Thanksgiving Day 2008

As Jason Johnson so aptly puts it, in America Thanksgiving Day in (or "Il Giorno del Ringraziamento" in Italian) is all about the three F's, i.e., family, food and football although not necessarily in that order!

For our family this turned into a two day celebration both Thursday and Friday this year.

This post will deal with Thursday only at my mother's house in San Marino, California.

FAMILY

Cousins Reunited

From top to bottom, posing by their high school graduation pictures are Lauren Wintroath, my sister Marilyn and John's daughter, our son, Mike and our son Andy.

We don't see Lauren or her parents often enough.  Ditto for Andy who lives in Las Vegas.

When you get these three together the riot just kind of starts, yesterday was no different.

Los Dos Hermanos

A peaceful moment in the living room.

Las Dos Hermanas

My aunt Katy is on the left with my mother, Chuny.  They munch away while watching the Detroit Lions (0-12) get eaten alive by the Tennessee Titans (11-1) 47-10.

 

FOOD

Everybody helps my sister Linda with the cooking.

Here Vanessa, Mike's beloved, gives her moral support with the turkey.  The whole family helps out but Linda is definitely THE chef on Turkey Day!

HELP!

The boys help this time by lifting the large turkey out of the oven for Linda.  They also ate most of the bacon that you see atop the delicious bird that Laurie is about to carve. 

The Family Table is all decked out for the festivities.

Andy and Jenn are getting married in February...

... while Vanessa and Mike will be tying the knot in August!

2009 will be an exciting and memorable year for Contreras family!!!

FOOTBALL

After the Lions game we watched Coach Matteo Belfiore's Dallas Cowboys (8-4) dismantle the Seattle Seahawks (2-10) 34-9, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles (6-5) 40-28 romp  over the Arizona Cardinals (7-5).

Still not done, we then switched to watch a college game.  Number 2 ranked Texas (11-1) made a BCS statement in stomping rival Texas A&M (4-8) 49-9.

As it happens virtually every Thanksgiving Day, the three F's were all fully satisfied!