THANKSGIVING, FEASTING OF ALL SORTS

NOVEMBER 28,2007

WELL IT IS NOW TWO DAYS PAST ALL THE THANKSGIVING FEASTING AND A REVIEW OF THE WEEK OF IF IT IS FOOD WE EAT AND IF IT IS ACTIVITIES THEN WE DO ALL WE CAN !


AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF CRAZY PREPARATION, THE CREW FROM OXNARD ARRIVED AT THE HOME PORT ABOUT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY. IT MAKES US HAPPY THAT ALL ARRIVED SAFELY, IF WORN OUT. GETTING EVERYONE TO BED WAS EASY.


THE FIRST FEAT WAS GETTING EVERYONE UP AND READY FOR CHURCH AT 9:00. ALL WERE TIMELY AND MOST LASTED THROUGH THE MEETING BLOCK. SOME FLAKED OUT TO RETURN HOME TO REST. THE FIRST TO BE BUSY WERE EMILY AND BELLA AND A PARENT MODEL AND THEN RAELYNN AND THE REST. AFTER CHURCH, THE FIRST FEASTING SESSION WAS ITALIAN FOOD, SPAGHETTI, LASAGNA, CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS, VEGGIES, SPARKLING CIDER, HOME COOKED FRENCH BREAD, FROZEN DESSERTS AND ANYTHING ANYONE ASKED FOR. ALL IN ALL, ABOUT 28 FOLKS WERE FED AND INVOLVED IN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.


THE LITTLE ONES RAN ABOUT THE BACKYARD INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF GAMES AND ACTIVITIES. SCREAMS OF JOY AND HAPPINESS TO BE YOUNG, ALIVE AND WITH COUSINS, AUNTS AND UNCLES, AND YES, GRANPARENTS. GRANDMA JOYCE WAS IN HER HEAVEN AND INVOLED HERSELF IN NUMEROUS GAMES WITH GREAT GRAND KIDS. NANA CARLYS WAS FOREVER TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO PLAY AND THEN LOSE TO HER AT BACKGAMMON! ALL FOR NAUGHT, AS SHE WAS FREQUENTLY THE LOSER. UNDETERRED, SHE CHALLENGED PARENTS TO PLAY AND TAUGHT THEM THE GAME AND WHILE DOING BETTER SHE STILL FOUND HERSLF ON THE SHORT END ONCE AGAIN.


ALL TOO SOON IT WAS TIME FOR FAMILIES TO HEAD FOR THE VARIOUS RANCHES SPREAD ACROSS THE VALLY. REGINA AND TRENT AND THEIR FOUR, TOOK GRANDMA JOYCE HOME. ANTHONY TOOK THREE 918 BOYZ HOME, WENDY/MICHAEL TOOK OFF FOR THE PALACIO MADERAZZO, BECKY AND HER TWO WENT TO THE RANCHITA, RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE TWO PRINCESSES HUNG AROUND TIL THE END. RANDI AND MIKE STUCK AROUND FOR GAMES AND GABBING, RICHELLE STAYED TO LEARN BACKGAMMON OR CHECKERS OR SOMETHING SO SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE. RAELYNN DID HER THING AND RETREATED TO HER CASTLE IN THE UPPER REGIONS. I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT ORDER OF ALL THINGS SO WHILE EVERYONE MAY HAVE THEIR OWN VERSION THATS THE WAY IT IS AND I WAS THERE!


TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WERE SPENT GETTING READY FOR THURSDAY. NANA CARLYS MADE APPLE PIES AND GRUMPAW TRIED TO SAVE MINCE PIE FOR THURSDAY WITH SOME PECAN PIE. BUT NANA MADE SHORT WORK OF THE PECAN PIE A SLICE AT A TIME. RYAN LIKES APPLE COLD, NEARLY FROZEN WITH WHIPPED CREAM. RYANS FAMILY ALSO WENT TO VISIT THE SMITHS.


THURSDAY, DAWNED BRIGHT AND EARLY WITH GRUMPAW GETTING THE TURKEY AND HAM ON THE GRILL. THE PRINCESSES OF OXNARD WERE UP EARLY AS USUAL AND STARTED THE DAY FULL OF EXCITEMENT AS THEY AND MOM AND DAD WERE OFF TO GRANDMA BOBBI'S FOR THE DAY. GREAT ACTIVITIES WENT ON UNTIL 1:00 P.M. WHEN DINNER WAS SERVED TO ALL PRESENT, ONLY ABOUT 21. MICHAEL AND WENDY WENT TO LA AND ON TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL TO SPEND THE DAY AS ALL THE EXCITEMENT WAS TOO MUCH FOR MICHAEL. FORTUNATELY THINGS GOT BETTER LATER BUT WENDY HAD TO CANCEL THE WEDDING TRIP TO ITALY, AS MICHAEL WAS JUST NOT HIMSELF WITHOUT HIS THANSGIVING FEAST.


ANOTHER DAY OF GOOD FOOD AND FUN SHARED WITH MANY. AN AFTER DARK CONTINUATION OF GAMES WITH KIDS, TV FOOTBALL AND CLEANUP BY MANY HELPING HANDS MADE THINGS GO FASTER. NANA AND GRUMPAW DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK BY THEMSELVES AND APPRECIATED ALL THE HELP GIVEN. ALL TO "SOON" EVERYONE HEADED BACK TO THEIR PLACES.


FRIDAY ANOTHER DAY OF ACTIVITIES HAD RYAN'S PLANS FOR A SECOND SUNS GAME GOING STRONG( HE AND NATE AND WILL BRIGGS WENT EARLIER IN A MENS NIGHT OUT. HE AND MICHELLE WENT TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE TO PUT UP THE LIGHTS ON THE HOUSE AND THEN OFF TO THE SUNS GAME FOR PART OF THE CREW. THE REMAINING CREW PLAYED MORE GAMES AND WATCHED KIDS AND TV.


SATURDAY ANOTHER DAY OF FEASTING WITH ENCHILADAS, HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING LEFT BEHIND. BY NOW ROBYN AND BILL AND CREW HAD COME HOME FROM THEIR ANNUAL MEXICAN VACATION. WENDY WAS KEEPING ALL INFORMED ON MICHAEL'S PROGRESS AT THE HOSPITAL. FORTUNATELY HE WAS FINALLY MAKING SOME PROGRESS.

FEASTING WAS DONE BY ABOUT 26 HUNGRY FOLKS. ALL HELPED AGAIN WITH THE CLEANUP WHICH MADE FOR LITE WORK FOR MOST!

WHILE A LOT OF THE CREW WENT BOWLING BEFORE DINNER GRUMPAW DID NOT GET ALL THE DETAILS. HOWEVER IT APPEARS HIGHSCORE FOR THE KIDS WAS RAELYNN, AND FOR THE ADULTS BIG BILL WAS THE APPARENT HIGH PIN COUNTER.


SUNDAY, RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE GIRLS WENT OFF TO UNCLE JOHNS' MISSIONARY FAIRWELL. THE REST OF THE DENIZENS AT GRUMPAW'S HOUSE SLEPT IN AND MISSED CHURCH AS THE CRAZY WEEK FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM.

SUNDAY PM WAS THE FINAL MEAL FOR ALL. ROBYN, FURNISHED CARROT CHOWDER, NANA MADE BEEF STEW, AND RICHELLE DID CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP AND BROCCOLI/CHEESE SOUP AND PROVIDED FRESH BREAD BOWLS. VEGGIES AND SNACKS FILLED IN THE EMPTY CORNERS. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND OTHER JUNK MADE DESSERT.


AS RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE GIRLS LEFT FOR OXNARD OTHERS BEGAN WENDING THEIR WAY HOME AS WELL. THIS IS THE TIME MOM AND DAD WORRY MOST AND PRAY HARDEST FOR THE SAFE RETURN HOME FOR ALL. AS WE REVIEWED THE WEEK, IN BED BEFORE SLEEP, WE WERE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EACH ONE OF OUR LITTLE ANGELS AND THEIR PARENTS. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND MORE AND MORE EACH YEAR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS DAYS WITH EACH OF YOU. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SERVICE TO EACH OTHER AND US AS WELL.

THE REAL LAST DOGGERS WERE RICHELLE AND RANDI WHO STAYED TO DO FINAL CLEANUP AND THEN RANDI WHO TOOK RAELYNN FOR A SHORT STAY.

MOM AND DAD DIED AFTER ALL HAD GONE AND SLEPT IN MONDAY TO 700.


THANKS TO EACH OF YOU FOR ALL THE SPECIAL TREATS AND ACTS OF SERVICE TO ALL OF US!


OUR LOVE AND PRAYERS TO EACH ONE.

NANA AND GRUMPAW

(Slow edit.)