Fourth Biennial Second Thanksgiving Celebrated!

Today we celebrated our official Fourth Biennial Second Thanksgiving. This is held the day after Thanksgiving, hence the "second" Thanksgiving. The tradition started in 2003 when Jeff and Jamie bought a new home and wanted to hold Thanksgiving there. This was fine with us, however we arrived home that Thanksgiving night to a home that didn't smell like turkey and a refrigerator that didn't have leftovers arranged inside like an avalanche waiting to fall. This was no good. Friday, I went out and purchased the fixings for a second Thanksgiving dinner and cooked them and we ate them and rearranged the fridge like a Tetris puzzle. All was right with the world. Since then we have held Second Thanksgiving every year except the years that Anna and Tony are here for First Thanksgiving. It is a very complicated schedule that involves trigonometry and a slide rule.

Second Thanksgiving, thankfully, is very un-complicated. There are no rules. There is no timetable. That is why I spent the day in my pajamas and ate dinner with a large mustard splat on my shirt. That is why we ate snacks at 6:00 and dinner at 8:30. That is why at the end of the meal we celebrated with a rousing competition of armfarts and facefarts. Like I said, no rules. No timetable. No traditional Thanksgiving decorum.

The meal was scrumptious. Am I allowed to brag when I did all the cooking? You don't have to take my word for it. Spencer told me I was the best cooker ever. Pretty convincing! For snacks we had bacon wrapped water chestnuts, pigs in a blanket, nacho dip, corned beef hobos, pickled bologna, cheese, braunschweiger and crackers. For dinner we had turkey, my famous Sausage, Apple and Cranberry stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry relish, frog eye salad, razzleberry pie and banana cream pie drizzled with chocolate sauce. I loved every single thing I put in my mouth today. It was wonderful...wonderful...wonderful. The very best ever Second Thanksgiving.

My Razzleberry pie turned out so great. I was really proud.

Calvin after his shower.

Cameron hiding in the bedroom eating a bag of chips.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgiving today at Jeff and Jamie's house. In attendance were: the seven of us, Jeff, Jamie, Tyler, Morgan, Julie and Dan Mykols, Dan and Rose Kentala, Emmitt (Jamie's Grandpa), Pa, and Chris' Mom and Dad. The food was delicious and the kids had such a great time playing with their cousins. All the children participated in the annual "Vos Children Being Measured by Uncle Jeff." Cameron was the winner, having grown the most in the past year, with Spencer in a close second. We came home full and tired. Happy, happy day!!

Cameron loved the food!

Tyler and Spencer

Jeff Vos, Turkey Master

Fun was had by all playing Wii

Morgan was so happy when she finally got her cupcake!

Give it up for the instrumental stylings of Miss Emily Vos and Mr. WT Stephenson!

The peanut gallery

Weekly Top Five 11/19/2007

Top Five Thangsgivings Of All Time:

1. Thanksgiving 1994. It was Anna, Dad and I and friends, Dave and Janna Voss. My Dad was in the hospital recovering from an MS exacerbation. Dave and Janna drove with me from East Lansing to Toledo the night before. We picked up Anna from whomever she was staying with and we stayed all together in our Heatherdowns House and all slept together in Anna's bedroom. But not all in the same bed. I should clarify that Dave and Janna were married friends. Married to each other. :) We stayed up late talking and laughing. Dad was in the hospital and so Janna, Anna and I made the whole meal and we took it there to the hospital and all shared it together. I can't remember what we ate, but I remember how tender Dad was that day. We each shared things we were thankful for and I remember how Dad cried as he talked about being thankful. I admired his ability to still find things to be thankful for when he faced such a debilitating disease day after day. He was truly amazing. It was wonderful being together with my family that I loved so much. Dave topped off the day by entertaining the floor with his professional piano playing ability. My favorite Thanksgiving ever.

2. Thanksgiving 2006. It was our family and Anna and Tony eating at our house. The food was EXCELLENT! Anna made some really great appetizers and we marinated the turkey in a brine overnight. It was so moist. The kids had so much fun and it really was a wonderful day. Not even a very emotional game of Apples to Apples could ruin it!

3. Thanksgiving 1997. This Thanksgiving Day was the day after Chris' grandma, Ma, died. We ate at Aunt Barbara's house. It was comforting being together as a family and share the grief that we all felt losing Ma. It felt good to laugh and talk and share together. Plus, Aunt Barbara is the best cook that I know. The food was superb.

4. Any Thanksgiving 1975-1992 that was held at Grandma Platte's. These Thanksgivings at my grandma's were picture perfect. Plentiful food, wonderful conversation, loving family...all the right ingredients for the sublime Thanksgiving.

5. Thanksgiving 1993. I was away from home at BYU and went to my roommate, Tiffany Cameron's house in Sandy, UT. Her family was so nice to have me and make me feel welcome. I missed my dad and Anna so much and they really included me and made me feel really special. We went to Alta Ski Resort, watched "Home Alone" and the food was really good. Best of all, I didn't have to cook any of it.