Thanksgiving at The Payne Homestead

Every year for Thanksgiving, the following things occur....

We host, and our family (both grandmothers, aunts, cousins) come over.

We have a family friend or friends of the family (there is a difference) who join us. It's usually someone different every year....this year I don't think we have anyone coming (BOOHOO).

Addison Jo writes, choreographs, designs costumes, rehearses, and directs a Thanksgiving play starring my children and my cousin's children. It use to be "surprisingly" good, now we have come to expect it to be good; and it always is (we're not being partial here)....Picture above is from a play from a few years ago.

The children play outside all day long, weather permitting.

We take a picture of my children and the cousins...all lined up on the slide every year. The picture on this post is from 3 years ago....pre-Elliot.

The adults sit outside some and watch the children, but they mainly sit inside and watch football...Go Cowboys!

NPayne's wonderful mama cooks the majority of the food...everyone else (except me) contributes sides, desserts, salads, etc.

I do all the prep cleaning for the family to join us.

NPayne does all the post cleaning after the meal and everyone goes home.

Before we eat, we bless the food and thank GOD for our abundance of blessings...even though there are always struggles to be faced, that are being faced, or that have been faced...we still know how blessed we are and give thanks where it's due.

The family goes home, the children wind down, and we tuck them in to their nice snug beds.

NPayne will watch more football....tonight it's the Longhorns and the Aggies...Hook 'Em!

I meet my best friend, Cynthia, at her house; and we go Christmas shopping at Walmart....actually she shops, and I usually just browse and enjoy spending time with her. We stay up really late shopping at Walmart, and then we go have breakfast somewhere.

I go home and get in my nice snug bed by my sweet hubby who so generously lets me sleep in on Friday morning, since I've been out half the night with Cynthia at Walmart.

This year, we are going to attempt to take some family photos this afternoon. This is not a usual tradition, but if all goes well; it may become one. I'll post them later....if it works out.

You are cordially invited by L.L. Barkat to join a ThanksgivingCelebration. Just post about a Thanksgiving memory, something you are thankful for this year, a special family Thanksgiving tradition, your favorite "thanksgiving" bible verse, or anything else you can dream up. Be serious, spiritual, creative, beautiful, humorous, whatever... it's a celebration and good celebrations welcome all kinds of expression!
As a token of thanks for joining us, L.L. will link to you in the Thanksgiving Celebration post (and Christianity Today and High Calling Blogs will link back to said post, so their readers can check out the full celebration). You can make L.L.'s link-love job easier by dropping a comment at the Thanksgiving Celebration post. See you at the pie table!
To participate in the Thanksgiving Celebration:
1. post your Thanksgiving reflection with the invitation above and this little list of two.
2. send the invitation to 5 or more friends (or just stash it in your cyber-drawer as a keepsake and take another bite of pie).