This year our family had the biggest family Thanksgiving ever.  We usually have Thanksgiving attended by most of the family members and this year we had some extra people.  Compared with last year’s Thanksgiving dinner (just six of us) it was an afternoon full of food and fun.

Everyone was able to gather on Thanksgiving day at my brother’s house in Columbus.  In fact, the only one who wasn’t there was Devon’s girlfriend Erin.  Everyone else – cousins, grandkids, fiancés, and son of boyfriend – was there.  Steve and Kathy were a little worried about fitting all 20 of us in their house, but it worked out great.  We had two tables upstairs and one downstairs.  All of the under-30’s went downstairs, so I guess you could say it was the “kids’ table,” but Carson was the only kid.

Steve and Kathy have a ping pong table set up downstairs and about half the relatives tried their hand at being ping pong champions.  Dad has always been a good ping pong player and he showed off some of his moves and impressed the grandkids.

Everyone brought a dish to share, so Steve and Kathy weren’t stuck with all the food preparation.  Jared and Alexandria, his fiancé, brought the traditional green bean casserole.  Steve and Kathy had the turkey and mashed potatoes.  I took cornbread stuffing.  John and Jackie brought roasted brussel spouts.  Julia and Mike brought rolls.  Niece Julia and Kyle brought a raw veggie plate and macaroni and cheese.  Mom and Dad brought pies.  So there was plenty of food for everyone.

My favorite part of the day, besides the good food, was just having time to talk to people.  There is never enough time to talk in depth to everyone, but I had a chance to spend some time with Devon, Alexandria, Kyle, and niece Julia.  Devon is working for a marketing company translating Spanish commercials.  Alexandria is working as a psychologist with transitioning foster children – children who are aging out of the system.  Kyle is niece Julia’s boyfriend and father of Carson.  He is a Newark, Ohio, native and is working hard to provide a stable home for his son Carson.

Steve and Kathy worked really hard to make sure everyone felt welcomed and had a place.  They didn’t have to do all the food prep, but unfortunately, they did have to do most of the clean-up.  They have a small kitchen and it was hard to fit more than a couple of people in it.  It was easier to just let them do it after dealing with plates and dishes and leftovers.

The biggest family Thanksgiving ever was lots of fun and we enjoyed seeing everyone.  We are thankful that everyone was vaccinated, making it (relatively) safe to gather.  I am also thankful that our family is so close that we can gather.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Bigger than last year?