Four Thanksgivings!

What's better than a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings? Four delicious turkey dinners with all the fixings! We celebrated our first Thanksgiving a week ago with a bunch of friends up at a cabin in the mountains. Everyone brought a tasty dish to share, and nearly twenty of us crammed into the dining room to enjoy our first Thanksgiving dinner of the year. It was a lot of fun and a great way to kick off the holiday season!

On Sunday after church, the Vander Kooi side gathered together for a grand family meal. My uncle and aunt hosted it in the awesome space above their barn (seriously, it's fantastic for parties!), and all of us were able to sit at one very long table! I wish I had a picture from this year, but here's one from a couple of years ago:

Yesterday was stuffed with more turkey, potatoes, and gravy! We headed over to Robby's parents around 10 am, and his parents, grandmother, and we had a lovely lunch together. It would have been greater had the rest of the family been able to make it, but we're looking forward to seeing them soon! The food was amazing (as usual), and I was excited to get to share a homemade pumpkin pie for the first time. Around 4 we said good-bye to the Feely's and hello to my side for more celebrating. This seems to be the one time a year all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins are able to be together, and we take advantage of that time. After a few more platefuls and lots of singing by the campfire, we finally decided it was time to head home around midnight. The fun wasn't over, though! We made a last-minute decision to stop by Target on the way home! We didn't score any good deals, but it was kind of fun to be part of the crazy Black Friday madness!

It was a great Thanksgiving, and we were reminded just how much we have to be thankful for! I hope you were able to spend it with those you love, as well!