Amateur Thanksgiving

After almost 5 years of marriage, I've realized my in-laws catch phrase for all events is "go big or go home." No guests outside of the family coming? Doesn't matter. We deserve a party. Bring out the pickle tray! More appetizers, the better! Multiple candy dish displays, pies, dips, decor galore... and that doesn't even brush the surface. Thanksgiving at Scott's grandmother's house is no exception. Usually we have all of the extended family, but this year, it was just us and g-rents. Yet, it didn't stop us from having enough food and party like everyone was there.

First, we start off singing a barrage of Thanksgiving hymns:

MIL at the organ

Everyone "singing"

 Then we follow up with passing around a basket full of individual names on paper slips - we each pick one and say something for which we are grateful about that person:

Mema writes the names, and usually writes her nicknames for us all.

Then we finally dig in:

Orange Jello = crucial to Thanksgiving. Its mutilation is inevitable. 

And we finish up with some gaming and some napping:

Trivial Pursuit circa 1972. The entertainment section was just that - entertaining, to say the least.

We party so hard, not even the kids can keep up.

Now think back... what was your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Mine is a solid six-way tie of the above.