Thanksgiving 2016

We did our thankful leaves again this year, with Cora writing her own leaves for the first time this year! We also got some great additions from both my parents and Ryan’s family. Here are some of the highlights of what people were thankful for: Zane- bunny, Daddy, and Juice; Cora- Candy, PJs, Pictures, and Trees; Hyrum- Books, Paper, Grandma and Grandpa, Reptiles and Legos; Tricia- My Savior and a Loving Heavenly Father; My parents were both thankful for us; Dallen- Thanksgiving “samaches” and Snapchat; Maren- PJs and family; Ryan’s mom- grandkids, chocolate, and toilets.

We had our first Thanksgiving at our own home, ever! Ryan’s family decided to drive down to join us for it, so it was a fun, food and family-filled weekend!

I made 6 pies: 3 pumpkin (from Great-Grandma Jubitzes recipe), 1 pecan pie (from Grandma Schuetzler’s recipe), and 1 derby pie (from my mom’s recipe). I loved baking the pies and making the Thanksgiving food because of all the traditional family recipes I used and how I felt it connected me to mine and Ryan’s important women in our lives and our ancestors. It really is a great holiday!

Thanksgiving day was spent entirely cooking (for me) and doing dishes (for Ryan), but the kids got to do some fun things. They made turkey/grateful hats:

Made a Thanksgiving snack in their “cornucopia”:

Colored some turkeys, and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:

Ryan did get to do a turkey bowl with some people from church that morning, as well. The Schuetzlers came right before dinner, and we had quite a feast! Turkey, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, candied yams, Dixie salad, rainbow jello, green bean casserole, stuffing, and peas- all homemade by me (except the peas- those were frozen):

The kids had a great time playing with their aunt and uncle and Grandma and Grandpa Schuetzler while they were here:

We did a lot of fun things too! The kids went to see “Moana,” we went to Coco Key Water Resort, went shopping, went to the zoo, and did even more shopping. Paul and Cindy even helped Ryan install a beautiful, huge new kitchen sink and faucet!

Here we are at the zoo:

We had a great weekend, and it made me so thankful for the strong, wonderful women who have gone on before me and for the family I got to spend the holiday with and those in AZ too!