Great Food...Great Friends!!!

Thanksgiving is an important holiday in my Stoker family; it basically means getting together, eating a lot of food, being obnoxious, LOUD, laughing, talking, and just having a great time. For as long as I can remember I have had Thanksgiving dinner with the Stoker's every year of my life (even the year we went to Shoney's for dinner)! So, obviously this year I was miles away (weepy and homesick all week), but...with LOTS of help from the neighbors we created our own little Thanksgiving Dinner. In fact, I managed to make my first pie, a double layer cheesecake pie (YUM), and my first pomegranate jello salad. In fact, on Thanksgiving Eve I was up baking until eleven and Corey said, "What happened to my wife who opens a can"? I loved cooking for Thanksgiving this year, and felt like it was my own therapy. It helped me not be so homesick!

Anyway, we had two couples (The Swifts and The Drakes) and their children over for Thanksgiving! It was perfect, the food was SOOOO good! Then, we chatted and played the white elephant game while the kids ran around. It was great food and great friends, just what Thanksgiving should be! Later that night Corey and I were able to talk to both of our families on skype! We still miss them all, but being able to see them through the camera helped Corey and I feel right at home!

For those of you who would like a more humorous look at the makings of our Thanksgiving Dinner, visit
Mama Boogie's Blog. She's an artist in every way; from cooking, writing, drawing, painting...you name it, she is talented!

 Robin making her first pie ever!

 The turkey MASTER!

 Skinny prego lady! She got a book she already has for the white elephant gift.

(Sorry, Mom. I read this book and passed it on).

 The Drakes and the kids playing with the white elephant presents.

 Corey taking a day off, this is rare!

 The Swifts, all smiles!

Football was on, but nobody watched it,

 and we had a party foul when Jack ate the potpourri!

I almost forgot to mention that it was Jack's first Thanksgiving, and I had many things to be grateful for, but I was especially grateful not to be as big as a barn this year! So, lucky to have Jack with us!