If you know anything about me, you know I’m not much one for cooking. I do it because people in my house need to be fed, but otherwise I have zero passion for kitchen activities (unless we’re talking about a batch of fresh cookies, duh).

So for me to volunteer to host a family Thanksgiving, plan the menu, and handle all the cooking was just short of torture a miracle. Just kidding, kinda.

Songbird caught a crafty whim in the morning and designed our decor.

My parents (“Oma” & “Opa”) brought my grandmother from Indiana to join in the fun. It’s been 2 years since we last spent time with “GG” and the kids loved keeping her busy with board games while I worked on the bird.

One thing I can do is follow a recipe. The meal was a lovely hodge podge of recipes plucked from Pinterest, timeless favorites passed down from Handsome’s Grandma Lois (the kitchen queen), and Ree Drummond’s (the Pioneer Woman) turkey step-by-step.

Since all my efforts were food related, the tablescape lacked creative flair. I think everyone was just happy I made something edible! :)

Songbird practiced her penmanship with personalized place cards, too.

Yes, Opa is grateful for indoor plumbing… aren’t we all.

Pumpkin pie and Tassie cookies rounded out the dessert portion of our feast – a most wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!