We drove down to Great Falls on Thanksgiving Day, and managed to avoid too much traffic.  Also, no one got sick!  It was a big success.  To work up an appetite we spent some time outside and the kids were very excited to discover this deer skeleton.

For Thanksgiving dinner there were our four, Robin and Reeves, and Cam, Megan, and Marcella.  Robin prepared a delicious turkey and parsnip puree and salads, Andrew made the dressing and green beans, and Reeves made the gravy.  Megan made a pumpkin/pecan pie and a mango tart.  Blaine helped Robin make the traditional persimmon pudding.  Everything was delicious, hope I didn’t miss anything!  Before dinner, Blaine wanted to give another speech (like he did last year).

Sarah and Marcella put together this puzzle!

After dinner, Blaine helped Gram with the lighting of the persimmon pudding.

And then it was time for the much-anticipated smashing of the chocolate turkey!

The next day there was more cooking, as Blaine and Gram made yummy pancakes for breakfast.

We took a trip to the zoo so Sarah could see the giant pandas again!

We also saw the “maned wolf” which is unforgettable for the smell of its urine (smells like a skunk!).

And these cheetahs!

Back in Great Falls, the kids wanted to go back and check out the deer skeleton again with their new animal chompers they got at the zoo.

Thank you again to Gram and Grand-dad for hosting us for Thanksgiving again this year!  We had a wonderful time!

On Saturday, we packed up and drove to Charlottesville to visit Great Grandmommy in her new apartment at the Blake.  It’s a brand new building and so beautiful with lots of neat features like a putting green in the courtyard, an outdoor tv area with fireplace, and a piano lounge and bar.

We had a wonderful visit and were so happy to see Great Grandmommy, Aunt Jody and Uncle Dennis!