Dysfunctional - Table Scape

We have so many people here at Thanksgiving --the food is spread on the table and people sit where they can. 


I don't even set a table-- because there is no place to sit.
It is always buffet style.  I look at all the lovely tables INCLUDING YOURS  and think ...hmmm, that would be awesome to have a beautiful table setting for Thanksgiving dinner. But then I remember-- If that were the case I...I wouldn't be surrounded by my BIG, LOUD!!!, LaUgHInG, crAAAzy, family!


Here were a few notable moments for my family today: 

• I forgot the Yams!  (I had just told Gail at My Repurposed Life that we are a yams family) And I'm the one that makes the yams only my siblings and I eat them. It was something of a tradition from our mother . None of our spouses or children eat yams-- not even my daddy.  Just three of us. So usually a small dish of yams will do. But nope not this year-- I FORGOT THEM!  It was funny to us. 
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• My oldest brother and his family were early.   My brother savored it.  They are typically bringing up the rear ;as we call it here...LATE!  
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• My youngest brother had a new gal.  He divorced recently and hasn't had anyone to spend the holidays with (except family of course) for the last 2 years.  We were giddy with anticipation. I think we all gave a nod of approval.  What's more ... I think she even liked us!  
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• I love when the guitars were brought out this year, it was my oldest son and my oldest nephew-- jamming in a corner of the kitchen.  My nephew sounds remarkably like Tom Petty!   I thought that was cool! 
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• I got a picture of my dad with each of the  3 youngest Grand-babies.  That was impressive seeing how he talks so loud he scares the baby AND he doesn't like having his picture taken... it wasn't easy, but I snapped some good shots of him with his Great grand babies!  No body was crying--miracle! 
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• The high temp today was in the 70's and that was in the morning.  It dropped around 9:00 and went down into the lower 40's and rainy.  So much for the Thanksgiving Day Picnic on the porch-- that we sometimes are accustomed to having. We were pretty cozy with all the HOT air and body heat.
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• I don't think we had any recipe disasters...well besides the forgotten Yams! But we had more food than you can imagine. We were stuffed! 
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• The smaller kids built a tower of Duplo blocks taller than my oldest nephew-- he's 6 ft 1 in! They were happy like they accomplished something...silly kids. 
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If you use your imagination you can have a pretty good glimpse of what it is like for me and my family at Thanksgiving or pretty much any holiday for that matter.  A bunch of loud, crazy, chatter and an occasional bout of screams and yells directed at the TV when the football is headed the wrong way down field. 

All in all, I am grateful to God for my family.  That I have my dad here and by brothers and families, and our own children and their ever growing families. No matter what I'm blessed and God is good to bring us together. I'm thankful for all the fun and I'm thankful for all that wasn't fun... that's what makes us a family. The good and the bad. 

If you read this entire post and have gotten this far and wondered  where the pictures are for my dyfunctional table scape... they're locked tight inside my head, with no way to retrieve them except words.  I apologize. 

I leave you with this. 

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
         For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

1 Chronicles 16:34 

God Bless you and your dysfunctional family

and 

Thanks for reading!