Thanksgiving 2009

We had an amazing Thanksgiving. We started off by visiting some friends in Memphis and spending the night with my friend Gianetta and her family--thanks! It was great to see Gianetta, Celia, Teresa, Laura and the Etheridges. After visiting friends, going to to the Memphis temple and doing a little shopping, we headed to Mississippi to visit the Ereksons, Bunkers, and Bartholomews.

Enjoying making real gingerbread houses...a yearly tradition in our family. Besides all the wonderful food she provided us, Lena made houses for all the kids to assemble--at least 19 of them (well minus the two babies which makes 17). Plus Dad and Sam built and decorated their own gingerbread houses too. I think Lena even had a couple of houses left over. I bet Sam is talking to Shawna in that picture.























We celebrated Sam's birthday a few days early




Thanksgiving afternoon we drove around and saw some cypress trees (right?). Then we drove through a creepy part of town where the houses were on 10 foot or so stilts because of continual flooding in that area. Yes, very creepy.




Thanksgiving night we went to a park













After the park we had a race in Lena's yard. Usually we do a longer Thanksgiving day race, but it was dark out by the time we started. Lee won the guys' race and Clark won the kids' race!

Aside from the Erekson's HUGE house, they had a HUGE yard too! The kids LOVED it! They have a section of their yard that is like a fish bowl. The kids loved sliding down the grassy hill to the bottom with sleds. Clark inherited his great-grandpa Thompson's hat.






Thanksgiving dinner was delicious!!! Cute hair Kirsten! (I fixed it, ha ha.)




I did help out some...I made the jello salad!






The girls had a fun time at Lena and Mike's


Baking pies with Grandma! It wouldn't be the holidays without LOTS of pies in my family!








One day we took a strenuous journey to Louisiana (just kidding, it was about 25 minutes away) and helped Sister Cochran. Well, actually we were the beneficiaries of many yummy pecans.














Yes, we picked up pecans off the ground


And we picked some more


And Paul found more....what a true picture of Paul--whistling while he works!






















I am very thankful for my family. Like I said, we had an amazing time!