Just Your Typical Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving 2020 began the way they always do.  We participated in a 5K race.  However, over the years we have gotten smarter about this race.  For the past three years, we have held the race at the pond which means we get to set the start time.  No more getting up in the dark and driving an hour to get to walk in the cold.  In fact, all of our participants spend the night at the farm just to avoid such a scenario.  Now we get up, have a leisurely and light breakfast, and the, head outside after the sun has been up awhile and it is a bit warmer.  

This years race started at 9:30 and we had a few new participants meeting us at the start line.  Suzanne and Heath were there with their weekend guest, Caitlin Kite.  For the first time ever, the Peterson Pond 5k had dog participants.  Racers number 307 and 308 were Suzanne and Heath's dogs Finn and Pongo.  They even wore race shirts.  

The winners were Laura in the over 30 but under 60 age group, Mike in the over 60 male category and myself in the over 60 female category.  I do not know how the rest of the race turned out because I was in the kitchen working on the Thanksgiving meal prep by the time the race ended.  A special thanks has to go to Laura Peterson for organizing this event and to Heath Zurn for designing our shirts.  Donations collected this year went to the FUMC Blessing Box in Greenville.  

Dinner was planned for two o'clock and everybody contributed.  Heath pitched in to help me with the turkey as I had never done one before.  As a result, I have still never done one but for the first time I made the stuffing.  Suzanne made two pies, pumpkin and chocolate pecan.  Laura made a salad and the green bean casserole.  Caitlin plied some of us with wine, decorated the table, and saved the crockpot potatoes from burning.  Mike, his brother Bill and Bill's wife, Cheryl were our taste testers and they were very good at giving out compliments to all the chefs.  

After dinner, I was ready to relax but not Laura.  She began the Christmas baking.  She started with fudge and moved on to buckeye candy balls.  

Once she was at a stopping point, we went to check out the Woburn Christmas lights which is another tradition.  But this year, there was a surprise.  One of the boxes was sponsored by the Petersons (us) in honor of our first granddaughter.  In honor of her mother, Mike specifically sponsored the only box that contained all Disney characters.  

The days excitement was starting to overcome our group so we headed back home.  Once there, we grabbed some tea and relaxed around the fire pit where Heath built us a big fire.  

There was one family member who was missing from Thanksgiving 2020.  That was our youngest daughter Emily.  She was in Utah where she joined up with a family friend, Laura Flannery.  Laura Flannery was a participant in the first Peterson Pond 5K three years ago.  They sent us a picture of their Thanksgiving meal.  

Personally, I think they would have had a better Thanksgiving with us but I could be biased.  I'm just glad that everyone had a good time and I am thankful they all are in my life.