Thanksgiving with the Higginson Family
November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving at the Higginsons is always a really fun day. All family that is able to come gathers together for a big event. There are lots of things to do for everyone, including talking, playing games, watching movies, singing together and much more!!! And of course we can't forget preparing food for the big meal. So here's me and my brother-in-law Robert peeling potatoes. I'll have you know that we used up the rest of the potatoes that I grew in my garden this year! It's always fun hanging out with Robert. No matter what we do, whether it's peeling potatoes or having a spontaneous dance party, we have fun!

Here's a closeup of me holding one of the bigger potatoes from my garden. I don't know about you but I thought that was so cool! There is nothing quite like growing your own food and then using it! I've always thought that the process of growing food is a miracle. It's just amazing to me to be able to plant a seed, root, or even a chunk of potato, and with water, soil, sunlight and some time comes a plant and something edible!

Vaughn is well-known as my little helper around the kitchen, and that day was no exception! He quickly found a very important job licking the whipping cream off of the beaters. This was an important job because he was not only quality control, but clean-up crew as well. What a good little boy!

Vaughn is such a thorough little boy. He is always good at making sure every last detail is taken care of. So naturally once the beaters were clean, he had to move on to cleaning the bowl used for mixing the whipping cream. Vaughn took great delight in this since there was more cream to clean up in the bowl! By this time, we had to give him a bib because some jobs are just more messy than others! But Vaughn didn't mind. He was too busy enjoying himself!

Soon it was time to eat. While the table was being set I tried to give Vaughn some mashed potatoes and gravy, but he had already tasted better things that morning. He took one look at the potatoes and gravy and very calmly shut his mouth and tightened his lips so that nothing could get past them! He wanted the whipping cream and that was final! How could I get mad though when he had such a sly smile on his face?!?!

One-by-one we filled up our plates and then sat down for a GREAT meal! Cute Robert is in the background of this picture waiting for the line to die down so he doesn't have to fight the crowds. Brian, me, Julie and Jared were some of the lucky ones to get a better place in line!

We Higginsons have a habit of taking pictures of the food we enjoy. Some people (including my sister Laura) think that's extremely weird. But let's think about it for a moment. Haven't there been occasions in your life when you've had an awesome meal and you wanted to remember what it looked like? And seeing it would help you remember even better how it tasted, right? See the logic now? Anyway, that's how I see it! So here's what my plate looked like! YUM!!!

I had to change into something more comfortable since eating is all about comfort! Once that was done, it was great joining in the eating frenzy! Here's me and Brian sharing an "I'm loving this" moment. Our nephew McKay was also obviously enjoying himself. Isn't food wonderful?!

The meal was over way too quickly of course. It always seems like the preparation lasts at least 3 or 4 hours, and the eating lasts only 15 - 20 minutes! But that's the price you pay! So afterwards, everyone took time to just relax with each other. Here's Brian's brother Jared, Vaughn and our niece Riley hanging out on the couch. Isn't Riley a babe?!?!

I didn't think Laura was going to be able to come, and I was very disappointed. But then she showed up, and I was very happy! So we took some time after the meal to get a little ridiculous. It was a must!

I've always thought that Laura is so gorgeous! This picture proves it once again! I've always liked her eyes and her teeth especially. Laura has the longest eyelashes and the most perfect teeth. (I have very short eyelashes and very small teeth.) I wonder what I would look like with Laura's eyes and teeth? Maybe I'll use Photoshop and create a new look for myself for my next blog entry!

When it comes to clowning around, Robert is The Master! He always starts out simple, and then works his way up to being nuts. In this shot he was just getting warmed up. He decided to start his routine with some fantastic poses. By the way, I think his arm is out-of-socket!

These two pictures don't really do Robert's poses any justice. In real life his body looked totally contorted and gross. I think this weird position also cut off some of Robert's air supply, which turned him a little loopy. If you want proof, look at his face! Once he started laughing it was impossible for us not to "lose it" as well.

Later on, after Robert's contortion extravaganza, we all sat down for games. Brian's sister Amy is always great to get the games going. She loves to play games, and we love to play them with her! Even Vaughn had to join in for the fun!

All too soon, and one by one we started to get tired. The "food sleepies" began to set in, and once that started we were all doomed! Our nephew Sammy was one of the first to go. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the middle of playing with a bucket full of toy cars. What a cutie! All-in-all it was a ton of fun! We were so glad to be able to share Thanksgiving with our families. We love 'em!

And here's one for the road...

Love, Lisa