After Thanksgiving Fun

As I've mentioned, we spent Thanksgiving with Margaret's sister Robin and her husband Mike in Sevierville, TN. They were excellent hosts and we had a wonderful time. Mike had lined up some entertainment for us for Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. For Friday, he had gotten us tickets to Wonder Works, and for Saturday, he had gotten tickets for Dollywood.

The day after Thanksgiving - Black Friday - Margaret, Robin, their mother, and Miranda went shopping. They had a good time fighting the crowds and managed to find a few bargains. When they got back, Miranda passed out on the couch. After a short nap, we had to wake her up to go to Wonder Works. Wonder Works is a hands-on type of museum. There were plenty of things to do and see and touch and play with. We also attended a dinner theatre which is attached to Wonder Works.

The next day, Saturday, we went to Dollywood. We had fun riding the rides and watching the shows. Unfortunately, after standing in line for the new ride Mystery Mine, we found out that they shut down that ride because it was too cold. Jeremy enjoyed the big roller coasters: Thunderhead and Tennessee Tornado. Miranda's favorite ride was the Blazing Fury. We also watched Dollywood's production of Babes in Toyland.

The next day, we drove home. We left early Sunday morning to head back to Youngsville. In spite of a short stop in Hickory to meet some friends, it did not take us long to get back home. I heard horror stories of the traffic in NC later in the day, but we did not run into any traffic.

Enjoy these after-Thanksgiving pictures!

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Meeting more friends

On our way home from Margaret's sister's house in Tennessee (more pictures coming up), we had lunch with some more friends: the Sensenigs (Steve has several blogs, including "Theological Musings", and Christy blogs at "Until My Last Breath"): Steve, Christy, and Dillon. They drove down from Boone, NC to meet us at an Olive Garden in Hickory. After making a few wrong turns, we finally found the restaurant and had a wonderful time catching up with the Sensenigs. We look forward to seeing them again soon.

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Thanksgiving Day

Margaret's sister, Robin, and her husband, Mike, (Robin and Mike's blog) hosted our family and Margaret and Robin's parents for Thanksgiving Dinner. We are having a great time with them. On Thanksgiving morning, the ladies started cooking... ok, they actually started the night before. Meanwhile, the men had to chop the wood, mend the fences, milk the cows, and watch TV.

Miranda helped prepare dinner, but she was also responsible for setting the table. We had turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, lima beans, rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and two types of sweet potato casserole. Yes, you read correctly, we had two types of sweet potato casserole: one had marshmallows on top, while the other was prepared correctly with chopped pecans and brown sugar on top. I was responsible for carving the turkey, which had to have been the largest turkey I have ever seen. I think I did a pretty good job cutting it up; at least, no one complained.

After dinner, Miranda showed off some of her Tae Kwon Do self-defense moves by flipping me off of her. Yes, she really flipped me; I didn't let her do it. Then, Aunt Robin and Miranda made a Gingerbread house. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures!

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Thanksgiving Carols - Volume II

Again, on our trip over the river and through the woods, our family wrote more Thanksgiving Carols. Everyone contributed to some extent. We hope you enjoy these, and consider these our Thanksgiving gifts to you, our friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Good Christian Men Eat Up
(to the tune of Good Christian Men Rejoice)

Good Christian men eat up
With fork and knife and cup
Give ye heed to what we say (gobble, gobble)
This is surely Thanksgiving Day
Macy's floats and Pilgrim hats
You know Black Friday's coming fast
Turkeys were made for this
Turkeys were made for this

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The First Thanksgiving
(to the tune of The First Noel)

The first Thanksgiving the pilgrims did eat
And invited the indians to their feast
They all had turkey and venison
But they did not watch football; there was no ESPN
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
Let's all sing some carols for Thanksgiving.

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Tommy the Turquoise Turkey
(to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

[optional intro]
You know cranberries and football and dressing piled high
Pilgrims and indians and pumpkin pie
But do you recall the best part of Thanksgiving of all

Tommy the Turquoise Turkey (turkey)
Had a very shiny tail (like a blue whale)
And if you ever saw it (saw it)
You would think it was so swell (that's swell!)

All of the other turkeys (turkeys)
Use to peck and strut about (like a turkey)
When they stood next to Tommy (Tommy)
They made sure that he stood out (pick Tommy!)

Then one cold Thanksgiving eve
Farmer came to say (Yo Yo Yo)
"Tommy with your tail so bright
I need you this very night."

Then all the family loved him (loved him)
As they gobbled Tommy down (gobble gobble)
Tommy the Turquoise Turkey (turkey)
You're the yummiest bird around (yum yum)
You're the yummiest bird around (yum yum)

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Grandma Got Sacked By A Turkey
(to the tune of Grandma God Run Over by a Reindeer)

Grandma got sacked by a turkey
Playing with the kids Thanksgiving Day
We all wanted to play touch football
But she said it was tackle all the way

We went outside before dinner
Grandma started talking smack
When we split up into two teams
She insisted that she play quarterback

She dropped back into the pocket
And scanned the field like a pro
She was blind-sided by the turkey
And they fell to ground beak to toe

Oh! Grandma got sacked by a turkey
Playing with the kids Thanksgiving Day
We all wanted to play touch football
But she said it was tackle all the way

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I'm Dreaming of Thanksgiving Dinner
(to the tune of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas)

I'm dreaming of Thanksgiving dinner
Just like the ones we used to know
Where the turkey's tasty; the pies are flaky;
And giblet gravy's in the boat.

I'm dreaming of Thanksgiving dinner
With every mile that I drive
May your turkey be juicy not dry
And my grandma bake your favorite pie.

Meeting new friends...

On our way over the river and through the woods to grandma's... I mean, Margaret's sister's... house, we stopped in Greensboro to have lunch with some new friends: Dusty, Erin, and Elissa Segers. I met Dusty online through my blog, and we have emailed back and forth a few times. Dusty suggested that we meet at Chipotles. (Stan: Yes, Chipotles was very good. We enjoyed it. But, we like Moes better. Sorry.) We had a great time getting to know the Segers family, and, as you can tell from the pictures, Elissa and Miranda stole the show. We look forward to getting together with them again.

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Thanksgiving Carols

A couple of years ago, I complained to my family and our friend Patti that stores and radio stations were playing Christmas songs in October. Now, don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. But, I don't like the fact that "Christmas Season" seems to start earlier and earlier each year. I think most Christmas sales start in March next year.

Anyway, as I was saying, I complained about Christmas music being played in October and November. I suggested that we should be listening to Thanksgiving music instead. Patti said there were not many Thanksgiving songs, so I decided to write some. For the past few years, we have been singing these "Thanksgiving Carols". They are all set to Christmas songs. I hope you enjoy them:

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Here Comes Thanksgiving
(to the tune of Here Comes Santa Claus)

Here comes Thanksgiving
Here comes Thanksgiving
Long before Christmas Day
No jingle bells, no Christmas trees
No songs about a sleigh
We will eat and we will sleep
We’ll watch some football games
Cause it is almost Thanksgiving
And it’s long before Christmas Day

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Giblet Gravy
(to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Giblet gravy, giblet gravy
What is it anyway?
Pour some on my dressing, please,
Don’t let it run away.
Giblet gravy, giblet gravy
What is it anyway?
Oh, I don’t care, I’ll eat it up
Cause it’s Thanksgiving Day!

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Silent Turkey
(to the tune of Silent Night)

Silent turkey
Golden baked turkey
Give me some breast
Give me a thigh
Add some ‘taters
Pile ‘em high
And a slice
Of pumpkin pie
I will loosen my belt
I will loosen my belt

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Something Smells
(to the tune of Silver Bells)

Something Smells
Something Smells
Have you just burned all our dinner
Should I spray
The stink away
And have a take-out Thanksgiving Day

Cooking turkey, cooking dressing
Cooking dish after dish
In the air there’s the smell of Thanksgiving
Baking brownies, and a few pies
We’ll have all that you wish
But eventually everyone hears

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The Thanksgiving Song
(to the tune of The Christmas Song -
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Turkey baking on the kitchen fire
Football canceling the shows
Thanksgiving carols being sung by a choir
People dressed in pilgrim clothes

Everybody knows a turkey and a pumpkin pie
Help to make the waistline grow
Eat so much that you feel you’re gonna die
But it’s just so hard to say, “No.”

We know that napping’s on its way
There’ll be lots of leftovers for twenty days
And every mother’s child will be so weak
Having turkey soup and turkey loaf all next week.

And so I’m offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
And though it’s been said many times, many ways,
Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Here there be pirates

Last May, Jeremy and some friends dressed as pirates to go see the opening of Pirates of the Carribean III. After they donned their costumes, they all went to Moe's to eat. Then they went to the theatre where there were other people dressed as pirates. So, if you ever wanted to see what Jeremy would look like in eye makeup, here's your chance.

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UGA-ly Vandalism

Last Saturday morning, the day that the University of Georgia football team known as the puppy dogs barely managed to squeak by the Auburn Tigers, someone (or ones) destroyed the value of our home and property with various posters and drawings of blasphemous, sacrilegious, and downright heinous pictures and words. We called in the local police, the state police, the FBI, CTU, CSI, FEMA, and the AARP to investigate. Jack Bauer has some leads and is calling in Johnny English for help in uncovering the culprits. I think the pictures speak for themselves. We warn you though - these pictures are grotesque.

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Parents Night Out

A couple of weeks ago, Miranda said that she would like to serve some of our friends by keeping their children while the parents had a date night. Around the same time, a new friend named Katie said that she would like to help with a Parents Night Out. Margaret volunteered our home and got everything ready to host the Parents Night Out. Our friend Patti also volunteered to help. (By the way, a few of us guys were there to do whatever the ladies told us to do: myself, Katie's fiancee Geth, and Jeremy.)

We kept 14 children from six different families. Patti came up with some crafts. She helped the children make scarecrows and apple turkeys (see the pictures). She also brought a "pin the beak on the turkey" game. We had a great time with all the children, and enjoyed hanging out with Patti, Katie, and Geth, as well as visiting with the parents when they picked up the children. Some neighbors - Kevin and Misty - even dropped by in case we had some extra children left over. Enjoy the pictures!

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Cornfield Maze

Saturday, we went to a cornfield maze with some friends. The maze was about an hour south of Raleigh. On the way down, we stopped at our favorite hamburger restaurant: Five Guys Burgers and Fries!

At the maze, the corn was very short because of the drought, but we still had alot of fun. I can't believe how much time we spent playing (and watching others play) horseshoes. There were two small mazes made out of hay bales. One was a right turn only maze. You had to make your way out of the maze by only turning right. The other maze was a no stopping maze. Once you started down a lane, you had to go all the way to the end before you changed directions.

I think the best thing was the time that we spent with our friends.

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New Family Pic - October 2007

Here is a new family picture from our trip to the cornfield maze.

Young Entrepreneurs Craft Sale - October 2007

Last Saturday, Miranda and her friend, Lindsay, took part in a Young Entrepreneurs Craft Sale at a local bookstore. They made pot holders and greeting cards to sell. The girls did almost all of the work themselves, with only a little help from their mothers. Also, the girls had to run their craft table at the sale by themselves. They had a great time and raised some money for some friends who are going to Thailand in January.

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