Thanksgiving 2021 was wonderful!
About four years ago, our big family (37 before the grandchildren started getting married and having children
and living in four states and counting), decided we were too large to gather all together
for the Thanksgiving weekend.
So, each year since then, Roger and I have traveled to spend the holiday
with different ones of our children and their families.
We were excited to head to my old stomping grounds in Idaho and be with Missy, Jedd, Ellie, Anderson and Claire. Jared is in Arizona and Sam is in Bolivia serving their Church missions.
On the evening of the day we arrived at their home in Boise, we fixed Missy's yummy hot chocolate and put it in thermoses and headed for Caldwell, my home town.
It seems Caldwell has become quite famous and a true destination with their Indian Creek Park Lights Display.
Of course, we took lots of pics -
I love the colors of lights they used and there were many, many all along Indian Creek.
It was a fairy wonderland!
Aren't the female Smiths so cute?
On Thanksgiving morning, we gathered in the living room to talk to Jared and Sam on Zoom
from Arizona and Bolivia, all of us hooked in together at once.
How we adore these two precious young men!
Each of the kids was assigned different tasks for the Thanksgiving feast.
Claire set the table with her Mom's fine china.
We each signed three feathers with things we are grateful for on this cute turkey.
Missy made wonderful rolls, a fresh raspberry jello salad and tried a new Southern stuffing with cornbread, pine nuts and craisins. Ellie made a tossed salad with mandarin oranges, pomegranates and sugared almonds. Roger and I made candied yams and whipped cream for the pumpkin and pecan pies.
Jedd roasted a wonderful brined turkey.
What a delicious feast we had together!
The clean-up crew was impressive!
Per tradition, we went to a movie that afternoon - Disney's, "Encanto".
We had so much fun being with the kids and chatting with Missy and Jedd during our three-day stay.
They are a happy, easy family to be around and they make us feel so welcome.
Claire made a fort out of this box.
She and Anderson are always creating things out of their imaginations.
I have included pics of our other kids' Thanksgivings.
Rick and Jodie took all of their kids to Watercolor, Florida. They stayed in one of the homes that Jake, Sydney's husband, manages in his property management business. Their little family was invited to Thanksgiving dinner with Rick's family and all of the cousins and Syd and Jake's two precious boys had such fun together!
They took lots of pics on the beautiful, white sand beach.
Rick and Jodie
Joe and Sadie
Josh and Jaylene
Everyone fought over holding little Henry!
The guys golfed.
Blakey has three sisters who adore him!
Sydney, Jake, Charlie and Henry on blessing day
Ryan, Emily and family spent Thanksgiving at Emily's family's beach house on Coronado Island.
They invited Anna's boyfriend, Jack, and his parents.
Judging from the video we saw, they prepared a delicious dinner and loved spending time with each other
and getting to know Jack's parents.
They all worked out in the Del Coronado's gym together.
Stacy and Tom's family spent Thanksgiving in Mesa and they sent us pics from their Turkey Bowl,
another family tradition.
Maddy and Stacy
Jimbo and Tom
Londyn and Tucker
Mindy, Jeff and kids traveled to Washington, DC, and NYC over the Thanksgiving holiday with Jeff's sister, Emily and her family.
They went to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Mindy sent a pic of the Papa Smurf balloon
because that is what the girls called Roger growing up.
They said they ate their Thanksgiving feast on the floor of Grand Central Station.
That will make for a memorable Thanksgiving for those cousins!
They enjoyed many famous sites and sights on their trip!
Our family enjoyed Thanksgiving from coast to coast with much variety.
But what was the same was the gratitude we all felt for our many, many blessings!
