It’s about time

that I post pictures of the Gaskins Thanksgiving 2009.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we all know that food is important.

This pie looks particularly important to Luke.

But Uncle Knocker is at least as important as pie (just not as sweet).  And Grandma Louise is very, very important.  And very sweet.  And kind.  And humble.

Just ask my kids.

They get lots of pie and good food during the Christmas season too. 

But the thrill of opening gifts on Christmas morning is small potatoes compared to the anticipation, the INTENSITY of excitement that builds in the weeks before a Gaskins Thanksgiving Get-together.

We love our Christmas celebrations, but it is the Thanksgiving celebration that brings Aunt Laurie, Aunt Carla and sweet little baby cousin Daniel.  Along with my children’s other 15 cousins, 5 aunts, and 4 uncles.

And Cousin Katie.  Cousin Katie is scrumptiously sweet and a serious fave at our house.

And then there is Cousin Callie and Cousin Sophie.  We were majorly overdosed on girly sweetness over Thanksgiving.  The whole world should be so lucky.

My kids have some really cool, really fun male cousins too.  Ben and Josh entertained the family with some Boy Scout skits and songs.  Even now, weeks later, my kids walk around the house humming and singing something about a Badger Dance. 

Ben and Josh also led the youngers on some hiking expeditions across the wilds of our property (did I mention the two bears that were shot a few days ago to the other parents?  Hmmmm, . . . . .I don’t remember. . . . . . .)

Uncle Barry quietly strummed, not drawing particular attention to himself, but his music was appreciated.  I forgot to tell him.  Sorry, Uncle Barry.  I did enjoy your music, and I hope you do it again next year.

We were thrilled to Aunt Sandra and Sandra’s Josh (Sorry Sandra’s Josh, got to somehow distinguish you from Cousin Josh).  I really loved your swedish meatballs Sandra, and while I don’t want you to feel trapped into making swedish meatballs for the next 50 years of Gaskins Thanksgivings, I really feel that you SHOULD make swedish meatballs for the next 50 Gaskins Thanksgivings.  Also, I liked the cockroach holding the flowers card you sent me for my birthday . . . . . . . . .and for our anniversary.  But don’t feel locked in to the cockroach card either.

All together, my mother- and father-in-law have 20 living grandchildren, ages 18 to 3 months.  All those cousins thrown in with some fun aunts and uncles is a recipe for some seriously delirous joy for my kids.

And for me too.  I so enjoyed having everyone come to our home this year.  Technically Sid and I were hosting, but I felt so pampered and served!  Every time I turned around, a sister-in-law was cleaning my kitchen. 

Laura and I made a cheesecake together the next day.  We combined my recipe with her methods and created an awesome cheesecake that was ready to eat 3 times faster than my normal cheesecake.  She also brought a ton of food, from chocolate cheesecake to shrimp to chocolate chip coffeecake. 

She also brought hand-me-downs which were so needed right now.  Laura, the kids were thrilled with their clothes.  There was something for all of them.  Sidney LOVED his boots.  He wore them with his dress-up clothes to the nursing home yesterday where he played the piano.

I got to spend some extra time with my other sister-in-law, Holly and my niece Sarah.  I am so glad for the extra 2 days that their family stayed with us.

We are so blessed with our family.  My only regret is that I did not get pictures of all 20 grandchildren together and pictures of each aunt and uncle with their children.  That will go in my Thanksgiving 2010 file.  Somebody help me remember to do that next year.