The Muppet Family Thanksgiving

I spent alot of time this Thanksgiving thinking about what I am thankful for, and I think I spent alot of time thinking about it because there is a very long list. But right up at the top of that list are our wonderful friends.

Every year for 7 years now, our friends have gathered at our house for Thanksgiving dinner. It started as a tradition when none of us could make the trek home from college to celebrate the holiday with our families, and none of Greg's friends had girlfriends or wives to cook for them. Since those early years with just Jeff, the Boy, and us around the table, it has morphed into such an anticipated celebration that people now travel from far and wide to come see us for Thanksgiving. This year, we had attendees from Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, and of course Illinois, but Josh and Ruth get the prize for spending 37 hours on a train just to help eat our 23-pound turkey, Gordon.

The core group that started it all - me, Greg, Jeff, and the Boy - have never missed a year, but each year we get all sorts of new additions. This year I was actually blessed with other girls in attendance (a rare occasion), including Ruth from Idaho and Erin from Minnesota. Why these girls who barely even know our crazy group of friends would want to spend three days and nights with us is beyond me, but I'm sure it was an experience for them. :)

Greg and I know we are extremely lucky to have such dedicated and loving friends. Friends who clean up the house when their stay is over, friends who don't mind inventing games in the garage because it's too cold to play outside, friends who love sleeping in giant blanket-piles on the floor every year, friends who enjoy watching and commenting on crazy info-mercials because we don't have cable (What's that, Bowser - only four easy payments of 29.99?), friends who leave a gift of coffee and chocolate behind when they go, friends who we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. That's why this year, I've decided to dub our gathering The Muppet Family Thanksgiving, because that's what all of us really are - a bunch of weird muppets that love to hang out and sing songs together! Not to mention watch Muppet Family Christmas together!

Here is some of our cast of muppets:

Jeff

The Boy and The Girl (Erin)

Me, and our very own live muppet, Heifer, who is standing on the workbench.The weirdest muppet of them all, Greg, playing garage frisbee. The Curtii - the singular of Curtis, of course.Josh, a.k.a Spazikiah, sleeping on the train.