Thanksgiving 2022

The family comes together to celebrate

A new moon rises in the sky the night before Thanksgiving.

Is this a sign of a new beginning ... new family traditions?

This year we welcomed Matt's friend Molly to our Thanksgiving feast and she fit right in, bringing smiles, giggles, lovable snorts and tight hugs to enliven the holiday season.

Food prep ...

Anna and Mike came over early Thanksgiving morning to help prepare snacks for the afternoon gathering and the evening's meal

Anna, left, works on the snack tray while Cherie prepares a filled pastry

What better presentation than a turkey-shaped cheese and cracker snack for the pre-meal munchies.

Anna displays her snack plate whilst dressed in her holiday finery

The pièce de résistance: Cherie presents a turkey stuffed and trussed and ready for the grill

The turkey roasts perfectly outdoors, freeing up the oven for other foods

Matt and Molly prepared a healthy vegetable tray ... maybe that's why Matt hasn't an ounce of fat on him.

Matt leans into the job at hand ... making Molly happy

Mike gets into the action, too, helping to clean up the pans, dishes and utensils used in the food preparation.

Mike, left, and Matt work at the sink

Enjoying a sunny Arizona day

As often happens on Thanksgiving, blue skies and mild temperatures in southern Arizona brought the family outdoors to nosh on the snacks, quaff a few beers, and enjoy each other's company while the turkey sizzled and popped on the grill.

From left, Matt, Mike, Molly, Cherie, Jamie, Alex, Zach, and Anna

Matt took a selfie with his dad Jamie and nephew Alex

The Thanksgiving table was loaded with food and drinks, and surrounded by happy people as the day faded to evening and the turkey was done grilling. Everyone contributed to the meal, and everyone enjoyed the fruits of their common labor.

After the party was over, all of our kids and grandkids piled into one car, reminding me of an old circus clown act. Anna was the designated driver, while Mike, Zach, Alex, Matt, and Molly draped over each other in filling the passenger seats. It had been smart thinking on Matt and Molly's part to get rides to and from the party, as our trash can was full of empty beer and wine bottles by night's end, a pretty good indicator of the sobriety (or lack thereof) of the crowd.