More prep... then.... the feast

The view from outside.
And inside (below).

Privileges of clean-up: lick the whipped cream spoon

A break in preparations - "magic" tricks, thanks to Fernando, who stopped by early.

David and Vic at work

Some of the preparations -- injecting the turkey with broth. Connor and Jesus gave it a try, too.

Lunch time in the midst of preparations. Arwen (on the left -- medical student staying with us for a month) put sandwiches together.

Weeping over the onions.

Wow. Two huge days of preparations and feasting!
We were so glad for the opportunity to host the boys. Maybe we'll have to do it again -- after we rest up!

~Lori

Prep for Neighbor boys' feast - Day One

A beautiful bouquet - ready to go inside two turkeys. :-)

Connor decided several weeks ago that the boys in the neighborhood needed to join us for a sit-down dinner. The idea grew to a Thanksgiving Feast for about 15 to 20 guys who spend their afternoons hanging out around our house.

Tim enlisted the help of a friend of ours, David Vidal. David grew up in this neighborhood -- he was just 5 years old when we moved here 21 years ago. Since then, he's graduated from culinary school and is hoping to get a catering business off the ground. (His website - www.davidjoecatering05.com)

3 guys in a kitchen

4 guys in a kitchen

5 guys in a kitchen (with 3 of the 15 or 18 or 20 or ? boys who will join us tomorrow)

Dishes anyone?

Cuddles praying for manna from heaven

So, David, you just DUMP the salt in?
(Soaking turkeys in brine)

Tim tries his hand at fancy roll-shapingJesus, Angel, and Connor pitch in as evening ROLLS around :-)

Time out for a little improv with Tim

Day one complete.
Pumpkin pies and blueberry pie and 6 dozen rolls and corn bread and roasted corn for the stuffing. Turkeys soaking in brine. David's special potato salad (white and sweet potatoes, cilantro vinagrette, roasted corn and red onions...)nearly complete. Peach cobbler in the works tomorrow (oh happy collection of desserts!). And who knows what else will appear tomorrow?!
Time to sleep and get ready for Day Two.
And then we'll rest up for a day before -- Thanksgiving!

Wawona

I look forward to Wawona year round. The minute I leave it I'm already anticipating next year's retreat. Unlike some other camps which have hour by hour activities/seminars/etc., Wawona's basic schedule is "put another log on the fire, heat up more hot cocoa/coffee/tea, take a leisurely walk if ya want, have another pleasant conversation/heart-to-heart, laugh til your sides ache (in some instances :-p), find a game to play, strum a guitar and/or listen to someone strum a guitar." So seeing as this is a fabulous concoction of some of my favorite things, and adding the fact that I've gone since I was a pixy in a Pooh Bear blanket sleeper, it's not suprising that every year about this time, a girlish grin will involuntarily creep across my face meaning one thing - we're going to Wawona.

Megan and Saundra in the great potato prep race. I wish I could have been an eye witness to this. All I caught of it was hysterical laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen as it neared the dinner hour.

As those in the kitchen prepared potatoes, others were outside grilling chicken

self-explanatory

Ryan and Josiah puddle-jumping

Paul and Timmy duke it out

A captured moment from what was (in my opinion) the best game of Taboo I've ever played :-p

Mrs. Clorox - "what can I bleach for you?!" :)

Making ornaments

This weekend's latest styles- brought to you by Maddie Myers :)

Sweet friendship

More from Taboo....in which Mrs. Holly and those in close proximity could hardly function due to an infectious case (epidemic really) of side-splitting laughter

having a chat

laughing is contagious and it's advantageous, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

God has seen fit to LAVISHLY bless me with precious jewels in the form of close girl friends.

Yes, you've guessed correctly....these, too, come from that same game of Taboo. Who'da thunk that a thermometer coupled in reference to a nose could be so funny.

Darel recited a work of Tennyson for the talent show

They found ice (and Connor grew horns out the side of his neck?!?)

Just about 360 days to go til next year's retreat.....(359...358...) :)

~Kaylee