What is everyone doing for Thanksgiving?

[mamaprincess]

My Aunt is having it at her house and I don't like going there because it's so crowded and just not cozy so I may be forced to cook which is fine because I like my own cooking. :beaniepro

I will probably cook the usual dressing, Macaroni and cheese, greens, sweet potatoes ( i try but am not to good with them) pepper steak (vegetarian). I'll buy some good rolls and pass them off as home made :beaniepro of course there must be cranberry sauce (canned of course, is there any other kind, if so keep it to yourselves cuz I don't wanna know :Pokepoke: ) and I'll probably make a cobbler for dessert. I wonder who will come and share our feast?

[lllovell]

Wow - Thanksgiving is coming soon and I don't have a clue honestly.

The holidays are still very hard for us without my mother. She was the one we all called and followed suit with. She was typically the one that coordinated everything as well, not really planning it, just keeping track, etc. My youngest sister has taken over some of that role in the family, but she is expecting her 2nd child in January and is a little busy at the moment. My father is also in New Orleans right now helping restore phone service (he is a BellSouth Supervisor) and I assume he will be home for the holidays, but nothing is certain.

We typically go to my grandparents in LaGrange, GA (about an hour from my house) because my grandmother is house bound with her late stages Alzheimers. This is probably her last Thanksgiving, so I suspect that will be the plan again as well.

No matter what we do, being together is all that really matters. The guys will spend a fortune on oil and fry a turkey and we also cook one in the oven. The number of side dishes can reach the teens since we try to cook everyone's favorites. Its crazy to be honest, but lots of fun. There will be football, food, playing games outside with the kids, more food, more football (which is really nap time) and then pouring over the ads for the next day. Black Friday is the day I get all the Salvation Army children bought for (I don't give my boses presents, instead buying for a needy child per boss and a couple for our family keeps me very busy on that day - but it is the most wonderful way of starting off the Christmas season to me. :) ) There are usually 8-10 children to buy for and maybe I will be finishing up my holiday shopping on that day as well! We will see. Having PJ along will slow down the process greatly and I am hoping my sister will be able to come being so far along in her pregnancy, so it might end up being just my Aunt, middle sister, myself and PJ, but it is a holiday tradition I really love.

*whew* Lots of typing for someone without real plans huh? :beaniepro

Laura

[mamaprincess]

I'm sorry to hear about your mother and grandmother :hug: When my Grandmother passed it really through us off for thanksgiving for a while. Some how my grandmom was the center of everything even though my oldest aunt always cooked and we always gathered over her house. When she took ill, her daughter (which I also call aunt even though she's a cousin) took over and it's not the same at her house.

My brother has really been the one that does everything for the holidays and we have a great time at his house listening to oldies, stuffing ourselves and laughing with and at eachother and yes there is football! He may have to travel during thanksgiving so that probably means I'll be cooking and bringing it down to my moms (2 doors down) and we will gather over there like we have done when my brother is working. ( he's works for an airline)

[cobbler]

Doing Thanksgiving in Alabama with hubby's family. I am personally not that excited as it is way to country for me but it puts me only an 8 hour drive from Disney. That is where we will be the Sunday after.

I don't mind the people, its just being out in the country country that irks me. And I mean country!!! So dark at night you can't see your hand in front of your face.

The food is all right, mostly soul food. I only like a few select things. Funny thing, the menu hasn't changed - for any family meal - in the 9 years we have been together. :hahahaha:

We have a joke that if hubby makes me go to Alabama he must take me home via Disney World, its a little out of the way but well worth it ;)

[AFMom]

Good plan, Cobbler! Well - we just got here in FL in the middle of Sept, but we have a few military family friends who are staying in town, so as of now we have 3 other displaced familied coming to our house for Thanksgiving. 1 of the families I've known for about a year, but the other two I've met this last month.... that's the military for you! Also, DH is up at a school in AL for 5 weeks and is bringing home a stray Captain who can't fly home... so we'll have him here as well! Don't know him at all.... All in all, a normal year for us!

[withdisneyspirit]

Cobbler, where in Alabama? Must be pretty far south to be 8 hours from WDW! We're going to be in the country too, namely a tiny town called Holly Pond :) This is also where my in-laws live. We spend Thanksgiving with them each year. They have their own garden and my Mom-in-law makes fresh, home cooked veggies...its kinda like soul food too :goodvibes

My pout :( is that I love traditional foods like turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and pecan pie! She told me this am that she wanted to make soup and cornbread :tearsaref Not a grateful girl, am I?

Your plans sound great, Laura, hope they work out :goodvibes mamaprincess, I would be suspicious of any cranberry sauce that didn't come out of a can :) Also, AFMom, those kind of Thanksgivings can be the best kind :beaniepro

[gopherit]

We're clueless here, much to the GREAT dismay of DS9 (our own personal Secretary of Fun in our clan!)

DS9 typically begins orchestrating where he thinks we should go for xmas on Dec 26th of each year... he's very much a social critter, and loves visiting family.

Normally, the kids get the whole week off for THanksgiving (thanks to a very active WV hunting season - can you believe that?) And normally, we spend that week at DH's family in Delaware. Last year, that didn't go too well - dd and her cousin both got some sort of "bug" on the Monday, then along came Thanksgiving morning - and down went DH's brother, dad, our eldest son, and then - most dramatically - DH with the same bug. Stomach flu and my DH are a BAD combo. We've never fully figured out why, but if he gets it, it literally takes a trip ASAP to the ER (which he always resists), then 3 shots of different meds (because docs never believe me that simple phenergen will NOT stop him) until he's finally back under control. He was so bad off when I took him that Thanksgiving day, they thought he was having a heart attack - that's how bad it gets. And he gets completely deliriuos, incoherent, delusional - like nuthin you ever seen or WANNA see. The only good thing about it was that finally his mother got a glimpse of WHY it's so hard to treat her son when he gets this way. He was in total denial and I'm trying to pull him down the stairs to go to the ER. (Having been through this at least 6 times, I know the way it all goes... first he says he's ok... then he admits he's ill, but he can "handle it"... then it gets worse... then worse still... til finally he can't stand, can't move, and is delusional and scared out of his wits that this is "the end". It's like a Jekyll/Hyde transformation, it's that dramatic, to see a normally very composed, reserved DH turn into this blob of protoplasm in about 1 to 2 hours flat.) Usually the only way I get him out the door: I declare, "Well, I guess that's it... I'll have to call an ambulance." (Recall that my DH is valet-impaired at the DVC resorts and can't bear the thought of paying a tip to someone to do something he feels he could do himself? AN ambulance to him is one big valet ride with flashing lights.) WIth that, he's upright and though unsteady, willing to go!

So anyway -- this year, our kids don't get the week off anymore, just the standard 2 days most places get. Since DH's family is a good 8 hr drive away, we won't head there. We thought about my family in SC, but the more we think about it, we may just stay home and GET STUFF DONE! My brother and his fam live about 3 hrs away - we may try to get together with them, since they are "locked in" where they are too, without any other family nearby, just us! They have 3 kids close to our kids' ages, so it could be fun. Maybe we'll just meet for Black Friday in Columbus and do something fun with the kids like the zoo or COSI... decisions, decisions!

[mamaprincess]

:scary: Here's hoping you guys never see the stomach flu again, yikes!
Getting together with your brother sounds like it would be a lot of fun gopherit! :goodvibes

[DSNY FN]

Thanksgiving aren't you a little late with that it was back in October. I think you need a new calender if it is posted in Nov LOL.

[kathyseb]

Well, we know EXACTLY what we are doing.

Prior to my marriage to Yensid1901 twelve years ago, he always had Thanksgivng Dinner for his family. We have continued the tradition.

So we have both sides of the family over for dinner-depending on who comes we can have as many as 29 or like this year, as few as 15.

It is worth it as it is the only holiday we do not have to drive.

In addition to having our families over for dinner we have also started a second tradition.

At 8:00AM on the following day, we head out to a week at WDW.
Amazing what an incentive that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:goodvibes :goodvibes

[DarthGoofy]

We are doing Thanksgiving with my DW parents. Which is fine with me. It is hard to believe that the holiday season is already here. Oh well, each day that it is closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas is also another day closer to our trip in May. :bluebloun

[cobbler]

Cobbler, where in Alabama? Must be pretty far south to be 8 hours from WDW! We're going to be in the country too, namely a tiny town called Holly Pond :) This is also where my in-laws live. We spend Thanksgiving with them each year. They have their own garden and my Mom-in-law makes fresh, home cooked veggies...its kinda like soul food too :goodvibes

My pout :( is that I love traditional foods like turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and pecan pie! She told me this am that she wanted to make soup and cornbread :tearsaref Not a grateful girl, am I?

Your plans sound great, Laura, hope they work out :goodvibes mamaprincess, I would be suspicious of any cranberry sauce that didn't come out of a can :) Also, AFMom, those kind of Thanksgivings can be the best kind :beaniepro

We will be about an hour south of Montgomery in a little town called Grady. Near Petrey. About 20 minutes SW of Troy. We end up taking 231 to I-10 over to I-75 to get to Disney.

I love traditional food too like Turkey and dressing and Pumpkin Pie (it might be a north thing).

[chimera]

We don't know what we're doing yet :upsidedow

We see my family the Saturday before. DH's family is split between Tallahassee and Jacksonville, so we usually stay in Gainesville when we go up that way. Unfortunately, Gainesville is sold-out that weekend due to the FSU game :eek: And we're going to WDW the following weekend to meet up with some friends, so that's out too.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[DarthGoofy]

I love traditional food too like Turkey and dressing and Pumpkin Pie (it might be a north thing).

Nope, that is definately not a north thing. This southern boy likes the traditional stuff too.

[DSNY FN]

I prefer Ham and scallop potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce and lemon merangue pie for dessert or a nice cheese cake. I don't eat chicken or Turker well Turkey never and chicken only if it is from swiss chalet.

[WDWSTAR]

we are going to my ddad. although we kinda have a strange dinner, turkey & some of the fixings with bbq ribs and then we watch a movie this year charlie & the choc factory or Herbie the love bug, then dessert that i will be bring normal thanksgiving desserts, dsis will be cheap and wont bring anything except a few tea bags for herself because i will be bring desserts and that is plenty for her... :rolleyes: but i am hoping to eat and run to get back to the dvcboards :hyper: :tilt:

[withdisneyspirit]

Nope, that is definately not a north thing. This southern boy likes the traditional stuff too.

Correct, I am a southern girl from Alabama after all :goodvibes

[jiggerj]

Doing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner at my house with my parents. Then finishing my packing, or rather repacking, Ive been packed for weeks! Because we are up and outta here early on the 25th for Walt Disney World the next morning! :bluebloun :bluebloun :bluebloun

[dianeschlicht]

We have a very small family. I am an only child. My Mother and Grandmother have been gone for a long time, and my MIL is 92, so we usually pick her up and take her somewhere for THanksgiving. We can never make plans until my SIL does. She likes to plan last minute, so we never know what is happening. I usually call and ask them to come here, and she wont give me an answer until she knows what her DH's family is doing. That means I wont know until a couple days before if we are having 4 or 11! I get so irritated with it every holiday. For Easter, they ended up saying last minute, "let's just have it at our house", and that left me with a large ham in the freezer that I had already purchased. Then they came to our house for dessert, so I had to hit plan "B". I am known as being a pretty good cook, so that isn't the reason they don't come, it's just that SIL can't plan ahead very well.

[AFMom]

Cobbler - I know right where you'll be! We were stationed at Ft Rucker in Enterprise, AL last summer! My DH is in Montgomery for 5 weeks right now at Maxwell AFB :goodvibes - he'll be driving by you on his way here for Thanksgiving.... Small world....

[PoohsPal]

Well, this year is my familiy from Wed night 'til Friday. Then to inlaws for rest of weekend. Rotate every eyar. Dinner will be at my cousins this year. We'll have strays from all over, including my aunt and uncle from the other side of teh family. No one is unwelcome at my dad's family gatherings. It makes it very nice!

The fun thing is that there is a big outlet mall btwn my family and my ILS. SO, every year mom and I shop Friday before I transition to the next house. It gives both dh and I one x-tra day with our own family, unless my dad kidnaps him (poor thing). I can't believe it's coming so quickly!