Some things still had to be stacked. We had chocolate pie, coconut pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, candy, cheesecake bars, fig cake . . . I just couldn't try all of it!

The newest addition to the family is Nathan, Kaitin's baby. He kept looking around like "Who are all these people, and why do they keep talking to me???"

The day turned out to be beautiful, even if it was still a little chilly. For the most part, the kids played outside. But then, it's really hard for even the little ones to leave the electronics behind. 

We tried to get group pictures before everybody scattered, but I know we still missed some folks. Just the same, I'll try to run down the list of the ones I did get.

Here's D.B. I never did get a picture of him and Mama together, but Gail did, and she's supposed to send it to me. My camera batteries died an early death.

This is Buddy with some of his gang. Neither Alan nor Durand and family made it this year.

I like this shot of Buddy too.

Gail and Bruce drove up from  Zavalla.

Gail and Bruce's oldest boy, Neil, with his daughter Kaitlyn, wife Lisa, and dog Baxley.

This is Gail and Bruce's youngest boy, Chuckie, and his three sons, left to right: Jesse, Riley, and Zelmon.

This is Edward and his daughter Brittany.

And this is Edward's son Brandon and his family.

Marilyn's son, John. This is the first year he's been able to be off work so he could come to Thanksgiving.

My girls and me. Gail is supposed to send me a pic of Lonnie and me together.

I took two pictures of Amber and her bunch, and she had her eyes closed in both of them!

Jon and daughter Kylie, and Monique and daughter J'Niya.

This is Becca and her bunch. I can't believe Dylan looks so grown!

Kaitin (Brenda's daughter ) and baby Nathan. He looks soooo much like his daddy.

Carrie, Lonny, Phillip, Carrol Ann, and Ashley. I had to take several of this group because Phillip kept making silly faces. By the time he finally quit acting up, Carrie looked very tired!

Ashley hardly left her Uncle Lonny's side all day.

Baby brother Eugene and his girlfriend, Judy Lynn. She looks cold, doesn't she? I guess it doesn't get cold very often in Corpus Christi!

Jana and her husband, Charles. He had to go fight a fire before they could come to Mama's. An 18-wheeler loaded with chocolate pretzels, and he didn't even bring us any. He said that what didn't burn up was soaked.

It was a good day, but very long. We finally got home just before dark. Poor Max had to spend Thanksgiving by himself, but he sure was glad to see me. Or maybe it was just the strap on my camera that he liked. Hmmm.