DOUBLE TURKEY TIME!!

I forgot to mention the people in my pics from the Hinkhouse Turkey-day that you may not know ... our good friends (or are they family, I sorta forget!  *smile*) Dana and Kelly and THEIR Rhiannon joined us again this year.  We've counted them as part of our Thanksgiving gala for so long that they are now in charge of turkey!  At least the last couple of years!

We were also happy to have our friends Dean and Sharon Wooten.  Dean's wife went to visit her sister.  While she was gone the stove and oven at their house fritzed out.  So we invited Dean and Sharon (sister/brother) to join us.  We were glad they did.  I think they said the stove/oven would be repaired on Monday.

After I sent the other Ludke-ville I got a quick note from my cousin DeWayne Dusenberry (Aunt Lois' oldest son) with a few pictures from a family vacation this summer and a few from THEIR yesterday Turkey-fest!  I'll include them here for those of you who are interested!  (Aunt Lois - for those of you who do not know - is my mom's sister.)

THANKSGIVING FESTIVITY

What a great day!  It all worked out so well - or at least I thought! In large part thanks to the invention of ... the crockpot.  In years past there has been a mad scramble at the last minute to make sure the potatoes were mashed and warm. To make sure the noodles were cooked and warm. To have room in the oven to keep everything up to temperature while everything... you get the picture. GETTING EVERYTHING READY TO EAT and warm.  With a kitchen full of hungry folks!


I decided to try mashing the potatoes before the crowd got there and keeping them warm in the crockpot (SUCCESS!!!) I have a smaller crockpot that I had the corn in (SUCCESS!!) The turkey came already cut and warm in a crockpot (SUCCESS!!) The green bean casserole came in a crockpot (SUCCESS!!)

And while still filled and layered and brimming to capacity -- the oven was able to keep other things warm. The microwave got called into action to beef up the heat on the gravy at the last minute and off we went with a nice warm meal.

I was in the bathroom working on my eternal youth treatment (aka Prep H application to my face!) and of course my Bare Mineral application and my foofing of hair ... you know -- the personal stuff when the Pharrs came.  Then Downey's arrived next ... and gradually the meal unfolded!

There was SO MUCH FOOD. I should have taken a picture of it all. I had two 2' x 4' tables end to end with desserts. Cookies, cakes, pumpkin bars, pies (apple, cherry, and pumpkin). We had another 2' x 4' table with salads, relish tray, etc. (pea salad, cucumber salad, 3 cheeseballs and crackers, olives and pickles and ... ??) Then we had the hot foods on the counter - probably a total of 15-18 foot of food there ... turkey, mashed potatoes, a potato casserole, brocolli casserole, 3 kinds of sweet potatos, vegetarian entree, two kinds of dressing, corn, corn/mac casserole, meatballs, ... I'm forgetting some I'm sure. Oh -- and the rolls and butter were already on the table!!

It was a land of plenty. We had - 32 or 34 people - I can't remember what I counted up Hmm? just now when I counted in my head I got 31. Oh well ... we had a houseful. We ate around 2-ish. That worked out nicely (I thought) and people hung around and talked, played games, and some watched the movie UP. Only downside there is that Mom got called into action by Uncle Hib to find him a hamburger on a day when no place was open to GET a hamburger, so we started without her and had a pretty good start on our meal eating before she got back.

After round one of the glutton-fest was completed, we settled back for some talking, laughing, game playing, etc.  Joy and Keith started it by bringing out a game called SETS.  Other games were Scrabble SMASH - no wait - it was called SLAM.  Scrabble Slam.  And Phase 10 and Skipbo.  Later in the evening some watched the movie UP. 

Some sweet folk did dishes and started the dishwasher, wiped counters - everyone was great about taking home their left overs (sometimes I get too much left here and then ??? what do I do with it all?)

It was a great day. The big surprise was that Joy and Keith, well Keith anyway, announced they had gotten married November 10th.  There was sort of a non-reaction at first.  I think people were taken off guard initially while the news sunk in.   I think we wouldn't have been surprised if they'd announced they were GETTING married. But GOTTEN married surprised us all. They hadn't even told Joy's kids. So welcome Keith (Barrett) to the family!  We watched the DVD of their marriage on the beach 5 minutes from his house.  They had the camera on the back of the car.  They were married by and Adventist pastor with just the two of them present (if you don't count the metal detector couple in the background at the water's edge).

Usually we have gone around the room and done "what are you thankful for" -- this year I didn't do that.  Keith was going to use the marriage as his "what are you thankful for".  So everyone -- NEXT YEAR ... it's back in.  We let him down!  (And ourselves - because we should ALWAYS state what we're thankful for.  It gives testimony to the blessings of God!)  Sorry Keith!

Anyway -- we DID have a super day. Hope yours was as well.

 PS  Wynter and Andy we missed you!  Tearney Chance ... was also not here and Holly and Joe.
 
To Randy's side of our family, we always miss you guys.  I'm sure Deb and Jill at least are out shopping til they drop today!  I believe the plan was the Smuda's were spending the night at the Bauleke's so they could get a good start on the shopping today.
 
Here is the photo-record of the day.  (Aunt Nita - I used YOU as the scapegoat when taking pictures.  You mentioned I didn't have many pictures of the family ... so I told them I HAD to take pics or Aunt Nita would get me!)

IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU WANT THIS BASKET ...

If you aren't able to get pictures, sorry!  I just had to post these pictures.  If this doesn't make you want to buy this Longaberger Basket - then there is NO selling you on it.  *smile*

We snapped a zillion pictures yesterday.  I didn't spend any time fixing these up.  I 'tried' to eliminate the red eye in some of them - but didn't do a very good job.  She looks like she has an eye disorder in some of them.  Sit back and watch -- 21 pictures (and the only reason there aren't MORE is 'cuz I got tired of messing with them right now!) 

We had a nice Sabbath.  I didn't know the Pharr-Phamily was coming down, so it was a great surprise when they walked into church. But then ... PANIC!!  I hadn't planned anything for lunch and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is fairly bare. 

But guess what!  I took the last of my oatmeal, the last of a tube of crackers (crunched), the last of some Special "K" cereal, a package of onion soup mix and the last of the eggs I had.  Mix, mix, mix -- fry, fry, fry and YUMMY!  They weren't so bad.  We had some mushroom soup gravy or red sauce (s'getti sauce) to put on them.  Add some corn and ... ? well, we didn't starve!

Later we had some folks in for game night.  Joy, Colton, Maggie, JoDe, Reese, Ryan, Rhiannon, Jaimee, Mark, Bellie, and Sharon Wooten -- we ended our evening with FARKLE.  Ha!  It wasn't 1/2 bad - once we figured it out!  We have to do it again soon.  Game night that is.  I think with all the game choices we have -- maybe we should throw 'em all in a basket (the names, not the games) and draw one to play each evening.  I love games.

Wynter how did your Thanksgiving go?  She was hosting her mother's side of the family at her house today.  Wyn is a great cook.  She makes things from scratch and she tries new things.  Like they were having a dessert that had phillo dough (the flaky layery pastry) and mango and ??? what else?   It sounded way interesting.  And she had an artichoke/turkey something she was making.  Hope it went extra great for you kiddo!

JILL is found!  JOANNIE is found!  ARLENE is found!  The first two are part of that missing Ludke-side family!  Arlene is my dad's cousin.  We had been so worried about everyone (still are quite concerned over some of the missing folks we know) - fretting day and night (and night and day) -- hoping everyone is okay.  THANK YOU guys for the news!  I love hearing from you.

Jill had an exciting adventure with a school break-in (she is principal and teacher at their school) - a deer with antlers and everything broke in and ravaged the school while they waited for emergency help - it finally broke out through a window - slicing it's belly open badly.  What an ordeal!  You must have an abundance of deer there like we do here!  WOW.

I need to go get ready for bed.  It is another week ... and that means I have to get up bright and early to do Vonda's Vine and get to work by 7:30 am.

I need to figure out what my grocery list is -- and get that going.  I got all the tables set up today (the sit and eat tables).  I am going to set up a couple of smaller tables for food.  So preparation is coming along pretty good.  Does anyone (near me) have either a card table (regular square) and/or one of those small 2' x 4' tables that is height adjustable.  (I already have yours Rhiannon.)  If so let me know so I can run by and pick it up.  I could use one or both of those sizes.  Whatever is available.

Love to all of you -- off to get ready for bed!  (Its only 8:30 -- but I'm slow! and there are a couple of other things I need to do before I can actually retire!)