It’s impossible to express how much I love Thanksgiving! Shopping for all of my traditional recipes starts about a week before, and this time it only took five trips! I begin with making the cranberries the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the next day, the stuffing. Next comes a marvelous spiced fruit and yummy yams. Meanwhile, Veronica is working on the decorations.
The second table with Luca’s birthday balloons.
The cheese table had to be set up before guests arrived.
The first to arrive were Rhonda, Curtis’s sister, who came from Texas, and her two adorable daughters, Madie and Sam.
I was so delighted to finally meet Curtis’s mom, Samantha, from Arizona!
Lovely Carol.
Here’s a better photo of Sweet Sam.
Rhonda’s awesome hubby Colonel Jesse.
I went back to work in the kitchen at that point but not before I put Sam in charge of everybody signing in!
Colonel Jesse stepped right up and did a masterful job of carving the turkey. He had even gotten it out of the oven and onto the counter…all 23 pounds of it!
Here’s my stuffing, sweet potatoes, spiced fruit and gravy.
Awesome Nino brought green beans and these amazing Mixed Mushroom and Cheese Mini Tarts!
After dinner we played bingo, and charades with prizes for the winners.
For dessert, there were six flavors of Gelato, thanks to Carol; a pumpkin pie from Patricia; Yi-Lin’s famous cheesecake; and I had ordered two pecan pies and a fruitcake from Collins Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas.
There was even a cake from Porto’s for Luca’s sixth birthday!
Lovely Izabela took a quiet moment to look through the album dear Carol created of the book signing for “Inspired Thoughts on Love.”
Maryam and Kert flew back just in time to celebrate with us.
After all that, it was time for the lighting of the Christmas tree and its trimming. Birthday boy Luca was first.
Then Sam.
Followed by Rhonda…
The Colonel…
Curtis….
And Patricia.
Next was Nino…
Izabela…
and Wayne.
Nora…
And Carol.
Luca helped Samantha.
Yi-Lin…
Jan…
Veronica…
And even Somi!
Are you ready for some Karaoke? Luca starts us off.
Colonel Jesse was by far the best.
Followed by Curtis, a close second.
Samantha and Rhonda have done this before!
It’s a family thing.
Jan picked her song.
All together now…
Yi-Lin decided he just wanted to take pix.
That’s a wrap!
Curtis with Rhonda, his sister.
Yi-Lin and sister Nora.
Me and Carol.
Luca slides in to end the evening.
Now on to Christmas.
