Cox Family Adventures

Check out this 32 pound turkey that my Mom roasted to perfection!  It was the largest turkey I have ever seen - and the most delicious!  Mom and I hosted Thanksgiving as a team this year.  She did most of the cooking and I did the tables and serving at my house.  It worked out great. We had 21 guests from my Dad's side of the family. It was a wonderful day...we have so very much to be Thankful for!  
This is my Mom, Polly, Jesse, and Tom.  They (Polly, Jesse, and Tom) drove clear from Santa Fe, New Mexico to spend Thanksgiving.  Tom had the honors of carving the huge bird!
The "drum stick" off the turkey was enormous!  Have you ever seen a turkey leg so large?  We had some fun taking pictures of this leg.  See the next few pictures below...
Go Maddie - eat that thing!
Here my Aunt Joanne is beating my Aunt Joyce with the drum stick - what love! Or better yet, what a crazy family!
The Thanksgiving table...
It was so fun to have everyone here-  what a great family!
My Dad called this "The Dork Table."  It consisted of myself, Andy, and our kids along with a few others.  Isn't he funny....
Breaking the Wishbone!  Alex ended up with the biggest piece-
Polly, my Dad, and Andy - enjoying the conversation after dinner.
My Dad's sisters, Joyce and Joanne.  Joyce drove from California to be with us.
Grant and Hayley - always a pleasure to have as company  
Mom, Lindsay, Wyatt, and Riley.  
Jesse, Tom, and Polly--- 
The day ended with pumpkin pie and Holiday wassail.  It was a lot of work preparing for the big day, but it was well worth it!  I'm happy to do the decorating and hosting as long as someone else cooks the TURKEY!  Well, maybe it would be a good idea for me to learn sometime.  I can't avoid it forever.  

Here is the actual picture of the hot air balloon.  She used this picture as she made her project.  I thought she did an awesome job of re-creating the balloon!
This is Madison with her best friend Breanna.  It makes the day even better to share the success with a friend!  Way to go girls!

It's official!  The Holidays are upon us.  Each year we get together with Andy's family for Thanksgiving. We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, Sunday evening,  since most of us will be with our other families on the "real" Thanksgiving.  After we eat Grandma Sandra dresses all the grand kids up for a nativity reenactment.  The cast is pictured above.  This is how we welcome in the Holiday Season.  It started years ago with just a Mary,  Joseph, baby Jesus, and maybe an angel.  Now we have a full production, each granddaughter looking forward to her year as "Mary."   Here is Ellee and Kevin as Mary and Joseph.  
The youngest grandchild is always Baby Jesus.  Lane made is debut last year.  This year he was a Shepherd coming to see Jaydee as Baby Jesus.  (sorry the picture is kind of blurry)
The Three Shepherds-
Here is the Little Shepherd holding his sheep.  
Madison, Cami, and MarKell appear as angels.  
Alex is in the red robe and Tray in the green.  They are Wise Men bringing gifts to the Baby Jesus.  It is a fun little tradition that we hope continues forever.  
This is a sight you don't see every day!  I had to snap a photo of Andy and Karl doing the Thanksgiving dinner dishes!  This picture definitely deserves a spot on my blog!
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving this week.  

Andy had to go to St. George to take some Continuing Education classes this past weekend.  "St. George?  Count me in!"  We loaded up the kids on Thursday evening and headed out.  Andy wasn't able to have near as much fun as the kids and I since he was in classes most the day. We did lots of swimming - my kids could not get enough of the water!  I pretty much sat in the hot tub and watched them act crazy!  Madison kept saying,  "I'd be in school right now  if we were home huh?"  She was so pleased to miss a day of school - I think she felt kind of rebellious :)

I love the Skunk tail!

Another Holiday over...... on to the next!