Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!! 🙂

I love Thanksgiving! I love the food, I love the traditions, and I love taking a day to give thanks for all of the things I tend to take for granted in my life.

Today I am thankful for my health, my friends, and my big wonderful family I have to celebrate with.

This year my cousin Bobby and his beautiful wife Candice opened up their wonderful home and welcomed 50+ family members over for a Thanksgiving lunch. They outdid themselves transforming their living room into a festive banquet hall with enough food and seats to feed an army.

The appetizer table was my first stop of the day. I nibbled on bites of homemade artichoke dip, bacon wrapped chicken and my mom’s famous cheese ball while catching up with family members and friends.

The house was loud and bursting at the seams with family. Just the way the holidays should be. 🙂

My Uncle Bob was in charge of the turkey and had tracked down a 24+ pound bird.

I’m not sure how he cooked it, but the bird was so moist and delicious, that it was falling apart before he even started carving it.

mmmm…. turkey. 😉

With the turkey carved – and the blessing made – it was time to eat!

As is my goal every year, I tried to grab a little piece of everything just to try it. This year’s favorites included my roasted veggies and the crusty white roll. Yum!

I also enjoyed a glass of red wine with dinner.

We are clearly a mature bunch in my family. 😉

DESSERT! For some Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, but for me, it’s all about the dessert.

I wanted it all. Pumpkin cheesecake…my grandma’s famous red velvet cake…congo bars… apple pie… mine and Megan’s random chocolate pie… it. was. all. good. 🙂

After our bellies were full – and our pants a little tighter 😉 – we headed outside to partake in the Anderson family tradition of making glurg.

Glurg is a rich alcoholic drink that my family has been brewing for years. We brew a big pot every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and it’s always a good excuse to kick back and do taste samples to – you know – make sure everything is just right. 😉

Everyone goes home with a bottle. Even Great-Great Aunt Evelyn.

She’s in her mid-90s and I’m pretty sure she could outdrink me. 😉

Put a fork in me, I am DONE! So much good food and so tight of pants I need to peel off of me.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!